OnPolitics: Up to $10,000 of student loan relief to come for borrowers

Good afternoon, OnPolitics readers!

Primary elections in Florida and New York took place on Tuesday night. Here are some of the biggest outcomes from those races.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will be challenged by Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who easily defeated Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried after a testy Democratic primary.

Crist has had quite the political journey. He was first elected as Florida governor as a Republican in 2006, until he became an independent in 2010 when he ran for U.S. senator against Republican Marco Rubio. Two years later, he became a Democrat and won a House seat in 2016 representing the St. Petersburg area.

DeSantis' influence: Since winning the Sunshine State's top spot by less than half a percentage point in 2018, DeSantis has become a polarizing figure. He has become a champion for conservatives and a lightning rod for liberals on several hot-button topics.

Florida's congressional seat: As expected, Rep. Val Demings easily prevailed in the four-way Florida Democratic primary on Tuesday for U.S. Senate, setting up a much-anticipated contest against Rubio this fall.

Outside Florida, Tuesday's primary races featured two intraparty clashes for Democrats in New York. Rep. Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defeated Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, ending her three decades in Congress when her term expires in January.

It's Amy and Ella with today's top stories out of Washington.

Biden forgives $10K for student loan borrowers plus more relief for some

President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will cancel at least $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers, giving long-sought relief to Americans saddled by payments and taking a major gamble to energize young voters ahead of the midterm elections.

Biden announced his long-awaited decision in a speech from the White House’s Roosevelt Room, delivering on a campaign promise yet falling short of demands from progressive Democrats who wanted even more debt forgiven.

How much will be forgiven? Up to $20,000 in debt relief for low-income Pell Grant recipients; $10,000 for all other borrowers with incomes less than $125,000 and from households earning $250,000 or less.

How many borrowers will be affected? Up to 43 million borrowers are set to receive some form of relief. Roughly 20 million will have their balances canceled entirely.

Biden, who made the move using executive authority, said it’s become out of reach for many Americans to go to college.

“That ticket has become too expensive for too many Americans," he said. "The burden is so heavy that even if you graduate, you might not have the ticket that graduating college once offered."

Real quick: Stories you’ll want to read

• Biden on Mar-a-Lago: President Joe Biden said he had “zero” advance notice before federal agents executed a search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month, his first remarks on the search.

• Russia probe memo: The Justice Department released a previously-secret memorandum recommending that former President Donald Trump not be prosecuted for obstructing the Russia investigation because there was "no precedent" for such a case based on special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings.

• Gen Z in the House: Progressive activist Maxwell Frost won his Democratic primary in Florida last night, setting him up – at age 25 – to become the first Gen Z member of Congress.

• Scribbled notes, classified materials and golf carts: Ever wonder how the millions of White House documents and artifacts should be archived? Here’s what we know.

Texas judge blocks Biden order for abortion emergencies

The Biden administration’s order requiring hospitals to perform abortions in medical emergencies was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Texas, who sided with state officials claiming the federal order should not preempt Texas abortion law.

Texas sued the federal government over the order in July, arguing that the guidance violates the state’s authority to create and enforce its own laws. Starting Thursday, it will be illegal for doctors to perform an abortion in the state, except in rare cases where the pregnant person's life is in jeopardy.

The Department of Health and Human Services issued the guidance in July, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that abortion is not a constitutional right.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the Texas decision, “a blow to Texans,” saying pregnant women in Texas may now be denied appropriate treatment for conditions such as dangerously high blood pressure or severe bleeding.

“It’s wrong, it’s backwards, and women may die as a result. The fight is not over,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Today is Ukrainian Independence Day, as Russian forces continue to assault the nation. Read our live coverage on the war in Ukraine here. --Ella & Amy

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Biden forgives up to $10,000 for student loan borrowers