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The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it would extend the payment pause on federal student loans, as President Joe Biden’s debt cancellation plan remains blocked in court. The Biden administration last week asked the Supreme Court to reinstate the loan forgiveness plan after it had been blocked by a federal appeals court. Biden said that the new June 30 deadline for student loan payments to resume would give the Supreme Court enough time to hear the case. About 45 million people in the U.S. have student debt. The Federal Reserve estimated that in the third quarter of 2022, people owed more than $1.7 trillion in student loans.

☆ In final White House briefing, Fauci urges Americans to get updated Covid booster
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Lauren-Egan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Lauren Egan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared Tuesday at his final White House press briefing, as he prepares to leave government next month following a half-century on the front lines of the world's gravest public health crises. “The idea that this may be very likely the last time I’m in that press briefing room is kind of sad. Things can’t go on forever," Fauci said in an interview earlier in the day with NBC News. Before he announced his plans to leave government, Fauci said he would not serve under another Trump administration. "What I would like to do is encourage and perhaps inspire younger people to get involved in science, medicine and public health," Fauci said.

WASHINGTON — Jack Smith, the newly named special counsel in the Trump investigations, most recently served as the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague, where he investigated war crimes committed during the Kosovo War. Before The Hague, Smith served as the vice president of litigation for the Hospital Corporation of America, the nation’s largest nongovernmental health care provider. Smith began his prosecutorial career in 1994 as an assistant district attorney with the New York County District Attorney’s Office. From 2008 to 2010, Smith worked at the International Criminal Court where he oversaw war crimes investigations. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that Smith would be returning to the U.S. from his position at The Hague, and would begin his role as special counsel immediately.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday sidestepped calls from pediatric groups who have been urging the government to declare a public health emergency in response to the surge in respiratory illnesses in children. As of Wednesday, 78% of pediatric hospital beds were full nationwide, with seven states reporting capacity levels above 90%, according to an NBC News analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Biden has encouraged people to get the flu shot and the updated Covid booster. “We’re already seeing a rise in the flu and RSV and other respiratory illnesses, especially among young children,” Biden said last month at the White House. We’ve made these updated vaccines easy to get and available for free at tens of thousands of convenient locations.”The Covid public health emergency, which has been extended several times since the pandemic first hit, is set to expire in January.

Alex Brandon / AP“I don’t think there’s enough votes to codify unless something happens unusual in the House,” Biden said. “I think we’re going to get very close in the House,” he added. Democrats have kept control of the Senate, but passing a bill through that chamber would likely require 60 votes, which would necessitate about 10 Republicans supporting it. Although Democrats performed surprisingly well in the midterm elections, Biden’s remarks on Monday underscore the limitations of his policy agenda going forward as he adjusts to what will likely be a divided Congress. Biden said that throughout his trip it has “been clear just how closely the world, our allies and our competitors as well, have been following our elections at home.”

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of next week’s Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, the White House announced Thursday. Tensions hit a high over the summer after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which Beijing viewed as an effort to undermine China’s territorial integrity. Although the two leaders have spoken virtually five times over the past two years, this will be their first in-person meeting since Biden became president. They will also discuss their policies toward North Korea and Ukraine, the official said. “The president believes that there is no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy to carry these discussions forward,” the official said.

☆ Biden says Elon Musk’s relationships with foreign countries 'worthy of being looked at'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Lauren-Egan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Lauren Egan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Asked whether Elon Musk posed a threat to national security, President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the billionaire’s “relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at.”“I think that Elon Musk’s cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “Whether or not he is doing anything inappropriate — I’m not suggesting that — I’m suggesting it’s worth being looked at. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the new owner of Twitter, has significant business interests in China. That helped prompt Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to call for an investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia’s stake. But Musk has important relationships with the U.S. government, too, and those have continued under the Biden administration.

A contractor works on a crude oil pipeline at the U.S. Department of Energy's Bryan Mound Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, in 2016. There are now about 400 million barrels of crude oil left in the SPR. Since its establishment, only three presidents other than Biden have directed the sale of oil from the petroleum reserve, while exchanges have been more common. Barack Obama directed the release of 30 million barrels in 2011 to offset supply disruptions caused by Libya’s civil war; in 2005, George W. Bush released 11 million barrels to help refiners hurt by Hurricane Katrina; and in 1991, George H.W. Bush released 17 million barrels in response to the Gulf War.

WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday criticized former President Donald Trump for telling American Jews over the weekend to "get their act together" and "appreciate" Israel "before it is too late." Speaking at a press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Trump’s comments on his Truth Social website were "antisemitic" and "insulting" both to "Jews and to our Israeli allies." "For years now, Donald Trump has aligned with extremist and antisemitic figures," she added. "He has been invoking antisemitic tropes for years about Jewish power, about Jewish greed, about dual loyalty." The White House has in the past been reluctant to respond directly to inflammatory comments from the former president.

☆ Biden administration officially opens application for student debt cancelation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Lauren-Egan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Lauren Egan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Monday that the online application to receive student debt cancelation is now available. In a speech at the White House, Biden said that it takes less than five minutes to fill out the form. President Joe Biden speaks about the student debt relief portal beta test in Washington on Oct. 17, 2022. Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty ImagesAfter promising for months to take action on student debt, Biden announced in August that he would cancel up to $10,000 for many borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in the 2020 or 2021 tax years. The Biden administration is also facing several legal challenges to its student debt relief plan, which threaten to delay or derail its efforts.

☆ College costs keep snowballing despite Biden’s efforts to ease student debt burden
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Loans from private banks have gone up even faster, with some charging more than 13% for student loans this fall, people familiar with the industry said. Borrowers with existing loans that have variable rates have started seeing their monthly payments go up from the higher rates, they said. Increased costs mean many students have to borrow more money at higher rates, further exacerbating the student debt problem the Biden administration set out to address. The problem is the cost of higher education,” said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. “We commend this administration for responding to the call of addressing of the student loan debt crisis,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP.

☆ 'Punked': DeSantis keeps White House, Delaware and media guessing on migrant flight plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Marc Caputo | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Lauren-Egan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused DeSantis of not wanting a workable, bipartisan solution on immigration. “Obviously,” DeSantis said, “it’s sad that Martha’s Vineyard people deported them the next day. Ray Ewing / Vineyard Gazette via APThe migrants who were flown to Martha’s Vineyard weren’t deported; they were moved to a military base near Cape Cod. “If you say you’re a sanctuary state, then don’t complain. Share in the pain — whether you’re president, God or anyone else.”Marc Caputo reported from Florida and Lauren Egan reported from Delaware.

☆ Biden signs bill to expand benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed legislation on Wednesday expanding health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. The bipartisan bill, known as the PACT Act, is the most significant expansion of veterans' health care and benefits in more than 30 years, a White House official said. Danielle Robinson was a guest of first lady Jill Biden during the president's first State of the Union address when he called on Congress to pass burn pits legislation. Biden has said he believes Beau’s cancer was linked to exposure to burn pits during his deployment. The legislation increases veterans' access to medical care and disability payments for exposure to burn pits.

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