WASHINGTON –&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran today voted to support and pass a disapproval resolution under the&nbsp;Congressional Review Act&nbsp;(CRA) regarding a Department of Labor (DOL) rule on how retirement plans are managed and invested, according to a statement from the senator's office.

The<a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/retirement/erisa#:~:text=The%20Employee%20Retirement%20Income%20Security,for%20individuals%20in%20these%20plans.">&nbsp;Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974</a>&nbsp;(ERISA) covers most employer-sponsored retirement plans, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration within the DOL is responsible for enforcing rules on how these retirement plans are invested.

Last year, the DOL released a rule to allow retirement plan fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and corporate governances (ESG) factors over financial returns when selecting investments for the retirement plans of more than 150 million American workers. This resolution enables Congress to express disapproval and nullify the rule.

“The 401(k) accounts of millions of Americans are not a political tool for the Biden administration to use to further its agenda,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “I voted to overturn the Department of Labor’s rule that would allow asset managers to prioritize ESG factors over the best financial returns for Americans' retirement accounts. I encourage the President to listen to the representatives of the people and sign this resolution to nullify the rule.”

This resolution has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now goes to the President to signed or vetoed.

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran today voted to support and pass a disapproval resolution under the&nbsp;Congressional Review Act&nbsp;(CRA) regarding a Department of Labor (DOL) rule on how retirement plans are managed and invested, according to a statement from the senator's office.The<a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/retirement/erisa#:~:text=The%20Employee%20Retirement%20Income%20Security,for%20individuals%20in%20these%20plans.">&nbsp;Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974</a>&nbsp;(ERISA) covers most employer-sponsored retirement plans, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration within the DOL is responsible for enforcing rules on how these retirement plans are invested.Last year, the DOL released a rule to allow retirement plan fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and corporate governances (ESG) factors over financial returns when selecting investments for the retirement plans of more than 150 million American workers. This resolution enables Congress to express disapproval and nullify the rule.“The 401(k) accounts of millions of Americans are not a political tool for the Biden administration to use to further its agenda,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “I voted to overturn the Department of Labor’s rule that would allow asset managers to prioritize ESG factors over the best financial returns for Americans' retirement accounts. I encourage the President to listen to the representatives of the people and sign this resolution to nullify the rule.”This resolution has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now goes to the President to signed or vetoed.

Moran votes to overturn Biden rule on retirement accounts

By NATE KING Salina Post

For years, students and business leaders across the country have been trained on what to do during emergency situations, such as a fire or tornado. On Feb. 15, 145 people&nbsp;representing churches, schools, first responders, businesses, and concerned community members, from across central Kansas, gathered for a different kind of training-- active shooter training.&nbsp;

The Saline County Office of Emergency Management hosted the free event and lunch was sponsored by Wilson Security Solutions LLC.

 Presenters included Chuck&nbsp;Clanahan, protective security advisor for Department of Homeland Security, Melissa McCoy, public information officer for Saline County, and Captain Jim&nbsp;Hughes from the Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;

The all day exercise took place at the Webster Conference Center,&nbsp;2601 N. Ohio Street. Michelle Weis, director of Saline County emergency management, said that she was very surprised by the turnout.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I told Melissa that I wanted people to register so that way like if I knew there were only 45 people coming I could take some chairs out," Weis said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If anything, more chairs will be needed for the next active shooter training. Weis said event interest was so great there was a wait list of 15 additional people who wanted to attend the event.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As to why there was such an interest in learning about active shooter training and crisis management, Weis said the environment surrounding active shooter situations is becoming more common and more severe.&nbsp;

"Just like natural disasters, some become more severe depending on the climate," Weis said. "I think that unfortunately, the climate for active violence has shifted, and it's now the means for people to vent, whether that be they have mental health issues, or they're disgruntled in some aspect, people now feel like this is the way that they choose to express their feelings or discontent towards a firm, former employer or place of business or school."&nbsp;

Planning for the 2023&nbsp;Active&nbsp;Shooter&nbsp;Security Workshop began shortly after Saline County held its 2019 active shooter training workshop. Weiss said that she and her team at the county level wanted to ensure that they were proactive in providing training.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Planning for this year's active shooter security workshop began in 2020," Weiss said. "Chuck is the only one who does what he does in the state.&nbsp;I also didn't want to drag my feet so long, and then something happened. Then it looks like we were doing this workshop because something happened, I wanted people to know that we've been thinking about this and wanting to train on this before something happened."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clanahan's presentation focused&nbsp;on the message, "See something say, something." His presentation included videos emphasizing the importance of community involvement in identifying threats and a Q&amp;A session where he asked event attendees hypothetical questions on what they or their business would do in the case of an active shooter.

Clanahan represented DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA's goal is to enhance incident preparedness through a "whole community" approach. Clanahan provided event attendees with materials and information to better prepare themselves and their businesses when dealing with an active shooter situation, focusing on behaviors that represent pre-incident red flags of active shooters, potential attack methods, how to develop emergency plans and what actions to take during an incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clanahan reiterated multiple times during his presentation, that it isn't a matter of "if" an active shooter situation will occur, but "when."&nbsp;

According to the Gun Violence Archive, in 2022 there were 647 mass shootings.&nbsp;An&nbsp;active shooter&nbsp;is an individual who is engaged in killing, or attempting to kill, people in a confined and populated area. Active shooter incidents are often unpredictable. Amid the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident.&nbsp;

According to CISA's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_booklet.pdf" target="_blank">workshop materials</a>, in many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are by their very nature unpredictable and evolve quickly. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.&nbsp;

DHS trained attendees on using the, "run, hide, fight" method when dealing with an active shooter situation&nbsp;

Evacuate/run&nbsp;If there is an accessible escape path. When attempting to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:&nbsp;

•&nbsp;Have an escape route and plan in mind&nbsp;&nbsp; • Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow&nbsp;&nbsp; • Leave your belongings behind&nbsp;&nbsp; • Help others escape, if possible&nbsp; •&nbsp;&nbsp;Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be • Keep your hands visible&nbsp; •&nbsp;&nbsp;Follow the instructions of any police officers&nbsp;&nbsp; • Do not attempt to move wounded people&nbsp;&nbsp; • Call 911 when you are safe&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hide&nbsp;If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Be out of the active shooter’s view&nbsp;&nbsp; • Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)&nbsp;

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Lock the door&nbsp;&nbsp; • Blockade the door with heavy furniture&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;How to respond when an active shooter is in your vicinity

If the active shooter is nearby:&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Lock the door&nbsp;&nbsp; • Silence your cell phone and/or pager&nbsp;&nbsp; • Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)&nbsp;&nbsp; • Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)&nbsp;&nbsp; • Remain quiet&nbsp;&nbsp;

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible

• Remain calm&nbsp;&nbsp; • Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location&nbsp;&nbsp; • If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen&nbsp;&nbsp;

Take action against the active shooter

As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her&nbsp;&nbsp; • Throwing items and improvising weapons&nbsp;&nbsp; • Yelling&nbsp;&nbsp; • Committing to your actions&nbsp;&nbsp; • If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen&nbsp;&nbsp;

McCoy also spoke at the workshop. She conveyed to attendees the importance of establishing a crisis communication plan within their business.

In March of last year, Olathe East had an active shooter situation. In the hours that followed that frightful situation, USD 233 Superintendent Brent Yeager issued a statement. McCoy used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARSM3Uz7wY">his remarks</a> following the incident as an example of what businesses should do following a crisis situation.&nbsp;

McCoy also used an example of what businesses should not do following a crisis. The example video was an interview between a daycare administrator and a journalist in Memphis following a crisis situation where a drug dealer attempted to flee police and hide inside a daycare facility. The fleeing suspect knocked on the door of the facility and was let inside, no questions asked.&nbsp;

During the interview the administrator does not take responsibility and blames others, before walking out on the interview.&nbsp;

Both examples helped shine a light on how important a business or entity's message is following any crisis.

The workshop also included a presentation by Hughes on the importance of tactical first aid.

Five years ago, Hughes attended a tactical first aid training in Georgia where he met two instructors who also happened to be veterans. Hughes said that both of the instructors he met were combat veterans and both had were injured in combat. For one of the veterans, what saved his life was a $150 first aid kit he had received in training.&nbsp;

The two veterans Hughes mentioned, teamed up with the <a href="https://www.stopthebleed.org/">STOP THE BLEED </a>campaign and the federal government to create a tactical first aid class for law enforcement officers.&nbsp;

Hughes said that advances made by military medicine and research in hemorrhage control during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have better informed the medical community and first responders.

"Originally it was a class for cops in the field to apply while taking on gunfire," Hughes said "This class teaches cops how to both return gunfire and put a&nbsp;tourniquet, simultaneously."

Hughes said there are eight instructors in the Saline County Sheriff's Office who have been through this training and are qualified to give this training to others.

Hughes and other law enforcement officers in Saline County thought the public could also benefit from this training.&nbsp;

"We decided, to take out all the 'pew, pew' cop stuff and get this basic information out to other people in the community," Hughes said.&nbsp;

Hughes and members of the community got together and created a class based on the tactical first aid class, except designed to teach non-law enforcement individuals.&nbsp;

Hughes said that the tactical first aid training is different than what paramedics learn in their course work.&nbsp;

"We are not teaching people how to be a paramedic," Hughes said. "We are teaching you how to save your life and we are teaching you how to save someone else."

Hughes said that waiting during an active shooter situation for paramedics and EMTs to arrive, dress your wounds and save your life is futile.&nbsp;

"During an active shooter situation it is chaotic and there is a lot of gunfire. For the five to seven minutes that you are in that room, in 45 seconds you could bleed out through arterial bleeding," Hughes said. "'Who is going to be there to save your life?' You are. You are going to have to save your own life. They [paramedics] are not coming in until the threat is neutralized."

Hughes said the Saline County Sheriff's Office will be ready to administer the three hour tactical first aid class in approximately two months.

"The tactical first aid class is not just for active shooter situations," Hughes said. "What if you are cutting wood and a chainsaw gets away from you. If you have a tactical first aid kit and know how to use it, it could save your life. What if you come across someone on the road who got in a car accident and they have a severed hand? We are going to teach you how best to respond to these types of situations."&nbsp;

Hughes said a Kansas trooper recently received an award for saving someone's life using a gun shot wound kit for an arterial wound that occurred during a car accident.&nbsp;

"When we teach this class to law enforcement officers, we add stress and we put soapy water on their hands to replicate blood," Hughes said "We put a little bit of stress into the situation. It isn't military bootcamp, but we show you can do all of that with some training and a tactical first aid kit."

Hughes told Salina Post the tactical first aid class, which will be offered to the public before the end of the year, is entirely hands on.

"By the time you complete the training you will be be able to put a tourniquet on yourself blindfolded," Hughes said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677268271002.jpeg" alt="Salina Emergency Management Active Shooter workshop. Photos by Nate King/Salina Post" />
 <figcaption>Salina Emergency Management Active Shooter workshop. Photos by Nate King/Salina Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostFor years, students and business leaders across the country have been trained on what to do during emergency situations, such as a fire or tornado. On Feb. 15, 145 people&nbsp;representing churches, schools, first responders, businesses, and concerned community members, from across central Kansas, gathered for a different kind of training-- active shooter training.&nbsp;The Saline County Office of Emergency Management hosted the free event and lunch was sponsored by Wilson Security Solutions LLC. Presenters included Chuck&nbsp;Clanahan, protective security advisor for Department of Homeland Security, Melissa McCoy, public information officer for Saline County, and Captain Jim&nbsp;Hughes from the Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;The all day exercise took place at the Webster Conference Center,&nbsp;2601 N. Ohio Street. Michelle Weis, director of Saline County emergency management, said that she was very surprised by the turnout.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I told Melissa that I wanted people to register so that way like if I knew there were only 45 people coming I could take some chairs out," Weis said.&nbsp;&nbsp;If anything, more chairs will be needed for the next active shooter training. Weis said event interest was so great there was a wait list of 15 additional people who wanted to attend the event.&nbsp;&nbsp;As to why there was such an interest in learning about active shooter training and crisis management, Weis said the environment surrounding active shooter situations is becoming more common and more severe.&nbsp;"Just like natural disasters, some become more severe depending on the climate," Weis said. "I think that unfortunately, the climate for active violence has shifted, and it's now the means for people to vent, whether that be they have mental health issues, or they're disgruntled in some aspect, people now feel like this is the way that they choose to express their feelings or discontent towards a firm, former employer or place of business or school."&nbsp;Planning for the 2023&nbsp;Active&nbsp;Shooter&nbsp;Security Workshop began shortly after Saline County held its 2019 active shooter training workshop. Weiss said that she and her team at the county level wanted to ensure that they were proactive in providing training.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Planning for this year's active shooter security workshop began in 2020," Weiss said. "Chuck is the only one who does what he does in the state.&nbsp;I also didn't want to drag my feet so long, and then something happened. Then it looks like we were doing this workshop because something happened, I wanted people to know that we've been thinking about this and wanting to train on this before something happened."&nbsp;&nbsp;Clanahan's presentation focused&nbsp;on the message, "See something say, something." His presentation included videos emphasizing the importance of community involvement in identifying threats and a Q&amp;A session where he asked event attendees hypothetical questions on what they or their business would do in the case of an active shooter.Clanahan represented DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA's goal is to enhance incident preparedness through a "whole community" approach. Clanahan provided event attendees with materials and information to better prepare themselves and their businesses when dealing with an active shooter situation, focusing on behaviors that represent pre-incident red flags of active shooters, potential attack methods, how to develop emergency plans and what actions to take during an incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clanahan reiterated multiple times during his presentation, that it isn't a matter of "if" an active shooter situation will occur, but "when."&nbsp;According to the Gun Violence Archive, in 2022 there were 647 mass shootings.&nbsp;An&nbsp;active shooter&nbsp;is an individual who is engaged in killing, or attempting to kill, people in a confined and populated area. Active shooter incidents are often unpredictable. Amid the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident.&nbsp;According to CISA's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_booklet.pdf" target="_blank">workshop materials</a>, in many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are by their very nature unpredictable and evolve quickly. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.&nbsp;DHS trained attendees on using the, "run, hide, fight" method when dealing with an active shooter situation&nbsp;Evacuate/run&nbsp;If there is an accessible escape path. When attempting to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:&nbsp;•&nbsp;Have an escape route and plan in mind&nbsp;&nbsp; • Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow&nbsp;&nbsp; • Leave your belongings behind&nbsp;&nbsp; • Help others escape, if possible&nbsp; •&nbsp;&nbsp;Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be • Keep your hands visible&nbsp; •&nbsp;&nbsp;Follow the instructions of any police officers&nbsp;&nbsp; • Do not attempt to move wounded people&nbsp;&nbsp; • Call 911 when you are safe&nbsp;&nbsp;Hide&nbsp;If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:&nbsp;&nbsp;• Be out of the active shooter’s view&nbsp;&nbsp; • Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)&nbsp;To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:&nbsp;&nbsp;• Lock the door&nbsp;&nbsp; • Blockade the door with heavy furniture&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How to respond when an active shooter is in your vicinityIf the active shooter is nearby:&nbsp;&nbsp;• Lock the door&nbsp;&nbsp; • Silence your cell phone and/or pager&nbsp;&nbsp; • Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)&nbsp;&nbsp; • Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)&nbsp;&nbsp; • Remain quiet&nbsp;&nbsp;If evacuation and hiding out are not possible• Remain calm&nbsp;&nbsp; • Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location&nbsp;&nbsp; • If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen&nbsp;&nbsp;Take action against the active shooter As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:&nbsp;&nbsp;• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her&nbsp;&nbsp; • Throwing items and improvising weapons&nbsp;&nbsp; • Yelling&nbsp;&nbsp; • Committing to your actions&nbsp;&nbsp; • If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen&nbsp;&nbsp;McCoy also spoke at the workshop. She conveyed to attendees the importance of establishing a crisis communication plan within their business.In March of last year, Olathe East had an active shooter situation. In the hours that followed that frightful situation, USD 233 Superintendent Brent Yeager issued a statement. McCoy used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARSM3Uz7wY">his remarks</a> following the incident as an example of what businesses should do following a crisis situation.&nbsp;McCoy also used an example of what businesses should not do following a crisis. The example video was an interview between a daycare administrator and a journalist in Memphis following a crisis situation where a drug dealer attempted to flee police and hide inside a daycare facility. The fleeing suspect knocked on the door of the facility and was let inside, no questions asked.&nbsp;During the interview the administrator does not take responsibility and blames others, before walking out on the interview.&nbsp;Both examples helped shine a light on how important a business or entity's message is following any crisis.The workshop also included a presentation by Hughes on the importance of tactical first aid.Five years ago, Hughes attended a tactical first aid training in Georgia where he met two instructors who also happened to be veterans. Hughes said that both of the instructors he met were combat veterans and both had were injured in combat. For one of the veterans, what saved his life was a $150 first aid kit he had received in training.&nbsp;The two veterans Hughes mentioned, teamed up with the <a href="https://www.stopthebleed.org/">STOP THE BLEED </a>campaign and the federal government to create a tactical first aid class for law enforcement officers.&nbsp;Hughes said that advances made by military medicine and research in hemorrhage control during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have better informed the medical community and first responders."Originally it was a class for cops in the field to apply while taking on gunfire," Hughes said "This class teaches cops how to both return gunfire and put a&nbsp;tourniquet, simultaneously."Hughes said there are eight instructors in the Saline County Sheriff's Office who have been through this training and are qualified to give this training to others.Hughes and other law enforcement officers in Saline County thought the public could also benefit from this training.&nbsp;"We decided, to take out all the 'pew, pew' cop stuff and get this basic information out to other people in the community," Hughes said.&nbsp;Hughes and members of the community got together and created a class based on the tactical first aid class, except designed to teach non-law enforcement individuals.&nbsp;Hughes said that the tactical first aid training is different than what paramedics learn in their course work.&nbsp;"We are not teaching people how to be a paramedic," Hughes said. "We are teaching you how to save your life and we are teaching you how to save someone else."Hughes said that waiting during an active shooter situation for paramedics and EMTs to arrive, dress your wounds and save your life is futile.&nbsp;"During an active shooter situation it is chaotic and there is a lot of gunfire. For the five to seven minutes that you are in that room, in 45 seconds you could bleed out through arterial bleeding," Hughes said. "'Who is going to be there to save your life?' You are. You are going to have to save your own life. They [paramedics] are not coming in until the threat is neutralized."Hughes said the Saline County Sheriff's Office will be ready to administer the three hour tactical first aid class in approximately two months."The tactical first aid class is not just for active shooter situations," Hughes said. "What if you are cutting wood and a chainsaw gets away from you. If you have a tactical first aid kit and know how to use it, it could save your life. What if you come across someone on the road who got in a car accident and they have a severed hand? We are going to teach you how best to respond to these types of situations."&nbsp;Hughes said a Kansas trooper recently received an award for saving someone's life using a gun shot wound kit for an arterial wound that occurred during a car accident.&nbsp;"When we teach this class to law enforcement officers, we add stress and we put soapy water on their hands to replicate blood," Hughes said "We put a little bit of stress into the situation. It isn't military bootcamp, but we show you can do all of that with some training and a tactical first aid kit."Hughes told Salina Post the tactical first aid class, which will be offered to the public before the end of the year, is entirely hands on."By the time you complete the training you will be be able to put a tourniquet on yourself blindfolded," Hughes said.

Saline Co. Emergency Management hosts active shooter training

<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/14324">Simeon Faagai</a>&nbsp;(JR/Ponca City, Okla.) saved his best for last.

Competing in the weight throw at the Kansas Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships last month in Wichita, Faagai unleased his best throw of the season – 16.42 meters – and qualified for the NAIA National Indoor Championships by reaching the B Standard.

Faagai and seven teammates will represent the Coyotes in the national event Thursday through Saturday at Brookings, S.D. inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on the campus of South Dakota State.

Faagai, who threw the discus in high school and is primarily a hammer thrower for KWU, was competing in the weight throw, which he says comes with the territory.

"A lot of times with hammer throwing comes the indoor version, the weight throw," said Faagai, a transfer from Butler Community College. "The timing is completely different but you've got to do what you've got to do,"

That timing element involves the number of rotations throwers spin in the circle before launching the 35-pound weighted ball that's attached to a chain.

"Throwers will rotate anywhere from one to four times to get max velocity on it so they can release it and get distance," Faagai said. "(The chain) is a pretty short implement, fairly small compared to the hammer, which is probably about two meters long."

"My main event is the hammer so sometimes it kind of gets my timing a little wobbly because it's so much shorter," he said.

Faagai is happy to be in the national meet but said his approach at nationals won't be any different.

"Qualifying for indoor nationals wasn't necessarily unexpected but I wouldn't have been surprised if I didn't qualify either," he said. "We put the work in and it paid off so I'm just glad to make it.

"I try to be relaxed for most of the time that I'm not competing. Then heading into competition I'll start to lock in a little bit, listen to music and get nice and warm and loose for competition. It usually helps that I'm doing something that I always do to get through the nervousness."

Faagai has a goal at nationals but said he isn't obsessed with it.

"More than 17 meters but I feel like thinking about the numbers directly can affect what distances you're actually throwing," he said. "I'm just going into this one thinking 'let's work, let's do what I know how to do.'"

The weight throw competition begins at noon on Friday.

COLE PARKER, SHOT PUT Parker won the KCAC Championship and hit the NAIA A Standard with a throw of 16.03 meters at the Concordia Polar Dog meet in January. Parker qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Championships in the javelin last spring but the javelin, obviously, isn't thrown indoors.

"Cole is one of the more versatile kids in the conference and the region," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13550">Kyle Hiser</a>&nbsp;said. "He's going in ranked in the top 15. Hopefully he can go there and get his feet wet the first time at the indoor national championships and use this momentum to go on to a really big outdoor season."

Shot put competition starts at 2 p.m. Saturday.

ERYK KYSER, LONG JUMP Kyser qualified for nationals at the KCAC Championship winning the event and meeting the A Standard with a leap of 7.18 meters.

He qualified for last year's national indoor meet and will hit the starting line at 4 p.m. Friday.

"Eryk's ranked ninth in the country so he'll be in that final flight against some guys he's competed against," Hiser said. "He's going to do his thing, make sure he's not making the moment any bigger than it is. Having been there and been on the runway will be an advantage as he competes."

MARK BENJAMIN, 60-METER DASH Benjamin hit the B Standard qualifying time of 6.91 seconds in KWU's first meet of the season, the Friends First Chance Qualifier, but has been slowed of late.

"He's been battling a hamstring injury," Hiser said. "He hit that standard pretty early in the year and then injuries have been nagging and not allowing him to train at the level that we hoped. He's a talented individual and we're just happy that he'll be able to get there and run. Just get in the (starting) blocks and see what happens."

Preliminaries are at 12:50 p.m. Friday, the finals 2 p.m. Saturday.

4X800-METER RELAY The group also qualified for nationals during the conference championships with a time of 7 minutes, 52.99 seconds. Team members are Will Griffith,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13562">Ty Davidson</a>&nbsp;(SO/Lakin, Kan.),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/14322">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;(SO/Manhattan, Kan.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13569">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;(SO/Temecula, Calif.) with Nick Martinez and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13552">Shane Calvin</a>&nbsp;(JR/Lakin, Kan.) the alternates.

"That was the first 4x8 we ran all year," Hiser said. "We knew on paper that they were going to be pretty strong, didn't know how strong, and they put it together at that conference championship.

"We haven't had a men's distance relay since Coach (Garrett) Young was in college in 2017. It's a group of all freshmen and sophomores, a young group and getting there is really going to fire them up. Use that momentum to build as they go into outdoor season."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677781240714.jpeg" alt="Simeon Faagai. Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a>" />
 <figcaption>Simeon Faagai. Photo courtesy <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com">kwucoyotes.com</a></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/14324">Simeon Faagai</a>&nbsp;(JR/Ponca City, Okla.) saved his best for last.Competing in the weight throw at the Kansas Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships last month in Wichita, Faagai unleased his best throw of the season – 16.42 meters – and qualified for the NAIA National Indoor Championships by reaching the B Standard.Faagai and seven teammates will represent the Coyotes in the national event Thursday through Saturday at Brookings, S.D. inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on the campus of South Dakota State.Faagai, who threw the discus in high school and is primarily a hammer thrower for KWU, was competing in the weight throw, which he says comes with the territory."A lot of times with hammer throwing comes the indoor version, the weight throw," said Faagai, a transfer from Butler Community College. "The timing is completely different but you've got to do what you've got to do,"That timing element involves the number of rotations throwers spin in the circle before launching the 35-pound weighted ball that's attached to a chain."Throwers will rotate anywhere from one to four times to get max velocity on it so they can release it and get distance," Faagai said. "(The chain) is a pretty short implement, fairly small compared to the hammer, which is probably about two meters long."There is a drawback, though."My main event is the hammer so sometimes it kind of gets my timing a little wobbly because it's so much shorter," he said.Faagai is happy to be in the national meet but said his approach at nationals won't be any different."Qualifying for indoor nationals wasn't necessarily unexpected but I wouldn't have been surprised if I didn't qualify either," he said. "We put the work in and it paid off so I'm just glad to make it."I try to be relaxed for most of the time that I'm not competing. Then heading into competition I'll start to lock in a little bit, listen to music and get nice and warm and loose for competition. It usually helps that I'm doing something that I always do to get through the nervousness."Faagai has a goal at nationals but said he isn't obsessed with it."More than 17 meters but I feel like thinking about the numbers directly can affect what distances you're actually throwing," he said. "I'm just going into this one thinking 'let's work, let's do what I know how to do.'"The weight throw competition begins at noon on Friday.Other KWU qualifiers are:COLE PARKER, SHOT PUT Parker won the KCAC Championship and hit the NAIA A Standard with a throw of 16.03 meters at the Concordia Polar Dog meet in January. Parker qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Championships in the javelin last spring but the javelin, obviously, isn't thrown indoors."Cole is one of the more versatile kids in the conference and the region," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13550">Kyle Hiser</a>&nbsp;said. "He's going in ranked in the top 15. Hopefully he can go there and get his feet wet the first time at the indoor national championships and use this momentum to go on to a really big outdoor season."Shot put competition starts at 2 p.m. Saturday.ERYK KYSER, LONG JUMP Kyser qualified for nationals at the KCAC Championship winning the event and meeting the A Standard with a leap of 7.18 meters.He qualified for last year's national indoor meet and will hit the starting line at 4 p.m. Friday."Eryk's ranked ninth in the country so he'll be in that final flight against some guys he's competed against," Hiser said. "He's going to do his thing, make sure he's not making the moment any bigger than it is. Having been there and been on the runway will be an advantage as he competes."MARK BENJAMIN, 60-METER DASH Benjamin hit the B Standard qualifying time of 6.91 seconds in KWU's first meet of the season, the Friends First Chance Qualifier, but has been slowed of late."He's been battling a hamstring injury," Hiser said. "He hit that standard pretty early in the year and then injuries have been nagging and not allowing him to train at the level that we hoped. He's a talented individual and we're just happy that he'll be able to get there and run. Just get in the (starting) blocks and see what happens."Preliminaries are at 12:50 p.m. Friday, the finals 2 p.m. Saturday.4X800-METER RELAY The group also qualified for nationals during the conference championships with a time of 7 minutes, 52.99 seconds. Team members are Will Griffith,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13562">Ty Davidson</a>&nbsp;(SO/Lakin, Kan.),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/14322">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;(SO/Manhattan, Kan.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13569">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;(SO/Temecula, Calif.) with Nick Martinez and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwucoyotes.com/roster/24/9/13552">Shane Calvin</a>&nbsp;(JR/Lakin, Kan.) the alternates."That was the first 4x8 we ran all year," Hiser said. "We knew on paper that they were going to be pretty strong, didn't know how strong, and they put it together at that conference championship."We haven't had a men's distance relay since Coach (Garrett) Young was in college in 2017. It's a group of all freshmen and sophomores, a young group and getting there is really going to fire them up. Use that momentum to build as they go into outdoor season."

Faagai, Coyotes ready for NAIA National Championships

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting police looking into the multiple hoax calls claiming there were active shooters at schools across Kansas Wednesday, according to Officer Chad Ditch of the Wichita Police Department.

(Click below to listen to one of the hoax 911 calls received in Topeka.)

Police in nearly a dozen communities including Topeka, Lawrence, Wichita, El Dorado, Junction City, Manhattan, Wellington, Liberal, Russell, Garden City and Colby responded to the hoax calls about the active shooters at schools.&nbsp;

Most law enforcement immediately identified the calls as swatting but police swiftly responded and schools were placed on lockdown. There were no injuries at any of the schools.

Anyone with information about the calls is encouraged to contact police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677682971206.png" alt="Police responded to Highland Park High School in Topeka Wednesday-photo by Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police responded to Highland Park High School in Topeka Wednesday-photo by Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting police looking into the multiple hoax calls claiming there were active shooters at schools across Kansas Wednesday, according to Officer Chad Ditch of the Wichita Police Department.(Click below to listen to one of the hoax 911 calls received in Topeka.)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uVt5dz4qRLE?start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Police in nearly a dozen communities including Topeka, Lawrence, Wichita, El Dorado, Junction City, Manhattan, Wellington, Liberal, Russell, Garden City and Colby responded to the hoax calls about the active shooters at schools.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">What happens when LKPD gets an active shooter call? The below video shows our response from the time the call came in, to when our SRO identified the call as a hoax. <a href="https://t.co/4hrcRHN7K0">pic.twitter.com/4hrcRHN7K0</a>&mdash; Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) <a href="https://twitter.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1631005752922980352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Most law enforcement immediately identified the calls as swatting but police swiftly responded and schools were placed on lockdown. There were no injuries at any of the schools.Anyone with information about the calls is encouraged to contact police.

🎥Listen to 911 hoax call of active shooter at Kansas school

The Southeast of Saline girls take on Hoisington in sub-state action from Russell tonight, and if you can't make it to the game, we have you covered!

The game is set to tip at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

You can listen to the game on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the game right here on Salina Post, thanks to The Bennington State Bank!

Use the QR code or click the link below to watch the game Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677763949736.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Southeast of Saline girls take on Hoisington in sub-state action from Russell tonight, and if you can't make it to the game, we have you covered!The game is set to tip at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.You can listen to the game on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the game right here on Salina Post, thanks to The Bennington State Bank!Use the QR code or click the link below to watch the game Thursday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677764104896.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z7QywKqQByc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎥Watch live tonight as the SES girls take on Hoisington

NEW YORK (AP) — The fate of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">student loan forgiveness plan is up in the air</a>&nbsp;after Supreme Court justices questioned whether his administration has the authority to broadly cancel federal student loans.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-506">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-535">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Board of Ed v. Brown

At stake is debt forgiveness for up to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">43 million Americans</a>. Nearly half could have their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-cd9d00103c04f4bb906b9127e9e06fef">federal student debt wiped out</a>&nbsp;entirely. But in hearing two cases challenging the plan, the Republican-appointed majority on the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">seemed likely to block it</a>.

Already, about 26 million people have applied for debt forgiveness, and 16 million applications have been approved. However, because of court rulings, all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">relief is on hold</a>. The Education Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-student-loans-government-and-politics-06a1160237717b16091ec864b2a56e4d">stopped taking applications</a>&nbsp;in November because of legal challenges to the plan.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">Supreme Court will have the ultimate say</a>&nbsp;on whether Biden can wipe out student loan debt,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-Biden-63cf586156ad9cf7f71fe3656cf898f8">fulfilling a campaign pledge</a>&nbsp;he made in 2020. Here's what to know if you're waiting for debt relief:

WHEN WILL THE SUPREME COURT DECIDE THE STUDENT LOANS CASES?

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday, but there won’t be a decision for months. The court usually issues all of its decisions by the end of June.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-program-explained-d248f3b049c292856bb1c74be6aedef2">plan Biden announced last August</a>&nbsp;would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-higher-pell-grant-fce8a300f7d7400283891dc223cbc378">Pell Grant</a>&nbsp;recipients, who typically come from lower-income households, would receive an additional $10,000 in debt forgiveness, for a total of $20,000.

Federal student loans for both undergraduate and graduate school, including Graduate PLUS loans, can qualify for forgiveness under the plan.

Borrowers would qualify if their federal student loans were disbursed before July 1.

Under the plan, if you paid off your loans during the pandemic, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-student-loan-refund-if-you-paid-during-pandemic-ac42ffdca1d37d1fe8d1d63f6faeaa6f">request a refund</a>&nbsp;and then apply for forgiveness.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY STUDENT LOANS WILL BE FORGIVEN?

The relief under Biden’s plan is on hold until the court cases finish — even for people who applied for student loan forgiveness before courts blocked it.

If the justices allow the plan to proceed, Biden’s debt forgiveness is for borrowers holding federal student loans, not private loans.

To determine what kind of loans you hold, log in to the Federal Student Aid website,&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">studentaid.gov</a>. Direct loans, including Parent Plus loans, qualify. Some older FFEL and Perkins loans are also eligible, if owned by the Department of Education. For people holding older FFEL loans, consolidating those loans can lead to credit for forgiveness under certain income-driven repayment plans.

If you’ve already applied and been approved, you should have received an email telling you this. But you’ll still have to wait for the Supreme Court ruling to find out whether those loans will be wiped out for good.

HOW IS THE SUPREME COURT EXPECTED TO RULE ON STUDENT LOANS?

The Supreme Court is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">dominated 6-3 by conservatives</a>, and those justices' questions in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">oral arguments Tuesday</a>&nbsp;showed skepticism about the legality of Biden's student loans plan. The court seemed likely to rule in a way that would doom the student loan forgiveness plan.

Several conservative justices suggested the administration had exceeded its authority with the program. Chief Justice John Roberts mentioned the program's cost — an estimated $400 billion over 30 years — and its wide impact on millions of Americans. Most observers, he said, would think “that’s something for Congress to act on.”

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out Congress had declined to pass student loan relief, so Biden did it himself. That, he said, “seems problematic.”

The only hope for Biden's plan appeared to be a legal technicality. The oral arguments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">left a slim possibility</a>&nbsp;that the court finds the states and people challenging Biden's plan lacked the legal right to sue. We won't know for sure how the court is going to rule&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-case-explained-8c62622e87c4ebff995f971263d932fc">until the decision is announced</a>.

WHO WOULD PAY FOR BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?

Ultimately, the cost would become part of the equation used to figure the federal deficit. Biden’s plan for student debt cancellation would cost the federal government about $400 billion over the next 30 years, according to the latest estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The office cautioned that its estimates are “highly uncertain” because it’s hard to know exactly how much borrowers would have paid in the future without Biden’s action.

Biden has said those costs would be offset by other measures to reduce the federal deficit. He has pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economic-bill-house-vote-be99d8db5bd610c5b1d78bc047a03e77">bill signed into law in August</a>&nbsp;that's estimated to raise around $740 billion over a decade, from a combination of government savings from lower drug prices, higher taxes on large corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections.

WILL THE PAUSE IN STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS CONTINUE?

During the pandemic, two presidential administrations paused payments for those holding federal student loans. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-and-politics-f524c55faae26c2066b6795a9d29bc8d">pause has been extended</a>&nbsp;to as late as this summer.

Payments are set to resume, along with the accrual of interest, 60 days after the court cases are resolved. For example, if legal issues remain at the end of June, payments would restart at the end of August. If the court issues a ruling in March, repayment could restart as early as May or June.

If the cases haven’t been resolved by June 30, payments will start 60 days after that.

IS IT POSSIBLE BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS WON’T HAPPEN AT ALL?

Yes. Biden's student loan forgiveness might not happen, period. Other loan forgiveness programs, such as those for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">teachers or nonprofit workers</a>, or for people who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by a for-profit college</a>, would continue.

The administration has not given insight into a Plan B if it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">loses the Supreme Court cases</a>.

“We’re focused on ‘Plan A’ because we’re confident in our legal authority to carry out this program,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.

Still, advocates point to other ways the debt might be forgiven, including through the Higher Education Act.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR STUDENT LOANS PAYMENTS TO RESTART?

Betsy Mayotte, President of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, encourages people not to make any payments until the pause has ended. Instead, she says, put your payment amount into a savings account.

“Then you’ve maintained the habit of making the payment, but earning a little bit of interest as well. There’s no reason to send that money to the student loans until the last minute of the 0% interest rate.”

Mayotte recommends borrowers use the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator">loan-simulator tool at StudentAid.gov</a>&nbsp;or the one on&nbsp;<a href="https://freestudentloanadvice.org/repayment-plan/">TISLA’s website</a>&nbsp;to find the payment plan that best fits their needs. The calculators tell you what your monthly payment would be under each available plan, as well as your long-term costs.

“I really want to emphasize the long-term,” Mayotte said.

Sometimes, when borrowers are in a financial bind, they’ll choose the option with the lowest monthly payment, which can cost more over the life of the loan, Mayotte said. Rather than “setting it and forgetting it,” she encourages borrowers to reevaluate when their financial situation improves.

CAN I SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN FOR MY STUDENT LOANS?

Yes, but some advocates encourage borrowers to wait for now, since there’s no financial penalty during the pause on payments and interest accrual.

That said, Katherine Welbeck of the&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/events/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>&nbsp;recommends&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">logging on to your account</a>&nbsp;and making sure you know the name of your servicer, your due date and whether you’re enrolled in the best income-driven repayment plan.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to resume payments, it’s important to know how to navigate the possibility of&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/default">default and delinquency on a student loan</a>. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid.

If you’re in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for a deferment or a forbearance —&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/lower-payments/get-temporary-relief">allowing you to temporarily suspend payment</a>.

HOW CAN I REDUCE COSTS WHEN PAYING OFF MY STUDENT LOANS?

— If you sign up for automatic payments, the servicer takes a quarter of a percent off your interest rate, Mayotte says.

— Income-driven repayment plans aren’t right for everyone. That said, if you know you will eventually qualify for forgiveness under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-philanthropy-student-loans-us-department-of-f9b57d058fc41ad8be7d1268e33c4718">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program</a>, it makes sense to make the lowest monthly payments possible, as the remainder of your debt will be cancelled once that decade of payments is complete.

— Reevaluate your monthly student loan repayment during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internal-revenue-service-business-taxes-f626db81e3941974c8fa0fffa45e7295">tax season</a>, when you already have all your financial information in front of you. “Can you afford to increase it? Or do you need to decrease it?” Mayotte said.

— Break up payments into whatever ways work best for you. You could consider two installments per month, instead of one large monthly sum.

ARE STUDENT LOANS FORGIVEN AFTER 10 YEARS?

If you’ve worked for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-us-department-of-9184f38730a2d4278495d33b870c3dad">government agency or a nonprofit</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers cancellation</a>&nbsp;after 10 years of regular payments, and some income-driven repayment plans cancel the remainder of a borrower’s debt after 20 to 25 years.

Borrowers should make sure they’re signed up for the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven">best possible income-driven repayment plan</a>&nbsp;to qualify for these programs. You can find out more about those plans here.

Borrowers who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by for-profit colleges</a>&nbsp;may also apply for borrower defense and receive relief.

These programs won't be affected by the Supreme Court ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677600500744.png" alt="Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)" />
 <figcaption>Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The fate of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">student loan forgiveness plan is up in the air</a>&nbsp;after Supreme Court justices questioned whether his administration has the authority to broadly cancel federal student loans.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-506">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-535">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Board of Ed v. BrownAt stake is debt forgiveness for up to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">43 million Americans</a>. Nearly half could have their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-cd9d00103c04f4bb906b9127e9e06fef">federal student debt wiped out</a>&nbsp;entirely. But in hearing two cases challenging the plan, the Republican-appointed majority on the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">seemed likely to block it</a>.Already, about 26 million people have applied for debt forgiveness, and 16 million applications have been approved. However, because of court rulings, all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">relief is on hold</a>. The Education Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-student-loans-government-and-politics-06a1160237717b16091ec864b2a56e4d">stopped taking applications</a>&nbsp;in November because of legal challenges to the plan.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">Supreme Court will have the ultimate say</a>&nbsp;on whether Biden can wipe out student loan debt,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-Biden-63cf586156ad9cf7f71fe3656cf898f8">fulfilling a campaign pledge</a>&nbsp;he made in 2020. Here's what to know if you're waiting for debt relief:WHEN WILL THE SUPREME COURT DECIDE THE STUDENT LOANS CASES?The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday, but there won’t be a decision for months. The court usually issues all of its decisions by the end of June.WHO QUALIFIES FOR BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-program-explained-d248f3b049c292856bb1c74be6aedef2">plan Biden announced last August</a>&nbsp;would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-higher-pell-grant-fce8a300f7d7400283891dc223cbc378">Pell Grant</a>&nbsp;recipients, who typically come from lower-income households, would receive an additional $10,000 in debt forgiveness, for a total of $20,000.Federal student loans for both undergraduate and graduate school, including Graduate PLUS loans, can qualify for forgiveness under the plan.Borrowers would qualify if their federal student loans were disbursed before July 1.Under the plan, if you paid off your loans during the pandemic, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-student-loan-refund-if-you-paid-during-pandemic-ac42ffdca1d37d1fe8d1d63f6faeaa6f">request a refund</a>&nbsp;and then apply for forgiveness.HOW DO I KNOW IF MY STUDENT LOANS WILL BE FORGIVEN?The relief under Biden’s plan is on hold until the court cases finish — even for people who applied for student loan forgiveness before courts blocked it.If the justices allow the plan to proceed, Biden’s debt forgiveness is for borrowers holding federal student loans, not private loans.To determine what kind of loans you hold, log in to the Federal Student Aid website,&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">studentaid.gov</a>. Direct loans, including Parent Plus loans, qualify. Some older FFEL and Perkins loans are also eligible, if owned by the Department of Education. For people holding older FFEL loans, consolidating those loans can lead to credit for forgiveness under certain income-driven repayment plans.If you’ve already applied and been approved, you should have received an email telling you this. But you’ll still have to wait for the Supreme Court ruling to find out whether those loans will be wiped out for good.HOW IS THE SUPREME COURT EXPECTED TO RULE ON STUDENT LOANS?The Supreme Court is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">dominated 6-3 by conservatives</a>, and those justices' questions in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">oral arguments Tuesday</a>&nbsp;showed skepticism about the legality of Biden's student loans plan. The court seemed likely to rule in a way that would doom the student loan forgiveness plan.Several conservative justices suggested the administration had exceeded its authority with the program. Chief Justice John Roberts mentioned the program's cost — an estimated $400 billion over 30 years — and its wide impact on millions of Americans. Most observers, he said, would think “that’s something for Congress to act on.”Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out Congress had declined to pass student loan relief, so Biden did it himself. That, he said, “seems problematic.”The only hope for Biden's plan appeared to be a legal technicality. The oral arguments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">left a slim possibility</a>&nbsp;that the court finds the states and people challenging Biden's plan lacked the legal right to sue. We won't know for sure how the court is going to rule&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-case-explained-8c62622e87c4ebff995f971263d932fc">until the decision is announced</a>.WHO WOULD PAY FOR BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?Ultimately, the cost would become part of the equation used to figure the federal deficit. Biden’s plan for student debt cancellation would cost the federal government about $400 billion over the next 30 years, according to the latest estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The office cautioned that its estimates are “highly uncertain” because it’s hard to know exactly how much borrowers would have paid in the future without Biden’s action.Biden has said those costs would be offset by other measures to reduce the federal deficit. He has pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economic-bill-house-vote-be99d8db5bd610c5b1d78bc047a03e77">bill signed into law in August</a>&nbsp;that's estimated to raise around $740 billion over a decade, from a combination of government savings from lower drug prices, higher taxes on large corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections.WILL THE PAUSE IN STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS CONTINUE?During the pandemic, two presidential administrations paused payments for those holding federal student loans. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-and-politics-f524c55faae26c2066b6795a9d29bc8d">pause has been extended</a>&nbsp;to as late as this summer.Payments are set to resume, along with the accrual of interest, 60 days after the court cases are resolved. For example, if legal issues remain at the end of June, payments would restart at the end of August. If the court issues a ruling in March, repayment could restart as early as May or June.If the cases haven’t been resolved by June 30, payments will start 60 days after that.IS IT POSSIBLE BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS WON’T HAPPEN AT ALL?Yes. Biden's student loan forgiveness might not happen, period. Other loan forgiveness programs, such as those for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">teachers or nonprofit workers</a>, or for people who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by a for-profit college</a>, would continue.The administration has not given insight into a Plan B if it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">loses the Supreme Court cases</a>.“We’re focused on ‘Plan A’ because we’re confident in our legal authority to carry out this program,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.Still, advocates point to other ways the debt might be forgiven, including through the Higher Education Act.HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR STUDENT LOANS PAYMENTS TO RESTART?Betsy Mayotte, President of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, encourages people not to make any payments until the pause has ended. Instead, she says, put your payment amount into a savings account.“Then you’ve maintained the habit of making the payment, but earning a little bit of interest as well. There’s no reason to send that money to the student loans until the last minute of the 0% interest rate.”Mayotte recommends borrowers use the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator">loan-simulator tool at StudentAid.gov</a>&nbsp;or the one on&nbsp;<a href="https://freestudentloanadvice.org/repayment-plan/">TISLA’s website</a>&nbsp;to find the payment plan that best fits their needs. The calculators tell you what your monthly payment would be under each available plan, as well as your long-term costs.“I really want to emphasize the long-term,” Mayotte said.Sometimes, when borrowers are in a financial bind, they’ll choose the option with the lowest monthly payment, which can cost more over the life of the loan, Mayotte said. Rather than “setting it and forgetting it,” she encourages borrowers to reevaluate when their financial situation improves.CAN I SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN FOR MY STUDENT LOANS?Yes, but some advocates encourage borrowers to wait for now, since there’s no financial penalty during the pause on payments and interest accrual.That said, Katherine Welbeck of the&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/events/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>&nbsp;recommends&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">logging on to your account</a>&nbsp;and making sure you know the name of your servicer, your due date and whether you’re enrolled in the best income-driven repayment plan.If your budget doesn’t allow you to resume payments, it’s important to know how to navigate the possibility of&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/default">default and delinquency on a student loan</a>. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid.If you’re in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for a deferment or a forbearance —&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/lower-payments/get-temporary-relief">allowing you to temporarily suspend payment</a>.HOW CAN I REDUCE COSTS WHEN PAYING OFF MY STUDENT LOANS?— If you sign up for automatic payments, the servicer takes a quarter of a percent off your interest rate, Mayotte says.— Income-driven repayment plans aren’t right for everyone. That said, if you know you will eventually qualify for forgiveness under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-philanthropy-student-loans-us-department-of-f9b57d058fc41ad8be7d1268e33c4718">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program</a>, it makes sense to make the lowest monthly payments possible, as the remainder of your debt will be cancelled once that decade of payments is complete.— Reevaluate your monthly student loan repayment during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internal-revenue-service-business-taxes-f626db81e3941974c8fa0fffa45e7295">tax season</a>, when you already have all your financial information in front of you. “Can you afford to increase it? Or do you need to decrease it?” Mayotte said.— Break up payments into whatever ways work best for you. You could consider two installments per month, instead of one large monthly sum.ARE STUDENT LOANS FORGIVEN AFTER 10 YEARS?If you’ve worked for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-us-department-of-9184f38730a2d4278495d33b870c3dad">government agency or a nonprofit</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers cancellation</a>&nbsp;after 10 years of regular payments, and some income-driven repayment plans cancel the remainder of a borrower’s debt after 20 to 25 years.Borrowers should make sure they’re signed up for the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven">best possible income-driven repayment plan</a>&nbsp;to qualify for these programs. You can find out more about those plans here.Borrowers who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by for-profit colleges</a>&nbsp;may also apply for borrower defense and receive relief.These programs won't be affected by the Supreme Court ruling.

 🎤Supreme Court student loan hearing: What you need to know

<a href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/nicholas-clark">https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/nicholas-clark</a>

Nicholas John Clark died February 26, 2023 at the age of 36. He was born February 5th, 1987. 

Nick grew up in Beloit, KS and lived there for most of his life.&nbsp;After graduating high school in 2005, he spent several years living in Seaside, OR. He lived his remaining days in Lindsborg, KS, close to his brother, sister, nieces and nephews. He was the son of Nancy Clark and late Mark Clark.

Nick found the love of cooking while he lived in Oregon, watching his older brother, Jared, cook at the Country Club. After moving back to Beloit, he worked at Plum Creek restaurant for several years and became a well-trusted head cook. In April of 2022 he moved to Lindsborg, KS to be close to his brother Jared, sister Ashley, and nieces and nephews. There he worked as a cook for Crown and Rye up until his last days.

Nick loved to play video games, hang out with friends, watch the Chiefs, and listen to music. He was a friend to everyone and had his dad's sense of humor.

He was preceded in death by his father, Mark Steven Clark, grandparents, Lorenzo and Esther Clark, John and Charlotte Gildersleeve, uncles Wade, Calvin, Jim, and Dal, and cousins Steven and Mike.

He is survived by his mother Nancy Clark (Beloit, KS) brother Jared Clark and girlfriend Candy Vazquez Roman (Lindsborg, KS), two sisters, Ashley Santoyo and husband Jose (Lindsborg, KS), Kallie Keeker and husband Brandon (Glen Elder, KS), sister-in-law Laura Johnson (Lindsborg, KS). He was the fun uncle to Alexis, Leah, Jayden, Jacoby, Alivia, Kora, one great-niece or nephew on the way, many aunts, uncles, cousins and life-long friends.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, March 6 at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. Cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Funeral Expense Fund.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;Nicholas Clark, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/nicholas-clark/gifts?campaign=obituaryInline-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>Nicholas Clark, Lindsborg</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678088088105.jpeg" alt="Nicholas Clark" />
 <figcaption>Nicholas Clark</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/nicholas-clark">https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/nicholas-clark</a>February 5, 1987 - February 26, 2023Nicholas John Clark died February 26, 2023 at the age of 36. He was born February 5th, 1987. Nick grew up in Beloit, KS and lived there for most of his life.&nbsp;After graduating high school in 2005, he spent several years living in Seaside, OR. He lived his remaining days in Lindsborg, KS, close to his brother, sister, nieces and nephews. He was the son of Nancy Clark and late Mark Clark.Nick found the love of cooking while he lived in Oregon, watching his older brother, Jared, cook at the Country Club. After moving back to Beloit, he worked at Plum Creek restaurant for several years and became a well-trusted head cook. In April of 2022 he moved to Lindsborg, KS to be close to his brother Jared, sister Ashley, and nieces and nephews. There he worked as a cook for Crown and Rye up until his last days.Nick loved to play video games, hang out with friends, watch the Chiefs, and listen to music. He was a friend to everyone and had his dad's sense of humor.He was preceded in death by his father, Mark Steven Clark, grandparents, Lorenzo and Esther Clark, John and Charlotte Gildersleeve, uncles Wade, Calvin, Jim, and Dal, and cousins Steven and Mike.He is survived by his mother Nancy Clark (Beloit, KS) brother Jared Clark and girlfriend Candy Vazquez Roman (Lindsborg, KS), two sisters, Ashley Santoyo and husband Jose (Lindsborg, KS), Kallie Keeker and husband Brandon (Glen Elder, KS), sister-in-law Laura Johnson (Lindsborg, KS). He was the fun uncle to Alexis, Leah, Jayden, Jacoby, Alivia, Kora, one great-niece or nephew on the way, many aunts, uncles, cousins and life-long friends.Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, March 6 at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. Cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Funeral Expense Fund.To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;Nicholas Clark, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcdonaldrobertsfuneralservice.com/obituary/nicholas-clark/gifts?campaign=obituaryInline-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

Nicholas Clark 

WASHINGTON (AP) —Conservative justices holding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court's majority</a>&nbsp;seem ready to sink&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">President Joe Biden's plan to wipe away or reduce student loans</a>&nbsp;held by millions of Americans.

In arguments lasting more than three hours Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts led his conservative colleagues in questioning the administration's authority to broadly cancel federal student loans because of the COVID-19 emergency.

Loan payments that have been on hold since the start of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago are supposed to resume no later than this summer. Without the loan relief promised by the Biden plan, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer said, “delinquencies and defaults will surge.”

The plan has so far been blocked by Republican-appointed judges on lower courts. It did not appear to fare any better with the six justices appointed by Republican presidents.

Biden's only hope for being allowed to move forward appeared to be the slim possibility, based on the arguments, that the court would find that Republican-led states and individuals challenging the plan lacked the legal right to sue.

That would allow the court to dismiss the lawsuits at a threshold stage, without ruling on the basic idea of the loan forgiveness program that appeared to trouble the justices on the court's right side.

Roberts was among the justices who grilled Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and suggested that the administration had exceeded its authority.

Three times, the chief justice said the program would cost a half-trillion dollars, pointing to its wide impact and hefty expense as reasons the administration should have gotten explicit approval from Congress. The program, which the administration says is grounded in a 2003 law that was enacted in response to the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. is estimated to cost $400 billion over 30 years.

“If you're talking about this in the abstract, I think most casual observers would say if you're going to give up that much ... money, if you're going to affect the obligations of that many Americans on a subject that's of great controversy, they would think that's something for Congress to act on,” Roberts said.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested he agreed, saying it “seems problematic” for the administration to use an "old law” to unilaterally implement a debt relief program that Congress had declined to adopt.

Neither justice seemed swayed by Prelogar's explanation that the administration was citing the national emergency created by the pandemic as authority for the debt relief program under a law commonly known as the HEROES Act.

“Some of the biggest mistakes in the court’s history were deferring to assertions of executive emergency power," Kavanaugh said. “Some of the finest moments in the court’s history were pushing back against presidential assertions of emergency power.”

At another point, though, Kavanaugh suggested the program might be on firmer legal ground than other pandemic-related programs that were ended by the court's conservative majority, including an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-daa34fb48a04dc9f3ddad94fb6b4cbb2">eviction moratorium</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-vaccine-mandate-eb5899ae1fe5b62b6f4d51f54a3cd375">requirement for vaccines or frequent testing</a>&nbsp;in large workplaces.

Those earlier programs halted by the court were billed largely as public health measures intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. The loan forgiveness plan, by contrast, is aimed at countering the economic effects of the pandemic.

Prelogar and some of the liberal justices sought several times to turn the arguments back to the people who would benefit from the program. The administration says that 26 million people have applied to have up to $20,000 in federal student loans forgiven under the plan.

"The states ask this court to deny this vital relief to millions of Americans,” she said.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said her fellow justices will be making a mistake if they take for themselves, instead of leaving it to education experts, “the right to decide how much aid to give” people who will struggle if the program is struck down.

“Their financial situation will be even worse because once you default, the hardship on you is exponentially greater. You can’t get credit. You’re going to pay higher prices for things,” Sotomayor said.

But Roberts pointed to evident favoritism.

He offered a hypothetical example of a person who passes up college to start a lawn service with borrowed money. “Nobody’s telling the person who is trying to set up the lawn service business that he doesn’t have to pay his loan,” Roberts said.

Republican-led states and lawmakers in Congress, as well as conservative legal interests, are lined up against the plan as a violation of Biden’s executive authority. Democratic-led states and liberal interest groups are backing the administration in urging the court to allow the plan to take effect.

The justices’ questions mirrored the partisan political divide over the issue, with conservatives arguing that non-college workers should not be penalized and liberals arguing for the break for the college educated.

Speaking on the eve of the arguments, Biden had said, "I’m confident the legal authority to carry that plan is there.”

The president, who once doubted his own authority to broadly cancel student debt, first announced the program in August.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-student-loan-cancellation-79f7530363c7f15166d8c9cda3a6cddb">Legal challenges quickly followed</a>.

The administration says the HEROES Act allows the secretary of education to waive or modify the terms of federal student loans in connection with a national emergency. The law was primarily intended to keep service members from being hurt financially while they fought in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Nebraska and other states that sued say the 20 million borrowers who would have their entire loans erased would get a “windfall” leaving them better off than before the pandemic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677600472863.png" alt="Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)" />
 <figcaption>Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Conservative justices holding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court's majority</a>&nbsp;seem ready to sink&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">President Joe Biden's plan to wipe away or reduce student loans</a>&nbsp;held by millions of Americans.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-506">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-535">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Board of Ed v. BrownIn arguments lasting more than three hours Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts led his conservative colleagues in questioning the administration's authority to broadly cancel federal student loans because of the COVID-19 emergency.Loan payments that have been on hold since the start of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago are supposed to resume no later than this summer. Without the loan relief promised by the Biden plan, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer said, “delinquencies and defaults will surge.”The plan has so far been blocked by Republican-appointed judges on lower courts. It did not appear to fare any better with the six justices appointed by Republican presidents.Biden's only hope for being allowed to move forward appeared to be the slim possibility, based on the arguments, that the court would find that Republican-led states and individuals challenging the plan lacked the legal right to sue.That would allow the court to dismiss the lawsuits at a threshold stage, without ruling on the basic idea of the loan forgiveness program that appeared to trouble the justices on the court's right side.Roberts was among the justices who grilled Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and suggested that the administration had exceeded its authority.Three times, the chief justice said the program would cost a half-trillion dollars, pointing to its wide impact and hefty expense as reasons the administration should have gotten explicit approval from Congress. The program, which the administration says is grounded in a 2003 law that was enacted in response to the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. is estimated to cost $400 billion over 30 years.“If you're talking about this in the abstract, I think most casual observers would say if you're going to give up that much ... money, if you're going to affect the obligations of that many Americans on a subject that's of great controversy, they would think that's something for Congress to act on,” Roberts said.Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested he agreed, saying it “seems problematic” for the administration to use an "old law” to unilaterally implement a debt relief program that Congress had declined to adopt.Neither justice seemed swayed by Prelogar's explanation that the administration was citing the national emergency created by the pandemic as authority for the debt relief program under a law commonly known as the HEROES Act.“Some of the biggest mistakes in the court’s history were deferring to assertions of executive emergency power," Kavanaugh said. “Some of the finest moments in the court’s history were pushing back against presidential assertions of emergency power.”At another point, though, Kavanaugh suggested the program might be on firmer legal ground than other pandemic-related programs that were ended by the court's conservative majority, including an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-daa34fb48a04dc9f3ddad94fb6b4cbb2">eviction moratorium</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-vaccine-mandate-eb5899ae1fe5b62b6f4d51f54a3cd375">requirement for vaccines or frequent testing</a>&nbsp;in large workplaces.Those earlier programs halted by the court were billed largely as public health measures intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. The loan forgiveness plan, by contrast, is aimed at countering the economic effects of the pandemic.Prelogar and some of the liberal justices sought several times to turn the arguments back to the people who would benefit from the program. The administration says that 26 million people have applied to have up to $20,000 in federal student loans forgiven under the plan."The states ask this court to deny this vital relief to millions of Americans,” she said.Justice Sonia Sotomayor said her fellow justices will be making a mistake if they take for themselves, instead of leaving it to education experts, “the right to decide how much aid to give” people who will struggle if the program is struck down.“Their financial situation will be even worse because once you default, the hardship on you is exponentially greater. You can’t get credit. You’re going to pay higher prices for things,” Sotomayor said.But Roberts pointed to evident favoritism.He offered a hypothetical example of a person who passes up college to start a lawn service with borrowed money. “Nobody’s telling the person who is trying to set up the lawn service business that he doesn’t have to pay his loan,” Roberts said.Republican-led states and lawmakers in Congress, as well as conservative legal interests, are lined up against the plan as a violation of Biden’s executive authority. Democratic-led states and liberal interest groups are backing the administration in urging the court to allow the plan to take effect.The justices’ questions mirrored the partisan political divide over the issue, with conservatives arguing that non-college workers should not be penalized and liberals arguing for the break for the college educated.Speaking on the eve of the arguments, Biden had said, "I’m confident the legal authority to carry that plan is there.”The president, who once doubted his own authority to broadly cancel student debt, first announced the program in August.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-student-loan-cancellation-79f7530363c7f15166d8c9cda3a6cddb">Legal challenges quickly followed</a>.The administration says the HEROES Act allows the secretary of education to waive or modify the terms of federal student loans in connection with a national emergency. The law was primarily intended to keep service members from being hurt financially while they fought in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.Nebraska and other states that sued say the 20 million borrowers who would have their entire loans erased would get a “windfall” leaving them better off than before the pandemic.“This is the creation of a brand new program, far beyond what Congress intended,” Nebraska Solicitor General James Campbell said in court Tuesday.The national emergency is expected to end May 11, but the administration says the economic consequences will persist, despite historically low unemployment and other signs of economic strength.In addition to the debate over the authority to forgive student debt, the court is confronting whether the states and two individuals whose challenge also is before the justices have the legal right, or standing, to sue.Parties generally have to show that they would suffer financial harm in order to have standing in cases such as this. A federal judge initially found that the states would not be harmed and dismissed their lawsuit before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">an appellate panel said the case could proceed</a>.Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in repeatedly questioning Nebraska's Campbell on that issue. But it would take at least one other conservative vote to form a majority.Of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-texas-education-donald-trump-student-loans-f2e944d85e95792089fa1e2fb9858287">two individuals who sued in Texas</a>, one has student loans that are commercially held and the other is eligible for $10,000 in debt relief, not the $20,000 maximum. They would get nothing if they win their case.Among those in the courtroom Tuesday was Kayla Smith, a recent graduate of the University of Georgia, who camped out near the court the night before in order to get a seat. Biden’s plan would lift a burden for her mother, who borrowed more than $20,000 in federal student loans to help Smith attend college.“It just seems kind of messed up that college is the expectation, higher education is the expectation, but then at the same time, people’s lives are being ruined,” said Smith, 22, who lives in Atlanta.The arguments could be listened to live on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvUGa6q20yk">AP youtube channel</a>&nbsp;or on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/">court’s website</a>.A decision is expected by late June.___