The Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that President Joe Biden’s plan to dismiss billions in student loans is an unlawful exercise of presidential power since it lacks approval from Congress. As a result, Biden’s sweeping student loan forgiveness program, which aimed to cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for certain income brackets, has been invalidated. The administration plans to announce new actions to salvage the initiative, likely focusing on expanding existing forgiveness programs. With the end of the payment pause implemented during the pandemic, borrowers will soon have to resume loan repayments, including interest, starting in September. The specifics of the loan restart will be provided by the Department of Education in the coming months.
As a bronze statue of Julian Assange appears in Parliament Square, the real Assange faces the imminent possibility of extradition from Belmarsh prison in London to a high-security jail in the US. Manning and Snowden, whistleblowers whose leaks were published by WikiLeaks, stand beside Assange’s statue as a reminder of the importance of press freedom. Daniel Ellsberg, a vocal supporter of Assange and renowned whistleblower, argued that if the extradition case proceeded, it would set a dangerous precedent for journalists worldwide. Ellsberg, along with other prominent figures, called on President Joe Biden to intervene and halt the extradition. The case raises questions about the commitment to press freedom and the impact on journalists globally.
The Minneapolis City Council has unanimously passed a resolution recognizing drag performance and drag culture as forms of free speech. Council President Andrea Jenkins, the first openly transgender Black person elected as city council president, presided over the signing of the resolution. Jenkins emphasized the significance of the document in light of attacks against the LGBTQ community and the need to protect trans youth from anti-trans legislation across the country. The resolution serves as a statement of support for drag performers and aims to defend their right to artistic expression and freedom of speech. The move has garnered support from numerous advocates and drag queens present during the signing ceremony.
Simon Ateba, the White House correspondent for Today News Africa, has accused the White House of intentionally deleting a contentious exchange between himself and Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre from Monday’s official live stream. The missing section, in which Jean-Pierre asserted the administration’s commitment to press freedom, was restored after Fox News brought attention to the omission. In the exchange, Ateba questioned Jean-Pierre about taking questions from him, alleging discrimination over the past nine months. Jean-Pierre responded, calling him rude and threatening to end the press briefing if the behavior persisted. The incident has sparked controversy and raised concerns about transparency and treatment of journalists in the White House press briefings.
Dr. Johnson Varkey, a biology professor at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas, was fired in January 2023 after four students walked out of his class in November 2022. The students were reportedly offended when Varkey taught the fundamentals of the human reproductive system, including the role of chromosomes in determining sex and the development of a zygote. Varkey emphasized biological facts and stated that procreative sex is between males and females. He maintains that he did not engage in religious preaching but focused on scientific concepts. The college cited reasons such as “religious preaching,” “misogynistic banter,” and “discriminatory comments about homosexuals and transgenders” in the termination letter. Varkey shares his side of the story in an interview on First Liberty Live.
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