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A federal decide in North Texas dominated on Thursday that President Joe Biden’s scholar mortgage forgiveness program is “illegal,” the most recent problem to the coverage that has seen a number of assaults from conservative teams.
U.S. District Decide Mark Pittman mentioned in court docket recordsdata that he declared the mortgage forgiveness plan illegal as a result of Biden didn’t observe federal procedures to permit for public remark previous to the coverage’s announcement.
In October, the Job Creators Community Basis filed the lawsuit within the North Texas court docket on behalf of two debtors who don’t qualify for all the program’s advantages. These debtors disagreed with this system’s eligibility standards and the lawsuit alleged that they might not voice their disagreement.
The newest assault on Biden’s mortgage forgiveness applications comes after the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the eighth Circuit quickly halted this system final month in response to a lawsuit from six GOP-led states. The Texas lawsuit joins a rising variety of authorized challenges to the mortgage forgiveness plan that Biden introduced in August. Debtors began making use of for this system in October.
Since then, Republicans and different advocacy teams have attacked this system as a handout to high-salaried professionals. Gov. Greg Abbott signed a letter in September that mentioned scholar mortgage forgiveness would hurt the working class.
However individuals who earn over $125,000 aren’t eligible for the mortgage aid program. Eligible candidates are restricted to $10,000 in aid, except they’re recipients of Pell Grants, supposed for low-income college students, by which case they will rise up to $20,000 in aid.
In 2021, 56% of scholars who graduated from four-year public universities had roughly $25,000 in scholar debt, in keeping with the Texas Increased Training Coordinating Board. Biden’s resolution to forgive more cash for low-income college students who certified for federal Pell Grants will particularly affect low-income debtors and other people of coloration, who usually tend to qualify for federal monetary assist and carry greater quantities of scholar mortgage debt.
The Texas lawsuit alleges that Biden’s program violated the Administrative Process Act by not offering a public remark interval. The lawsuit additionally argues the Secretary of Training doesn’t have the authority to implement this system.
Alexander Taylor, one of many plaintiffs, is just not eligible for $20,000 in forgiveness as a result of he didn’t obtain a Pell Grant, which is simply accessible to low-income college students, and due to this fact will solely be entitled to $10,000 off his scholar loans.
The opposite plaintiff, Myra Brown, has privately held loans which can be now not lined by Biden’s plan. Earlier in this system’s existence, commercially held loans like Brown’s may very well be consolidated into Direct Loans, which meet the eligibility necessities of Biden’s program, however the Training Division modified this coverage after fielding a number of lawsuits from conservative states.
In response to the lawsuit, the Justice Division argued final month that Biden’s plan doesn’t require discover and remark.
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As Congress returns from recess today, Democrats are in for a tough family conversation. Four senior House Democrats said on a private call yesterday that they believe President Biden should drop out of the 2024 race. Others have publicly criticized those calling for Biden to step aside. Meanwhile, Biden campaigned in Pennsylvania yesterday like a man on a mission.
Democrats from across the country are weighing in on whether President Joe Biden should remain the party’s nominee for president.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, the Justice Department said in a court filing on Sunday. As part of the plea deal, Boeing will pay a $243.6 million fine, invest upwards of $450 million toward safety and compliance programs and be on probation for three years.
France’s far-right party fell far short of getting a majority after a historic number of voters participated in the country’s snap elections. The country saw a 67% voter turnout.
Beryl made landfall in Texas this morning as a Category 1 Hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5:00 a.m. ET update. More than 100 counties are under a state disaster declaration, and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said yesterday more may be added. More than 2,500 responders have been dispatched across the state.
If you order more food than everyone else, how do you split the check? Chef and writer Kiki Aranita offers advice.
Malaka Gharib/NPR
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Malaka Gharib/NPR
Dining out with your friends is all fun and games until it’s time to pay for your meal. Splitting the bill is a fine art. New York Magazine food editor Kiki Aranita says there should be “a sense of equality in how the check is divvied up” when the meal ends. She offers advice on how to keep things “fair and square”:
Bolivian women skateboarders — wearing traditional garb — demonstrate their skills on the half pipe.
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Indigenous arts and culture from across Latin America were on display at this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival. From an all-female Bolivian skateboarding crew to artists singing and painting to weaving, people from the Latin American contingent at the festival shared their stories and expertise with excited onlookers like 2-year-old first-time skateboarder Poppy Moore. One of the artists NPR’s team met was Ubaldo Sanchez from Guatemala. His portrait of former President Obama was selected for his White House collection, and he successfully painted a giant kite by the festival’s closing.
📷 See photos from the festival and read about the special connection Sanchez found with NPR’s Marc Silver.
Jennifer Privett takes her Himalayan cat Jean Claude out for a stroll in San Francisco.
Chloe Veltman/NPR
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Chloe Veltman/NPR
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.
NORTH TEXAS — Sunday night, Beryl officially became a Hurricane again. North Texas can expect winds and heavy rainfall. Flash flooding is possible.
12 a.m. – 2 a.m.: If any isolated storms to our northwest hold together Sunday night, this would be the timeframe they could reach DFW.
2 a.m. – 5 a.m.: Isolated stray hit/miss showers could pop up across the region.
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Heavier showers and thunderstorms are possible in the metroplex and especially points to the east. If more showers and storms develop between the frontal boundary and Beryl, they could drop fast-hitting, heavy rainfall.
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Remaining activity should diminish or exit East/Northeast.
The latest track shifts a weakening Beryl further east of DFW.
All in all, the heaviest rainfall is trending east of the metroplex with a steep drop-off to the west of Beryl’s potential track. However, due to the interaction with the frontal boundary moving in from the northwest and Beryl, there certainly could be locally much higher amounts if stronger storms develop right over DFW.
Starting late week and amplifying into next week, a large upper-level ridge of high pressure will sit over the south and expand across the central and western United States. We could see extreme heat build back in for the extended forecast as a result.
For the 7-day forecast, Beryl and its associated activity exit the region quickly followed by more heat.
Amid his first visit to Taiwan, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Sunday the opening of a Texas-Taiwan trade representative office in Taipei to strengthen business and economic ties between the state and island.
Taiwan-based companies have been expanding into Texas for years, specifically in the semiconductor and petrochemical industries. Totaling $21.3 billion in 2023, Taiwan is Texas’ seventh-largest trade partner, according to Abbott.
One of the notable expansions is by GlobalWafers, a Taiwan-based semiconductor silicon wafer company, which announced in 2022 plans to build a state-of-the-art silicon wafer factory in Sherman, Texas. This facility, expected to be the first of its kind in the United States in over two decades, aims to address the semiconductor supply chain issues in the U.S. by reducing the reliance on imported silicon wafers from Asia. This project is anticipated to create around 1,500 jobs and significantly bolster the state’s local economy.
During a visit to Taiwan on Sunday, Abbott announced the opening of the State of Texas Taiwan Office (STTO), making it the 23rd U.S. state to open an office in Taipei. The STTO, which will operate under Texas’ Economic Development & Tourism Office, was announced in an effort to strengthen business and economic ties between the state and island, with the Republican governor also signing a letter of intent.
Newsweek has reached out to Abbott’s office via email for comment.
SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images
“We understand, both in Texas and in the United States, the importance of a strong Taiwan for the future of the entire globe. One of the best things that we can do to strengthen Taiwan and strengthen its future is by expanding our economic ties, so that Taiwan grows even stronger economically,” Abbott said on a stage with Taiwan Minister of Economic Affairs Jyh-Huei Kuo.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Abbott praised the opening of the office and wrote on Sunday morning, “Taiwan President Lai welcomed our Texas delegation in Taipei. We also announced the opening of a trade representative office for the State of Texas. We do BILLIONS in trade with Taiwan. The country was very hospitable.”
Taiwan President Lai welcomed our Texas delegation in Taipei.
We also announced the opening of a trade representative office for the State of Texas.
We do BILLIONS in trade with Taiwan. The country was very hospitable.https://t.co/RKkxlOHjT0
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 7, 2024
According to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, Texas is an important trading partner as the Lone Star state is the ninth largest export market, with exports exceeding $11.5 billion in 2023.
“During this trip you will open the state of Texas-Taiwan office and sign an economic development statement of intent. I assure that the office will create new and trailblazing opportunities for an even stronger collaboration between Taiwanese and US businesses,” Lai said, according to Taiwan News.
However, the announcement comes as tensions between Taiwan and China continue to grow.
In May, Lai faced China’s largest-scale military exercises in nearly two years. It comes as a response to Lai’s inauguration speech as he asserted that “the Republic of China Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation,” adding it is “an important link in the global chain of democracies.” While Taiwan has been independently governed since 1949, China views the island as part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to unify the nations.
In addition, China has said it would launch a war if Taiwan were ever to officially declare independence. Lai, like his predecessor, former President Tsai Ing-wen, has maintained that there is no need to do so, as Taiwan is already an independent state.
Last week, China issued a no-sail zone warning in waters near Taiwan.
Maritime Safety Administration of China’s eastern Zhejiang province issued the navigational warning for a “military exercises” in the East China Sea from Wednesday to Friday as China’s military deployed 22 aircraft and six vessels.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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