Introduction
The Supreme Court just heard arguments in a major case that affects some 40 million people. Angie is here with the story. Plus…
Sound: BTS Song
Why we haven’t heard from these guys lately.
Those stories and more today on Notice News.
Supreme Court to Decide on Student Loan Forgiveness
Hey guys, it’s Jonathan here at Notice HQ in Brooklyn, but our top story today is from D.C., where earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments about President Biden’s plan to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars in student loan debt. Our Washington correspondent, Angie, has more.
Sound: “Are we going quietly? No!”
Angie: This was the scene outside the Supreme Court Tuesday – while inside, the justices heard arguments over President Biden’s plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt.
Biden’s plan, introduced last August, would forgive – or erase – up to $20,000 in loans per student that was taken out to pay for college.
The plan would affect about 40 million people, only those who make less than $125,000 per year.
But six Republican-controlled states and two student borrowers sued to stop the plan, saying it exceeded the president’s authority.
The Biden administration used a 2003 law that permits the federal government to waive or modify loans in emergencies – in this case, the COVID pandemic.
Conservative (or right-leaning justices) – who have a 6 to 3 majority on the court – seemed skeptical.
Here’s Chief Justice John Roberts.
Sound: “We’re talking about half a trillion dollars and 43 million Americans. How does that fit under the normal understanding of ‘modify’?”
The United States Solicitor General – representing the President – responded.
Sound: “Congress itself has provided for loan discharge in other circumstances in response to borrower hardship. It’s included provisions for in the Higher Education Act for bankruptcy, for example, or for total disability, or for school closure. Other kinds of hardships. And so it couldn’t have surprised Congress one bit that in response to hardship posed by a national emergency, that the Secretary might similarly consider providing discharge if that’s what it takes to make sure borrowers don’t default.”
In the meantime, the plan remains on hold until the court decides, and we likely won’t know their decision until late June.
Jonathan: You can find out more about Biden’s plan, who it affects, and the arguments against it with our Cheat Sheet on the subject at noticenews.com.
Headlines
Here’s what else is making news right now…
A cargo train collided head-on with a passenger train in Greece yesterday, leaving 36 people dead. Investigators are still trying to figure out why the trains were on the same track.
Vanessa Bryant, wife of Kobe Bryant, was awarded 29 million dollars in a lawsuit with Los Angeles County. 1The county will pay for emotional damages caused by the sharing of graphic photographs of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and their daughter.
And… TikTok actually wants you to limit your time on the app? In possibly the most aggressive move to limit screen time by any social media company, TikTok will automatically limit all users under 18 to one hour of screen time a day.
BTS Members Join the Military
Chances are you know BTS…
Sound: BTS Song
…one of the most successful music acts of all time.
But you may be wondering why they haven’t released new music in a while. It’s not because they’ve broken up to go solo, it’s actually because they’re joining the military. According to South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for 18 months, typically before they turn 28.
In October of 2022, BTS’s label, Big Hit Music, confirmed that all five members would enlist and then reunite in 2025 once they had all finished their service. Just this week, one member, J-Hope, officially began his service and is the second of the 6 to do so.
The South Korean government has allowed exemptions for high profile artists in the past, but BTS plans to enlist anyway. This type of law regarding forced military service is called conscription.
It’s been in place in South Korea since 1957, and believe it or not, the United States has a long history of conscription. Conscription – also called the draft – was active during the Civil War, both World Wars, and most recently during the Vietnam War and wasn’t completely done away with until 1973.
While there hasn’t been a draft since then, some lawmakers lobbied for it during the war in Iraq in 2003 and it’s a topic that’s still debated today.
Conclusion
That’s it for today – but let’s see how closely you were paying attention. Go take the Notice News quiz on our website noticenews.com.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more from us, Notice News.