Biden's student loan repayment plan dealt another blow by federal court



Joe Biden's attempts to fulfill a major campaign promise to relieve student loan debt took another hit this week when a federal appeals court blocked the Saving on a Valuable Education program, better known as SAVE.

On a one-page, unsigned order issued on Thursday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the request of six Republican-led states, including Missouri, to suspend implementation of aspects of the SAVE program while the court considers a more permanent block favored by Republicans. A district judge had already blocked implementation of the other parts of the SAVE program in a ruling last month.

Supporters of SAVE, on the other hand, waxed histrionic that the order blocking the implementation of SAVE would upend people's lives, even though the program began offering debt relief only a few months ago.

Andrew Bailey, the Republican attorney general of Missouri who filed the emergency motion on behalf of the plaintiffs, celebrated the order as a "HUGE win" for everyday Americans. Bailey called SAVE "illegal" and claimed it was a backdoor means of saddling taxpayers — many of whom never went to college — "with half-a-trillion dollars in Ivy League debt."

— (@)

"I'm proud to lead from the frontlines on this. In Missouri, we believe in paying our debts and not burdening hardworking taxpayers. Today’s victory is a win for every hardworking American who pays their bills without leaning on their neighbors," Bailey added in a separate statement.

Supporters of SAVE, on the other hand, waxed histrionic that the order blocking the implementation of SAVE would upend people's lives, even though the program began offering debt relief only a few months ago.

"Today’s ruling from the 8th Circuit blocking President Biden’s SAVE plan could have devastating consequences for millions of student loan borrowers crushed by unaffordable monthly payments if it remains in effect," said a statement from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

"This decision threatens the entire federal student loan system and will cause complete chaos and confusion," added a statement from Eileen Connor, president and executive director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending.

The Biden administration has tried to ease or outright cancel student loan debt for years after campaigning heavily on the issue in 2020. However, time after time, the courts have overruled many of those efforts. In June 2023, the Supreme Court struck down Biden's attempts to cancel up to $20,000 in loans for qualified borrowers.

SAVE was yet another means of trying to achieve a similar end. To date, more than 8 million people have enrolled in SAVE, and over 400,000 of them who had taken out no more than $12,000 originally had their entire debt eliminated. The appellate court order will not affect any debt cancellation that has already been given through the SAVE program.

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‘We’re Gonna Stay’: McCarthy Threatens To Cancel Vacation Over Debt Ceiling

'If the voters vote for you and lend the voice to you, you should be here to provide that voice'

House passes debt ceiling increase after Republicans keep key Inflation Reduction Act provision

'The bill serves as an opening salvo in negotiations between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden'

'New Zealand's Strongest Man' enters women's powerlifting competition to protest its transgender policy, forcing organizers to change the rules overnight



A male weightlifter once dubbed "New Zealand's Strongest Man" applied last week to compete in a women's powerlifting competition. His intention was not to defeat women in the sport, but rather to discredit the notion that biological men don't have a physiological advantage over their female peers — an advantage which male transsexuals appear keen to simultaneously exploit and deny.

Global Powerlifting Committee New Zealand has since denied Dale Shepherd's application, adopting new rules over the weekend that will preclude him from taking the stage to make his point.

While Shepherd suggests the new rules are similarly "deficient," it appears that with his controversial application, he may have forced a shift in the right direction without having to break a sweat.

A weighty concern

Some middling male athletes have transitioned over to women's sports in recent years, ostensibly in hopes of leveraging their sex-specific biological advantages to displace female athletes, thereby securing prize money, sponsorships, and other spoils.

Perceiving this trend to be unfair and unsportsmanlike, a number of men in the world of weightlifting have taken action.

Dale Shepherd, 52, is one of a handful of men to protest gender identification policies and make a mockery of the trend of noncompetitive men seeking to try their odds against women.

The British rapper Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue, whose stage name is Zuby, did so in 2019.

The Times reported that Zuby, an Oxford graduate, beat the British women's deadlift record as well as the bench lift record, then joked that the stunt was "strong, stunning and brave."

Zuby said his protest "struck a nerve," demonstrating "the fallacies of the arguments on the other side."

"I have seen people saying there is no inherent biological strength difference between men and women. I posted it being a bit tongue-in-cheek, showing what I think is the obvious absurdity of their argument," said the British rapper.

\u201cI keep hearing about how biological men don't have any physical strength advantage over women in 2019...\n\nSo watch me DESTROY the British Women's deadlift record without trying.\n\nP.S. I identified as a woman whilst lifting the weight. Don't be a bigot. \ud83d\ude02\u201d
— ZUBY: (@ZUBY:) 1551178515

TheBlaze recently reported that Avi Silverberg, former head coach for Team Canada Powerlifting, temporarily identified as a female on March 25 and demolished the women's record set by a male transsexual, Ann Andres, at the the Heroes Classic Powerlifting Meet in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Silverberg exploited the same gender policy as Andres had, then tested the transsexual athlete's record with him watching. Not only did the male coach beat Andres' record, he cleared it by nearly 100 pounds. Andres had previously lifted 275 pounds. Silverberg casually pressed 370 pounds.

\u201cA male powerlifting coach self-identified as a woman and broke a women's benchpress record in protest of gender self-identification in sport.\n\nAvi Silverberg performed the defiant act while the current record holder, a transgender male, watched.\n\nREAD: https://t.co/MXiyiGMgWQ\u201d
— REDUXX (@REDUXX) 1680023763

The Independent Council on Women’s Sports told the feminist publication Reduxx, "What Avi so obviously points out is that policies allowing men access to women’s sports completely remove any integrity in women’s competitions."

Another Anglo nation, another lesson to be learned

Reduxx reported that Dale Shepherd has been lifting weights for over forty years. In his time competing against other men, he claimed roughly two dozen national records and held the "All Time Deadlift World Record" for nearly six years. In 2010, he won the title of "New Zealand's Strongest Man" and claimed four top spots at the 2022 Nationals.

Shepherd endeavored to mount a protest, entering to participate in the women's category for the June Global Powerlifting New Zealand Day of the Deadlifts competition.

"I identify as a woman for this contest," Shepherd declared on his entry form.

He told Reduxx, "It is important to me that both transgender athletes and biological women both have the ability to compete in sports.

"However, regardless of hormone treatment such as giving a biological male estrogen – the hormone primarily responsible for female characteristics – it does not totally negate all the years that male has had with higher testosterone levels resulting in greater bone density, tendon and muscle strength. As such biological women are at a significant disadvantage."

"To maintain equity and preserve women’s sports, transgenders and biological women must have their own separate classes or eventually all women’s sports will be overtaken by biological men who now identify as a woman," Shepherd added.

According to Reduxx, the women's rights group Save Women's Sports Australasia hyped Shepherd's protests with an April 14 tweet.

\u201cDale weighs 118kg and has held the title of New Zealand\u2019s strongest man for six years. Thanks to the @nzlabour govt, #SexSelfID comes into force in NZ on 15 June when Dale will be self-identifying as a woman in time for the Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) 1/2\u201d
— Save Women\u2019s Sports Australasia (@Save Women\u2019s Sports Australasia) 1681439275

Exposing folly and forcing a change

After this tweet made its rounds, the Global Powerlifting Committee New Zealand reportedly grew wise to the scheme and launched a desperate campaign to block Shepherd's entry.
The GPCNZ updated its website and rules just after he submitted his application, but maintained that "it is necessary to ensure that transgendered athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition, and are celebrated in the spirit of competitiveness and inclusiveness."

Whereas the GPCNZ's rules archived before the last-minute changes deferred greatly to entrants' gender self-identification, the new rules specified that male transsexuals must have "declared that her gender identity is female. The declaration cannot be changed, for sporting purposes, for a minimum of four years."

Additionally, per the new rules, male transsexuals "must have undergone hormone treatment (if medically indicated) for at least 12 months prior to her first competition."

The rules specify further that "transgendered people who are not taking hormones ... will go under complete confidential review."

Stuff reported that GPCNZ spokesman and trustee Greg Turrell had spoken with Shepherd about his entry.

"I've clarified the rules with Dale. He is ineligible," said Turrell. "[But] there is provision for transgender women to compete in powerlifting as a whole."

While the GPCNZ's expedited adoption of the new criteria may make it harder for men to quickly make the crossover into women's powerlifting, those dead set on deadlifting among women may only need to avoid telegraphing their intentions as Shepherd had.

Turrell nevertheless admitted, "We need to balance the desire to be inclusive but protect the integrity of women's powerlifting."

Here is Shepherd crushing a 310 kg squat, a 207.5 kg bench press, and a 352.5 kg deadlift in 2017:

Dale Shepherd - NZs Heaviest Raw Deadlift & M2 IPL World Record U110kg Bench & Deadlift youtu.be

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Amazing and Inspiring: World’s Most Premature Baby Celebrated First Birthday

Amazing and Inspiring: World’s Most Premature Baby Celebrated First Birthday

Democratic lawmaker says 'modern science' recognizes six sexes — not two



An Ivy League-educated Democratic lawmaker in Texas claimed recently that "modern science" recognizes many more than just two biological sexes.

"In fact, there are six," said Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a former English teacher who holds a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University.

Talarico made the stunning remarks during a committee hearing on Texas House Bill 4042, a measure which aims to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' K-12 sports, the Washington Times reported.

Before the public testimony at the hearing, Talarico reportedly attempted to correct the bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner, on the number of biological sexes assumed in the legislation's text.

"The bill seems to think there are two," he said. "The one thing I want us to all be aware of recognize is that modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes. In fact, there are six, which honestly, Rep. Hefner, surprised me, too."

He then reportedly went on to educate his fellow committee members on the "six really common biological sexes," explaining there are not only XX (female) and XY (male), but also single X, XXY, XYY, and XXXY.

"The point is that biologically speaking, scientifically speaking, sex is a spectrum, and oftentimes can be very ambiguous," Talarico said, according to the Times.

If it wasn't recorded, you wouldn't believe us.Texas representative @jamestalarico yesterday, "Modern science obvi… https://t.co/SDJVVlh2JX
— Save Women's Sports (@Save Women's Sports)1619064638.0

Later in the hearing, Save Women's Sports President Beth Stelzer, who was present to testify in defense of the bill, passionately rebutted Talarico's claims.

She reportedly cited several scientific studies proving that "the male advantage is immutable and that there are in fact two sexes they're dimorphic, XX/XY.

"The other quote 'sexes' mentioned are disorders of sexual development that are variants of XX or XY chromosome," she said. "They are still disorders of male or female."

"If it wasn't recorded, you wouldn't believe us," wrote the nonprofit organization in a Twitter post that included video of the exchange. Save Women's Sports was founded to protect women's sports from unfair male participation.

Amazingly, during his remarks, Talarico even acknowledged that he is "not well versed in this issue area," joking, "I'm not a scientist, I'm a politician, [which is] a lot worse than a scientist."

The National Institutes of Health reports that "sex chromosome variations" are "not inherited and occur due to a random error during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm) in a parent."

Such variations often result in significant health and physical abnormalities, the public health agency added.

"The most common numeric sex chromosome variations include Turner syndrome (45, X); 47, XXY (which usually causes features of Klinefelter syndrome); 47, XYY; and 47, XXX (trisomy X)," according to NIH. "In some cases, individuals have some cells with the usual 2 sex chromosomes, and some cells with extra or missing sex chromosomes; this is called chromosomal mosaicism."

6-month-old baby girl rescued after being thrown from raft into Rio Grande by smugglers



A six-month-old baby girl was saved by Texas Rangers and U.S. Border Patrol agents earlier this month, who recovered her after she was thrown from a raft by smugglers while being taken across the Rio Grande River into the U.S.

What are the details?

The Texas Department of Public Safety reported in a social media post Tuesday that Texas Rangers out of its South Texas Special Operations group assisted Border Patrol on Mar. 16 "with a 6mo female child who had been thrown out of a raft and into the Rio Grande River by smugglers."

The agency added that "the child's mother had been assaulted by smugglers in Mexico resulting in a broken leg."

KVEO-TV reported that according to Texas DPS Lt. Christopher Olivarez, "the mother and child had been waiting in Mexico since December to cross into the U.S.," and "the mother paid smugglers $3,500 to cross the Rio Grande River into the U.S."

The outlet added, "The family of two crossed the river in rafts along with 67 adults and 150 children in Roma, Texas."

The mother and child are now both in U.S. Border Patrol Custody, along with thousands of other migrants who have been coming in waves into the U.S. illegally since President Joe Biden took office.

Roughly an hour and 20 minutes from Roma is the U.S. Customs and Border Protection main detention facility for migrant children in Donna, Texas.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration allowed the Associated Press to tour the facility in Donna, and the outlet called the scene "a grim picture" due to the overcrowding and kids crammed together under foil blankets.

The AP reported that there are more than 17,000 unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. custody as of Monday, noting that Biden scrapped former President Donald Trump's policy of "expelling" them.

Biden has "tried to expel most families traveling together," the outlet noted, "but changes in Mexican law have forced agents to release many parents and children into the U.S."

Fox News reported that "the he Department of Health and Human Services is currently working to open facilities in cities throughout Texas to manage the large influx of children."

Anything else?

Under the Texas DPS's picture of the ranger holding the baby, a woman commented, "That's my son and I am extremely proud of what he is doing. Sad the news never portrays this type of heroism they all do on the border!"