Feds give $251 million for disability inclusion at work
In its largest-ever vocational rehabilitation-focused competitive grant, the U.S. Department of Education is giving $251 million to more than two dozen higher education institutions and other agencies to ensure disability inclusion in the workforce. The Disability Innovation Fund program awarded the five-year grants to 27 recipients.
The grants will prepare individuals for competitive and integrated employment, as well as allow youth and adults with disabilities to be paid good wages while getting a job in some of today’s most in-demand fields.
In a news release, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said, “In our 21st century economy, we must provide more opportunities for these individuals to achieve their goals for competitive integrated employment, independence, and economic self-sufficiency.”
The recipients of the grant come from 16 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, and they represent 13 institutions of higher education, nine nonprofits, four state agencies, and one institution of higher education/special institution.
The locations receiving grants include Bismark State College, Florida Atlantic University, Minot State University, Mississippi State University, Northern Marianas College, University of Idaho, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Oregon, University of South Florida, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Wisconsin System, University of Wisconsin-Stout, and Wor-Wic Community College.
The full list of individual projects can be found here.
Australia PM announces plan to restrict access to social media for kids
Australia is set to become one of the first countries to put age restrictions on social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an age verification trial on Tuesday, Sept. 10, before introducing age restrictions later this year. He said the minimum age requirement would likely be between 14 and 16 years old.
However, digital rights advocates warn that restrictions could push children to unsafe underground online activities. Australia’s internet regulator, the e-safety commissioner, previously warned that “restrictions-based approaches may limit young people’s access to critical support” and lead them to “less regulated non-mainstream services.”
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, already has a self-imposed minimum age of 13, and said it wants young people to benefit from its platforms while giving parents the tools to support them “instead of just cutting off access.”
Proponents argue a minimum age requirement encourages kids to stay active while minimizing potential negative impacts of social media on young people’s mental health.
The age restriction plan comes amid an Australian Parliamentary probe into the effects of social media on society, which shed light on the mental health crisis among teenagers harmed by online activity.
Australia isn’t the only country cracking down on social media and digital device use among kids. States across the U.S. have introduced cellphone bans in schools, and the U.S. Department of Education is poised to release new guidelines on cell phone use in schools come October.
US charges 6 Hamas leaders with terrorism over Oct. 7 attack
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced terrorism charges against senior leaders of Hamas. And with the kickoff to a new NFL season a day away, betting on the games is expected to break records. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
US charges 6 Hamas leaders with terrorism over Oct. 7 attack
The Department of Justice has announced charges against six senior Hamas officials for killing at least 43 Americans since the terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel. Nearly a year later, there are mass protests taking place in the streets of Israel after six more bodies of hostages were recovered.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the federal charges unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 3, won’t be the last efforts by the DOJ to hold Hamas accountable for its heinous crimes.
Justice Department Announces Terrorism Charges Against Senior Leaders of Hamas pic.twitter.com/z8gS2lUGvV
“On Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists murdered nearly 1,200 people, including over 40 Americans, and kidnapped hundreds of civilians,” Garland said. “They perpetrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations. These actions will not be our last.”
The recovery of the bodies of Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages in Gaza sparked a massive round of protests in Israel. Thousands of people are calling for more action to be taken to see the release of the remaining hostages.
The charges filed against six Hamas leaders include conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder U.S. Nationals, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.
However, of the six Hamas officials charged, three of them are already dead. The other three have not yet been captured.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine to hold onto Russian territories ‘indefinitely’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv will be holding on to the Russian territories it seized last month indefinitely as its war with Russia stretches on. It’s part of a plan to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
Almost a month ago, Ukrainian troops took over Russia’s Kursk region in an unexpected operation. Ukraine now claims it controls nearly 500 square miles of Russian territory and has taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war.
In an interview with NBC News, Zelenskyy would not discuss whether Ukraine planned to try to seize more Russian territory.
The interview aired hours before Ukraine’s foreign minister resigned Wednesday, Sept. 4, as a Ukraine parliament deputy warned it would be the “day of resignations,” with more than half of Zelenskyy’s cabinet members expected to be replaced.
Harris to announce economic plans, Trump to hold town hall
There are now less than nine weeks until Election Day and both presidential candidates will be on the road today.
The Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, is set to give a speech in New Hampshire, unveiling plans for new benefits for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Those plans are set to include a tax deduction of up to $50,000 for starting a small business; ten times the $5,000 amount currently granted to small businesses in their first year.
She is also set to announce a goal of 25 million small business applications during her first term if she’s elected president. That would surpass the 19 million new small businesses under the Biden administration.
Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump will be holding a town hall in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
He’ll take questions during the event at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity. The town hall will air Wednesday night on the network.
Both vice presidential candidates are also holding events Wednesday. Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is set to be in Pennsylvania and Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance in Arizona.
Federal judge won’t intervene in Trump’s New York criminal case
A federal judge has rejected former President Trump’s request to intervene in his New York criminal case. Trump’s lawyers were hoping to move the case to federal court so they could try to have his conviction overturned in the wake of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling.
The lawsuit brought by six Republican states and led by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey alleges they have documents proving the Biden administration plans to begin canceling loans this week, even though a cancellation plan technically does not exist yet.
Usually, states cannot file to block federal regulation until it’s officially in place, but in this case, the states say they have proof the secretary of education is implementing the plan without one officially being in place.
The lawsuit claims the administration has been planning this move since May. The Education Department has not commented on the pending litigation.
$35 billion expected to be bet on NFL this season
The NFL’s 2024 season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 5, and the American Gaming Association predicts Americans are about to dish out the big bucks betting on games. They say $35 billion will be placed in legal wagers this season.
If the association is right, that would be a roughly 30% increase from the amount bet on the NFL in the 2023 season.
Last season there was nearly $27 billion spent on legally betting on NFL games. Since then, even more states have passed laws to allow for legal betting markets, including North Carolina, Maine, and Vermont.
Betting is now legal in 38 states and Washington D.C.
The American Gaming Association said more bets are placed and more money is wagered on the NFL than any other league.
Conservative group sues Education Dept over race-based grant eligibility
Young America’s Foundation (YAF), which describes itself as the leading organization for young conservatives, sued the Department of Education, alleging a grant program violates the equal protection clause because its eligibility is based on race. YAF challenged the department’s McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program which provided $60 million in 2023 to approximately 6,000 students.
The Department of Education describes the program as a grant competition in which funds are awarded to colleges and universities to prepare participants for doctoral studies through research and other scholarly activities.
To be eligible, at least two-thirds of the participants in a project must be low-income, potential first-generation college students. The remaining participants may be from groups that are underrepresented in graduate education.
“Defendants say these racial exclusions are necessary to racially balance the number of graduate students in America by giving a preference to so-called ‘underrepresented’ students,” YAF wrote in a court filing. “But make no mistake: the word ‘underrepresented’ is a euphemism for certain minority groups preferred by Defendants.”
The group also included a quote from Assistant Education Secretary Nasser Paydar.
“When we look at U.S. students studying to become our future physicians, professors, scientists and other crucial professionals requiring graduate degrees, many demographic groups are underrepresented . . . . McNair grants fund projects at universities and colleges that help underrepresented students to access doctoral programs,” Paydar said.
YAF named two individual plaintiffs: Avery Durfee, a white female student who is in her junior year at the University of North Dakota, and Benjamin Rothove, a white male student attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Both students said they were informed by their universities that they are not eligible for the grant due to their race. However, YAF also admitted the students do not meet the low-income guidelines and that Rothove does not meet the first-generation guidelines.
“Denying a student the chance to compete for a scholarship based on their skin color is not only discriminatory but also demeaning and unconstitutional,” YAF President Scott Walker said in a statement.
The program and the guidelines for eligibility were created by an act of Congress in 1987. Every Department of Education since that time has made awards, including during the Trump administration.
Straight Arrow News reached out to the Department of Education for its response to the suit.
Elon Musk interviews Donald Trump for 2 hours on X after delay
Elon Musk sats down with former President Donald Trump in an interview on X that lasted two hours. And the impact of an earthquake in Los Angeles is caught on live TV. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
Elon Musk interviews Donald Trump for 2 hours on X after delay
Former President Donald Trump sat down with tech billionaire Elon Musk for a conversation that was livestreamed on X Monday, Aug. 12. However, the broadcast began more than half an hour late due to a glitch, which Musk later attributed to “a cyber-attack.”
Despite the rocky start, the conversation went on for over two hours. Trump and Musk delved into topics ranging from immigration and inflation to the assassination attempt on Trump’s life, and some of Trump’s top priorities if he should win the November election.
One idea the former president threw out there was potentially dismantling the Department of Education.
“Well, think of education, we’re ranked at the bottom of every list, 40, 38,” Trump said. “In other words, horrible. And we spend more per pupil, more than anyone in the world. And one of my first acts — and this is where I need an Elon Musk, someone who has strength and smarts — I want to close the Department of Education and move education back to the states.”
The FBI is now investigating attempted hacks into both the Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns. The investigation includes attempted hacks targeting three Biden-Harris campaign staffers and Roger Stone, a former adviser to former President Trump.
Stone told The Washington Post his email had been compromised, but it’s not clear if attempts to hack the Biden campaign were successful. A Harris campaign official said it does not appear to have been hacked.
On Friday, Aug. 9, Microsoft issued a report showing Iranian operatives had been trying to interfere with the 2024 election. Trump’s campaign confirmed over the weekend it appears to have been impacted by those efforts after news outlets were sent hundreds of confidential pages.
White House confirms Biden will speak at DNC
The White House has confirmed President Joe Biden is set to speak at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Multiple media outlets are reporting other speakers will include former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The convention starts Monday, Aug. 19, and will go through Thursday, Aug. 22.
We're a week out from the start of the 2024 @DemConvention and content creators are getting excited to cover the convention from their own unique lens. @6figga_dilla talked to @saramachi at convention HQ last week about this historic moment for the city and the country. pic.twitter.com/oTxj8ro0Jy
Sources told ABC News the current plan is for Biden and Hillary Clinton to speak Monday night, then former President Obama on Tuesday, Aug. 20. On Wednesday, Aug. 21, it’ll be vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton. Finally, Harris is set to address the DNC on Thursday, Aug. 22.
That is a tentative schedule and could still change.
U.S. preps for potential Iranian-backed attack on Israel this week
Security Adviser John Kirby said the U.S. is prepared for “significant” attacks by Iran or its proxies in the Middle East as soon as this week. Kirby said the U.S. has bolstered its forces in the region.
Secretary of Defense Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike…
It’s a rare move to publicly announce such military moves; a tactic some say is meant to de-escalate tensions in the region and deter Iran from possibly attacking.
Concerns of an attack come after Iran and Hamas accused Israel of carrying out the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran in July.
U.S. troops suffer minor injuries in Syrian drone attack
Defense officials said several U.S. service members suffered minor injuries in a drone attack in Syria on Friday, Aug. 9. The drone targeted a landing zone which hosts U.S. and partner forces in the global coalition to defeat ISIS
U.S. Central Command said it’s still evaluating the damage, but initial assessments show there was minor damage to one set of facilities.
This attack was the second within a week to injure U.S. personnel who are part of the coalition to defeat ISIS.
This latest California quake came almost a week after a magnitude 5.2 quake struck Bakersfield.
Team USA’s Jordan Chiles to lose bronze medal after appeal denied
The latest turn in the Olympic medal controversy involving gymnast Jordan Chiles did not go Team USA’s way. On Monday, Aug. 12, the USA Gymnastics Organization sent Olympic officials what it called time-stamped video evidence that showed Chiles’ coach requested a review of her score within the allotted one minute, meaning Chiles should be able to keep the bronze medal that was awarded to her following a score change.
However, USA Gymnastics released a statement later Monday saying the Court of Arbitration for Sport would not reconsider its ruling to strip Chiles of the medal.
But the twists to this saga may not be over just yet though.
USA Gymnastics said it will continue to “pursue every possible avenue and appeal process” including the Swiss Federal Tribunal to “ensure the just scoring, placement and medal award for Jordan.”
Georgia reverses decision on state funding for AP Black studies course
Georgia state Superintendent Richard Woods said on Wednesday, July 24, the state will pay for districts to teach a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies. A day prior, Woods said state money would not be used for the course but didn’t say why.
His statement sparked backlash, with critics saying the decision would suppress teaching Black history. They also compared the decision to similar ones in other states, like Florida and Arkansas.
Georgia’s Board of Education – which is appointed by the governor – must approve a class for it to be eligible for state funding, which helps pay for teachers’ salaries and class materials.
The state superintendent originally said funding for the course would be left up to local governments if they wanted it taught in their district. In response, some districts said they would have to cancel the class for high schools.
Public criticism was swift and within 24 hours, the superintendent announced Georgia would fund the course after all, as long as districts use a certain code linked to an existing African American studies course approved by the state.
— Georgia House of Representatives (@GaHouseHub) July 25, 2024
Despite the reversal, supporters of the course are still voicing concerns, saying Georgia’s original refusal to recognize the course was discriminatory.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also sent a letter to Woods, questioning the original decision not to back funding for the course. Several Georgia state representatives are also calling for the Department of Education to get rid of defunding policies in Georgia.
In Arkansas, students enrolled in the AP course for the upcoming school year will receive credit, a change from the previous year. Last year, students did not receive credit due to uncertainty among state officials about whether the course violated a state law restricting the teaching of race
Only about 1/3 of Americans think college is worth it
More Americans are losing confidence that a college degree is actually worth it. A new Gallup poll shows only about a third of Americans say they have a “great deal” or “a lot” of confidence in higher education, down significantly over the past decade.
In 2015, 57% had a lot of confidence in higher education.
The amount of people who have little or no confidence in the U.S. college system is on the rise as another third of people said they feel that way. Only 10% had little or no confidence in 2015.
According to the recent Gallup survey, lower levels of confidence in higher education stem primarily from concerns in three areas: too much focus on political agendas, failing to teach relevant skills and being too expensive.
However, a separate Gallup poll found confidence in two-year schools is going up. About half of respondents (48%) said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in community colleges compared to four-year colleges and universities.
The differences were also dramatic. For instance, 58% of Americans have high confidence two-year schools provide an affordable education, while only 11% agree with that about four-year schools. And more than half (55%) say a degree from a two-year college is worth it, compared to only 18% who feel that way about four-year universities.
The waning view of whether college is worth the time and money is consistent across all demographics, including gender, age and political affiliation.
Project 2025 is a 900-page document from the conservative Heritage Foundation. The document calls for changes to the United States government if a Republican wins the 2024 presidential election.
The Heritage Foundation was founded in 1973 and became influential during former President Ronald Reagan’s time in office with its “Mandate for Leadership,” a blueprint on “detailed policy prescriptions on everything from taxes and regulation and trade and national defense.”
The organization claims Reagan’s administration adopted or attempted to adopt nearly two-thirds of the blueprint’s policies. Project 2025 is now being compared to the “Mandate for Leadership” of the 1980s.
“If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration,” the project’s website states.
Project 2025 looks to dismantle federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Education, fire tens of thousands of unelected federal workers, deport thousands of undocumented immigrants, impose tariffs on imported goods, and privatize Social Security and Medicare, among other priorities.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts appeared on MSNBC to talk about Project 2025.
“We want to look at it from the standpoint from the everyday American and say it’s time that they are put in the driver’s seat, rather than unelected bureaucrats,” Roberts said.
Democrats and left-wing activists say Project 2025 is extremist and dangerous. They contend that the plan’s language is misleading and warn that a Republican president with a Republican majority in Congress would lead to an overhaul and concentration of executive powers.
Critics also say there is a prominent Christian nationalist agenda within the pages of the Project 2025 plan, tackling topics like pornography, marriage and abortion.
A group of Democratic Congress members said the task force aims to bring awareness to Project 2025’s extreme ideologies, calling it a “radical, extreme, pro-authoritarianism plan pushed by conservatives who are desperate to take our country backwards” under a Trump presidency.
Former President Trump has neither endorsed Project 2025 nor called for its implementation.
Biden issues warning after immunity ruling as Trump looks to overturn conviction
Reaction from President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on presidential immunity. And Hurricane Beryl strengthens to a Category 5 as it approaches Jamaica. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Biden issues warning after SCOTUS ruling as Trump looks to overturn conviction
In a landmark 6-3 vote along ideological lines the Supreme Court justices ruled Monday, July 1, that former President Donald Trump is entitled to immunity for official acts he took while in office. The effects of the court’s decision will be seen in the coming days.
The high court’s ruling gave Trump some immunity from being criminally prosecuted on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election, however, it did not totally dismiss Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case. The former president is reportedly looking to have his New York trial conviction overturned based on the Supreme Court’s decision.
According to Trump’s legal team, the Manhattan jury’s verdict that found him guilty of falsifying business records should be overturned because the jurors saw evidence during trial that they now consider to be protected. Trump’s lawyers are seeking a delay in Trump’s sentencing so they can have more time to make their case. Trump’s sentencing is currently scheduled for July 11.
In the Supreme Court’s opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The president is not above the law. But … the president may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers.”
After that decision came down, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social saying, “Big win for our Constitution and democracy. Proud to be an American.”
BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 1, 2024
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden decided the historic ruling warranted a primetime address. In it, he warned of what he called a “dangerous precedent.”
Biden calling the ruling a, “disservice to the people of this nation,” saying the decision means there are “virtually no limits on what a president can do.”
“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America,” the president said. “Each of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law, not even the President of the United States. [With] today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed for all practical purposes.”
Biden repeated Justice Sonia Sotomayer’s dissent, saying the ruling makes the president “now a king above the law.”
In response, Trump posted that the primetime address was just meant to deflect from Biden’s “horrible campaign performance.”
Steve Bannon begins 4-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress
“I’m proud to go to prison,” he said in a press conference before turning himself over to authorities. “I am proud of going to prison today.”
The longtime Trump ally was convicted of contempt for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.
“If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny, if that’s what it takes to stand up to the [Attorney General Merrick] Garland corrupt criminal DOJ, if this is what it takes to stand up to Nancy Pelosi, if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden, I’m proud to do it,” Bannon said. “I was on a destroyer for four years in the Navy. I am prepared for whatever prison has, right? Our prisons are run very well. The Bureau of Prisons does a great job. I’m prepared to do this, whatever task I do, I’m totally prepared mentally, physically, everything, for prison.”
In an interview Monday, former President Trump blamed President Biden for what he claims is a “weaponization” of the justice system, saying Biden is “going to pay a big price” for it. Trump’s campaign told ABC News Trump’s statement meant Biden will lose the election come November.
Iran, Syria, North Korea sued in connection with Oct. 7 Israel attack
More than 100 victims and families of victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel are suing Iran, Syria and North Korea. They said the countries provided the terrorist organization the money, weapons and instruction to carry out the deadly attack.
📢 BREAKING: ADL filed a federal lawsuit today against Iran, Syria and North Korea for providing material support to Hamas to commit atrocities in Israel on Oct 7, 2023. These state sponsors of terror must be held accountable. 🧵https://t.co/hfIcxLKyz5pic.twitter.com/CUdQWDhQJ5
The lawsuit, which was filed in a New York court, seeks at least $4 billion in damages for the attack. The suit was filed by the Anti-Defamation League — a Jewish advocacy organization — and is the largest case against foreign countries in connection with the attack.
This comes as the Israeli army ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of the southern Gaza city Khan Younis on Monday, July 1, signaling troops are likely to launch a new ground assault into the strip’s second-largest city.
The call to move toward the Al Mawasi Humanitarian Zone does not apply to the patients in the European Hospital or the medical staff working there.
There is no intention to evacuate the European Hospital in the Khan Yunis area. https://t.co/MditW1DJ9g
Hurricane Beryl now a Category 5 storm, heads for Jamaica
Hurricane Beryl is now a Category 5 storm. This is the earliest on record that a hurricane in the Atlantic has reached the highest category there is, with wind speeds above 160 miles per hour.
— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) July 1, 2024
It made landfall on the Caribbean’s Windward Islands on Monday as a Category 4 storm. Many are still without power or water and at least one death has been reported.
Beryl is only the second Category 5 Atlantic storm to be recorded in July.
Biden student loan repayment plan allowed to proceed
In a small victory for the Biden administration, a federal appeals court will allow the Department of Education to move forward with lowering millions of student loan borrowers’ monthly payments in July. The move comes as the administration faces two legal battles over the repayment plan known as SAVE, which launched in 2023.
A federal judge in Kansas issued an injunction blocking the plan from taking effect on July 1. The Department of Justice quickly appealed.
New: The 10th Circuit has GRANTED @usedgov's request to stay the Kansas court's decision to block parts of the SAVE plan. Unclear yet what this will look like for borrowers (ED placed 3M of them on forbearance last week in light of the rulings). pic.twitter.com/XO9EsoQgls
Under SAVE, many borrowers will pay only 5% of their discretionary income toward their debt every month, and anyone making $32,800 dollars or less will have no monthly payment.
On the other income-driven repayment plans, borrowers pay at least 10% of their discretionary income.
After twice breaking the U.S. record for under-18 runners at the Olympic trials, it was confirmed Monday, July 1, Wilson will be joining Team USA at the Paris summer games later this month.
Teenaged phenom Quincy Wilson, 16, is headed to Paris as part of the U.S. men's 4×400 Olympic relay squad, his coach confirmed on Monday.
He's the youngest American male track athlete to appear at an Olympics 👏
Wilson will be part of the team that runs the 4x400m relay, making him the youngest American male track athlete to appear at an Olympics. Wilson’s team will formally be announced next week.
Federal judges block key parts of Biden student debt relief plan
Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri issued rulings Monday, June 24, that blocked key parts of President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan, specifically the aspects that adjust payment amounts based on a borrower’s income. As a result, further implementation of the SAVE program is now halted.
This program, which has been operational for nearly a year, links a borrower’s monthly payment amount to their income. The blocked second phase of the plan would have reduced monthly payments from 10% of a borrower’s discretionary income to 5%.
The rulings also pauses any further debt cancellation for individuals who took out smaller initial loans and have been making payments for over 10 years. Despite these rulings, the White House said it remains committed to supporting students and borrowers.
“Today’s rulings won’t stop our administration from using every tool available to give students and borrowers the relief they need,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
It’s important to note that the SAVE Plan, unveiled by Biden in 2022 as part of a larger $430 billion initiative to fulfill a campaign promise, aimed to cancel up to $20,000 in debt for up to 43 million Americans. However, this initiative was blocked by the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court in June 2023.