President Joe Biden's plan to wipe thousands of dollars in student loan debt for millions of Americans will be at stake as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday.
In August, the White House mapped out a roadmap to eliminate some debt for a swath of middle- and low-income Americans. Potentially, people making under $125,000 annually could have their student loans reduced by $10,000. Those who have received Pell Grant funds could have a total of $20,000 wiped off of their balance.
A national student loan repayment freeze had been enacted after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The freeze was then extended by Trump and Biden under the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act several times since.
An estimated 43 million Americans would benefit from the forgiveness plan if the court sides with the Biden administration. At least 26 million debt holders have already applied, with 16 million of them approved.
If the case is decided against the relief plan, borrowers would have 60 days after the decision to begin making payments — many of whom would be paying for the first time in three years. At the latest, payments could resume in August if a decision has not been reached by June 30.
The Biden administration on Thursday released a plan for improving the nation's cybersecurity by shifting the burden from individuals, small businesses, and local governments to federal agencies and major tech providers.
COVID-19's origins remain hazy. Three years after the start of the pandemic, it's still unclear whether the coronavirus that causes the disease leaked from a lab or spread to humans from an animal.
Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters on Tuesday denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, issuing a rebuke to a leader who made history as head of the nation’s third-largest city.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has lost her bid for a second term. None of the nine candidates in Tuesday’s election won more than 50% of the vote, so Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to succeed her.
A large cross-section of Americans is at risk of falling below the poverty line as the program that provided more than 32 million people with extra SNAP benefits during the pandemic is set to end. Families received at least $95 extra per month to spend on food.
Conservative justices in the Supreme Court’s majority seem likely to sink President Joe Biden’s plan to wipe away or reduce student loans held by millions of Americans.
Protesters in favor of student loan relief gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning, demanding that the top jurists side with President Biden.
