OnPolitics: How student loan forgiveness could help Democrats in the midterms

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A redacted version of the Justice Department's affidavit that supported the unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate will be made public by noon tomorrow, a federal magistrate said today.

"I find that the Government has met its burden of showing a compelling reason/good cause to seal portions of the Affidavit because disclosure would reveal the identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties, the investigation’s strategy, direction, scope, sources, and methods, and grand jury information..." U.S. Magistrate Bruce Reinhart wrote in a brief order, explaining why the entire document could not be released.

Affidavits typically remain under seal until charges are filed, according to legal experts. Federal prosecutors oppose unsealing the Trump search affidavit because the document could compromise the investigation and discourage witnesses from cooperating. Redactions would be so extensive as to render the document useless, prosecutors argued.

Reinhart said this week that he was considering "whether there is a less onerous alternative to sealing the entire document."

"I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the Government," he wrote Monday.

It's Ella and Amy with today's top stories out of Washington. 

Biden student debt action presents opportunity and risk for Democrats

Less than three months before November's midterm elections, President Joe Biden jolted the race to control Congress with historic action Wednesday to cancel student loan debt for millions of Americans.

Yet his move is a major gamble, presenting both an opportunity to energize young voters and handing Republicans new lines of attack on fairness and wealth. 

The White House is betting that the president's move to cancel at least $10,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers, and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, will motivate young voters otherwise unenthused to vote during a nonpresidential election. 

But Republicans set out to frame Biden's student debt forgiveness plan as a "handout for the rich" – one that rewards liberal college-going elites at the expense of Americans who could not afford college and others who worked hard to pay off their debts.

Biden's announcement could have ripple effects in battleground Senate and House races across the country. It comes as Democrats, who face headwinds to hold on to power, have shown signs of outperforming early expectations after a series of legislative wins in Congress and a Supreme Court decision that overturned abortion rights.

Real Quick: Stories you'll want to read

• Utah sues Biden admin: The state of Utah and two Republican-leaning rural counties sued the Biden administration on Wednesday over the president's decision last year to restore two sprawling national monuments on rugged lands sacred to Native Americans that former President Donald Trump had downsized.
• Florida data scientist wins House primary: An ousted Florida data scientist who said she was fired for refusing to manipulate COVID-19 numbers and emerged as a critic of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over his handling of the pandemic won her U.S. House primary race and will challenge Rep. Matt Gaetz in the fall.
• Biden names new Secret Service director: President Joe Biden named former career Secret Service official Kimberly Cheatle as the agency's new director at a time when the service faces intense scrutiny on multiple fronts. She is the second woman to lead the agency.
• Zinke under fire: Former Interior secretary Ryan Zinke lied to investigators about conversations he had with lobbyists, lawmakers and other officials regarding a bid by two Indian tribes to operate a casino in Connecticut, the department’s internal watchdog said Wednesday.

DACA recipients granted greater protection under new law

A decade-old policy protecting immigrants brought to the United States was bolstered Wednesday when the federal government codified it into regulatory law.

The Department of Homeland Security formally registered a rule regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, or DACA, which protects immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children from being deported and allows them to legally work in the U.S.

The move was widely seen as a legal maneuver to help shore up the policy, created 10 years ago this month, as it's attacked in federal court.

"We continue to believe in the legality of the program and we believe we’re on even stronger footing now," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

The new rule was formally registered Wednesday, but won't take effect until late October. Many of DACA original criteria, such as arriving in the United States before the age of 15 and having no criminal record, remain in place.

Who are DACA recipients? DACA recipients represent a wide swath of the work force, from activists and college students to journalists, lawyers and entrepreneurs. The DACA-eligible population earned $23.4 billion in 2017, up from almost $19.9 billion in 2015, according to a recent report. More than 93% of DACA-eligible individuals were actively employed in 2017.

Got questions about Biden's student loan debt announcement. Paste BN reporters answered live questions from the public on Twitter today. 🎙️ Check out this recording for the full conversation. -- Amy and Ella