{"podcast":{"title":"Unwritten Law","slug":"unwritten-law-7233280","podcast_index_feed_id":7233280,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/unwritten-law/","website_url":"https://nclalegal.org/media/unwritten-law/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4e6a8de9-fe92-45b5-9f8f-906c310aa90c/8tfnSzWGybasy_xFa3_tP4Hx.jpg","author":"Mark Chenoweth & John Vecchione","episode_count":129,"summary":"Every day, unelected federal agencies make decisions that affect your job, your business, your speech, your property, and your constitutional rights—often without Congress ever voting on them. From the rules that govern small businesses to the regulations that shape everyday life, the modern administrative state reaches further than most Americans realize. On Unwritten Law, constitutional lawyers Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione break down the biggest legal battles involving federal agencies, government overreach, and the Constitution. Each episode explores real cases challenging the expanding power of the administrative state, explaining how these disputes affect ordinary Americans, businesses, and the future of limited government. Whether the topic is the Supreme Court, free speech, property rights, due process, jury trials, executive power, or the separation of powers, Unwritten Law explains the legal issues behind today's biggest constitutional debates in clear, accessible language. You'll hear directly from the attorneys litigating landmark cases, as well as clients whose lives and livelihoods have been changed by unlawful government action. Produced by the New Civil Liberti…","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T16:20:49.476532+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280"},"episode":{"title":"Student Loan Pauses, Standing, and Lost Subsidies","slug":"student-loan-pauses-standing-and-lost-subsidies","published_at":"2026-02-20T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280/student-loan-pauses-standing-and-lost-subsidies","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280","url":"https://unwritten-law.captivate.fm/episode/student-loan-pauses-standing-and-lost-subsidies","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/b6fe0dcc-0526-44f8-8ce6-77382dd04aed.mp3","summary":"In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Russ Ryan to discuss a recent oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit challenging the federal government’s student loan payment and interest pause. The case, Mackinac Center for Public Policy v. U.S. Department of Education , focuses on the executive branch’s decision—under both the Trump and Biden administrations—to extend a moratorium on student loan payments and interest accrual long after Congress’s limited authorization expired. Russ explains why those unilateral extensions wiped away billions of dollars in interest without statutory authority. The discussion zeroes in on standing: how nonprofit public-interest employers benefit from Congress’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, why administrative action that reduces outstanding student debt can unlawfully diminish that congressionally granted subsidy, and how Supreme Court precedent—most notably Clinton v. City of New York —supports the theory that loss of a subsidy is a concrete injury. Mark, John, and Russ also unpack the judges’ questions at oral argument, the Sixth Circuit’s prior rulings, and why this case could clarify when organizations may challenge executive actions that override Congress’s spending decisions.","meta_description":"In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Russ Ryan to discuss a recent…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1587,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unwritten-law-7233280/episodes/student-loan-pauses-standing-and-lost-subsidies/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280/student-loan-pauses-standing-and-lost-subsidies.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}