US Supreme Court blocks Biden's $430 billion student loan forgiveness

A sharply divided Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loans for millions of Americans.

The 6-3 decision, with conservative justices in the majority, effectively killed the USD 400 billion plan, announced by President Joe Biden last year, and left borrowers on the hook for repayments that are expected to resume by late summer.

The court held that the administration needs Congress' endorsement before undertaking so costly a program. The majority rejected arguments that a bipartisan 2003 law dealing with student loans provided the authority Biden claimed.
 

US SC backs Christian web designer with anti-gay stance

In a blow to LGBT rights, the US Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the constitutional right to free speech allows certain businesses to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings, ruling in favor of a web designer who cited her Christian beliefs in challenging a Colorado anti-discrimination law. The justices in a 6-3 decision overturned a lower court's ruling that had rejected Denver-area business owner Lorie Smith's bid for an exemption from a Colorado law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and other factors. The court acted on its final day of rulings in its term that began in October.

Reuters