{"id":766,"date":"2025-03-21T08:53:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/21\/trump-administration-briefing-democrats-denounce-education-department-shutdown-the-guardian-us\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T08:53:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:53:53","slug":"trump-administration-briefing-democrats-denounce-education-department-shutdown-the-guardian-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/21\/trump-administration-briefing-democrats-denounce-education-department-shutdown-the-guardian-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration briefing: Democrats denounce education department \u2018shutdown\u2019 – The Guardian US"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Donald Trump<\/a> signed an executive order on Thursday that instructs the US education secretary, Linda McMahon, to start dismantling the education department, seemingly attempting to circumvent the need to obtain congressional approval to formally close a federal department.<\/p>\n

The administration may eventually pursue an effort to get Congress to shut down the agency, Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House on Thursday, because its budget had more than doubled in size in recent years but national test scores had not improved.<\/p>\n

The federal government does not mandate curriculum in schools; that has been the responsibility of state and local governments, which provide 90% of the funding to schools. Nevertheless, at the White House, Trump repeated his campaign promise to \u201csend education back to the states\u201d.<\/p>\n

Democrats on Capitol Hill denounced the executive order and warned it could leave in jeopardy millions of low-income families, who rely on federal funding in schools.<\/p>\n

Hakeem Jeffries, the US House minority leader, said in a statement: \u201cShutting down the Department of Education will harm millions of children in our nation\u2019s public schools, their families and hardworking teachers. Class sizes will soar, educators will be fired, special education programs will be cut and college will get even more expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are the key US politics<\/a> story from Thursday:<\/p>\n

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Trump orders dismantling of education department<\/h2>\n

The executive order targeting the education department, which has been expected for weeks, directed McMahon to take all necessary steps to shut down key functionalities.<\/p>\n

Trump added at the signing ceremony that he hoped McMahon would be the last education secretary.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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US rejects Mexico\u2019s request for water<\/h2>\n

The United States has for the first time refused a request by Mexico<\/a> for water, alleging shortfalls in sharing by its southern neighbor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMexico\u2019s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture \u2013 particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley,\u201d the state department said. The 1944 treaty has come under growing strain in recent years due to the pressures of the climate crisis and burgeoning populations in parched areas.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pam Bondi to charge Tesla damage suspects with \u2018domestic terrorism\u2019<\/h2>\n

The US attorney general announced charges against three people she accused of \u201cviolent destruction of Tesla properties\u201d, amid protests and controversy over Tesla owner Elon Musk<\/a>\u2019s role in slashing US government staffing and budgets under Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a statement on Thursday, Pam Bondi<\/a> said<\/a>: \u201cThe days of committing crimes without consequence have ended. Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Revolt looms over defense shake-up<\/h2>\n

Republicans<\/a> on Capitol Hill are threatening a revolt against a defense shake-up reportedly planned by the Trump administration that could see the US relinquish its command of Nato<\/a> forces in Europe.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Musk\u2019s daughter says rally gesture \u2018definitely a Nazi salute\u2019<\/h2>\n

Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk\u2019s eldest child, has spoken out publicly about her father, saying that Musk \u201cdefinitely [did] a Nazi salute\u201d at two rallies<\/a> in January and that he is part of a White House that\u2019s \u201ccartoonishly evil\u201d.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Judge demands answers from White House on deportation flights to El Salvador<\/h2>\n

A federal judge instructed the Trump administration on Thursday to explain why its failure to turn around flights carrying deportees to El Salvador did not violate his court order in a growing showdown between the judicial and executive branches.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018Deported because of his tattoos\u2019: has the US targeted Venezuelans for their body art?<\/h2>\n

The US claims that tattoos prove membership of the Tren de Aragua gang but relatives instead describe tributes to God, family and Real Madrid.<\/p>\n

Tom Phillips and Clavel Rangel with this in-depth feature about Franco Jos\u00e9 Caraballo Tiapa, one of scores shipped to El Salvador by the Trump administration last weekend as part of his hard-line immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Judge bars Trump administration from deporting Indian academic over political views<\/h2>\n

A US district judge has barred Donald Trump\u2019s administration from deporting an Indian academic from Georgetown University after the Department of Homeland Security accused him of having ties to Hamas.<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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