Daily Briefing: Here's how you can get your student loans forgiven

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

With the reveal of a new student loan forgiveness website, the Education Department has said borrowers who apply in October could have a chunk of their debt wiped out as soon as November. Also in the news: Notes from Georgia's gubernatorial debate and a look at inside calls for diversity at the NFL owners meeting.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author.

Let's dive into Tuesday's news.

🐶 Up first: Today we remember Eclipse, a dog who famously took solo bus trips in Seattle to the park.

Student loan forgiveness website goes live

The form to apply for President Joe Biden's one-time student loan debt forgiveness is now online. Borrowers can submit their applications here. Borrowers are eligible to receive $10,000 or $20,000 in debt relief depending on their income and whether they received a Pell Grant in college. The feds have encouraged borrowers to file their forms by Nov. 15 if they want to see their balances shrink before the end of a freeze on payments that began during the pandemic and ends in January. Read more

What this means: The unveiling of the application suggests the federal government is confident it can deliver its on its mammoth debt cancellation campaign promise in the face of several legal challenges, including from seven conservative states.

President Joe Biden speaks about the student debt relief portal beta test in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
President Joe Biden speaks about the student debt relief portal beta test in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.

Missiles, exploding drones again hit Ukraine's power, water

At least 13 people were killed when a Russian warplane crashed Monday into a residential area in the Russian port city of Yeysk, setting off a huge fire in a nine-story apartment building. The Su-34 bomber plummeted into the city of 90,000 on the Sea of Azov after one of its engines caught fire during takeoff for a training mission, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that its two crew members parachuted to safety. Videos posted on Russian messaging app channels showed a blaze engulfing the building and blasts that might have come from the warplane’s weapons. At least 17 apartments were damaged by the fire, which was contained several hours after the crash, local authorities said. Read more

Smoke rises after Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.
Smoke rises after Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.

More news to know now

🌤 What's the temperature for your midday WFH walk? Check your local forecast here.

Kemp, Abrams renew their rivalry

Brian Kemp and Stacy Abrams renewed their gubernatorial grudge match in a Monday night televised debate ahead of the Nov. 8 rematch for Georgia governor. Unlike their 2018 race, the duo now count as seasoned politicians with national profiles. Their divergent visions for Georgia's future haven't changed much, though. The debate was wide ranging, with questions asked about abortion, education, voting rights, law enforcement, marijuana legalization, entrepreneurship, and even U.S. Senate appointments. The economy and inflation were among the few major issues that received little attention. Read more

Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams, from left, shakes hands with Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp as Libertarian challenger Shane Hazel stands at right following the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series in Atlanta, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams, from left, shakes hands with Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp as Libertarian challenger Shane Hazel stands at right following the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series in Atlanta, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.

Abortion bans and LGBTQ-targeted laws are catching some school campuses in the crosshairs

Public schools and colleges that receive federal funding – or nearly all of them – now find themselves caught between new state laws banning abortion and stripping the rights of students who are transgender and nonbinary and a federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in schools. The Education Department is warning schools that some of the state laws local officials are implementing conflict with their legal obligations to Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination. Student protestors and other groups have come out in droves to protest state-level action in Virginia, Idaho and Florida that may violate the federal law. Read more 

🛑 Couldn't read this story about abortion and school campuses? That's because it's subscriber-only. If you'd like to access reporting like this, please considering joining USA TODAY's subscriber community.

Oct 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA;  Students grab abortion information after a meeting by Planned Parenthood Generation Action OSU.
Oct 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Students grab abortion information after a meeting by Planned Parenthood Generation Action OSU.

Just for subscribers:

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Already a subscriber and want premium content texted to you every day? We can do that! Sign up for our subscriber-only texting campaign.

Inside the NFL owners meeting: White coaches challenge owners on league's diversity woes

Conversations at the annual meeting, also known as the NFL owners meeting, rarely become public. But yet another hiring cycle had ended with the NFL no more diverse in its most high-profile positions than it was 20 years ago. Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores had sued the league and some of its teams for racial discrimination, accusing the NFL of lip service in its sincerity to providing opportunities for minority coaches. Staying silent was no longer an option. Read more

  • Concussions, roughing-the-passer penalties and Washington owner Dan Snyder have dominated NFL headlines in recent weeks. But the NFL owners meeting is unlikely to bring any significant news on these issues.

  • NFL coaches projectUSA TODAY Sports compiled and analyzed demographic data for NFL coaches at every level.

Carolina Panthers' Steve Wilks speaks during a news conference after being named the NFL football team's interim head coach on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Carolina Panthers' Steve Wilks speaks during a news conference after being named the NFL football team's interim head coach on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

📷 Photo of the day: Haitians continue protests calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry 📷

The United States and Mexico said Monday they are preparing a U.N. resolution that would authorize an international mission to help improve security in Haiti, whose government issued a “distress call” for the people of the crisis-wracked nation. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the announcement at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council as thousands across Haiti organized protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Click here to see more photos of the protests in Haiti.

A protester holding up a skull and seashell shouts for the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in the street in the Champs de Mars area where the prime minister attended a ceremony marking the death anniversary of revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
A protester holding up a skull and seashell shouts for the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in the street in the Champs de Mars area where the prime minister attended a ceremony marking the death anniversary of revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.

One more thing:

Dorit Kemsley, Lisa Rinna, Sutton Stracke, Garcelle Beauvais at BravoCon 2022 at the Javits Center in New York City on Friday, October 14, 2022.
Dorit Kemsley, Lisa Rinna, Sutton Stracke, Garcelle Beauvais at BravoCon 2022 at the Javits Center in New York City on Friday, October 14, 2022.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note, shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Student loan forgiveness, Ukraine, NFL, Kemp, Abrams, abortion, Bravocon: Daily Briefing