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you can start calling in now as we show you some of the top news stories of the past week that we have spent a good deal of -- deal of time focusing on. president biden released his loan --student loan forgiveness plan. on tuesday, it was another midterm primary day and we found out on monday that dr. anthony fauci is leaving his government post in def after 38 years as director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases. those are some of the stories of the past week and we're not done with the news making yet this week. here's the story from the associated press. a judge yesterday ordering the

justice department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit that it relied on when federal agents searched the state of former president trump. the deadline is noon for release of the version of that document. the public could get details about what led to the f.b.i. search of mar-a-lago, back on august 8. the story notes typically contain vital information about an agent why they want to search a particular property. it was yesterday in maryland just outside washington, d.c. that president biden hit the campaign trail, fresh off a string of legislative victories. he was in rockville, maryland,

at a gathering speech before the democratic national committee. that rally taking place late yesterday afternoon. here's what some of president biden said in that campaign pitch. president biden: folks, we're just 76 days away from the midterm election. 76 days. and to state the obvious, there's a lot at stake. so i want to be crystal clear on what's on the ballot this year. your right to choose is on the ballot this year. [applause] the social security you paid from the time you had a job is on the ballot. to save your kids from goon violence is on the ballot. and the very survival of our planet is on the ballot. [applause] your right to vote is on the ballot. even the democracy. are you ready to fight for these

things now? [cheers and applause] well then you need to do one thing. vote. vote. you got it. and 2020, you and 81 million americans voted to save our democracy. that's why donald trump is isn't just a former president, he is a defeated former president. [applause] and it's not a hyperbole. now you need to vote to literally save democracy again. look, i believe americans are at a genuine inflection point. it occurs every six or seven generations in world history. one of the moments that changes everything. and americans are going to have to choose. you must choose. will we be a country that moves

forward or backward? will we build a future or obsess over the past? will we be a nation of unity, of hope, of optimism? not a nation of anger, violence, hatred and division. trump and the extreme magga republicans have made their choice. to go backwards, full of violence, full of violence, hate and division. but we've chose an different path. forward, the future, unity, hope and optimism. host: expect to hear more of that ahead of the midterm elections. that's some of what's happened this week but we want to know what you think the top news story of the week is. probably going to choose from.

republicans, -- donald is here. caller: you can't get away from trump and the top stories of the week. it's not like he had an idea of hi own and he was just repeating the lies. so, you know, it's like cult like, you know? host: donald, what do you think of this f.b.i. raid on mar-a-lago we're expecting to find out. perhaps more about the reasoning

bin that raid today. noon is where we're expecting that redacted search warrant -- affidavit that they used for that search warrant. caller: shrine they call it a raid but it's totally legal. trump has this document for over a year and now he's been saying he's -- [indiscernible] i'm not believing that. i hate to see trump or anybody get died but he's just -- indicted but he's just opening the door. over a year, he had plenty of time to copy them you know? or whatever, you know. because they're there. so, even if they turn them over,

i know he got copies. and what is he going to do with the list of questions, right? host: this is jared in kentucky, independent. good morning. what was the top news story of the week? caller: yes, sir. i was talking about the student loan forgiveness. it's such a wonderful thing. and he's helping people that has not many chances. that's the one thing about this democratic party. they really need people with a helping hand. it's just the optics that biden is fighting to show what he's done and what he could do for the american people. i mean, it's just the optics of trying to show that he's really a man for the people.

and the democratic party, for people that needs help and wants to you know, get -- do, you know, bettering and educate themselves with, you know, get themselves an education. and what i've tried to do is trying to think, you know, that it's just the optics that is the problem. and i'm just so happy for voting for him and i thank you for your time and you have a great day. host: that's jarrett in kentucky on the student loan debt forgiveness. this is garnett calling it another promise kept by in the president when it comes tostone forgiveness.

-- student loan forgiveness. caller: i think the issue of the day this still the raid or the legal search of mar-a-lago. i identify more as conservative now because there's such hypocrisy that laid on mar-a-lago was -- the raid on mar-a-lago was legally done and there's a large outcry but if we look at breonna taylor's situation where there's a legal warrant obtained as someone dies, where's the outcry for that? so that's my comment. host: talking about your top news story of the week. sandra, in columbus, ohio, a democrat. what do you think? caller: my first is the student loan, quickly. people said they had to pay for

their loans and the people are getting a break. well, you know, sometimes they don't want government to be intervening. why don't they get together and sign a class action suit against those institutions and at least get their interest back? also on turning over the documents, he was supposed to take them. anything that you're not supposed to take its just like what they're saying to me. when they're taking up for him, trump, it is, is that you go in the store and you steal one boot. so you should be ok because you didn't get the pair. he was supposed to turn the documents in. they talked to him. it wasn't like they just went in and raided his house. he was supposed to give the stuff back. it wasn't his. he should have gave it all back. then they could negotiate on what he's supposed to have. he's just -- that's the united

states property. and i just want to say democrats with our votes, you know, our rights are going away. thank you. host: sandra in ohio you started as one of our callers talking about the student loan forgiveness plan. federal loan would be $10,000. only applying those who make under $125,000 a year, $250,000 for married couples. it ends in 2022. that pause beginning back in march of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. some of the response to president biden's student loan plan on the new channel over the

past 48 hours since he announced it. from fox business. the ways and means committee and the house ranking member republican kevin brady. >> i don't believe this is legal. but the president is trying to use taxpayers as a personal campaign slush fund. and it's wrong. and i don't believe he has the legal authority to do it. but i think to your bigger point, this is just so unfair. so i have a neighbor who's a detective, who's worked three jobs as long as i've known him, including selling carpet. plus his wife worked to make sure that their daughter could go a state college, a good quality college and come out of there debt-free. so now they have to pay taxes after all that sacrifice of years, pay off the debt of someone else's student loan. and here, you've got under president biden. so under this theme, you've got a single mom who pay off the debt for a computer scientist.

you got a plumber who paid off the debt of a physician's assistant. you've got goth a janitor who pay off the debt of an i.t. architect or a psychologist. you know, how is that fair in anyone's world? it just isn't. so we are going to fight this because it is illegal it is unfair and as you say, it will drive inflation and college costs higher. host: republican kevin brady on fox business from this past week, back on wednesday after the president made that announcement of his new student loan forgiveness program. shirley back in the line for republicans in louisiana. what do you think the top news story of the week was? caller: good morning. it is the raid on mar-a-lago. the gentleman called earlier and said he should return the boxes. he has a legal right, he says.

and as far as the illegal aliens, someone called in last week -- no, -- regarding the christian society. we -- [indiscernible] i'm just tired of seeing my fair dollars support these people and affecting our children in the schools that they are attending. as far as our rights being taken away, slowly but surely, they are. and something should be done. we're hope the midterms change all of this and that the american people see where our country is heading. host: what are a couple of rights that you've seen being taken away? caller: oh, the denying the

things like your phone and texting, your phone being shut off and going on with taking you off of internet, things of that nature. yes, i do. i feel the american public has to be and i'll use the word robbed with everything that this administration is doing as far as like i said, the till legal aliens and in our town, and we're a small town. and we're right next to new orleans. we get a good spot. we get a lot of violence, car dragging. my oldest one, 53 years old, and i've been in this town for

almost 60 years and i don't like tock see the change that's taking place in it. it's not our hometown anymore. host: that's shirley from monroe, louisiana. this is dave in new york, independent. good morning. what was the top news story of the week? caller: well, i think it's got to be the student loan thing because it seems that's what everybody is talking about. but i just want to respond to that little fox clip you had that. it seems that they're very upset about paying the loans but how about the multi-trillion tax break that we're paying the taxes of the rich? you know, our tax break expired at the end of the year. theirs continues forever. so, i mean, i think the yin and a yang, it's the give and the take. i just wanted to respond to that. thank you.

host: liz is next. caller: tuition. of course. he's not getting any help. we work both work. my husband and i. so we've got to pay her tuition and someone else's tuition. how much more are they going to milk out of our poor middle class taxpayers? we have to pay for freebies? now the kids are getting lunch during the summer breaks. they're getting breakfast. the whole family's getting food. while we're out there paying $10 a pack for hamburger meat.

biden is buying votes. if people can't see this, get out of the box. he's a liar. he's doing everything he can to destroy this country for all people, not just white. at least trump had us on the right track. he would not back down to the chinese or any of these tyrants in other countries. and china's getting ready to own us. if that's what you want, try to tear down one of their statues and see what happens. thank you. host: that's liz in anderson, south carolina. here's president biden from wednesday, part of his announcement of his student loan forgiveness plan. president biden: we wound down papelbon relief programs like the ones unemployment insurance and small businesses. it's time we do the same thing for student loans.

student loan payment pause is going to end december 30. i'm extending it to december 31, 2022. and it's going to end at that time. it's time for the payments to resume. second, my campaign for president. i made a commitment that would provide student debt relief and i'm honoring that commitment today. we will forgive $10,000 in outstanding federal student loans. in addition, students who come from blow income families which allow them to qualify to receive a pell gran will have their debt reduced $20,000. both of these targets are for families that need it the most. working and middle class people, making under $125,000 a year. they make more than that, they

don't qualify. no high income individual or high income household on top of the 5% and the top 5% of incomes, by the way, will benefit from this action, period. host: here are some comments from mitch mcconnell and rich scott -- -- rick scott -- some of the debate and how it maid pd

out on twitter. and we're asking you this morning what you think the top news story of the week was. and phone lines split as usual by political party to do that. winifred in new york, democrat. what do you think? caller: hi. i think that when i heard that speaker on fox news, it just made me want to call in because i'm 74 and i struggled. i went to college. i struggled raising my son by myself. i did have to pay my own student loans. now, i do go to church. and i have learned that this life, we have to help each other. it's not this life isn't about -- it's all mine and nobody else's. this life isn't about ours, not being able to help. this life, we all suffer in this

life. one way or the other. whether it be health or poverty or whatever that we as human beings have to reach out and help other people. otherwise, what is life all about? what is life all about? if we are not going to -- and i think we should thank god that we have the ability to take care of our own and to help someone else. if you see somebody struggling and they're hungry or whatever the case they be. they may be -- our nature is to help the. it's not to just turn away and say well, to hell with them and it's all for me. host: do you think it should have been more help for those with student debt? we're talking $10,000 for those with pell grants. would you like to see more help? caller: do you remember when obama was the president and he

bailed out wall street? he bailed out the automobile industry? do you remember that? everybody gets a handout. how did so many people acquired so much luxury and so many people have nothing? i live in new york city. all of the vacant lots are being built and they're not being built for low income or middle income. they're being built for luxury apartments for the high end. how did they get so much? how come -- i could go to school and not make the same amount as somebody else. i mean, there's people talk about fairness. your life -- the whole world here isn't fair. how come one part the world is starving and we throw food in the garbage? you know, so if you look around this entire planet, it's not

fair. we can ride buses and go where we want and some people have to walk. i mean, i think it's inconsiderate and ungrateful for people to complain about somebody getting all your taxes. you're going to be taxed anyway. so where it's going, it's going to help somebody, i think people should be helpful and thank god that they have the physical ability to walk. host: that's winifred in new york city. this is chris in new york as well, forth jefferson station. line for democrats. good morning. caller: i have a couple of comments the lady that just came on, perfect, man. she hit the nail in the head with everything. you don't do anything about it when social security fraud you know how many people paid maybe $5,000 to social security but they collected for 40, 50 years. my friends were one of them.

we all had people that -- good for them. they got it. why not? it's there. and then you're talking about like the tax money where it's going? i'm glad the kids should get a break. it makes the country strong getting a free education. if you get like third world country with people that know nothing. whatever the politician says, that's true. if these guys can't think for themselves, what are -- oh, yeah, this is what it's going to be. look about abortion. host: free education to what point, chris? to four years of undergraduate? to additional graduate degrees? at what point do you think is enough free education? caller: as much as there could be. because we don't have to bring anybody from other countries to go work on nasa, go work in

banking, go work in so many different technologies. teach our own kids how to do it. we don't need nobody. they're going to pay us back 100,000 times over because we don't have to call anybody from any other country to do this for us and there's a big -- where they can take that technology and take it back to their country. and china is good for that. we all know that already. they come here. they're doing and then they are under pressure to to what they are. if not, their family will suffer. hey, thanks for listening, buddy. host: chris you mentioned nasa. this story from "u.s.a. today." after 50 years, the u.s. is taking its first step back to the moon with the new launch. it will send an unscrewed orion

capsule for landing humans on the moon by 2025. the first launch window opening at 8:33 a.m. eastern time on monday at kennedy space center in florida. two opportunities for launch. today, you can hear a lot more about that mission. nasa holding its prelaunch meeting. bill nelson, live coverage, 2:30 p.m. eastern today on c-span, the free video app and c-span.org. other programming at 10:00 a.m. eastern and this is where we're going to go after our program ends on "washington journal" today. federal reserve chair jerome powell will speak at the symposium this morning. our live coverage from wyoming right after this program ends, 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span,

c-span.org and the free c-span now video app. we're asking you your top news story of the week. want to know what you focus on over the past few days here. it's been a fairly news week for late august. and let us know what you think was the most important news item. republicans, 202-748-8000. democrats, two-a-days. and republicans, 202-748-# 8001. joe is next. caller: for me, for sure, it's that tucker carlson has broken through mainstream media that covered that the vaccine is actually killing people instead of saving people that it's

neither safe or effective. that is a mind-blowing reality that we need to deal with and i hope good senator like ron johnson and others are going to deal with this farce. this has been known on the internet for years with people like pier corey, and others that the cdc system has documented this for years but it's never broken through the mainstream as far as i know. host: i think you're not vaccinated? caller: correct. i would never take a vaccine when -- and legislation that we don't have to tell you what's in it and it harms you. host: what did you think with the news on monday of dr. fauci stepping down in december after 38 years at the nih, the infectious disease center? caller: yeah, i think he's one of many cockroaches that the light has been turned on for kitchen and they're scrambling

for cover now. him and other people need to go to jail. and moderna has -- on the -- patented the virus years before they release this thing. host: all right. that's joe in laguna woods. some of the comments from members of congress on -- anthony fauci announcing that he is stepping down. dick derbin saying dr. fauci devoted his career and his life of improving public health. he's saved countless lives and an example of american excellence and a brilliant scientific mind, thanking dr. fauci i have aing he will be missed. a different sentiment from rand paul. -- he will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussion that he participated in concerning the leak.

we will be talking about the covid-19 after the reviews that have come out over the past 10 days or so. we're going to be joined by dr. richard besser, the former acting director of the cdc back in 2009. his thought on the reorganization plan on the cdc taking a hard look at itself in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. a pandemic that continues today. ron in denver, colorado, democrat. good morning. caller: hi. as far as the student loans go, they should forgive them all. we've destroyed their planet, probably their future. there's not going to be any water. they won't be able to go outside without a mask in 40 years.

who knows? but that's what's not fair. and these greedy old boomers, i'm a boomer too, and i'm so ashamed of these greedy pro-life christian -- thank you. host: the commentary on president biden's student loan forgiveness plan continuing on the papers here's one of them on in the "washington times." "the reversed robinhood." robbing the poor to give to the rich. that is president biden's entire policy in a nutshell. the latest scam to defraud innocent taxpayers is his $300 billion vote buying program to force americans to pay for rich students to teach students that there are more than two genders from the species.

richard, in tennessee, republican. good morning. caller: good morning. how are you? host: doing well, sir. caller: i'm calling because we're talking about the covid-19, we're talking about the money that was sent to ukraine. i mean, i don't mind helping other countries. but i feel that we've been put under the bus. they've sent trillions of dollars here and billions of dollars there. if you're going to help everybody, give some of this to us. i'm sick of it. because, you know, i'm a native american-indian. well, half native-american and javier man jew. it's a little weird. -- half german jew. it's a little weird. slavery was there back then all

over the planet and guess what. when the ships came here to the americas, they killed the indians. they tried to extinguish the indians. as far as the covid-19, i never got a shot because i got covid-19 over a year ago. for only two days, i couldn't smell or taste and i got past that. and you know what? i believe it's dr. fauci is full of crap because he was just doing it to make money for the cdc to make money, these labs in china. we were paying for that so they could study, you know, covid-19. host: richard, on sending money overseas, i wonder what your thoughts on. it's a year anniversary from that pullout from afghanistan. the last plane leaving on august 31 of last year.

at this time last year, we were watching the scenes at the airport, the effort to get people out, to get american allies out. what do you think in terms of spending money over assess -- overseas, the legacy of that war in afghanistan will be? caller: my dad fought in vietnam and world war ii. they've got other family members and he -- before the civil war, ok? and the afghans -- afghanistan, it's like uh-uh. no. we spent over 20 years invested in all these things they should have stayed there because they were established the taliban was, you know, hiding in the cavs is while we were trying to get this country to have democracy.

i'm sure the culture is different but they want to do it along our lines and such. it was a tragedy. all these military guys that got murdered because they were left behind. and others are still left behind. mobile professor 150,000 i think when i looked up on the internet. i don't know if that's accurate. host: haven't heard that number, richard, but it was a year ago that some 6,000 u.s. service members batched to afghanistan as kabul fell and it was exactly a year ago today when that explosion happened at one of the gates of the airport. it killed 170 afghan civilians and injured 45 u.s. troops and it killed 13 u.s. soldiers. it was david espinoza, nicole

gee, darren taylor hoover, ryan nah, hunter lopez, -- it was 13 service members who died a year ago today amid the pullout from afghanistan. this is stanley in florida, independent. good morning. caller: yeah. i don't think they had much choice but to get out of afghanistan. don't forget. donald trump wanted them out in march. and by that time, they just threw the weapons down.

but that's not why i called. but i called -- i've been watching that january 6 hearings that you still on air every night and i've been watching them since day one. and i don't see how he could ever run for president again. 144 police officers were hurt. and fox news is being sued too, by the voting company for almost $200 million. and news max should be taken off the air. when they're selling -- and everybody they have on there hates biden and they just keep going on and on and steve bannon and the other guy there. there's guys that don't want to text. remember what happened on january 6? do you remember? host: i remember family, yes. caller: do you remember when they're standing out there when all four of them out there,

donald trump jr. he said we're coming for you. mel brooks said kick ass and take names. giuliani said trial by combat. and trump said we got to take our country back or we won't have a country and we got to get in there and fight. and he did. they did fight and he hit them with flags. they hit them with spears, sprayed them. did everything they could and he wants to rerun for president? give me a break. host: stanley in florida. back to laguna woods, california. mike, independent. good morning. caller: good morning. i'm calling to channel the famous humorous will rogers with respect to the president's forgiveness of a loan, $20,000. the president is being generous with other people's money.

and unfortunately, this is a very -- demagoguery that politicians play. and there's a day of reckoning that's coming and unfortunately, we'll be -- the national media will be surprised. but there's really no reason to be surprised. our federal government is fiscally irresponsible and, again, the day of reckoning is coming. host: when you talk about the day of reckoning, are you talking about the midterm election? caller: well, not necessarily. i think to make it a much more broad warning here that a major depression, the great depression that occurred as a result of similar kind of fiscal irresponsibility, a person of much larger scale. what you'll find is the news

media and representatives will slap themselves on the forehead in surprise. they won't slap themselves hard enough in my point of view but it's coming. the fiscal day of reckoning will be here. there is no end amount of the federal money can dispense, of course. the misventures in afghan are more irresponsible misspent of fiscal responsibility. but this is one. and it's out there in the open. it is very disappointing. host: here's a website that we often show on this program. real time of the u.s. national debt. it's the usdebtclock.org.

that comes out to about $92,000 per u.s. citizen or if you prefer it by taxpayer in this country, $244,000 per u.s. taxpayer. to greg in richmond, virginia, republican. good morning. caller: president biden, he's been in office now for two years and he was vice president for eight. so like for the past 10 out of 14 years, he's been running the country. now, this student debt issue is not brand-new. it's been around for a while. and the democrats had been in bed with academia in the unions for oh, going back to the 1960's. it's all been democrat when it comes to donations, political

donations, the democrats get all their money from academia and from the unions, the teachers union. now all this time he's been in control and now, the best thing he can come up with or an answer to this student debt is to take my money and give it to other people? that's the best he can come up with? that's just so typical of the democrats. he throws some money at people right before an election to make him think he's doing something. he hasn't done a thing. he hasn't solve a problem. he just is throwing money to buy votes and hasn't done a thing. he's been in charge for 10 of the past 14 years. hasn't done a thing. and now he's just going to throw some money and -- oh, what a wonderful president he is. host: so paul -- greg, i apologize. paul in today's "new york times" poses a question. he obviously is somebody who is

with in favor of this loan repayment effort. he said to republicans whining that this plan does nothing for blue collar americans who didn't go to college here's a question. what are you proposing to do for such people other than tax cuts on the rich and a claim that those benefits will trickle down? what do you think about that column, the question he poses in the "new york times"? caller: well, you're breaking up a little bit. if you are referring to the tax -- the tax breaks to the rich over the past few years, i mean, nobody gets a job from a poor person. you have to incentivize rich people to do well because when they do well, there's more job, there's more money and more good solid improvements to our economy. not this just print money and giving it out. that's not the american way.

host: that was greg in richmond, virginia. this is fred, in houston, texas, line for democrats about 15 minutes left in this segment of the "washington journal." fred, what do you think was the top news story in the past week? caller: yes. the -- about the student loans. i just don't understand why republicans can complain about it. i never heard them complain about when farmers was getting free money. you remember when the farmers was having a rough time and we gave them money? the p.p.e., they have republicans that got this money that don't have to pay it back. it just seems like any time when the middle class or the poor,

let me just narrow it down to when black and brown people get a tax break, get a break, everybody want to complain but you didn't complain when the white farmers was getting this money. we was bailing our farmers left and right. and doing the covid most of the small business money takes don't even have to pay this money back. but now since these students getting this money, everybody complain. and one more thing i wanted to say. when you read them soldiers that lost their lives in afghanistan, i don't remember the 15, 20, i just think that's wrong. because if you're going to -- and i'm sorry that they lost their life. why did you read off them particular names when all the lives that were lost in afghanistan that the republicans pushed these wars for years? i just don't think you just read off the ones that lost their

life when we was leaving when all -- you had so many names and people that lost their lives behind republicans that want to fight wars. and that's all i have to say. host: fred in houston, texas. fred, you bring up members of congress receiving paycheck protection programs, loans for their businesses during the pandemic. the white house, the official white house account getting a lot of attention for a tweet yesterday evening pointing out one such member of congress. republican of georgia, marchry taylor green from the official white house account pointing out that she had $183,504 in p.p.e. loans that were forgiven in response to a tweet in which she was criticizing the white house's plans for student loan

forgiveness. russell in south carolina. republican. good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to say that about the student loan debt. you have not shown one clip of the republican that said it. biden didn't have the authority and read a statement from the republicans. why don't you be more fair and show the clip that nancy pelosi saying that he does not have authority to do that and read a couple of clips from democrats. make it fair. host: so i showed biden announcing the program. showed the tweets about it yesterday on this program. we showed the clip exactly that you're talking about. so just trying to give you all the reaction to that announcement yesterday. judy in seattle, washington, independent. good morning. caller: good morning. and as opposed to the independent general, i'm a

constitutionalist and that is nothing that biden has done that is constitutional. definitely, he has assisted hunger in his larceny and participated. the student loan forgiveness as to a -- adds a debt that raises inflation and the people who will be hurt the worst by deshaun that are the people who can least afford it, the gentleman who preceded me was talking about white people don't complain about black people and brown people, that when they don't get any handouts. but when they do. well, i'm sorry, but who do you think is going to suffer the most? it's people of color or it's people who are unemployed,

underemployed and there's plenty of people of all colors. not just black and brown who are suffering terribly because of inflation. and the more spending there is the more inflation will go up. and he has no constitutional authority for anything he's done. the raid on mar-a-lago was definitely unconstitutional in every respect. the raid on james o'keefe was unconstitutional. it's just been nothing he has done has been constitutional. host: when you >> now to a conversation on the state of press freedom in afghanistan a year after the u.s. with draw from the country. live coverage here on c-span.