Tag Archives: forgiveness

Opinion | Biden can still avoid offering wasteful student debt forgiveness

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With sagging poll numbers and midterm elections a little over five months away, senior Democrats have pressed President Biden to wipe away huge amounts of student debt — in the neighborhood of $50,000 per person — which, they argue, the law allows the president to do with a wave of his hand. Mr. Biden has properly resisted such a giveaway, which would lavish federal aid on many wealthy college graduates who do not need the help.

Until, perhaps, now. After months of uncertainty, The Post’s Tyler Pager, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Jeff Stein reported that Mr. Biden is poised to announce a student debt plan that is not as spectacularly bad as the ideas some other Democrats have pushed. But that is not much of a distinction; the president’s apparent plan would still be an expensive and inequitable election-year stunt.

Mr. Biden’s reported policy, which he had hoped to announce last week, would forgive $10,000 in student debt per person. Erasing $10,000 rather than $50,000 per borrower would be a nod toward those who point out that eliminating large amounts of student debt would cost the government huge sums of money — money that would be spent in ways that Congress did not intend when lawmakers created the federal student loan program. Mr. Biden’s plan would also limit debt forgiveness to individuals earning less than $150,000 per year or couples earning less than $300,000, heading off criticism that government money would be delivered to rich, well-educated people.

These provisions, while welcome, would not stop the policy from becoming yet another taxpayer-funded subsidy for the upper middle class. The president’s means test would be almost useless, as some 97 percent of borrowers would still qualify for forgiveness. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan watchdog, estimates that such a plan would cost at least $230 billion, that 71 percent of the benefits would flow to those in the top half of the income scale — and that a quarter of the benefits would go to the top 20 percent. Even this does not express fully how regressive the policy would be, because many recent graduates from medical, law and business schools would qualify for forgiveness even though their lifetime income trajectories don’t justify it.

Rough estimates suggest that a third of borrowers would see their balances disappear, and an additional 20 percent of student debtors would see their balances at least halved. Doing so, it must be said, would help some genuinely needy people. Low-income borrowers who have relatively small amounts of debt yet still struggle to make their payments could see their balances eliminated or substantially reduced. The aid could be life-changing for some former students toiling under the weight of default, since student loan debt generally cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

But Mr. Biden could ease the burden on the truly disadvantaged in a variety of more targeted ways — and avoid setting a precedent of broad loan forgiveness that future presidents will be pressured to match. Administration officials stressed that Mr. Biden has not made a final decision and that his goal is to aid the neediest. Good. He still has time to change course.

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Biden says he’s considering student loan debt forgiveness, but not $50,000 per borrower

Washington — President Biden said he is “taking a hard look” into forgiving some federal student loan debt on Thursday, but the amount he is considering is less than $50,000 per borrower, lower than some top Democrats have been seeking since he took office. 

“I am considering dealing with some debt reduction,” Mr. Biden said in response to a question at the White House. “I am not considering $50,000 debt reduction. But I’m in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness.” 

The president said he would have an answer on forgiving additional debt in the “next couple of weeks.”

Mr. Biden’s comments came days after he gave one of his strongest signals yet that he’s looking to cancel student loan debt during a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Monday.

Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas of California, who attended the meeting, said the president never mentioned a specific amount he was looking to cancel, but said he was open to forgiving debt for borrowers regardless of whether they attended private or public institutions. When the lawmaker reiterated that the caucus supports canceling $10,000 in student loan debt, the president said, “You’re going to like what I do,” according to Cardenas.

In response to the president’s meeting on Monday, some Republican lawmakers blasted Mr. Biden for looking at forgiving student loan debt. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah tweeted that “Desperate polls call for desperate measures,” and mockingly suggested Mr. Biden was trying to “bribe” voters.

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Biden said he would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt and called for Congress to act. He has extended the pandemic-related pause on federal student loan repayment several times, most recently through August 31. The White House has previously raised concerns that widespread federal student debt cancellation could face legal challenges if done through executive action, and the president last year asked his team to evaluate his legal options.

Pressure on Mr. Biden to act has been mounting as the midterm elections approach. Some Democrats, like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have reiterated their calls for the president to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt, an amount that appears to be off the table for now.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said a decision on canceling student loan debt would be made between now and August 31, when loan payments are set to resume. Some Republican lawmakers and organizations oppose extending the pandemic-era pause, which saves some 41 million borrowers an estimated $5 billion a month in student loan interest payments. The pause was previously set to expire at the beginning of May.

In the meantime, the Education Department has made some changes to existing loan forgiveness programs. Since taking office, the Biden administration has forgiven more than $17 billion in student loan debt, including for borrowers who were defrauded by their schools, those with permanent disabilities and those in income-driven repayment plans or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.



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Retired Pope Asks Forgiveness Over Handling of Abuse Cases

ROME — Two weeks after a report found that retired Pope Benedict XVI had mishandled four cases involving the sexual abuse of minors while he was an archbishop in Germany decades ago, he acknowledged on Tuesday that “abuses and errors” had taken place under his watch, but denied any misconduct.

“I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church,” Benedict said in his response. “All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate. Each individual case of sexual abuse is appalling and irreparable.”

The accusations hit at the top of the Roman Catholic Church, which has been struggling to deal with a sexual abuse crisis for 20 years. During his eight-year papacy, Benedict added, he had met with dozens of abuse victims during many apostolic trips and had “seen at first hand the effects of a most grievous fault.”

In an analysis accompanying the letter, however, four legal experts who had assisted the retired pope wrote that the report, drafted by a Munich law firm that carried out the investigation, “contains no evidence for an allegation of misconduct or conspiracy in any cover-up” on Benedict’s part.

Benedict, 94, was responding to a report commissioned by the German archdiocese that investigated how the church had handled cases of sexual abuse between 1945 and 2019. Benedict, at the time Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982.

The report said at least 497 victims of abuse had been identified over the 74-year period it examined, and found that Benedict had mishandled four cases during his nearly five years as archbishop. Benedict’s legal experts said in their analysis that the investigators had not shown that Benedict knew of the criminal history of any of the four priests in question.

In his response on Tuesday, Benedict took specific issue with one case involving a pedophile priest. The lawyers who conducted the investigation found that Benedict had lied to them during the course of their inquiry, when he denied that he had attended a Jan. 15, 1980, meeting in the diocese in which the priest’s case had been discussed. Minutes of that meeting showed that Benedict had been present.

Days after the report was issued, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s personal secretary, admitted Benedict was at the meeting and said the claim to the contrary was an error introduced in the editing process for the retired pope’s 82-page answer to the Munich law firm. On Tuesday, Benedict described it as an honest mistake that had been interpreted with undue harshness.

“To me it proved deeply hurtful that this oversight was used to cast doubt on my truthfulness, and even to label me a liar,” he said.

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Public Service Loan Forgiveness guidelines: What to know

Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is temporarily expanded through October 31, 2022, so that it now includes borrowers who have older loans that didn’t originally qualify as well as those who were in the wrong repayment plan but met the other requirements.

More than 550,000 people could be see their debt wiped away sooner than expected due to the changes to PSLF, the Department of Education said. That includes 22,000 borrowers who are immediately eligible for debt forgiveness.

Here’s what student loan borrowers need to know about who is eligible and what steps they may need to take to receive debt relief.

The program was created in 2007 and provides an incentive for workers to remain in lower-paying, public service jobs despite their student debt. Teachers, social workers and first responders can be eligible as well as doctors and lawyers — if they were employed full time by a nonprofit or the government while making payments.

After borrowers make 120 monthly payments, their remaining federal student debt is wiped away.

RELATED: A Texas teacher can’t afford health insurance or buy a home. Here’s why Black leaders say the student loan crisis is a civil rights issue

But prior to the recently announced changes, eligibility also hinged on having a Direct Loan and being enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan, which sets payments based on income and family size. Those with Federal Family Education Loans, which were made by private lenders but backed by the government, did not qualify. More than 80% of borrowers who have filed forms that did not meet the program’s requirements had one of these loans.

Borrowers say those qualifications were not always clearly communicated by the company servicing their loans, and many discovered they weren’t eligible for debt relief only after making nearly 120 payments.

Borrowers are allowed to consolidate a Federal Family Education Loan into a Direct Loan to become eligible for the program, but none of their previous payments would count toward the required 120 — until now.

Here’s who gained eligibility

Due to the temporary waiver, it no longer matters what kind of federal student loan a borrower has or what payment plan he or she is enrolled in. All payments will be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program if the borrower was working full time for a qualifying employer.

RELATED: Biden extends student loan payment pause to January 31

The Department of Education will review past payments to count those made on Federal Family Education Loans. It will also count months that service members spent on active duty toward PSLF, even if loan repayment was on a temporary suspension through a deferment or forbearance.

The department’s review will also take a look at payments that were potentially miscounted by the company or organization servicing the loan. In some instances, borrowers missed out because their payments were off by as little as a penny or late by a few days. Sometimes a payment was posted but the record showed that no bill was generated. The Department of Education says it will adjust the count for borrowers affected by this issue as well.

What to do now and how long it will take

Some borrowers won’t have to do anything and the department will automatically review their payments. This applies to anyone who already has consolidated their loans into a Direct Loan and has had at least some qualifying employment certified.

These borrowers should look out for an email from Federal Student Aid in the coming weeks regarding how many additional payments could qualify.

Borrowers who currently have a non-qualifying loan, such as the Federal Family Education Loan, must first consolidate their debt into a Direct Loan and then submit a PSLF form to show qualifying employment by October 31, 2022.

The department warns that there may be delays in processing what it expects to be an influx of PSLF applications. It says to expect account adjustments to be made in the “coming months.”

How the count is different this time

Borrowers who have experienced errors by their loan servicer — the company that handles billing and other services — or received misinformation about Public Service Loan Forgiveness in the past may be skeptical of the changes.

FedLoan, the servicer responsible for handling PSLF borrowers, was often criticized for making errors. It settled a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey earlier this year that alleged it violated state and federal consumer protection laws. FedLoan recently announced that it plans to end its loan servicing contract with the government. It’s unclear what organization or company will handle the loans next.
RELATED: Biden has approved $9.5 billion in student loan cancellations this year for defrauded and disabled students

But under the new waiver, the review of PSLF payments will be conducted by the Department of Education itself based on a database separate from those of the loan servicers that shows when a payment was made.

“That’s what makes this solution kind of brilliant. They are eliminating all those other problems,” said Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. The nonprofit provides free advice to student loan borrowers and has tips about the new PSLF changes here.

Can a borrower receive a refund?

Yes, it’s possible. Borrowers who made more than 120 qualifying payments may receive a refund for the extra payments if they were made after they consolidated their loan.

For example, a borrower who made 60 payments on a Federal Family Education Loan and then consolidated and made 70 payments on a Direct Loan could be refunded for those 10 extra payments in addition to immediately seeing their outstanding debt canceled.

These people remain ineligible

Parents who borrowed what’s known as a PLUS loan from the federal government do not gain any benefit from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver. PLUS loans are the only federally backed loans available to parents, and they generally come with higher interest rates than loans available to students.

Parents with a PLUS loan who work in a qualifying government or nonprofit job can still consolidate that loan into a Direct Loan to become eligible for PSLF — as they could before the new guidelines were put in place. But payments made before the consolidation won’t count toward the 120 needed for forgiveness.

Payments borrowers may have made while a Direct Loan was in default will continue to not count toward forgiveness, and borrowers who have already paid off their loans won’t receive a refund if more than 120 payments were made.

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Nick Cannon says he is on ‘a journey of atonement’ and ‘not seeking forgiveness’

Emmy-nominated producer Nick Cannon is speaking out for the first time since issuing a lengthy apology on July 15 about making anti-Semitic remarks and spreading conspiracy theories in his since-removed June 30 YouTube vlog. 

‘I’ve always said that apologies are empty. Apologies are weightless,’ Nick said in a GMA sneak peek of Soul of a Nation, which aired Tuesday night on ABC.

His comments come as Cannon is set to resume hosting VH1’s Wild ‘N Out following a temporary firing by ViacomCBS.

USA TODAY reports that production was set to resume with Cannon as the host, though it’s unclear when new episodes will air. Cannon has been hosting the show since 2005.

The 40-year-old entertainer was one of 170 industry leaders to sign a unity statement on February 1 forming the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance.

Educating himself: Emmy-nominated producer Nick Cannon is speaking out for the first time since issuing a lengthy non-apology on July 15 about making anti-Semitic remarks and spreading conspiracy theories in his since-removed June 30 YouTube vlog

Peace offering: The 40-year-old triple-threat was one of 170 industry leaders to sign a unity statement on February 1 forming the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance

‘In Hebrew they call it, you know, ‘Teshuva’ – the process of not only you know, repenting, but through that, if you’re ever met with a similar situation that you make a different decision,’ Cannon continued in his new comments. ‘That goes beyond apologizing.’

‘And I’m on this journey of atonement, not to get a job, not to gain any more money because that’s not what’s needed here. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do.’

Cannon – who previously claimed black people were the ‘true Hebrews’ – stressed that his controversial remarks had everything to do with ‘ignorance’ not ‘hatred.’

‘My journey’s not gonna stop, whether the person watching this forgives me or not,’ the San Diego-born presenter said. 

Nick said in a GMA sneak peek of Soul of a Nation, which airs Tuesday night on ABC: ‘I’ve always said that apologies are empty. Apologies are weightless. In Hebrew they call it, you know, “Teshuva” – the process of not only you know, repenting, but through that, if you’re ever met with a similar situation that you make a different decision. That goes beyond apologizing’

Cannon continued: ‘And I’m on this journey of atonement, not to get a job, not to gain any more money because that’s not what’s needed here. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do’

Previously claimed black people were the ‘true Hebrews’: The San Diego-born presenter stressed that his controversial remarks had everything to do with ‘ignorance’ not ‘hatred’

‘My journey’s not gonna stop’: Nick received a bachelor’s degree in criminology at Howard University on May 8, and he’s now pursuing a master’s degree in divinity

‘I’m still gonna hopefully through this process, be on the right side of history and bring people closer together.’

Reaction to Cannon’s new comments on social media have been mixed, though many have commended him for trying to grow.

‘I respect nick now more than ever because he learned from the mistake but is WILLING to learn how to make things better. I pray nothing but the best for him,’ one user wrote.

Another, however, said the ‘stuff he said was so bad. He wasn’t really punished for his disgusting comments. I find him annoying now.’

Nick received a bachelor’s degree in criminology at Howard University on May 8, and he’s now pursuing a master’s degree in divinity.

But eight months ago, Cannon was (temporarily) fired by ViacomCBS over his hour-plus interview with outspoken anti-Semite Richard Griffin on Cannon’s Class.

‘You can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people. When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews,’ claimed the Ghetto Blues singer, who said people without melanin are ‘a little less.’ 

‘You can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people’: But eight months ago, Cannon was (temporarily) fired by ViacomCBS over his hour-plus interview with outspoken anti-Semite Richard Griffin (L) on Cannon’s Class 

‘[White people are] acting out of fear’: The Ghetto Blues singer also parroted Zionist conspiracy theories mentioning the the ‘six major corporations’ that control world and the ’13 families’ with ties to the Illuminati

‘[White people are] acting out of fear, they’re acting out of low self-esteem, they’re acting out of a deficiency. So, therefore, the only way that they can act is evil. They have to rob, steal, rape, kill in order to survive.’

Nick continued: ‘They’re the ones that are actually closer to animals, they’re the ones that are actually the true savages.’

Cannon also parroted Zionist conspiracy theories mentioning the the ‘six major corporations’ that control world and the ’13 families’ with ties to the Illuminati.

‘Let’s dive into it, who are they?’ the Wild ‘N Out producer-host – who endorsed Kanye West for POTUS in 2020 – explained. 

NICK CANNON CLAIMS BLACK PEOPLE ARE THE ‘TRUE HEBREWS’ IN ANTI-WHITE AND ANTI-SEMITIC RANT ON YOUTUBE TALK SHOW

Nick Cannon went on an anti-white rant and delved deep into anti-Semitic tropes during a discussion with former Public Enemy member Richard ‘Professor Griff’ Griffin on his YouTube talk show and podcast, ‘Cannon’s Class.’

Cannon responded to his firing in a lengthy statement on Facebook in which he said he did not condone hate speech, but refused to say he was sorry

Cannon claimed white people of the past feared blacks due to white people’s lack of skin pigmentation or melanin, which he said comes with ‘compassion.’

‘The people that don’t have [melanin]  – I’m going to say this carefully – are a little less..and where the term actually comes from…they may not have the compassion when they were sent to the mountains of Caucasus… the sun then started to deteriorate them so then, they’re acting out of fear, they’re acting out of low self-esteem, they’re acting out of a deficiency,’ he said. 

‘So, therefore, the only way that they can act is evil. They have to rob, steal, rape, kill in order to survive.  

‘So then, these people that didn’t have what we have — and when I say we, I speak of the melanated people — they had to be savages. They had to be barbaric because they’re in these Nordic environments…

‘They’re acting as animals so they’re the ones that are actually closer to animals. They’re the ones that are actually the true savages.’

The episode also discussed Griffin’s departure from Public Enemy in 1989 after the rapper himself was accused of antisemitism for saying Jews were ‘wicked’ and responsible for ‘the the majority of wickedness that goes on across the globe.’

Griffin argued that being ‘Semitic’ had nothing to do with being white and that Jewish people had stolen black people’s ‘birthright.’ 

The pair contended that black people are the true Hebrews and that Jews have usurped their identity. 

Cannon then segued into antisemitic conspiracies talking about ‘going as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America.’  

‘It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,’ Cannon said. 

‘When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.’

HOW NICK CANNON PROMOTED ANTI-SEMITIC CONSPIRACY THEORIES BY CLAIMING THE ROTHSCHILDS CONTROLLED THE WORLD

Nick Cannon was fired by ViacomCBS after spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories including those about the Rothschild family, who have long been the subject of anti-Semitic canards.

During his podcast, Cannon and rapper Professor Griff, who was kicked out of Public Enemy in 1989 for saying ‘Jews are wicked’, delved into anti-Semitic tropes such as how Jews ‘control’ the world. 

They made references to Rothschilds, the German-based noble family who rose to prominence in the 1700s through their banking business that saw them amass the largest private fortune in modern history.

Over the years, myths and rumors have circulated suggesting the Rothschilds were in control of the world’s wealth as well as the United States Federal Reserve and Wall Street.

Those theories have been slammed by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League who say they were based on the anti-Semitic trope of Jews’ prevalence in the banking industry. 

During their discussion, Griff addressed the controversy that led to his dismissal, explaining he couldn’t be anti-Semitic, because the ‘Semitic’ people had no relation to Caucasians and black people were the true children of Israel. 

Cannon and Griffin made references to the Rothschild family (pictured) who have long been the subject of anti-Semitic canards after they were rumored to be in control of the world’s wealth and the US Federal Reserve 

The rapper said he was referring to Jews dominating the banks and the media, echoing the sentiments of controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who once called the US Federal Reserve, ‘the synagogue of Satan, the Rockefellers, the DuPonts, the House of Rothschild.’ 

Griffin and Cannon then delved into Zionist conspiracy theories mentioning the the ‘six major corporations’ that control world and the ’13 families’ with ties to the Illuminati.  

‘Let’s dive into it, who are they? When we talk about the six corporations, when we go as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America…’ he said. 

‘If we were truly the children of Israel and we’re defining who the Jewish people are …. I feel like if we can actually understand that construct then we can see that there is no hate involved.’

‘When we talk about the lies, the deceit, how the fake dollar controls all of this, then maybe we can get to the reason why they wanted to silence you, why they wanted silence Louis Farrakhan.

‘It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,’ he said.  ‘When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.’  

Following the backlash from the video, ViacomCBS – which is owned Jewish-American media executive Shari Redstone – announced that it was cutting ties with television producer. 

ViacomCBS  is owned Jewish-American media executive Shari Redstone

‘When we talk about the six corporations, when we go as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America.’

On April 30, Nick will celebrate the 10th birthdays of his fraternal twins Moroccan and Monroe from his six-year marriage to R&B diva Mariah Carey, which ended in 2016.

Cannon also has two children – son Golden Sagon, 4; and daughter Powerful Queen, nearly 3 months – with Miss Guam 2014 Brittany Bell.

Due to a bout with COVID-19, the She Ball director won’t resume hosting duties on celebrity singing competition The Masked Singer until the ‘second half’ of season five – now airing Wednesdays on Fox.

2019 family portrait: On April 30, Nick will celebrate the 10th birthdays of his fraternal twins Moroccan and Monroe from his six-year marriage to Mariah Carey, which ended in 2016

March 1 family portrait: Cannon also has two children – son Golden Sagon, 4; and daughter Powerful Queen, nearly 3 months – with Miss Guam 2014 Brittany Bell

Niecy Nash (M) filling in! Due to a bout with COVID-19, the Wild ‘N Out producer-host won’t resume hosting duties on celebrity singing competition The Masked Singer until the ‘second half’ of season five – now airing Wednesdays on Fox

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Nick Cannon says he is on ‘a journey of atonement’ and ‘not seeking forgiveness’

Emmy-nominated producer Nick Cannon is speaking out for the first time since issuing a lengthy apology on July 15 about making anti-Semitic remarks and spreading conspiracy theories in his since-removed June 30 YouTube vlog. 

‘I’ve always said that apologies are empty. Apologies are weightless,’ Nick said in a GMA sneak peek of Soul of a Nation, which aired Tuesday night on ABC.

His comments come as Cannon is set to resume hosting VH1’s Wild ‘N Out following a temporary firing by ViacomCBS.

USA TODAY reports that production was set to resume with Cannon as the host, though it’s unclear when new episodes will air. Cannon has been hosting the show since 2005.

The 40-year-old entertainer was one of 170 industry leaders to sign a unity statement on February 1 forming the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance.

Educating himself: Emmy-nominated producer Nick Cannon is speaking out for the first time since issuing a lengthy non-apology on July 15 about making anti-Semitic remarks and spreading conspiracy theories in his since-removed June 30 YouTube vlog

Peace offering: The 40-year-old triple-threat was one of 170 industry leaders to sign a unity statement on February 1 forming the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance

‘In Hebrew they call it, you know, ‘Teshuva’ – the process of not only you know, repenting, but through that, if you’re ever met with a similar situation that you make a different decision,’ Cannon continued in his new comments. ‘That goes beyond apologizing.’

‘And I’m on this journey of atonement, not to get a job, not to gain any more money because that’s not what’s needed here. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do.’

Cannon – who previously claimed black people were the ‘true Hebrews’ – stressed that his controversial remarks had everything to do with ‘ignorance’ not ‘hatred.’

‘My journey’s not gonna stop, whether the person watching this forgives me or not,’ the San Diego-born presenter said. 

Nick said in a GMA sneak peek of Soul of a Nation, which airs Tuesday night on ABC: ‘I’ve always said that apologies are empty. Apologies are weightless. In Hebrew they call it, you know, “Teshuva” – the process of not only you know, repenting, but through that, if you’re ever met with a similar situation that you make a different decision. That goes beyond apologizing’

Cannon continued: ‘And I’m on this journey of atonement, not to get a job, not to gain any more money because that’s not what’s needed here. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do’

Previously claimed black people were the ‘true Hebrews’: The San Diego-born presenter stressed that his controversial remarks had everything to do with ‘ignorance’ not ‘hatred’

‘My journey’s not gonna stop’: Nick received a bachelor’s degree in criminology at Howard University on May 8, and he’s now pursuing a master’s degree in divinity

‘I’m still gonna hopefully through this process, be on the right side of history and bring people closer together.’

Reaction to Cannon’s new comments on social media have been mixed, though many have commended him for trying to grow.

‘I respect nick now more than ever because he learned from the mistake but is WILLING to learn how to make things better. I pray nothing but the best for him,’ one user wrote.

Another, however, said the ‘stuff he said was so bad. He wasn’t really punished for his disgusting comments. I find him annoying now.’

Nick received a bachelor’s degree in criminology at Howard University on May 8, and he’s now pursuing a master’s degree in divinity.

But eight months ago, Cannon was (temporarily) fired by ViacomCBS over his hour-plus interview with outspoken anti-Semite Richard Griffin on Cannon’s Class.

‘You can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people. When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews,’ claimed the Ghetto Blues singer, who said people without melanin are ‘a little less.’ 

‘You can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people’: But eight months ago, Cannon was (temporarily) fired by ViacomCBS over his hour-plus interview with outspoken anti-Semite Richard Griffin (L) on Cannon’s Class 

‘[White people are] acting out of fear’: The Ghetto Blues singer also parroted Zionist conspiracy theories mentioning the the ‘six major corporations’ that control world and the ’13 families’ with ties to the Illuminati

‘[White people are] acting out of fear, they’re acting out of low self-esteem, they’re acting out of a deficiency. So, therefore, the only way that they can act is evil. They have to rob, steal, rape, kill in order to survive.’

Nick continued: ‘They’re the ones that are actually closer to animals, they’re the ones that are actually the true savages.’

Cannon also parroted Zionist conspiracy theories mentioning the the ‘six major corporations’ that control world and the ’13 families’ with ties to the Illuminati.

‘Let’s dive into it, who are they?’ the Wild ‘N Out producer-host – who endorsed Kanye West for POTUS in 2020 – explained. 

NICK CANNON CLAIMS BLACK PEOPLE ARE THE ‘TRUE HEBREWS’ IN ANTI-WHITE AND ANTI-SEMITIC RANT ON YOUTUBE TALK SHOW

Nick Cannon went on an anti-white rant and delved deep into anti-Semitic tropes during a discussion with former Public Enemy member Richard ‘Professor Griff’ Griffin on his YouTube talk show and podcast, ‘Cannon’s Class.’

Cannon responded to his firing in a lengthy statement on Facebook in which he said he did not condone hate speech, but refused to say he was sorry

Cannon claimed white people of the past feared blacks due to white people’s lack of skin pigmentation or melanin, which he said comes with ‘compassion.’

‘The people that don’t have [melanin]  – I’m going to say this carefully – are a little less..and where the term actually comes from…they may not have the compassion when they were sent to the mountains of Caucasus… the sun then started to deteriorate them so then, they’re acting out of fear, they’re acting out of low self-esteem, they’re acting out of a deficiency,’ he said. 

‘So, therefore, the only way that they can act is evil. They have to rob, steal, rape, kill in order to survive.  

‘So then, these people that didn’t have what we have — and when I say we, I speak of the melanated people — they had to be savages. They had to be barbaric because they’re in these Nordic environments…

‘They’re acting as animals so they’re the ones that are actually closer to animals. They’re the ones that are actually the true savages.’

The episode also discussed Griffin’s departure from Public Enemy in 1989 after the rapper himself was accused of antisemitism for saying Jews were ‘wicked’ and responsible for ‘the the majority of wickedness that goes on across the globe.’

Griffin argued that being ‘Semitic’ had nothing to do with being white and that Jewish people had stolen black people’s ‘birthright.’ 

The pair contended that black people are the true Hebrews and that Jews have usurped their identity. 

Cannon then segued into antisemitic conspiracies talking about ‘going as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America.’  

‘It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,’ Cannon said. 

‘When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.’

HOW NICK CANNON PROMOTED ANTI-SEMITIC CONSPIRACY THEORIES BY CLAIMING THE ROTHSCHILDS CONTROLLED THE WORLD

Nick Cannon was fired by ViacomCBS after spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories including those about the Rothschild family, who have long been the subject of anti-Semitic canards.

During his podcast, Cannon and rapper Professor Griff, who was kicked out of Public Enemy in 1989 for saying ‘Jews are wicked’, delved into anti-Semitic tropes such as how Jews ‘control’ the world. 

They made references to Rothschilds, the German-based noble family who rose to prominence in the 1700s through their banking business that saw them amass the largest private fortune in modern history.

Over the years, myths and rumors have circulated suggesting the Rothschilds were in control of the world’s wealth as well as the United States Federal Reserve and Wall Street.

Those theories have been slammed by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League who say they were based on the anti-Semitic trope of Jews’ prevalence in the banking industry. 

During their discussion, Griff addressed the controversy that led to his dismissal, explaining he couldn’t be anti-Semitic, because the ‘Semitic’ people had no relation to Caucasians and black people were the true children of Israel. 

Cannon and Griffin made references to the Rothschild family (pictured) who have long been the subject of anti-Semitic canards after they were rumored to be in control of the world’s wealth and the US Federal Reserve 

The rapper said he was referring to Jews dominating the banks and the media, echoing the sentiments of controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who once called the US Federal Reserve, ‘the synagogue of Satan, the Rockefellers, the DuPonts, the House of Rothschild.’ 

Griffin and Cannon then delved into Zionist conspiracy theories mentioning the the ‘six major corporations’ that control world and the ’13 families’ with ties to the Illuminati.  

‘Let’s dive into it, who are they? When we talk about the six corporations, when we go as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America…’ he said. 

‘If we were truly the children of Israel and we’re defining who the Jewish people are …. I feel like if we can actually understand that construct then we can see that there is no hate involved.’

‘When we talk about the lies, the deceit, how the fake dollar controls all of this, then maybe we can get to the reason why they wanted to silence you, why they wanted silence Louis Farrakhan.

‘It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people,’ he said.  ‘When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.’  

Following the backlash from the video, ViacomCBS – which is owned Jewish-American media executive Shari Redstone – announced that it was cutting ties with television producer. 

ViacomCBS  is owned Jewish-American media executive Shari Redstone

‘When we talk about the six corporations, when we go as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America.’

On April 30, Nick will celebrate the 10th birthdays of his fraternal twins Moroccan and Monroe from his six-year marriage to R&B diva Mariah Carey, which ended in 2016.

Cannon also has two children – son Golden Sagon, 4; and daughter Powerful Queen, nearly 3 months – with Miss Guam 2014 Brittany Bell.

Due to a bout with COVID-19, the She Ball director won’t resume hosting duties on celebrity singing competition The Masked Singer until the ‘second half’ of season five – now airing Wednesdays on Fox.

2019 family portrait: On April 30, Nick will celebrate the 10th birthdays of his fraternal twins Moroccan and Monroe from his six-year marriage to Mariah Carey, which ended in 2016

March 1 family portrait: Cannon also has two children – son Golden Sagon, 4; and daughter Powerful Queen, nearly 3 months – with Miss Guam 2014 Brittany Bell

Niecy Nash (M) filling in! Due to a bout with COVID-19, the Wild ‘N Out producer-host won’t resume hosting duties on celebrity singing competition The Masked Singer until the ‘second half’ of season five – now airing Wednesdays on Fox

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Senate COVID relief bill paves way for student debt forgiveness through executive action

The New York Times

After Stimulus Victory in Senate, Reality Sinks in: Bipartisanship Is Dead

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden ran for the White House as an apostle of bipartisanship, but the bitter fight over the $1.9 trillion pandemic measure that squeaked through the Senate Saturday made clear that the differences between the two warring parties were too wide to be bridged by Biden’s good intentions. Not a single Republican in Congress voted for the rescue package now headed for final approval in the House and a signature from Biden, as they angrily denounced the legislation and the way in which it was assembled. Other marquee Democratic measures to protect and expand voting rights, tackle police bias and misconduct and more are also drawing scant to zero Republican backing. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times The supposed honeymoon period of a new president would typically provide a moment for lawmakers to come together, particularly as the nation enters its second year of a crushing health and economic crisis. Instead, the tense showdown over the stimulus legislation showed that lawmakers were pulling apart, and poised for more ugly clashes ahead. Biden, a six-term veteran of the Senate, had trumpeted his deep Capitol Hill experience as one of his top selling points, telling voters that he was the singular man able to unite the fractious Congress and even come to terms with his old bargaining partner, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader. But congressional Democrats, highly familiar with McConnell’s tactics, held no such illusions. Now, they worry that voters would punish them more harshly in the 2022 midterm elections for failing to take advantage of their power to enact sweeping policy changes than for failing to work with Republicans and strike bipartisan deals. Congressional Democrats want far more than Republicans are willing to accept. Anticipating the Republican recalcitrance to come, Democrats are increasingly coalescing around the idea of weakening or destroying the filibuster to deny Republicans their best weapon for thwarting the Democratic agenda. Democrats believe their control of the House, Senate and White House entitles them to push for all they can get, not settle for less out of a sense of obligation to an outdated concept of bipartisanship that does not reflect the reality of today’s polarized politics. “Looking at the behavior of the Republican Party here in Washington, it’s fair to conclude that it is going to be very difficult, particularly the way leadership has positioned itself, to get meaningful cooperation from that side of the aisle on things that matter,” said Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md. But the internal Democratic disagreement that stalled passage of the stimulus bill for hours late into Friday night illustrated both the precariousness of the thinnest possible Democratic majority and the hurdles to eliminating the filibuster, a step that can happen only if moderates now deeply opposed agree to do so. It also showed that, even if the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster were wiped away, there would be no guarantee that Democrats could push their priorities through the 50-50 Senate, since one breakaway member can bring down an entire bill. Republicans accused Democrats of abandoning any pretext of bipartisanship to advance a far-left agenda and jam through a liberal wish list disguised as a coronavirus rescue bill, stuffed with hundreds of billions of extraneous dollars as the pandemic is beginning to ebb. They noted that when they were in charge of the Senate and President Donald Trump was in office, they were able to deliver a series of costly coronavirus relief bills negotiated between the two parties. “It is really unfortunate that at a time when a president who came into office suggesting that he wanted to work with Republicans and create solutions in a bipartisan way and try to bring the country together and unify, the first the thing out of the gate is a piece of legislation that simply is done with one-party rule,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican. At their private lunch recently, Republican senators were handed a card emblazoned with a quotation from Ron Klain, the White House chief of staff, calling the coronavirus bill the “most progressive domestic legislation in a generation,” a phrase that party strategists quickly began featuring in a video taking aim at the stimulus measure. The comment was a point of pride for liberal Democrats, but probably not the best argument to win over Republicans. “I don’t understand the approach the White House has taken. I really don’t,” said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a leader of a group of 10 Republicans who had initially tried to strike a deal with the White House but offered about one-third of what Biden proposed. “There is a compromise to be had here.” Yet even as Biden hosted Republicans at the White House and engaged them in a series of discussions that were much more amiable than any during the Trump era, neither he nor Democratic congressional leaders made a real effort to find a middle ground, having concluded early on that Republicans were far too reluctant to spend what was needed to tackle the crisis. Democrats worried that if they did not move quickly, negotiations would drag on only to collapse and leave them with nothing to show for their efforts to get control over the pandemic and bolster the economic recovery. They wanted to go big and not wait. “We are not — we are not — going to be timid in the face of big challenges,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader. “We are not going to delay when urgent action is called for.” While McConnell lost legislatively, he did manage to hold Republicans together when there was an appetite among some to cut a deal. He learned in 2009, when President Barack Obama took office at the start of the Great Recession, that by keeping his Republican forces united against Democrats, he could undermine a popular new Democratic president and paint any legislative victories as tainted by partisanship, scoring political points before the next election. The same playbook seems to be open for 2021. As they maneuvered the relief measure through Congress using special budget procedures that protected it from a filibuster, Democrats were also resurrecting several major policy proposals from the last session that went nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate. Foremost among them was a sweeping voting rights measure intended to offset efforts by Republicans in states across the country to impose new voting requirements and a policing bill that seeks to ban tactics blamed in unnecessary deaths. House Republicans opposed both en masse and the outlook for winning the minimum 10 required Republican votes in the Senate is bleak. In the coming weeks, House Democrats plan to pass more uncompromising bills, including measures to strengthen gun safety and protect union rights — two pursuits abhorred by Republicans. Democrats fully recognize the measures will run into a Republican stone wall, but that is the point. In getting Republicans on the record against what Democrats see as broadly popular measures, they are hoping to drive home the idea that, despite their party’s control of Congress and the White House, they cannot move forward on the major issues of the moment with the filibuster in place. They want voters to respond. “We can’t magically make the Republicans be for what the people are for,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat. “The people are overwhelmingly for the agenda we are passing, and democracy works, so if the people want these bills to pass, they will either demand that we do away with the filibuster or demand that some Republican senators who refuse to do what the people want leave office.” Frustrated at their inability to halt the pandemic measure, Republicans lashed out at Democrats and the president. “They are doing it because they can,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, who said Biden’s pledges on fostering unity now rang hollow. “This is an opportunity to spend money on things not related to COVID because they have the power do so.” Democrats would agree — they are using their substantial leverage to reach far beyond what Republicans can support, and say they are justified in doing so. “Let’s face it,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “We need to get this done. It would be so much better if we could in a bipartisan way, but we need to get it done.” This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2021 The New York Times Company

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