The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced earlier this week that they were again extending its waiver deadline for those in need of baby formula.

On Wednesday, the agency said the waivers made available through the federal WIC nutrition program would be extended through the end of the year.

The current waivers were set to expire on Sept. 30.

“USDA recognizes the flexibilities provided by these waivers remain necessary as we continue to pull every lever to address infant formula supply issues and provide certainty for families,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release. “We will continue to work all hands on deck to ensure families can access infant formula, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to get more safe formula on store shelves nationwide.”

The waiver program was first introduced in June to deal with the infant formula crisis.

The crisis began in February amid the coronavirus pandemic and then was exacerbated after Abbott announced a voluntary recall and then had to shut its Michigan factory due to contamination, the agency said.

The agency said close to 500 waivers have been issued to WIC state agencies.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced last week it had canceled more than $400 million in student loans for people who attended for-profit colleges.

The ruling affects 16,000 students who the government says were defrauded by for-profit colleges, including 1,800 former DeVry University students.

While it comes as a relief to thousands of people and their families, it's left some to wonder: If President Joe Biden can cancel debt for those students, can he cancel debt for everyone?

AMERICA'S DEBT PROBLEM

The U.S. has accrued nearly $1.75 trillion worth of student debt nationwide.

In Florida, the average debt for those with loans is around $24,000. In Montana, it's averaging just over $27,000. In Wisconsin, it's over $30,000.

Similar numbers are reported in most states throughout the country.

A RELUCTANT PRESIDENT

When Biden ran for office, he pledged to cancel student debt. However, since he has taken office, he has not acted on his own to do it.

Instead, he has encouraged Congress to take action to cancel student debt — a move that has frustrated many in his party.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, has recently called on the Biden Administration to take more action to cancel student debt.

CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED

But that doesn't mean no changes are happening. In fact, some changes have already occurred that are impacting families.

For one, every American with federal student loan debt has enjoyed nearly two years of not having to make the payments — without interest accumulating on those loans.

Since March of 2020, under a program that began under former President Donald Trump, federal payments have been suspended. Biden has extended the pandemic-related policy several times since taking office.

May 1 is when federal student loan payments are set to resume. However, that date may get pushed back again.

Additionally, federal law already allows Americans who work in public service to get their debt forgiven after working a certain number of years.

Before Biden took office, the process was complicated, and many borrowers were denied loan forgiveness over technicalities. A new waiver by the Biden administration has changed some of that, and experts now say 9.3 million Americans are now eligible for student loan forgiveness. That includes teachers, police officers, government employees and even some who work for non-profits. Those who think they may qualify are encouraged to apply — or re-apply.

Finally, a big change has happened recently involving bankruptcies.

Student loans aren't treated the same way as credit cards when someone files for bankruptcy. While it's possible to get the debt discharged, typically, the debt stays with someone after they get a bankruptcy ruling. However, in New Jersey, a federal judge decided to interpret the law differently and canceled more than $100,000 in one man's student debt after he filed for bankruptcy. The Justice Department has decided not to object to that case, a rare move, and the Department is now reviewing bankruptcy policies going forward.

PRESSURE ON PRESIDENT

Still, Biden is facing pressure to do more.

The White House has not yet released an internal legal analysis showing whether Biden's attorneys believe he has the authority to cancel debt on his own.

Many members of Congress believe he does and would like to see that analysis released.

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Yeah. Mhm. In the grand scheme of things, you feel very helpless and you were evaluating and watching uh, everything by the minute and you, you know, you can call your parents, call your loved ones to see how they're doing, but there's only so much you can do right now in system, go to hospital, go this and that. But if, say if they get sick and if beds are not available, if oxygen is not available, what can you do right now? Yeah. Yeah. Woman, We learned a 32 year old, okay. Uh, in our apartment complex pass from corona. It happened two days gone. His mother is sick, then one of our first cousin, another part of the city. He got really sick, relatively young and he was on ventilator and then he passed away and then I was like, man, this is getting serious. Um, so we forced the dad who kept on insisting he doesn't have corona. Everything is good to go. He got tested and he was positive. and then, you know, uh, things escalated. And then the same day my mom heard from her uncle who's about, who's in his seventies and he, he was fully vaccinated by the way he passed away in corona. And now we're just hearing so many cases. Yes. The times of India has got a lot of information, you know, that a lot of different channels like that, luckily his temperature, oxygen, everything is good right now. So you can hope and trade that. It doesn't get bad. But if it gets bad, what's going to happen? Who you gonna call? Like someone, Like I said, my other friends, they're in India, there are sick and the parents in the hospital, it's just, so what we're gonna do then. So it, it seems like a very helplessness situation right now?

Biden administration to restrict travel from India

Updated: 2:36 PM EDT Apr 30, 2021

Video above: Indians in US feel helpless amid India COVID surgeThe Biden administration will restrict travel from India starting on Tuesday on the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a White House official told CNN."The policy was implemented in light of extraordinarily high COVID-19 caseloads and multiple variants circulating in India," a White House official said.The administration will issue a 212(f) order restricting entry into the U.S. for foreign nationals who have been in India within the previous 14 days, a source familiar with the move said. Airlines have been told of the decision, the source said.The new policy will take effect at 12:01 am ET Tuesday.The policy won't apply to American citizens, lawful permanent residents or other people with exemptions. As with all international travelers, individuals who fit that criteria traveling from India must still test negative prior to leaving the country, quarantine if they have not been vaccinated and test negative again upon reentering the U.S. from India.The restrictions also do not apply to humanitarian workers.The White House informed congressional offices on Friday of the move.This is a developing story.

Video above: Indians in US feel helpless amid India COVID surge

The Biden administration will restrict travel from India starting on Tuesday on the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a White House official told CNN.

"The policy was implemented in light of extraordinarily high COVID-19 caseloads and multiple variants circulating in India," a White House official said.

The administration will issue a 212(f) order restricting entry into the U.S. for foreign nationals who have been in India within the previous 14 days, a source familiar with the move said. Airlines have been told of the decision, the source said.

The new policy will take effect at 12:01 am ET Tuesday.

The policy won't apply to American citizens, lawful permanent residents or other people with exemptions. As with all international travelers, individuals who fit that criteria traveling from India must still test negative prior to leaving the country, quarantine if they have not been vaccinated and test negative again upon reentering the U.S. from India.

The restrictions also do not apply to humanitarian workers.

The White House informed congressional offices on Friday of the move.

This is a developing story.