Ariana Figueroa, Florida Phoenix President Joe Biden announced Friday that some federal student loan borrowers will have their loans cancelled under the Department of Education’s new repayment plan. Starting next month, people who took out under $12,000 in federal student loans and have been repaying those loans for 10 years …

Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder Country music star Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord stepped out of the recording studio and into a Capitol Hill hearing room on Thursday to urge Congress to take action to curb both the supply of illicit fentanyl and the demand for it. “I could sit here and …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix There was national outrage last summer when the Florida Board of Education issued a new set of standards for African American history. It included a section on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Criticism rained down on …

Jimmy Williams In a record-breaking year, approximately 20 million people have enrolled in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, according to an announcement by the Biden administration. This figure represents a 25% increase compared to the previous year when 16.3 million individuals enrolled. The announcement comes just …

Robin Opsahl, Florida Phoenix With five days until the Iowa Republican caucuses, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley competed Wednesday night in a CNN-hosted debate, while at a separate Iowa event former President Donald Trump called for mass deportations and dismissed accusations that he represents a …

Jimmy Williams House Republicans took a significant step toward holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress after he skipped a closed-door deposition last month. The House Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee voted along party lines to recommend contempt charges against the son of President Joe Biden, paving the way for …

Jennifer Shutt, South Dakota Searchlight Congress on Wednesday appeared to be on track to pass a third deadline extension for at least some of the government funding bills that were supposed to become law more than three months ago — putting off a potential government shutdown. The move, while not …

Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder Former President Donald Trump appeared in federal court Tuesday seeking immunity from charges that he schemed to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and knowingly fed lies to supporters who turned violent on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump, who is leading polls in the 2024 Republican presidential …

Jimmy Williams Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, appeared on Capitol Hill as congressional committees voted on recommending contempt charges against him. The unprecedented clash unfolded as Republicans on the Oversight and Judiciary Committees sought his testimony for their impeachment inquiry into the president. Accompanied by attorneys Abbe Lowell …

Stanley Dunlap, Georgia Recorder On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris called on Georgia voting rights advocates and elected officials to continue to fight for expanded access to the ballot box as the election cycle gears up for this November’s presidential election. Harris’ message was relayed during a roundtable discussion held …

Caitlin Dewey, Stateline A federal program built to improve nutrition for new mothers and kids is growing for the first time in over a decade, thanks to changes made during the pandemic. Since its pilot program began in 1974, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — …

Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams Former Republican President Donald Trump made clear Monday that if returned by voters to the White House this year, he plans to weaponize the U.S. Department of Justice against Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump’s threat against Biden, who is seeking reelection, came as the ex-president prepares …

Jimmy Williams Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is under fire as questions emerge about the delayed disclosure of his recent hospitalization. Lawmakers and officials are seeking answers after the Department of Defense (DoD) waited three days before informing key officials about Austin’s health condition. Secretary Austin was admitted to Walter Reed …

Abraham Kenmore, SC Daily Gazette At a historic Black church in Charleston where a hate-fueled massacre shocked the nation in 2015, President Joe Biden evoked the memories of that horrific night as he campaigned for a second term. “The word of God was pierced by bullets of hate, rage, propelled …

Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Less than a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning abortions in Florida after six weeks, a House Republican in the Legislature has filed a bill that essentially calls for the banning of all abortions in Florida. The move comes as the 2024 legislative …