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Supreme Court blocks Biden’s student loan forgiveness program

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

(CNN) — In a stinging defeat for President Joe Biden, the Supreme Court blocked the administration’s student loan forgiveness plan Friday, rejecting a program aimed at delivering up to $20,000 of relief to millions of borrowers struggling with outstanding debt. The decision was 6-3 with Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the conservative supermajority.Republican-led states and conservatives challenging the program say it amounts to an unlawful attempt to erase an estimated $430 billion of federal student loan debt under the guise of the pandemic. Roberts said the Biden administration and Secretary of Education rewrote the law.“The Secretary’s comprehensive debt cancellation plan cannot fairly be called a waiver – it not only nullifies existing provisions, but augments and expands them dramatically,” Roberts wrote. “However broad the meaning of ‘waive or modify,’ that language cannot authorize the kind of exhaustive rewriting ...

Supreme Court strikes down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down the Biden Administration’s student loan forgiveness program, one that would have provided up to $20,000 of debt relief for an estimated 40 million Americans.For many students, the decision is a crushing blow, eliminating federal student loan debt for roughly 40% of student loan borrowers.“Debt is a really hard thing to overcome,” said Julien Elliot, a 21-year-old at San Jose State University. “I’ve even seen my mom struggle with it: she just finished paying off her student loan debt, and she’s 55 years old.”The decision came after two suits were brought to the Supreme Court, one from a group of Republican states that challenged the administration’s authority to cancel student debt, and the other from two students who felt they wouldn’t get enough out of the existing program. Since the Biden administration announced the debt relief plan last August, the government has approved 16 million applications fo...

Pac-12 recruiting: Washington’s big finish (to June), Stanford and USC stay hot and dead period arrives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

The Hotline is delighted to provide Pac-12 fans with a weekly dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports.The following report was provided to the Hotline on June 29 …A quick spin around the conference, starting in the upper left corner …What a Week for WashingtonThe day spring became summer, Washington had one commitment for the 2023-24 recruiting cycle.A week later?The Huskies are up to 11 commitments.They’ve added a slew of four-star prospects (in the 247 Sports rankings), starting with receiver Jason Robinson from Long Beach and athlete Peyton Waters from up the road a bit in Van Nuys.Peoria (Arizona) edge rusher Noah Carter is a four-star recruit, as well, with the Huskies hoping he brings the same kind of impact another Arizona edge rusher, Bralen Trice, has for UW.After parting ways with quarterback commit EJ Caminong, the Huskies landed a verbal pledge from Rancho Cucamonga (C...

California home insurance: What’s more important, coverage or cost?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

California’s home insurance challenges are a complex web of risk management, construction costs, pricing algorithms, climate forecasts and regulatory minutia.Recently, State Farm and Allstate — two major home insurers in California – chose to stop writing new property policies, citing rising costs. Their moves raise fears of a potential statewide insurance shortage.This begs the question: What are fair premiums and how will they offer homeowners decent protection while providing insurers a fair profit?Now, insurance pricing logic makes the average human’s head hurt. It requires calculating the risks of everything from major catastrophes to modest calamities at just one home. The variables run from climate to construction to crime.Add that up and then make a big bet: How much money for how much protection?Let my trusty spreadsheet try to explain this odd dynamic, using some awfully basic math to highlight the tussle between a property owner and an insurer.Proper premiumsWe all know t...

In a gay rights defeat, Supreme Court rules for Christian designer who objects to making gay couples’ wedding websites

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a gay rights defeat, Supreme Court rules for Christian designer who objects to making gay couples’ wedding websites.

Silicon Valley school sites serve as convenient places to help feed families

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Workshop for Bay Area high school students, a two-week intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.Ali Preston had been with HP Inc., formerly Hewlett Packard, for 10 years and her husband had an automotive job for 30 years when the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. Amid the waves of layoffs, they both lost their jobs.“I never thought I’d be going to a food bank,” Preston said after picking up produce, dried goods and chicken at Branham High School in San Jose. “We were always the ones who donated.”As the pandemic affected families and its aftermath continues to cause widespread food insecurity, schools have increasingly provided directly to families or invited outside food groups onto campus. Preston’s food came from Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.Based on enrollment data from the 2019-20 school year, 3.9 million students in Ca...

The Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn't want to make wedding websites for gay couples

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled Friday that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. The court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. Smith had argued that the law violates her free speech rights.Smith's opponents warned that a win for her would allow a range of businesses to discriminate, refusing to serve Black, Jewish or Muslim customers, interracial or interfaith couples or immigrants. But Smith and her supporters had said that a ruling against her would force artists — from painters and photographers to writers and musicians — to do work that is against their beliefs. Smith’s lawyer, Kristen Waggoner, said the Supreme Court was right to reaffirm that the government cannot compel people to say things they do not believe.“Disagreement isn’t dis...

Verbal confrontation leads to shooting in Rohnert Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

(KRON) -- A man was arrested for an attempted homicide that occurred on Sunday just before 7 p.m. after a verbal confrontation led to a shooting in Rohnert Park.According to police, the suspect followed the victim to the 7500 block of Burton Avenue where both individuals argued with each other while they were in their vehicles. The suspect then pulled out a handgun and fired one shot that struck the driver’s side door of the victim’s vehicle. Grad student commutes to UC Berkeley by plane to save on rent The suspect fled the area shortly after, according to police. The victim was not injured during the incident. Police say the victim did not report the shooting until the day after it occurred. The suspect, suspect vehicle and a handgun were located by police on Wednesday in the 300 block of Eastwood Drive in Petaluma. The suspect, Richard Brandon Meza, was taken into custody without incident. KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding...

Marin County Fair kicks off today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

(KRON) -- The Marin County Fair officially kicks off today and will run through the Fourth of July holiday from 11 a.m to 11 p.m.Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at the fair's website. Active military and children under four-years-old can enter the fair for free everyday. 2 displaced in Santa Rosa house fire, $600K in damages On Friday, the fair is offering free admission for children under 12-years-old, seniors over 65-years-old and veterans with proper identification. The Marin County Fair has over 120,000 attendees annually.Watch KRON4's Michael Thomas' live report in San Rafael at the video player above.

Sale a la luz “Misión Cumplida”, el álbum póstumo de Jenni Rivera

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:32 GMT

MIAMI – “Misión Cumplida”, el álbum póstumo de la cantante, actriz, compositora, y productora estadounidense de origen mexicano Jenni Rivera (1969-2012), honra sus inicios como cantante de banda en Sinaloa (México) con toda su “presencia escénica y energía”, dijeron a EFE tres de sus hijos.De los 16 temas del álbum publicado este viernes nueve son canciones que dejó grabadas y salen a la luz por primera vez.“Creo que este disco se parece mucho más a cómo se escuchaba ella en los escenarios con su Banda La Divina, que era de Mazatlán, Sinaloa, por lo que siento que el sonido les quedó muy bien”, dice a EFE Johnny López, uno de los cinco hijos de la artista. Juan Rivera revela detalles desconocidos de la muerte de su hermana Jenni Juan Rivera relata lo que su hermana Jenni le pidió antes de morir El disco, en cuya portada aparecen varias fotografías de distintas épocas de la vida de Jenni Ri...