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On Thursday (Dec. 8), Mariah The Scientist sent a message to President Joe Biden regarding Young Slim Life amid Brittney Griner's release. "YSL next @POTUS," the "Always n Forever" singer tweeted. https://twitter.com/MariahScientist/status/1601022661228134400?s=20&t=VZ9-21ym-e_udR0wwNHu8AAs previously reported by <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/young-thug-and-gunna-listed-in-56-count-indictment-involving-28-ysl-members-facing-rico-charges" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HOT 97,</a> Young Thug and Gunna were listed in a 56-count indictment involving 28 YSL members facing the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges. Young Thug is facing charges of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and participation in a criminal street gang, along with drug charges, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a machine gun. Gunna is currently facing one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act. Another alleged member named Christian “Big Bhris” Eppinger was also arrested in the shooting of an Atlanta police officer.https://twitter.com/rapalert6/status/1554195460990066690?s=20&t=0lP-XlbLZg2_ajpAeOdO0gThe "Way 2 Sexy" rapper is apparently in a romantic relationship with Mariah the Scientist. During one of her concerts in May, she performed with a “Free Young Thug” shirt on. The two artists collaborated on the single "Walked In" and appeared to have gotten married in the music video.https://twitter.com/rapalert6/status/1524225868310188032?s=20&t=CJVrUtIlSO9UECMOk3NkTgEarlier this year, the WNBA star was arrested at a Russian airport after authorities found vape cartridges with cannabis oil. Griner pleaded guilty and was<a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/brittney-griner-sentenced-to-nine-years-in-russian-prison" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> sentenced to nine years</a> at a Russian Penal Colony. President Joe Biden recently agreed to a prisoner swap in which Griner was sent home in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. He had served 11 out of his 25-year jail sentence in the United States.This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release," Biden said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/12/08/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-release-of-brittney-griner/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>. "Brittney is an incomparable athlete, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist for Team USA. She endured mistreatment and a show — at a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity. She represents the best America — the best about America — just across the board, everything about her. "

Mariah The Scientist Tells Biden To Free 'YSL Next' Amid Brittney Griner's Release

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Today (Nov. 22) President <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/joe-biden-and-kamala-harris-are-now-president-and-vice-president-of-the-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joe Biden</a> announced that the pause on federal student loan payments has been extended through June 30, 2023, while the White House battles in court to save his debt forgiveness plans."As Americans continue to recover from the pandemic, my administration is working to provide student debt relief to millions of working and middle class families across the country," President Biden said in a video message posted on his Twitter account. "But Republicans special interest and elected officials sued to deny this relief, even for their own constituents."https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1595150070285885440?s=20&t=C7Dt9sP6v9MQSO9vcZt5tAThe pandemic-era payment pause was originally set to expire on Jan. 1. "Payments will resume 60 days after the pause ends," Biden continued. "I'm never going to apologize for helping working-class and middle-class families recover from the economic crisis created by the pandemic, and I'll continue working to make government work to deliver for all Americans."As of early this month, over 16 million applications for student debt forgiveness were approved. According to the White House, more than 26 million people in the country have applied, since Biden announced the opening of the online application in October. But following a federal judge's ruling in Texas this month, a notice on the Student Aid portal's website says that the Department of Education has temporarily stopped taking applications as challenges to the policy rules out in court."Callous efforts to block student debt relief in the courts have caused tremendous financial uncertainty for millions of borrowers who cannot set their family budgets or even plan for the holidays without a clear picture of their student debt obligations, and it’s just plain wrong," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.He continued, "I want borrowers to know that the Biden-Harris Administration has their backs and we’re as committed as ever to fighting to deliver essential student debt relief to tens of millions of Americans. We’re extending the payment pause because it would be deeply unfair to ask borrowers to pay a debt that they wouldn’t have to pay, were it not for the baseless lawsuits brought by Republican officials and special interests.”

Biden Administration Extends Student Loan Payment Pause Amid Legal Battle Over Debt Forgiveness

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Completing the form will take less than 30 secondsThe moment everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived - the Student Debt Relief application is now<a href="https://www.hot97.com/educate/bidens-student-loan-forgiveness-application-possibly-available-within-two-weeks"> available</a>. It was announced on Friday that the loan application launched in beta mode. Applications submitted in this test mode will be processed when the form officially goes live.The test phase of the application will allow the Department of Education to find any issues with the site before it officially launches later this month.<h3 id="h-where-is-the-application">Where is the application?</h3>The form, which is fairly simple to complete can be found at <a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application">https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application</a>. The only information you need to provide is your name, social security number, date of birth, phone number and email. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FfHvnx4WAAEyMJx?format=jpg&name=large" alt="Image"/><h3 id="h-who-qualifies">Who qualifies?</h3>As a reminder, single borrowers who earn less than $125,000 can qualify for up to $10,000 in relief. Pell Grant recipients qualify for up to $20,000 in forgiveness.<h3>How to avoid scams</h3>Now that the application is here, there are actions borrowers should take to watch out for and prevent scams. The Dept of Education has released a <a href="https://blog.ed.gov/2022/10/student-loan-debt-relief-dos-and-donts/">list</a> of steps to protect yourself. DON’T pay anyone who contacts you with promises of debt relief or loan forgiveness. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY ANYONE TO OBTAIN DEBT RELIEF. DON’T reveal your FSA ID or account information or password to anyone who contacts you. The Department of Education and your federal student loan servicer will never call or email you asking for this information.DON’T ever give personal or financial information to an unfamiliar caller. When in doubt, hang up and call your student loan servicer directly. You can find your federal student loan servicer’s contact information at Studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers. DON’T refinance your federal student loans unless you know the risks. If you refinance federal student loans that are eligible for debt relief into a private loan, you will lose out on important benefits like one-time debt relief and flexible repayment plans for federal loans.According to<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/10/11/1128046324/student-loan-forgiveness-application-biden-debt"> NPR</a>, the department plans to quickly process applications in November and December to discharge debts and limit borrower confusion before January.Social media users rejoiced over the weekend about the news. https://twitter.com/wishleeluck/status/1581303643591962629https://twitter.com/jaassyy___/status/1581128429478744064https://twitter.com/aja_monet/status/1581119158455934977

The Student Loan Debt Relief Application is Open. Here's What You Should Know

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Since the announcement of the student debt forgiveness plan, many Americans have been asking, when will the forgiveness take effect? Due to a recent lawsuit, it <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65385675/14/state-of-nebraska-v-biden/">appears</a> that date is slated around October 17th. Six republican-led states are suing the Biden-Harris administration, declaring his student loan forgiveness plan as unconstitutional. A hearing for the suit will be held next Wednesday.<img src="https://images.ctfassets.net/bjeljlcmmjko/3XFx3NmTaGQByerdbAARy7/2c82aef0aed80d0005455550cbbd161a/Screen-Shot-2022-10-06-at-5.03.20-PM-883x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-87780"/><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/">Announced</a> in August, Biden's three-part plan will cancel thousands of dollars of student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers. The Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education, and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. To quality for relief, single borrowers must earn $125,000 or less while married couples have to earn $250,00 or less. But Republicans believe the student loan relief efforts are handouts to people who don't need it. The plaintiffs also assert that Biden is overstepping his authority in taking such sweeping action without the assent of Congress. Several lawsuits have already been filed against Biden and the Department of Education by Republican and Libertarian lawmakers. However, Biden is up for the fight against conservatives. In a recent speech, he responded to the Republicans fierce attempts to challenge his relief efforts. "I know I’m being banged up by the Republicans, but come — bring it on. We can afford to cancel $10,000 in student debt and 20,000 bucks if you had a Pell Grant — (applause) — for Americans making under 125 grand.", the 46th president<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/10/02/remarks-by-president-biden-and-vice-president-harris-at-the-congressional-black-caucus-foundations-phoenix-awards/"> noted</a>.To further ease the financial burden for borrowers, the Biden-Harris Administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/20/pausing-federal-student-loan-payments/">had announced</a> several student loans repayment extensions since January 2021. This pause is to help borrowers tend to more urgent livelihood needs and relieve stress. Currently all federal student loan repayments are paused until December 31st and are resuming in January 2023.https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1576270722594488320<h2 id="h-how-to-apply">How to Apply</h2>An <a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation">online form</a> should be available by or around Oct 17th.<h4>Step 1: Check if you're eligible</h4>You're eligible for student loan debt relief if your annual federal income was below $125,000 (individual or married, filing separately) or $250,000 (married, filing jointly or head of household) in 2020 or 2021.<ul><li>$20,000 in debt relief: If you received a Pell Grant in college and meet the income threshold, you'll be eligible for up to $20,000 in debt relief.</li><li>$10,000 in debt relief: If you did not receive a Pell Grant in college and meet the income threshold, you'll be eligible for up to $10,000 in debt relief.</li></ul>Step 2: Prepare<ul><li><a href="https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing">Log in to your account on StudentAid.gov</a> and make sure your contact info is up to date.</li><li>If you don't have a StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID), you should <a href="https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch">create an account</a> to help you manage your loans.</li><li>Make sure your loan servicer has your most current contact information so they can reach you. If you don't know who your servicer is, you can log in to <a href="http://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing(opens in a new tab)">StudentAid.gov</a> and see your servicer(s) in your account dashboard.</li><li></li></ul>Step 3: Submit Your Application (when its available).The application should be available in two weeks.You'll have until Dec. 31, 2023, to submit your application. Visit the <a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation">Federal Student Aid site </a>for updates.

Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Application Possibly Available Within Two Weeks

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On Thursday (Oct. 6), <a href="https://www.hot97.com/hot-news/joe-biden-and-kamala-harris-are-now-president-and-vice-president-of-the-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">President Joe Biden</a> announced that he will take executive action to pardon thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law."Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit," the president said in a statement. "Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates."https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1578097875480895489?s=20&t=j9ZNUwrJBRNlDigAJN81Owhttps://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1578097878094024712?s=20&t=j9ZNUwrJBRNlDigAJN81OwAccording to a White House official, more than 6,500 people with prior convictions for marijuana possession will be impacted by this pardon. Thousands of people with these prior convictions are denied employment, housing, and educational opportunities. “This pardon will help relieve those collateral consequences,” the official told reporters. The pardon will not apply to people who weren't citizens of the United States and those that were in the country illegally at the time of their arrest.Biden also encouraged governors to take this same action with state offenses and asked Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland to start reviewing how marijuana is classified under federal drug laws.https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1578097879390031874?s=20&t=j9ZNUwrJBRNlDigAJN81Ow"We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense. I’m asking <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBecerra">@SecBecerra</a> and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law," Biden mentioned in a series of tweets on his Twitter account.https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1578097880744820736?s=20&t=j9ZNUwrJBRNlDigAJN81OwNineteen states, including Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for anyone that is over the age of 21, and over 30 states provide medical marijuana. In November, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota are voting whether to legalize marijuana.

Joe Biden To Pardon Thousands Convicted Of Marijuana Possession

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President Joe Biden is set to cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for certain borrowers who earn $125,000 a year or less and up to $20k for Pell Grant recipients.Biden shares via Twitter, "in keeping with my campaign promise, my Administration is announcing a plan to give working- and middle-class families breathing room as they prepare to resume federal student loan payments in January 2023."It's also being reported that those with undergraduate loans would be able to cap their payments at 5 percent of their monthly income. “That’s a lot of young people that are going to be able to have a sigh of relief,” Representative Tony Cárdenas said, “that are going to be able to look forward to buying a house soon; they could look forward to starting a family sooner.”https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1562462774969581570?s=20&t=HDbNGQsayDubZ-ghYqaLXw“While this announcement is a major win for many, it is important to stress that $10,000 will leave many others still crushed by debt, and important details will determine who has access to much-needed relief,” said Natalia Abrams, the president and founder of the Student Debt Crisis Center.