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☆ Biden's administration just kicked off the process to get student-loan forgiveness to millions of borrowers, vowing to 'work as quickly as possible under the law'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department on Tuesday held its first public hearing on its new student-debt relief plan. It comes after the Supreme Court struck down Biden's first route for debt relief in June. Biden is attempting to use the Higher Education Act of 1965, which will take longer than the first plan. We will help as many borrowers as possible, and we will work as quickly as possible under the law." "Taxpayers just got sucker punched – again – by this administration," top Republican on the House education committee Virginia Foxx said after Biden announced the new plan for relief.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Education James Kvaal, Kvaal, –, Virginia Foxx Organizations: Department, Service, Education Department, Higher, Education, Democratic, Republican, Taxpayers Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ U.S. to announce $1.3 bln in military aid for Ukraine -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The United States will announce a new pledge to buy $1.3 billion worth of military aid for Kyiv in its conflict with Russia in the coming days, two U.S. officials said. The previously unreported weapons package includes air defenses, counter-drone systems, exploding drones and ammunition, one of the U.S. officials said. The United States is using funds in its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program, which allow President Joe Biden's administration to buy weapons from industry rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks. The Pentagon has provided more than $10.8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine under the USAI in fiscal 2023, in seven separate tranches. Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington Editing by Don Durfee and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, AVEVEX, Australia's DroneShield, Washington, Mike Stone, Don Durfee, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Kyiv, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, L3Harris Technologies, AeroVironment Inc, U.S . Department, Ukraine Defense Contact, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: United, Russia, United States, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, California, Washington

☆ White House wants aviation bill to include new consumer protections
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The House is set to vote this week on legislation authorizing funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but Republicans excluded many consumer protections sought by Democratic President Joe Biden. The White House said in a statement of administration policy that "the disclosure requirements currently in place for passenger tickets are necessary to help consumers comparison shop for a ticket." Most carriers voluntarily committed last August to provide hotels or meals but resisted providing cash compensation for delays. The White House also expressed concern in the statement about the House bill's proposal to raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age to 67 from 65 - a change opposed by major aviation unions. "Making this change without doing research and establishing any necessary policies would be outside the international standard," the White House said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jan Schakowsky, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Schakowsky, Biden, May, David Shepardson, Will Dunham Organizations: Monday, Republicans, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Democratic, Transportation Department, European Union, White, Thomson Locations: Alexandria

☆ Meet a first-generation Gen-Zer with $60,000 in student debt who says it's 'hard to be excited' about Biden's new plans for relief: 'There's just no clear messaging'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Olivia Bissanti, 23, has $60,000 in federal and private student debt. As a first-generation college student, Bissanti was the first in her family to achieve a higher education and navigate the financial system that comes along with it. Six months after graduating from college in 2021, Bissanti started making payments on her private student loans. Olivia Bissanti (right), 23, has $60,000 in private and federal student debt. At the end of June, the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers.

Persons: Olivia Bissanti, she's, hasn't, Bissanti, I've, Joe Biden's, overreached, —, Biden, Biden's, it's, There's, Bharat Ramamurti, that's Organizations: Service, Education Department, —, Supreme, Higher, National Economic Council Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ US Republican 2024 hopefuls defend Ukraine support at Iowa conservative forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S., July 7, 2023. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina both argued that it remains vital for the United States to push back against Russian aggression. The United States has provided billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine following Russia's February 2022 invasion. Pence appeared visibly frustrated by Carlson's assertions that the United States lacked a national interest in the Ukraine war. The ultimate goal for the United States, DeSantis added, should be "a sustainable peace in Europe," but he was not specific about how achieve that.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott Morgan, Joe Biden, Tucker Carlson, Mike Pence, Tim Scott of, Vladimir Putin, Pence, Scott, Ron DeSantis, Putin, DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, Biden, Nikki Haley, Carlson, Iowa's, James Oliphant, Ross Colvin, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Republican U.S, Ukraine, Family, Democratic, former Fox News, United, NATO, America, U.S ., Biden, Trump, Reuters, Republicans, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Bluffs , Iowa, U.S, Iowa, Russia, Des Moines, Tim Scott of South Carolina, United States, Ukraine, United, Florida, Europe

☆ Biden forgives $39 billion in US student debt using program tweak
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Borrowers will be eligible for forgiveness if they have made either 20 or 25 years of monthly IDR payments, the department said. The IDR program caps payment requirements for lower-income borrowers and forgives their remaining balance after a set number of years. Biden has said he will pursue new measures to provide student loan relief to Americans after the Supreme Court blocked his plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in debt. The Education Department has launched a regulatory "rulemaking" process to pursue his $430 billion loan relief plan. In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris said the administration "will continue to fight to make sure Americans can access high-quality postsecondary education without taking on the burden of unmanageable student loan debt."

Persons: Joe Biden's, Read, IDR, Education Miguel Cardona, Biden, Kamala Harris, Juby Babu, Rami Ayyub, Christina Fincher, Chizu Nomiyama, Frances Kerry Organizations: Education Department, Education, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Bengaluru, Washington

☆ Biden administration forgives $39 bln in student debt- CNBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will automatically cancel $39 billion in student debt for more than 800,000 borrowers, CNBC reported on Friday. "For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness," CNBC quoted U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as saying. Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru, editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Education Miguel Cardona, Juby Babu, Christina Fincher Organizations: CNBC, Education, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ US slaps sanctions on Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl network
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 10 Mexican nationals and one company in the country for their alleged involvement in the Sinaloa Cartel's vast illicit fentanyl trafficking network. The sons, known as "Los Chapitos," are accused of leading a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel after their father's 2016 capture and extradition to the U.S. a year later. The U.S. Treasury also sanctioned an import-export company, REI Compania Internacional, and its majority shareholder for allegedly receiving chemical shipments from China. Lopez Obrador added that his Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez would meet this month with U.S. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking increased cooperation from Mexico and China in stemming the flow of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals.

Persons: Noel Lopez Perez, Joaquin, El, Ricardo Paez Lopez, El Chapo's, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez Obrador, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Elizabeth Sherwood, Randall, Joe Biden's, Kylie Madry, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Mark Heinrich, Josie Kao Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Treasury Department, Treasury, Foreign Assets, U.S . Treasury, REI Compania Internacional, U.S . Homeland Security, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Sinaloa, U.S, United States, Mexico, China, Mexican

The Justice Department in a filing sought a stay pending its appeal of the judge's preliminary injunction. Doughty's order specifically mentioned certain officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. U.S. officials have said that in contacting social media companies they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about American elections and about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. It raises grave separation-of-powers concerns," the Justice Department filing said, referring to the Constitution's division of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government. The judge's order made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Biden's, Terry Doughty, Doughty, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, Kanishka Singh, Will Dunham, Mike Scarcella Organizations: Twitter, YouTube, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, Republican, New, Circuit, District, Department of Health, Human Services, U.S, Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency . U.S, ., Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, Missouri, Washington

Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Barbara Lee raised concerns on Sunday over the decision by President Joe Biden's administration to send cluster bombs to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion. "Cluster bombs should never be used. That's crossing a line," she told CNN on Sunday, adding the United States risked losing its "moral leadership" by sending cluster bombs to Ukraine. He added that Russia is using cluster munitions in Ukraine and "indiscriminately killing civilians," while the Ukrainians will be using them to defend their own territory. U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said Ukraine's counteroffensive was going slowly and that the cluster bombs could be a "game changer" for the Ukrainians.

Persons: Gabriel Jenko, Tim Kaine, Barbara Lee, Joe Biden's, Antonio Guterres, Kaine, Biden, Lee, John Kirby, Kirby, Michael McCaul, McCaul, Kanishka Singh, Joey Roulette, Doina Chiacu, Scott Malone, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Munitions, U.S . Army, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democratic U.S, United, United Nations, Fox News, Senate Armed Services Committee, White, Cluster Munitions, CNN, White House, Democratic, Republican, U.S, Representatives Foreign, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Hovey, South Korea, Handout, Ukraine, Russian, United States, Russia, United

☆ Top US-China exchanges since Biden took office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Below is a list of some of the other high level U.S.-China exchanges since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. FIRST TRADE TALKS - May 26, 2021U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and China's then Vice Premier Liu He held talks virtually, the first such high level trade talks between the world's two biggest economies since Biden took office. DIPLOMAT VISITS CHINA - July 26, 2021Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held talks with State Councillor Wang Yi, in Tianjin, China. DEFENCE CHIEFS HOLD FIRST TALKS - April 20, 2022U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a call with China's then defence minister Wei Fenghe, the first talks between the two officials since Biden took office. BIDEN AND XI MEET IN BALI - November 14, 2022Biden and Xi held their long-awaited first face-to-face leadership talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Persons: Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Joe Biden, BIDEN, Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Jake Sullivan, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, Katherine Tai, China's, Liu, Wendy Sherman, SULLIVAN, YANG, Sullivan, Yang, Lloyd Austin, Wei Fenghe, WANG, Wang, Nancy Pelosi, HARRIS, Kamala Harris, Gina Raimondo, Wang Wentao, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, BLINKEN, Antony Blinken, Washington's, Martin Quin Pollard, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Kim Coghill Organizations: . Treasury, U.S, FIRST, National Security, . Trade, CHIEFS, . Defense, General Assembly, BIDEN, IN, Economic Cooperation APEC, CHINA COMMERCE, . Commerce, Commerce, Washington D.C, China's, National Defense, Pentagon, Austin, BEIJING, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Yellen's, U.S, Anchorage , Alaska, Blinken, CHINA, Tianjin, Taiwan, North Korea, ROME, Russia, Ukraine, New York, IN BALI, Bali , Indonesia, BANGKOK, Asia, Thailand, MUNICH, Munich, WASHINGTON, Washington, Singapore

NEW YORK, July 6 (Reuters) - Cronos Group Inc (CRON.TO), the Canadian cannabis producer backed by cigarette maker Altria Group Inc (MO.N), confirmed on Thursday it is in talks with potential buyers to explore a sale of the company, after Reuters reported on the talks. In a statement, Cronos said it "is in the initial stages of reviewing these indications of interest." The future of the cannabis industry is uncertain as more favorable regulatory regimes in North America have fueled fierce competition among more companies. For the first quarter, Cronos posted a net loss of $19.3 million, compared with a loss of $32.7 million a year ago. Cronos has total cash, including short-term investments, of about $836.43 million, according to its first-quarter report.

Persons: Cronos, Curaleaf, Altria, Joe Biden's, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Leslie Adler, Richard Chang, David Gregorio Our Organizations: YORK, Cronos, Altria, Reuters, Curaleaf Holdings, U.S, Thomson Locations: U.S, Toronto, North America, Cronos, New York

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su said on Friday she does not see a need at this stage to step in to urge parties to reach a deal in contract talks between the Teamsters Union and United Parcel Service (UPS.N). "That is right," Su said on CNN when asked if she felt there was no need for her to intervene at this stage. On Wednesday, the Teamsters said UPS "walked away" from negotiations over a new contract. If talks break down, UPS workers have already authorized a strike that would be their first since 1997. Su recently helped negotiate a crucial contract deal between U.S. West Coast seaport employers and a union representing 22,000 workers.

Persons: Julie Su, Su, Karine Jean, Pierre, Joe Biden's, Jean, Pierre said, Kanishka Singh, Nandita Bose, David Holmes, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Labor, Teamsters Union, United Parcel Service, CNN, Teamsters, UPS, White, U.S ., Thomson Locations: U.S . West Coast, Washington

☆ RFK Jr. touted bitcoin, but said he wasn't an investor. Financial records show otherwise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of former US Senator Robert F. Kennedy, speaks during the Bitcoin 2023 conference in Miami Beach, Florida, US, on Friday, May 19, 2023. Since the conference, Kennedy has continued to tout bitcoin. Kennedy said at the Miami bitcoin conference that if he were to become president he would "make sure that your right to hold and use bitcoin is inviolable." Kennedy, 69, is the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated in the 1960s. In May, days before he took the stage the Miami bitcoin conference, Kennedy tweeted: "Cryptocurrencies, led by bitcoin, along with other crypto technologies are a major innovation engine.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Virginia Canter, Cheryl Hines, Canter, Hines, I'm, Gamble, Mr, Joe Biden's, Gary Gensler, headwinds, Biden, John F, Kennedy's, Jack Dorsey, David Sacks, Chamath, Omeed Malik, bitcoin Organizations: Democratic, CNBC, Procter, Miami bitcoin, Securities, Exchange, SEC, Biden, Quinnipiac, Children's Health Defense, CHD, U.S Locations: Miami Beach , Florida, Miami, bitcoin, Washington, cryptocurrencies, U.S

The court's conservative majority has taken an expansive view of Second Amendment rights in a nation facing persistent gun violence including mass shootings. The court has widened gun rights in three major rulings since 2008. "The stakes are high for those experiencing domestic violence if violent partners can legally possess firearms," Lungwitz said. The National Rifle Association, an influential gun rights group, did not respond to a request for comment. "By removing those kinds of considerations, it makes constitutional law - and Second Amendment law, in particular - even more removed from the way that ordinary citizens think about constitutional protections."

Persons: Joe Biden's, Zackey Rahimi, Rahimi, Janet Carter, Bruen, James Ho, Donald Trump, Elizabeth Prelogar, Lungwitz, Jacob Charles, Charles, John Kruzel, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: U.S, Supreme, New York, Circuit, Appeals, Republican, University of Texas School, Law's, Violence, Democratic, National Rifle Association, Pepperdine University Caruso School of, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Texas, New York, New Orleans

☆ US state attorneys general clash over EPA emissions plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Environmental Protection Agency in April proposed new 2027-2032 vehicle standards that would be the most dramatic reductions in history. The EPA estimates that to meet the new standards, automakers would need to have 60% of new production be electric vehicles by 2030 and 67% by 2032. The rules would cut emissions by 56% from existing 2026 requirements to speed the transition away from gasoline-powered engines to electric vehicles. Democratic attorneys general from New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois and other states said the EPA should go further. Many Republican state attorneys general have sued the EPA over its 2021 restoration of the Obama-era standards that were rolled back under Republican former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Joe Biden's, Kentucky's Daniel Cameron, Patrick Morrisey, Obama, Donald Trump, EVs, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Republican, Democratic, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, District of Columbia, West, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, American Petroleum Institute, Mazda, Ford, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, New York , California , Pennsylvania, Illinois, Chicago , New York, Los Angeles

☆ Biden to crack down on short-term health insurance plans, Politico reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Friday is expected to propose a new regulation cracking down on short-term health insurance plans, Politico reported, citing five Democrats with knowledge of the matter. A White House official told Politico on Thursday that Biden plans to announce major actions to lower costs and crack down on junk fees. The Department of Health and Human Services in 2018 extended the availability of short-term health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of Obamacare. Such plans, previously available only for periods of three months or less, were extended for up to 12 months and could be renewed. The short duration plans did not include benefits provided under Obamacare, including maternity coverage and guarantee of insurance regardless of health.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Trump, Rami Ayyub, Doina, Mark Porter Organizations: Politico, White, The, of Health, Human Services, Thomson

☆ Oracle's cloud business, which runs TikTok, could be hurt the most from Biden's new proposed restrictions for China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Most US cloud companies won't be too hurt except perhaps Oracle, which runs TikTok. US cloud computing companies are about to be the latest target in the discord between the Biden administration and China. That loophole involves cloud computing companies. They merely have to pay for cloud computing services offered by the largest cloud providers. Chinese companies have plenty of local cloud providers to use for their cloud computing needs, like Tencent and Alibaba Cloud.

Persons: Biden, Bernstein, Mark Moerdler, Moerdler, Moerdler isn't, Ampere, Larry Ellison, Joe Biden, Julie Bort Organizations: Morning, Oracle, Wall Street, Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, Nvidia, supercomputing, AMD, Twitter Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Biden administration did not sanction unofficial talks with Russians, State Dept says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was not clear how frequently the group, which included former Pentagon officials, held discussions with other prominent Russians thought to be close to the Kremlin, NBC News reported. "The Biden administration did not sanction those discussions," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Reuters. "And as we've said repeatedly, nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." The spokesperson was referring to an administration policy of not discussing possible negotiations on ending the war without involving Ukrainian officials. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with CBS News that the White House was aware of the unofficial discussions.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Richard Haass, Biden, we've, John Kirby, Jonathan Landay, Simon Lewis, Eric Beech, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Russian, White House and State Department, NBC News, Foreign Relations, White, Pentagon, Kremlin, State Department, Reuters, House, CBS News, NBC, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, New York, U.S, Russia

NEW YORK, July 6 (Reuters) - Cronos Group Inc (CRON.TO), the Canadian cannabis producer backed by cigarette maker Altria Group Inc (MO.N), is exploring options that include a potential sale after attracting acquisition interest, people familiar with the matter said. Shares of Cronos jumped as much as 25% in Toronto on the news, giving the company a market value of C$1.03 billion ($771.13 million). For the first quarter, Cronos posted a net loss of $19.3 million, compared with a loss of $32.7 million a year ago. Cronos has total cash, including short-term investments, of about $836.43 million, according to its first-quarter report. Altria, which holds a 41% stake in Cronos, invested $1.8 billion in the company in 2019.

Persons: Altria, Cronos, Joe Biden's, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Leslie Adler, Richard Chang Organizations: YORK, Cronos, Altria, Curaleaf Holdings, U.S, Thomson Locations: Toronto, U.S, North America, Cronos, New York

☆ US plans to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A weapons aid package that includes cluster munitions fired by a 155 millimeter Howitzer cannon was expected to be announced Friday, said two U.S officials speaking on condition of anonymity. The White House said sending cluster munitions to Ukraine is "under active consideration" but it had no announcement to make at this time. Human Rights Watch on Thursday called on Russia and Ukraine to stop using cluster munitions and urged the U.S. not to supply them. In order to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, Biden would need to sign a waiver, one of the people said, similar to one that was signed for exporting cluster munitions technology to South Korea in 2021. The cluster munitions, banned by more than 120 countries, normally release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Bradley, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mike Stone, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Rami Ayyub, Doina, Christina Fincher, Gareth Jones, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United, NATO, Human Rights, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Stryker, Pentagon, Munitions, ABC, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Russia, South Korea, U.S, Kyiv, Denmark, Netherlands

☆ Ukraine and Russia should stop using cluster bombs, Human Rights Watch says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy group, called on both Russia and Ukraine to stop using the weapons, and urged the U.S. not to supply them. Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. have all to declined to sign the treaty. Ukraine fired cluster munition rockets into Russian-controlled areas in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium last year after Russia invaded Ukraine, Human Rights Watch said, citing interviews with more than 100 residents, witnesses and local emergency personnel. The Ukrainian attacks killed at least eight civilians and wounded at least 15 civilians in Izium, Human Rights Watch said. The group has previously reported that Russia's use of cluster munitions in Ukraine has killed scores of civilians, and the United Nations' Human Rights Council has also documented the use of such bombs by both sides.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Mary Wareham, Joe Biden's, Jonathan Allen, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Human Rights Watch, Rights Watch, U.S, Pentagon, Russian, United Nations, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Nova Zoria, Ukraine, Kherson region, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Izium, New York

☆ Supreme Court blocks Biden student loan forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Biden plans to announce new actions to protect student loan borrowers in the wake of the ruling, a White House source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina challenged Biden's debt relief. The court's conservative justices had previously used the "major questions" doctrine to invalidate major Biden policies deemed lacking clear congressional authorization. Both Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump relied upon the HEROES Act beginning in 2020 to repeatedly pause student loan payments and halt interest from accruing to alleviate financial strain on student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the arguments, a Justice Department lawyer portrayed the debt relief as a benefits program rather than an assertion of regulatory power not authorized by Congress.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, John Roberts, Roberts, Education Miguel Cardona, Pell, Biden's, Elena Kagan, Kagan, Donald Trump, John Kruzel, Steve Holland, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S Supreme Court, Biden, Democratic, Education, Congress, Higher Education, Act, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Liberal, Republican, Justice Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Arkansas , Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Nebraska, South Carolina, U.S

☆ Supreme Court to decide fate of Biden student loan forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S Supreme Court on Friday was set to rule on the legality of President Joe Biden's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt - a move intended to benefit up to 43 million Americans and fulfill a campaign promise. Both Biden, a Democrat, and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump relied upon the HEROES Act beginning in 2020 to repeatedly pause student loan payments and halt interest from accruing to alleviate financial strain on student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the arguments, a Justice Department lawyer portrayed the debt relief as a benefits program rather than an assertion of regulatory power not authorized by Congress. Circuit Court of Appeals found that at least one of the states, Missouri, had proper standing. Some 53% of Americans said they support Biden's debt relief, with 45% opposed, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from March, with respondents dividing sharply along partisan lines with Democrats broadly supportive and Republicans generally opposed.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Biden's, Pell, Donald Trump, Myra Brown, Alexander Taylor, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S Supreme, Higher Education, Act, Democrat, Republican, Justice Department, Congress, Circuit, Appeals, Biden, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Arkansas , Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Nebraska, South Carolina, U.S, Missouri, Louis, Texas, New Orleans

[1/3] Web designer Lorie Smith, plaintiff in a Supreme Court case who objects to same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, U.S., November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday is poised to rule on whether a Christian web designer from Colorado has a right to refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages based on constitutional free speech protections - a case that could upend state anti-discrimination laws. The liberal justices during the argument said a decision favoring Smith could empower certain businesses to discriminate. Smith thus is free to sell whatever she wants, including websites with biblical passages stating an opposite-sex vision of marriage. The Supreme Court has supported religious rights and related free speech claims in recent years in other cases.

Persons: Lorie Smith, Kevin Mohatt, Smith, preemptively, Joe Biden's, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, Alliance Defending, Thomson Locations: Littleton , Colorado, U.S, Colorado, Denver, Colorado's, Littleton, New York

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