QUICK HITS

1

HHS chief confifirmed: The Senate confifirmed California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as secretary of health and human services. The 50- 49 vote makes Becerra, 63, the fifirst Latino to head the $ 1.4 trillion agency that encompasses health insurance programs, drug safety and approvals, substance abuse treatment and child welfare.

2

Defrauded student loans could be canceled: Students who were defrauded by their colleges and received only partial relief from their federal loans could now see them fully canceled, the Education Department announced Thursday, reversing a Trump administration policy. The change could lead to $ 1 billion in loans being canceled for 72,000 borrowers, all of whom attended for- profifit schools.

3

Shooter, victims identifified: The man who gunned down two coworkers Tuesday at a grocery distribution center in Wisconsin was Fraron Cornelius, 41, of Wauwatosa, police said Thursday. The men he killed were Kevin Schneider, 39, of Milwaukee and Kevin Kloth, 51, of Germantown. Cornelius fatally shot himself after a police chase. His motives remain unclear, police said.

4

Afghanistan talks: Russia and the U. S., along with China and Pakistan, urged the formation of an “inclusive government” in Afghanistan and for the Taliban to call offff its spring offensive at talks in Moscow, according to a joint statement. U. S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was at the meeting with representatives of the warring Afghan sides as well as regional powers.

5

Motion denied: A judge overseeing the Flint, Michigan, water crisis trial denied former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s attempt to throw the misdemeanor charges against him out on the grounds that the case should be in Lansing, the state capital, instead of Flint.