SCOTUS blocks student debt relief, surprising no one

Plus, ethnic violence in Sudan's Darfur.   The Supreme Court strikes down student loan debt forgiveness; Sudanese paramilitary forces are accused of ethnic cleansing in Darfur. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin. The Sentences newsletter will be off on Monday and Tuesday, back in your inbox on Wednesday, July 5. While you're not reading the news, give the Vox crossword a try!   TOP NEWS SCOTUS blocks student loan relief for millions Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images - Friday, in a 6-3 ruling, with conservatives making up the majority, the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive student debt for over 40 million Americans. [[Vox / Ian Millhiser](] - Chief Justice John Roberts said the Biden administration overstepped its authority. Justice Elena Kagan, writing in dissent for the three liberals, argued the Court had exceeded its power. [[New York Times / Adam Liptak](] - Biden’s plan relied on a federal law that grants emergency powers to the education department; he hoped to forgive up to $20,000 for borrowers making up to $125,000 per year. [[Reuters / John Kruzel](] - After more than three years on hiatus, student loan repayments will resume in October. Interest begins accruing in September. [[Vox / Allie Volpe](] - Student loan advocates are urging Biden to use other measures to circumvent the Court, including a law that empowers the secretary of education to collect and potentially forgive student debt. [[Vox / Christian Paz](] 📍 If you read just one story Vox’s Nicole Narea explains the potential economic impacts of restarting student debt repayments in five charts. [[Vox / Nicole Narea](]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Ethnic violence rocks Sudan - UK politicians are calling for sanctions against Sudan as the nation’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are reportedly committing ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region. [[Guardian/ Kaamil Ahmed](] - Since April, Sudan’s military and the RSF have been fighting for control of the country in intense battles that have killed at least 1,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. [[BBC / Zeinab Mohammed Salih and Cecilia Macaulay](] - Tensions between Arabs and non-Arabs are now erupting in western Darfur where RSF forces are accused of targeting civilians based on ethnic identities. Genocide killed over 400,000 non-Arabs in the region 20 years ago. [[Al Jazeera / Jérôme Tubiana](] - The international community has only contributed half of the $3 billion the UN requested to help refugees in Sudan and neighboring countries. Relief workers are struggling to administer available aid. [[New Humanitarian / Philip Kleinfeld and Mohammed Amin](]   MISCELLANEOUS Federal judges have struck down bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth in five states, mainly because the laws are unconstitutional. [[Vox / Li Zhou](] - The conservative-majority Supreme Court ruled Colorado can’t force a conservative Christian to design a website for gay couples because it would violate the right to free speech. [[Quartz/ Diego Lasarte](] - Russia is reportedly reducing the number of staff occupying the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine, raising fears of an attack. [[Guardian / Luke Harding]]( - A man faces assault charges for allegedly stabbing a professor and three others in a hate-motivated incident during a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo in Canada. [[NBC News / Chantal Da Silva]](   CROSSWORD OF THE DAY What's a four-letter word for awe-inspiring? [Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle]([,]( and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. Want more crosswords? [Sign up for our crossword newsletter here]( and get a dedicated crossword reminder each weekend.   VERBATIM “Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class.” [[Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion on the same-sex wedding website case / The Hill](]   WATCH THIS The “stewardess rebellion” fought the industry and won. [[YouTube](]   Read more from Vox [Why scientists haven’t cracked consciousness]( [The Bear’s second season is about the people it takes to make you great]( [France’s protests over a police killing, briefly explained]( [Affirmative action for white college applicants is still here]( [The Supreme Court will decide if abusive spouses have a right to own guns](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.