News Wrap: Senate votes to block Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan

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In our news wrap Thursday, the Senate voted to rescind President Biden's plan to cancel federal student loan debts for 43 million people, President Biden urged the nation's newest military officers to maintain American leadership in a world that's getting more unstable and Russia kept up its bombardment of Kyiv, inflicting the most casualties yet.

Amna Nawaz:

In the day's other headlines: The Senate voted to rescind President Biden's plan canceling federal student loan debts for 43 million people.

The vote was 52-46, as Democrats Joe Manchin and Jon Tester, plus independent Kyrsten Sinema, joined Republicans in the majority. The White House has promised a veto, but the plan's ultimate fate lies with a Supreme Court decision expected this month.

The president himself was on the road today, urging the nation's newest military officers to maintain American leadership in a world that's getting more unstable. He addressed the U.S. Air Force Academy's commencement in Colorado Springs and told the graduates they face what he called a mighty responsibility.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: The world you're graduating into is not only changing rapidly. The pace of change is accelerating as well. We're seeing proliferating global challenges, from Russia's aggression and brutality in Europe, to our competition with China, and a whole hell of a lot in between.

Amna Nawaz:

After speaking, the president donned a cap under the bright sun and shook hands with more than 900 graduates for 95 minutes. Then, as he turned to sit down, he stumbled and fell, but was helped up and appeared unhurt. The White House said he tripped on a sandbag, but that he's fine.

Two more members of the Oath Keepers extremist group were sentenced today for seditious conspiracy and other crimes in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. A federal judge in Washington gave one of them 4.5 years in prison. The other got three years. Last week, Stewart Rhodes, the far right group's founder, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

In Ukraine, Russia kept up its month-long bombardment of Kyiv overnight, inflicting the most casualties yet. Authorities in the Ukrainian capital said they shot down all of the missiles, but falling debris killed three people, including a young girl and her mother.

Meantime, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European leaders at a summit in Moldova. He pressed again for more weapons and for action on admitting Ukraine to the NATO alliance.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:

And this year is for decisions. And this is the sort of point I would like to emphasize. In summer in Vilnius, at the NATO summit, a clear invitation to membership for Ukraine is needed and the security guarantees on the way to NATO membership are needed.

Amna Nawaz:

So far, NATO members are split on the possible timing of Ukraine's accession to the alliance.

The main Russian intelligence agency is accusing the U.S. of hacking thousands of Apple iPhones inside Russia. The Federal Security Service charged today that — quote — "hidden data collection was carried out through software vulnerabilities in" the phones. The Russians said the U.S. National Security Agency is using new malware and working closely with Apple.

The company and the NSA had no immediate response.

Back in this country, a federal policy protecting hundreds of thousands of people from deportation went back before a federal judge in Houston today. The DACA program currently covers nearly 600,000 immigrants brought here as children. The judge struck it down in 2021, but an appeals court ordered him to review changes made by the Biden administration.

And, on Wall Street, congressional action on the debt limit helped the stock markets mood. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 153 points to close at 33061. The Nasdaq rose 165 points, or 1.3 percent. The S&P 500 was also up 1 percent.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": the 2024 Republican race kicks into a higher gear as presidential candidates travel to key early primary states; increasingly long freight trains cause problems for communities near railroad crossings; manufacturers struggle to keep up with renewed demand for cassette tapes; plus much more.

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