This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes

The World Cup is heating up along with the weather. Make sure your international friends know that their ranch dressing shouldn’t be left out in the sun. 🧄☀️

Colorado will hold its primary elections tomorrow. Find your polling place and check your registration status at ASP’s Election Hub. 

I STUDENT LOAN CHANGES TAKE EFFECT THIS WEEK

New federal student loan changes will take effect this week and could increase your monthly payment. The new rules establish borrowing caps for parents and students and consolidate several different income-based repayment plans. Different types of degrees will be subject to different lifetime borrowing limits. Students whose education expenses exceed the new limits will need to rely on loans from private lenders or other means of financing their education. 

>> More on how the changes could affect your loans or repayment here. 

I BIPARTISAN HOUSING ACT IN LIMBO

The future of a bipartisan housing bill that passed both chambers of Congress remains uncertain after President Donald Trump canceled a signing ceremony for the bill last week. Trump said he would not sign the legislation unless Congress first passes the SAVE Act, an election reform bill that has been a top priority for the president. The ROAD to Housing Act includes reforms intended to make housing more affordable, including banning private equity firms from buying single-family homes, changing environmental regulations, addressing manufactured homes, and providing incentives for more favorable zoning at the state and local levels. 

>> Could we see a pocket veto on the bill? Find out what that means here

 I NYC PASSES RENT FREEZE

The New York City Rent Guidelines Board approved a rent freeze on one- and two-year leases, affecting more than 40% of all apartments in the city. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged the policy during his campaign. Landlords have opposed the plan, arguing it will make it harder to properly maintain buildings, with the president of the Real Estate Board of New York, James Whelan, arguing that, while popular, the freeze “will make New York’s housing crisis worse.” New York’s current vacancy rate is 1.4%, low enough for the city to call it an emergency. The Rent Guidelines Board has previously frozen rent in 2015, 2016, 2020, and the first half of 2021. 

>> Learn more about plans to make housing more affordable here.

I AT LEAST 1,450 DEAD IN VENEZUELA QUAKE

The death toll from last week’s double earthquake in Venezuela has risen to 1,450, with at least 3,150 injured and 12, 721 displaced. The first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.2 and struck west of Caracas, the country’s capital, around 6 p.m. local time last Wednesday. A second quake, measuring 7.5, struck 39 seconds later and is the largest to hit the country since October 29, 1900. The government is working to restore subway and rail services. Delcy Rodríguez, the country’s leader after the U.S. captured former President Nicolás Maduro to face drug-trafficking charges, says that while power outages persist, the nation’s electrical grid is intact.

I M&M FANS FEELING BLUE

Mars, the candy company behind M&Ms, announced that it is moving away from artificial dyes and will use only natural dyes in its products. There’s just one catch: the new M&Ms won’t contain the traditional colors blue or brown. Mars says that the natural dyes needed to produce those colors are too expensive and interfere with machines in the production process. The changes come as state governments enact bans and restrictions on artificial food dyes, a push championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

>> Get the details on the M&M change here and state law changes here.

The increasing popularity of smart glasses is raising new questions and concerns about privacy. Find out what the recording laws are in your state. 📖⚖️

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