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☆ Federal judge in Texas says agency created to help minority-owned businesses must provide assistance to all races
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —A federal judge in Texas said Tuesday that a US Commerce Department agency intended to help minority-owned businesses must offer assistance to all individuals, regardless of race, agreeing with White business owners who claimed that its policies were unconstitutional. Because they aren’t on the Agency’s magic list, the Agency presumes they aren’t disadvantaged,” Pittman wrote. Time’s up.”The MBDA is one of the only federal agencies focused exclusively on developing and advocating for minority-owned businesses. In recent years, conservatives have increasingly turned to federal courts in Texas to challenge certain federal programs and actions. “To the extent the MBDA offers services pursuant to an unconstitutional presumption, that’s fifty-five years too many,” Pittman said in his latest ruling.

Persons: Mark Pittman, Donald Trump, Pittman, …, ” Pittman, ”, Nixon, “, ’ ”, MBDA Organizations: Washington CNN, US Commerce Department, US, Minority Business Development Agency, Latino, Agency, US Department of Commerce, Fort, Northern, Northern District of, Biden, “, Centers Locations: Texas, Asian, Fort Worth, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, SFFA

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has ordered a 55-year-old U.S. agency that caters to minority-owned businesses to serve people regardless of race, siding with white business owners who claimed the program discriminated against them. The agency, which helps minority-owned businesses obtain financing and government contracts, now operates in 33 states and Puerto Rico. Justice Department lawyers representing Minority Business Development Agency declined to comment on the ruling, which can be appealed to the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. John F. Robinson, president of the National Minority Business Council, said the ruling is “a blow against minority owned businesses," and does nothing to help majority-owned businesses because they already enjoy access to federal resources through the Small Business Administration. "It has the potential of damaging the whole minority business sector because there will be less service available to minority-owned businesses,” Robinson said.

Persons: Mark T, Pittman, Donald Trump, Nixon, Biden, ” Pittman, Dan Lennington, ” Lennington, John F, Robinson, ” Robinson, Arian Simone, Alphonso David, David, Stanley Goldfarb, ”, “, —, David Glasgow, Graham Lee Brewer, Haleluya Hadero Organizations: —, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, U.S . Commerce Department, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Black, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, Justice Department, Business, Agency, Circuit, National Minority Business Council, Small Business Administration, Economic, Pfizer, The, Appeals, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Meltzer Center for Diversity, New York University’s School of Law, Supreme, AP Locations: Texas, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Tennessee, Atlanta, The New York, Florida, New

☆ Applications for student loan forgiveness no longer accepted
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is no longer accepting applications for student loan forgiveness after a second federal court shut down the program. “Courts have issued orders blocking our student debt relief program,” the Education Department said on its federal student aid website. Student loan forgiveness is likely to end up before the Supreme Court. People with student loan debt have not been required to make payments during the pandemic. As for loan forgiveness, the Education Department said on its website that it would hold on to the applications for those who have already applied.

☆ Federal judge declares Biden's student debt relief plan unlawful
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge in Texas on Thursday ruled that President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in student loan debt was unlawful and must be vacated, delivering a victory to conservative opponents of the program. The debt relief plan had already been temporarily blocked by the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. About 26 million Americans have applied for student loan forgiveness, and the U.S. Department of Education has already approved requests from 16 million. The plan, announced in August, calls for forgiving up to $10,000 in student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year, or $250,000 for married couples. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office in September calculated the debt forgiveness would eliminate about $430 billion of the $1.6 trillion in outstanding student debt and that over 40 million people were eligible to benefit.

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