(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 10, Kanas City 3
Chi White Sox 4, Minnesota 3
Boston 5, Baltimore 3
Cleveland 2, Tampa Bay 4
LA Angels 4, Oakland 0
Seattle 10, Texas 9 (11)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chi Cubs 2, Philadelphia 0
Florida 4, Milwaukee 2
LA Dodgers 5, San Diego 2
San Francisco 6, Colorado 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL
Cincinatti 27, Miami 15
NATIONAL HOCKY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Winnipeg 4, Montreal 3
Carolina 5, Florida 2
New Jersey 5, NY Rangers 2
St. Louis 4, Columbus 2
Minnesota 5, Dallas 2
Nashville 2, Tampa Bay 0
Seattle 4, Vancouver 3 (OT)
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s administration is scaling back his federal student loan cancellation program to protect against legal challenges, including two suits filed this week — with new guidelines now excluding at least hundreds of thousands of borrowers initially told they qualified for the forgiveness.
On Thursday, the Department of Education quietly updated its instructions on who qualifies for the debt forgiveness program of up to $20,000 for some Americans. (NPR first reported the change.)
The new guidance excludes people who took out federal loans that, while they were guaranteed by the government, were technically handled by private banks. As of Thursday, those borrowers — with Perkins loans and Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) — can no longer qualify for the forgiveness program.
That change was made the same day as a lawsuit was filed by six Republican-led states targeting that very part of the program. The complaint argued that the debt cancellation would decrease revenue from interest payments for the private banks who manage those loans.
While about 4 million Americans in total have FFEL or Perkins loans, an administration official told ABC News that only about 770,000 of those borrowers will be affected by the change in the debt cancellation policy.
Forty-three million people are expected to qualify overall for the loan forgiveness, according to the Biden administration.
In a statement responding to the change, the Department of Education said it intended to provide relief “to as many eligible borrowers as quickly and easily as possible” — indicating the shift in their guidance was intended to protect as much of the entire program as possible amid the legal challenges.
The Department of Education said it was continuing to “explore additional legally-available options to provide relief to borrowers with privately owned FFEL loans and Perkins loans, including whether FFEL borrowers could receive one-time debt relief without needing to consolidate.”
There will still be FFEL and Perkins borrowers who do qualify for the relief, however, because anyone who had consolidated their education debt into federal direct loans before Thursday will still be eligible for the program — a nuance that is expected to be litigated in court.
Two lawsuits have so far been filed against the federal student loan forgiveness program.
The first, announced Tuesday in Indiana by the California-based Pacific Legal Foundation, is being argued on behalf of Frank Garrison, an Indiana resident and Pacific Legal Foundation attorney who says that his loans being forgiven would force him to pay state taxes on the canceled amount that he otherwise wouldn’t have to pay.
While the merits of the complaint have yet to be decided – and as Garrison seeks a temporary restraining order to halt the forgiveness program — the case’s mere existence shows conservatives believe they have found specific plaintiffs who can allege injury under the forgiveness program and so have standing to sue.
In statements this week, Pacific Legal Foundation said its suit was in response to the White House’s “flagrantly illegal” decision, which the firm cast as a violation of Congress’ authority.
In response, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre argued on Tuesday that no one has to get their debt relieved and that the plaintiff could “choose to opt out” rather than be stuck with a tax bill.
“We want to be really clear here: Opponents of the Biden-Harris administration student loan plan are trying to stop it because they know it will provide much needed, again, relief for working families. Anyone who does not want to get that debt relief can choose to opt out,” she said.
On Thursday, in an escalation of the GOP’s emerging legal fight with the administration on student loan forgiveness, six Republican-led states filed suit against Biden in a bid to block his plan.
Governors for the six states — Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina — claimed Biden is unfairly citing a national emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the president has said the pandemic is “over.”
“President Biden’s student loan forgiveness scheme is fundamentally unfair and would harm the American families forced to pay for it. Additionally, the Executive branch does not have unilateral authority to impose a sweeping student loan cancellation plan,” Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a statement.
The White House, for its part, has accused the Republicans of “standing with special interests” versus a program that an administration spokesman said will boost working- and middle-class families.
ABC News’ Luke Barr and Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.
As his outfits often do, Machine Gun Kelly‘s look on the Billboard Music Awards red carpet earlier this year turned some heads. That time in particular it was his “diamond manicure,” valued at $30,000, that garnered attention.
Kelly is now turning those diamonds into a new ring collection created by jewelry brand Marrow Fine. All profits from the 18-piece line will be donated to MGK’s alma mater, Ohio’s Shaker Heights High School.
“Machine Gun Kelly’s red carpet moment at the Billboard Awards was such a viral moment for Marrow Fine, and I am so excited to share the final collection with the world,” says Marrow Fine founder and creative director Jillian Sassone. “The collaboration with Nails of LA and Machine Gun Kelly was an exciting opportunity and I am thrilled it’s supporting those in need here in the United States.”
The rings retail between $1,950 and $5,000. For more info, visit MarrowFine.com.
R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills is among several noteworthy musicians slated to participate in an upcoming U.S. tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of #1 Record, the debut album by the short-lived but influential power-pop band Big Star.
The “Don’t Lie to Me!” trek takes place November 30 in Athens, Georgia; December 3 in Memphis, Tennessee; December 4 in Jersey City, New Jersey; December 6 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania; December 7 in Washington, D.C.; and December 9 in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Mills will be part of a collective of musicians led by Big Star’s only surviving original member, drummer Jody Stephens. Others taking part include Posies singer/guitarist Jon Auer, who played with a later incarnation of Big Star; Wilco‘s Pat Sansone; and Chris Stamey of The dB’s.
Prior to the tour, a special charity concert featuring a full performance of #1 Record will be held on November 5 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California.
Stephens, Mills, Auer, Sansone and Stamey will perform at the Glendale event, along with The Bangles‘ Susanna Hoffs, indie rockers The Lemon Twigs, ex-Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed and more.
The benefit show, presented by Stephens in partnership with the Wild Honey Foundation, will raise money for The Autism Collective. Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.com.
Released in April 1972, #1 Record achieved little initial commercial notice, but went on to be embraced by a variety of artists, including R.E.M., The Bangles, The Replacements, Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub and Elliott Smith. Most of the album’s songs were co-written by the group’s two leaders — singer/guitarists Alex Chilton and Chris Bell. Chilton had previously been the lead singer of The Box Tops.
Harry Styles could win an Academy Award next year. Varietyreports Amazon Studios has submitted him — and the entire My Policeman cast — to be considered in the Oscars’ supporting categories. We’ll find out if he scores a nod when nominees are revealed January 23.
Meghan Trainor has a special bright pink vinyl edition of her new album, Takin’ It Back, for sale. The color is described as “candy fleece” and it’s a 2-side LP. You can preorder the vinyl now. The album comes out October 21.
Kelly Clarkson saluted Shawn Mendeson her daytime talk show by covering his hit “Summer of Love,” but made the dreamy single more of a rock ballad. Fans, of course, are hoping she releases a full version of the cover.
Harry Styles could win an Academy Award next year. Varietyreports Amazon Studios has submitted him — and the entire My Policeman cast — to be considered in the Oscars’ supporting categories. We’ll find out if he scores a nod when the Oscars reveals its nominees on January 23.
Zedd will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his album Clarity with a special live performance at the Dolby Theatre on October 9, where he’ll be accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra. The event will stream exclusively on the Moment platform, and tickets are on sale now.
Meghan Trainor has a special, bright pink vinyl edition of her new album, Takin’ It Back, for sale. The color is described as “candy fleece” and it’s a 2-side LP. You can preorder the vinyl now. The album comes out October 21.
Charlie Puth released the music video for Calvin Harris‘ “Obsessed.” He stars alongside collaborator Shenseea, whom he pines for in the beach-vibed video.
Avril Lavigne has been changing up her look for each new album, but says her Love Sux era is “a little bit of all of my styles over the years.” She told Billboard she loves that looks from the early 2000s are back in style and raved, “It’s more sexy now … Everything used to be so baggy and low, and now, the new versions are high waisted with a crop top.”
Actress Amber Riley has been, and still is, a trending topic on Twitter as social media speculates the Glee alum is the Harp on the hit competition show The Masked Singer.
After a showstopping performance of Whitney’s Houston‘s “I Have Nothing” on Wednesday night’s episode, fans immediately took to the internet with theories that it’s Riley under the disguise.
“I would know that effortless hitting of the ‘MYYYYYYY’ anywhere,” one user tweeted. “AMBER RILEY ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT god I hope she wins.”
“That is Amber Riley,” another said. “If you don’t know that voice…how??? IT’S AMBER RILEY. One of my favorite voices of all time. The true star of Glee. Also this has me crying my eyes out. She deserves every bit of applause. She is phenomenal & is not appreciated enough.”
Echoing that sentiment is another Twitter user, who wrote, “So this is definitely Amber Riley. I have tweeted this before & I still stand by it. She is the most underrated singer out there. She should have blown up a long time ago.”
The “clues” given during the premiere episode last week might also contribute to the belief that Riley is donning the Harp costume.
The Harp noted that in the past they’ve “auditioned for the biggest show in the world” but they “didn’t fit the mold and was turned down.” Many point to the fact that prior to Glee, Riley auditioned for American Idol but didn’t make it past producers.
No word yet from Riley, of course, since the show is still going on and the Harp is still in the competition.
Hopefully, for some, the Harp will make it all the way to the end.
Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
For John Stamos, losing friend Bob Saget last January was “heartbreaking” for more than the obvious reason.
“It was so heartbreaking to see [that] he didn’t know how loved he was,” Stamos says.
“I guarantee it. And to, to think that he didn’t feel that. It really hurts me.”
The actor tells ABC Audio that he was “grateful” he got to channel his grief into the upcoming season of the Disney+ show Big Shot, debuting October 12. He helped craft a storyline in which his coach character, Marvin, loses a “close friend and mentor.”
Stamos says, “He sees this outpouring of love for his friend, and he goes, ‘Where’s my legacy? What am I leaving behind?'”
He continues, “Because people go, and then they never, they don’t get to hear how much everybody loved them.”
Marvin’s players, and his daughter, get to tell him precisely that, he explains.
“That’s a lesson, too, from Bob,” the actor expresses.
“Like, he left nothing on the table. You just go tell people that … when you get a chance, that you love them, that you care about them, that you’re proud of them, whatever it may be, because tomorrow’s never promised.”
Stamos explains Saget always sent sincere texts to those he loved, sometimes for no reason at all.
“Long texts,” he recalls. “And there were a lot of dirty words mixed into the love and kindness.”
Stamos joked, “If we’re real quiet right now, we can hear him complaining in heaven that I’m not talking about him enough today,” before adding wistfully, “I miss him, you know. I miss him.”
Following reports that a deal was in the works, the Wall Street Journal now reports that Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford — the most commercially successful lineup of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Genesis — have sold their catalog for a huge payday.
Concord Music Group is the buyer, and sources told the Journal that the deal is worth “upwards of $300 million.” In addition to the publishing copyrights, master recordings and “a mix of recorded music-income streams” of the three artists’ Genesis songs, the deal also includes their solo material.
That means Concord is buying the rights to Phil’s hugely successful solo albums, plus the ’80s hits Rutherford made with his side project Mike + the Mechanics, like “The Living Years,” “All I Need Is a Miracle” and “Silent Running.” The Journal notes that the catalogs of former members of Genesis, like Peter Gabriel, weren’t included in the deal.
Concord’s purchase isn’t surprising, since the company has been administering both Phil’s and Genesis’ publishing since 2017.
Genesis is the latest veteran rock act to cash in on the selling-your-catalog craze. Others who’ve sold their publishing and recorded music rights for millions in the last few years include Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Stevie Nicks.
The next movie in the Planet of the Apes franchise now has a name. 20th Century Studios has dropped a first look at the forthcoming film, as well its title: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
The image released by the studio, which, like ABC News, is owned by Disney, shows Owen Teague‘s ape Cornelius on a horse, with his arm out to receive a perching eagle. Ahead of him is a waterfall and a moss-covered, abandoned cityscape.
The movie will also star The Witcher‘s Freya Allan and The Orville‘s Peter Macon.
According to the studio, the 2024 movie is set “many years” after the conclusion of 2017’s hit War for the Planetof the Apes, which was the final installment in a successful trilogy directed by The Batman‘s Matt Reeves.
Wes Ball, who helmed the Maze Runner trilogy, is taking over behind the camera for a film written by War of the World‘s Josh Friedman, Rise of the Planet of the Apes‘ Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, and Prey scribe Patrick Aison.
In the announcement, 20thCentury Studios President Steve Asbell says, “Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history,” calling the movies “an indelible part” of the legacy.
“With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema,” he continued.
