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Austin attorney's student loan payments skyrocket, prompting lawsuit against Dept. of ED

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Austin attorney's student loan payments skyrocket, prompting lawsuit against Dept. of ED


A Central Texas attorney is taking legal action against the U.S. Department of Education, claiming a sudden and massive spike in her student loan payments is the direct result of a decision by the Trump administration — one that she says left borrowers blindsided and financially vulnerable.

Ashley Morgan, an Austin-based attorney, filed a lawsuit this week against Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the Department of Education after discovering her monthly student loan payment had increased from $507 to a staggering $2,463 — an increase of over 350%.

“I’m not seeking money, I just want what I was told I would get,” Morgan told CBS Austin.

Morgan alleges the increase came after the Trump administration abruptly paused all income-driven repayment (IDR) plans in February — without notifying borrowers. These plans typically allow student loan payments to be calculated based on a borrower’s income, often making them more affordable.

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“I logged into my loan account and saw my payments had more than quadrupled,” she said. “It was shocking — and it’s not affordable.”

Morgan, who began repaying her student loans in 2017, said she had never missed a payment in the past eight years. But when she logged into her account recently, she discovered the IDR plan was no longer available, and her loan payments had jumped overnight. There had been no warning, she claims.

“They’re really hurting people that can’t afford to wait around and figure out what to do with student loans or how to pick up the pieces of the Department of Education,” she said.

Morgan says she reached out to the Department of Education, her loan servicer, and Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn — but received no clear answers or help.

“I just realized I wasn’t going to get help and I was going to have to help myself,” she said. “That’s why I filed this lawsuit.”

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Morgan’s lawsuit goes beyond financial hardship. She claims the sudden change has caused “mental and emotional distress” and alleges other borrowers are experiencing similar impacts — including reports of suicidal thoughts due to the financial strain.

“I’m seeing a broad array of reactions from other borrowers,” she said. “It’s clear that people are scared and overwhelmed.”

The lawsuit comes amid sweeping changes at the Department of Education. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the department, transferring authority to individual states.

“It’s doing us no good,” Trump said. “We want to return our students to the states.”

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The executive order instructs Secretary McMahon to begin the process of downsizing the agency. However, fully eliminating the department would require congressional approval.

While some Texas leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, praised the move, others — like U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett — warned it could further undermine public education and student protections.

For now, income-driven repayment plans remain paused, and borrowers like Morgan are left in limbo — unsure how to manage loan payments that, for some, now exceed rent or mortgage costs.

“I’m not going to default on my loans just because someone is jacking with a couple forms online,” Morgan said. “But I’m not sure how long I can keep this up without help.”

Morgan is hoping the courts step in before she’s forced to drain her savings to keep up with her new monthly bill. She says she’s not alone — and that her lawsuit is about protecting all borrowers who may face the same fate.

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The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how the federal government handles student loan repayment plans — especially as the Department of Education’s future hangs in the balance.



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Is Matthew McConaughey Running For Governor? Why Campaign Signs Have Been Spotted In Austin, Texas | Whiskey Riff

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Is Matthew McConaughey Running For Governor? Why Campaign Signs Have Been Spotted In Austin, Texas | Whiskey Riff


Is Matthew McConaughey finally throwing his name into the hat of politics?

The Oscar-winning actor and author has been teasing a political run for years. Back in 2024, McConaughey really seemed to be entertaining a run for the governor of Texas. During the election year, the man known for such hit films as Interstellar and Dazed and Confused was asked about his interest again and again.

When he spoke with Forbes about the matter, he didn’t immediately shut the idea down. Rather, he thinks it’s something that he could enter into after he learns more about it:

“Yes. I have thought about running for office, getting into this category. I’m on a learning tour and have been for probably the last six years of understanding what this category means. Do I have instincts, intellect that it would be a good fit for me and I would be a good fit for it. That would be useful. I’m still on that learning tour, and, you know, days like this. I’m learning a lot.”

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So considering the fact that “McConaughey for Governor” campaign signs have been spotted in Texas recently, could his learning tour be over?

Lone Star State residents have been freaking out as signage for a Matthew McConaughey political run have popped up in North Texas. People have even reported seeing billboards and yard signs teasing the actor’s transition into politics. In addition, social media users have seen (and videoed) various campaign set ups, and even a large stage installation, on various occasions. As you might imagine, those have gone viral on social media.

Here’s a video of the aforementioned stage installation, which features Texas flags all over the place and “McConaughey for Governor” signs that have a tagline that harkens back to one of his most famous movie roles:

“Be Pretty Cool if You Voted.”

But here’s the deal… Matthew McConaughey is not running for governor of Texas, even though Texans would be alright, alright, alright with him doing so.

As the caption included in FOX4’s post describes, the sightings of “McConaughey for governor” signs are actually for an upcoming Apple TV+ show that will feature Matthew playing a fictionalized version of himself:

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“These highly realistic visuals are merely props for ‘Brothers,’ an upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series where McConaughey plays a fictionalized version of himself running for political office alongside his close friend, actor Woody Harrelson.”

So to be clear, anything and everything that Texas residents have seen about a potential McConaughey gubernatorial run are actually just realistic (and based on the internet’s response, confusing) set pieces. You can’t blame people for thinking that it might have been real with the Oscar winner publicly showing interest in running for governor in 2022, and teasing political runs in the years since.

While knowing that he isn’t running for office might be a let down, it’s fun to hear that he and Woody Harrelson will be working on a show together that will soon find a home on Apple TV+. And hey, this all might be for a TV series… but maybe they are also doing all of this to gauge how the public would respond to McConaughey running?

Sorry, I’ll take my tinfoil hat off…

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Texas Longhorn fans prepare to travel for showdown in Georgia

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Texas Longhorn fans prepare to travel for showdown in Georgia


Texas fans will make the stampede across the southeastern portion of the United States to Athens, Georgia, as the No. 10 Longhorns clash with the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs this upcoming Saturday.

Charlie Dunn, a dedicated Texas Longhorns fan and alumnus, is continuing a cherished tradition of attending road games with his father. “I tell people that I was brainwashed as a young child to go there,” Dunn said. This weekend, the father-son duo will travel to Athens to take in Saturday’s contest inside Sanford Stadium. “For the first time, we get to go, like, to their stadium, which I think is going to be awesome to see,” Dunn added.

They will be joined by thousands of fellow Longhorn fans, including 60 members of the Texas Exes organization. Margaret Williams, travel director for Texas Exes, expressed excitement about the new travel opportunities in the SEC. “It’s really fun now that we’re in the SEC because obviously there’s a lot of new sort of like, you know, travel destinations that we’ve never gone to before,” she said.

The Texas Exes Atlanta Chapter is preparing to welcome alumni and fans with open arms. “They’ll definitely have some warm Texas Longhorn arms to land in regardless of whether they’re in Athens or if they’re in Atlanta,” said Hunter Miranda, fundraising chair for the chapter.

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The group is holding a welcome party and happy hour on Friday at Botica, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

“For those of us living in Atlanta as Texas fans, we’ve been waiting for the Longhorns to be a part of the SEC,” said chapter vice president Ryan Esparza.

For those unable to attend the game, a watch party is planned. “A really large crew who maybe weren’t able to get tickets are going to be joining the watch party,” said Esparza, with Miranda mentioning that door prizes will be given out.

Despite the competitive atmosphere, Texas fans remain confident. “We’ve got a lot of Bulldogs around us, and they like to have their voices be heard when they’re better than us. So I would like to very much be able to quiet them,” Esparza said. Williams added, “I mostly wanna say Hook ’em Horns, let’s go get ’em.”

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Anyone interested in attending any of the events held by the Atlanta chapter of the Texas Exes is encouraged to contact the chapter.



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Woman dies after vehicle veers off road, hits her at East Austin bus stop

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Woman dies after vehicle veers off road, hits her at East Austin bus stop


A woman sitting at a bus stop in East Austin has died after being struck by a vehicle that veered off the road Wednesday night.

The Austin Police Department reported that the incident occurred on Riverside Drive, where the vehicle left the roadway, hitting the victim.

She was transported to the hospital by Austin-Travis County EMS, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.

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All eastbound lanes of East Riverside Drive between Royal Crest and Burton Dr are closed.

The scene remains active as the investigation continues.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.



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