{"id":776,"date":"2025-03-21T08:53:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/21\/president-begins-process-of-shutting-down-the-department-of-education-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T08:53:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T08:53:48","slug":"president-begins-process-of-shutting-down-the-department-of-education-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/03\/21\/president-begins-process-of-shutting-down-the-department-of-education-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"President begins process of shutting down the Department of Education – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New political spending signals Elon Musk\u2019s huge role in the GOP is still growing<\/h2>\n
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Ben Kamisar<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Allan Smith<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After having sunk more than a quarter-billion dollars into the 2024 election and then taken a central role in Trump\u2019s administration, Musk is demonstrating that he\u2019s not done with his efforts to reshape American politics.<\/p>\n

Musk, the public face of Trump\u2019s attempts to take a chainsaw to the federal bureaucracy, is a constant fixture on White House grounds and on his social media platform, X. Meanwhile, the super PAC he founded is the top outside spender in the April 1 election that will determine the majority on Wisconsin\u2019s state Supreme Court, and Musk is also demonstrating his willingness to use his wallet to reward Trump loyalists in Congress \u2014 and, some fear, to punish others \u2014 as he closely watches the political landscape.<\/p>\n

It all makes Musk a megadonor without much parallel in modern political history \u2014 someone who not only can fundamentally reshape a campaign with a single check but is also a prominent political figure in his own right, both as a business executive and as the de facto leader of Trump\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency.<\/p>\n

In short, Musk\u2019s prominence, his virtually unlimited bank account and his penchant for controversy are poised to play a big role in upcoming elections \u2014 for both parties, in different ways.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Voters praise AOC and Bernie Sanders for going on offense against Trump<\/h2>\n
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Reporting from Tempe, Arizona<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Several people at tonight’s \u201cFight Oligarchy\u201d tour stop in Tempe, Arizona, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., praised the two lawmakers for playing offense against Trump\u2019s agenda and encouraged Democrats to be more aggressive in confronting Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just hearing them speak is going to give us a lot of hope. Just to go ahead and rally us and let us all know, like, the fight\u2019s not over,\u201d Samantha Petras, a resident of Phoenix, told NBC News.<\/p>\n

Petras added that Democrats \u201cneed to come together and figure out a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, unfortunately, the conservatives are playing a really good game of chess, and now it\u2019s time for the Dems to go ahead and step up to the plate and figure out how we\u2019re going to go ahead and take our democracy back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Betsy Munoz, a lifelong Phoenix resident, noted the high energy among the thousands of people who attended the Tempe event and said she hopes to see the gatherings continue. She said the events with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez could have a \u201ctrickle-down effect\u201d and encourage local leaders to energize their followings, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens at the federal level affects the state side, as well,\u201d Munoz said. \u201cIt\u2019s really important to see that there\u2019s people fighting for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Marc Borzcon, who attended the event with his 21-year-old son, Dylan, said Democrats need to play \u201ca little lower\u201d against Republicans. He called Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s support for advancing a Republican funding bill last week the wrong approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should have shut the government down,\u201d said Borzcon, 55. \u201cI have no doubt in my mind that that was the proper thing to do under the circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recent polling by NBC News found that Democratic voters want their lawmakers to resist Trump\u2019s agenda rather than find areas of compromise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just feel at this moment, like, what do we do? \u00a0We want to show up, and we want to be part of fighting what\u2019s going on right now,\u201d Borzcon said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Detained Georgetown University grad student never made pro-Hamas statements, attorney says<\/h2>\n
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Phil Helsel<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Gary Grumbach<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Chloe Atkins<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A Georgetown University graduate student from India who\u00a0was taken into custody\u00a0<\/a>this week and targeted for deportation by the Trump administration never made any pro-Hamas or antisemitic comments, his lawyer said.<\/p>\n

Immigration agents detained Badar Khan Suri<\/a>, a postdoctoral fellow who teaches at Georgetown and has a visa, outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday night, his attorney has said. The Department of Homeland Security claimed Suri is \u201cactively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suri\u2019s lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, denied today that Suri ever made pro-Hamas or antisemitic statements.\u201cThis is still the United States of America, and we don\u2019t punish people, we don\u2019t whisk them away and send them 1,000 miles away from their family, based on what they may have said, what they may have posted on social media or who they are related to,\u201d Ahmad said.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders rally Democrats, calling for a party that \u2018fights harder\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Melanie Zanona<\/span>Melanie Zanona is a Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nnamdi Egwuonwu<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Melanie Zanona<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Nnamdi Egwuonwu<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Brennan Leach<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At the first stop of their \u201cFighting Oligarchy\u201d tour out West, two of the Democratic Party\u2019s most unabashed progressive lawmakers had plenty to say about Trump. But they also had some strong words for their own party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about Republicans. We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us, too,\u201d Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. told the fired-up crowd gathered at the Craig Ranch Amphitheater to see her and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. \u201cBut what that means is that we as a community must choose and vote for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Ocasio-Cortez did not mention any Democratic leaders by name, the crowd broke out into multiple \u201cPrimary Chuck\u201d chants \u2014 a reference to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who backed down from a funding fight with Trump last week. The move enraged the base and prompted some of Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s House colleagues to encourage her to mount a primary challenge to Schumer, her fellow New Yorker, in 2028.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Demonstrators across the country protested the Trump administration\u2019s plans to possibly privatize the U.S. Postal Service.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump withdraws executive order targeting major law firm after reaching agreement<\/h2>\n
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Trump said tonight on Truth S<\/a>o<\/a>cial<\/a> that he is withdrawing an executive order that targeted security clearances and federal contracts at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP following an agreement he reached with the law firm.<\/p>\n

The agreement’s terms, according to Trump’s post, include the firm’s rejection of polices tied to diversity, equity and inclusion. The firm also agreed to invest $40 million in pro bono legal services during Trump\u2019s second term backing his initiatives on \u201cassisting our Nation\u2019s veterans,\u00a0fairness in the Justice System,\u00a0the President\u2019s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, and other mutually agreed projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

“As part of\u00a0its\u00a0commitment,\u00a0it\u00a0will engage experts, to be mutually agreed upon within 14 days, to conduct a comprehensive audit of all of\u00a0its\u00a0employment practices,” the agreement says.<\/p>\n

Brad Karp, the firm’s chairman, said in a statement released by the White House: \u201cWe are gratified that the President has agreed to withdraw the Executive Order concerning Paul, Weiss. We look forward to an engaged and constructive relationship with the President and his Administration.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A spokesperson for the firm did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.<\/p>\n

Trump issu<\/a>ed<\/a> an executive order<\/a> last week to suspend any security clearances for Paul, Weiss employees, terminate government contracts with the firm, block its employees from entering government buildings and bar government employees “from acting in their official capacity from engaging with Paul Weiss employees to ensure consistency with the national security and other interests of the United States.”<\/p>\n

Trump had issued an executive order similarly restricting employees at the law firm Perkins Coie. A federal judge blocked <\/a>the order <\/a>in part<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Elon Musk received court summons in SEC suit over failure to properly disclose Twitter stake<\/h2>\n
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Elon Musk<\/a>\u00a0received a court summons last week in connection with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s lawsuit over allegations he failure to properly disclose purchases of Twitter stock in 2022 before he placed a bid to buy the company, according to a filing today.<\/p>\n

A process server delivered the civil summons to Musk on March 14 at the headquarters of SpaceX in Brownsville, Texas, the filing said. The server noted that upon his arrival at the SpaceX facility, three different security guards refused to accept the documents and one told him he was trespassing. He \u201cplaced the documents on the ground\u201d and left while the guards photographed him and his car.<\/p>\n

The summons pertains to a case concerning Musk\u2019s eventual purchase of Twitter, now known as X, for $44 billion in 2022. Before the acquisition, Musk built up a position in the company of greater than 5%, which would have required disclosing his holdings to the public within 10 calendar days of reaching that threshold.<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0SEC\u2019s civil complaint<\/a>, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., in January, Musk was more than 10 days late in reporting that material information, \u201callowing him to underpay by at least $150 million for shares he purchased after his financial beneficial ownership report was due.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Chuck Schumer says a \u2018lawless\u2019 Trump has caused a constitutional crisis<\/h2>\n
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Reporting from Washington<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump\u2019s\u00a0escalating attacks on the judiciary<\/a>\u00a0have resulted in a constitutional crisis.<\/p>\n

In an interview with NBC News\u2019 \u201cMeet the Press,\u201d Schumer assailed Trump\u2019s recent calls to impeach a judge who ruled against him in a case involving his efforts to deport Venezuelan immigrants. Judges and plaintiffs in some cases have accused Trump of\u00a0violating<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0sidestepping<\/a>\u00a0court orders as he faces a litany of legal challenges to his executive actions.<\/p>\n

Asked whether he agrees with scholars who say the United States is in a constitutional crisis, Schumer responded, \u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd democracy is at risk. Look, Donald Trump is a lawless, angry man. He thinks he should be king. He thinks he should do whatever he wants, regardless of the law, and he thinks judges should just listen to him,\u201d Schumer told moderator Kristen Welker. The full interview will air on \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Read the full report here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Wisconsin Republican opts for virtual town hall over in-person event<\/h2>\n
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Kate Santaliz<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Nnamdi Egwuonwu<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., opted to skip a town hall this afternoon organized by his constituents and local Democratic groups at a library in Eau Claire.<\/p>\n

Van Orden was invited to participate but never confirmed his attendance. Instead, he chose to host a virtual town hall on Facebook, where he answered submitted questions read aloud by a staffer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hous<\/a>e<\/a> Re<\/a>publican leaders <\/a>h<\/a>a<\/a>ve a<\/a>dvised their members<\/a> against town hall events amid backlash to the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.<\/p>\n

Republican lawmakers, including Van Orden, have argued that people protesting Trump’s agenda at town halls are paid protesters. He repeated the claim during today’s virtual event.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat is just disrespectful to you, and I\u2019m not going to allow those folks to do that,\u201d he said in his opening remarks.<\/p>\n

Van Orden’s absence was noted at the Eau Claire event. At the front of the library venue, organizers left an empty chair for him with a sign that read \u201cReserved for Congressman Van Orden.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, several members of the primarily Democratic audience directed their questions at him, with one attendee responding specifically to his claim that paid agitators are showing up to town halls for Republican lawmakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hear of my own volition. Congressman Van Orden would like you to believe that anyone is critical of him is paid by dark, mysterious forces,\u201d said John Sterling, a veteran and Eau Claire resident.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongressman Van Orden, why aren\u2019t you doing in-person, town hall meetings here in Wisconsin\u2019s 3rd Congressional District? Are you afraid to answer some tough questions?\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

Another attendee, Lynne Wagner, said she’s still waiting to get an answer from Van Orden about DOGE\u2019s cutting her son\u2019s project at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Wagner said that Van Orden’s staff assured her that he would respond but that he hasn’t done so yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, my question for Mr. Van Orden is: Where are you, and how can your constituents reach you?\u201d she said to the audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What to know about how Trump\u2019s executive order will affect American education<\/h2>\n
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Trump\u00a0signed an executive order today <\/a>in an effort to \u201cbegin eliminating the federal Department of Education.\u201d With the stroke of his pen, he officially set in motion a plan to shutter the 46-year-old agency, as he said, \u201conce and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the order stops short of immediately closing the department, which cannot be done without congressional approval. Rather, according to the text of the order released by the White House, it directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to \u201ctake all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the signing, Trump said federal Pell grants (a common type of federal undergraduate financial aid), Title I funding and resources and funding for children with disabilities would be \u201cpreserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the department,\u201d he said, adding that he would do so \u201cas quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump bashes judge blocking his deportation plan<\/h2>\n
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Trump again criticized Chief Judge James Boasberg<\/a> of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who temporarily blocked the administration’s efforts to invoke a rarely used wartime law to justify deportation flights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Judge James Boasberg is doing everything in his power to usurp the Power of the Presidency,” Trump wr<\/a>o<\/a>te o<\/a>n Truth Social<\/a>, calling Boasberg’s rulings “ridiculous.”<\/p>\n

Trump has repeatedly attacked judges who have impeded his efforts, including calling for the Boasberg’s impeachment<\/a>. <\/a>He did not call for Boasberg’s impeachment in tonight’s post, which came shortly after Boasberg called the Justice Department’s recent responses to his questions “woefully insufficient.”<\/a><\/p>\n

In an earlier post<\/a> this evening, Trump derided judges who have issued injunctions against some of his policies, claiming they “could very well lead to the destruction of our Country!” Trump also called on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to immediately “fix” the issue of nationwide injunctions.<\/p>\n

Roberts this week publicly rebuked Trump <\/a>for saying judges who rule against him should be impeached.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Education secretary expands on Trump’s dismantling plans<\/h2>\n
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Garrett Haake<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Caroline Kenny<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Nnamdi Egwuonwu<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Education Secretary Linda McMahon today expanded on Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department and how soon it could affect students.<\/p>\n

In an interview with NBC News\u2019 Garrett Haake, McMahon said implementing changes at the department will take time. She said students and families will most likely not \u201cimmediately\u201d feel the effects of the order.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think anything happens immediately. I\u2019d like to snap my fingers and have education reformed, you know, throughout the country, but it\u2019s going to take a bit, and then we\u2019re going to work very strongly and consistently with the states,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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McMahon said certain responsibilities will remain with the department, like funding for special needs students and the management of Pell grants.<\/p>\n

“Those programs that are outward-facing to our students and individuals will continue,” she said.<\/p>\n

Haake pressed McMahon about how the administration plans to dismantle the Education Department without the involvement of Congress, which holds the power to create and shutter departments. McMahon said the administration is focusing first on what it can achieve outside of Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking at what other things we might, can transfer that might not need congressional approval at this point. And we\u2019re going through and looking at them to determine what they are,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In subsequent remarks to reporters at the White House, McMahon said the department’s investigations into civil rights violations could be housed in the Justice Department.<\/p>\n

“I mean, the Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General [Pam] Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there,” McMahon said.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, McMahon said, she’ll work to convince lawmakers that “students are going to be better served by eliminating the bureaucracy of the Department of Education.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. Bill Cassidy says he\u2019ll introduce a bill to eliminate the Education Department<\/h2>\n
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Zo\u00eb Richards<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Syedah Asghar<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said <\/a>this afternoon<\/a> that he plans to soon introduce legislation to eliminate the Education Department.<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed its mission,\u201d\u00a0Cassidy said in a statement.\u00a0\u201cSince the Department can only be shut down with congressional approval, I will support the President\u2019s goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

His statement came almost immediately after Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Education<\/a> Department<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Wis., who chairs the Education and Workforce Committee, also offered his support for Trump’s order.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key to improving education is empowering parents and students and reducing the role of Washington bureaucrats,\u201d Walberg said, adding that he believes the move will \u201censure our nation\u2019s youth are put first.\u201d<\/p>\n

The committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Bobby Scott, of Virginia, blasted the executive order in a statement, calling it \u201creckless\u201d and arguing it “will exacerbate existing disparities, reduce accountability” and put “at risk” rural and low-income students, students of color and students with disabilities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Judge rips DOJ\u2019s \u2018woefully insufficient\u2019 response to questions on Alien Enemies Act case<\/h2>\n
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Gary Grumbach<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Ken Dilanian<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Dareh Gregorian<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A federal judge today blasted the Justice Department\u2019s latest response\u00a0to his demand for more information<\/a>\u00a0about deportation flights that were carried out under a wartime law known as the\u00a0Alien Enemies Act<\/a>, calling it \u201cwoefully insufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. District Judge\u00a0James Boasberg\u00a0<\/a>wrote in a three-page ruling that the government \u201cagain evaded its obligations\u201d to provide information that he had been demanding for days about the timing of the flights Saturday.\u00a0Trump<\/a>\u00a0had invoked the rarely used law to deport people the administration claimed were members of a Venezuelan gang deemed a \u201cforeign terrorist organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

At an emergency hearing Saturday, Boasberg had directed that any deportation flights being carried out under the Alien Enemies Act authority immediately return to the United States. Two flights landed in Honduras and El Salvador within hours of his order.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department submitted its response under seal, but Boasberg said it told him he could disclose the contents. It comprised \u201ca six-paragraph declaration from the Acting Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s Harlingen, Texas, Field Office\u201d that did not include any new information about the flights, Boasberg wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump says rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine could be signed ‘very shortly’<\/h2>\n
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Trump said at the White House today that he will sign a rare earth minerals deal “very shortly” with Ukraine.<\/p>\n

“We’re doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia, and one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine, which they have tremendous value in rare earth, and we appreciate that,” Trump said.<\/p>\n

Trump also referred to his recent conversations with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, saying, “We spoke yesterday with, as you know, President Putin and President Zelenskyy, and we would love to see that come to an end.”<\/p>\n

“I think we’re doing pretty well in that regard,” Trump said. “I believe we’ll get it done. We’ll see what happens, but I believe we’ll get it done today.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After Trump order, DOGE descends upon the Institute of Museum and Library Services<\/h2>\n
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Ryan J. Reilly<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sydney Carruth<\/span>Sydney Carruth is a digital assistant for NBC News.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ryan J. Reilly<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Sydney Carruth<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A visit from DOGE staffers this afternoon at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the bedrock of federal support for the nation’s museums and libraries, has ignited fears among union leaders that the agency’s staff could be next on the chopping block. <\/p>\n

DOGE staffers appeared at the agency’s office in Washington’s L’Enfant Plaza on the heels of Trump\u2019s ordering that the independent government agency be downsized to only what is statutorily required, a move museum advocates worry could cost the country its cultural and public institutions as the agency all but shuts down. <\/p>\n

“IMLS is one of the biggest funders for museums, specifically small, rural museums,” a Washington museum professional who showed up at the office in support of the agency after the DOGE visit told NBC News. “It is like the main funder for libraries both in universities and your public library. And if you think of all the services your public library provides, those are going to get gutted.” <\/p>\n

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Keith Sonderling, Trump\u2019s deputy labor secretary, was sworn in as acting director of the institute this morning in the building’s lobby. Sonderling was surrounded by a security team and a handful of DOGE staff members who met with institute leaders after the ceremony. <\/p>\n

Sonderling, upon concluding the meeting, wrote an email announcement emphasizing his commitment to \u201crevitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country\u2019s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.\u201d <\/p>\n

A union representing employees of the institute said it expects most employees will be placed on administrative leave over the weekend or Monday amid the Trump takeover. <\/p>\n

“It remains unclear whether funding for existing grantees will continue, and whether new grants will be available in the future,” the union, AFGE Local 3403, said in a statement. <\/p>\n

The union also noted its commitment to working with Sonderling in good faith to continue the institute\u2019s mission with “efficiency and innovation.”<\/p>\n

“This whole idea of trying to rewrite American history, in some ways museums are going to be a bulwark against that, because we are going to be a space that preserves and shares the truth,” the Washington museum professional told NBC News outside the IMLS office. “And again, if we lose money, we can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Education Dept. layoffs gut statistics agency that issues Nation\u2019s Report Card<\/h2>\n
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Yamiche Alcindor<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Zo\u00eb Richards<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The layoffs at the Education Department have gutted a statistical agency \u2014\u00a0the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0that is responsible for compiling the Nation\u2019s Report Card and measuring the academic performance of students nationwide, according to union officials.<\/p>\n

NCES is a federal statistical agency tasked with data collection, analysis and reporting on U.S. education with the goal of boosting academic outcomes, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Policymakers and the public have used NCES data to measure student performance in the classroom, the productivity of teachers, school safety and other topics.<\/p>\n

ABC News\u00a0reported<\/a> earlier on the impact of the layoffs on the NCES.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump signs executive order to dismantle the Education Department <\/h2>\n
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Rebecca Shabad<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Garrett Haake<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Katherine Doyle<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Sarah Dean<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump signed an executive order today directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to\u00a0<\/strong>start\u00a0dismantling\u00a0the Education Department<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds strange, doesn\u2019t it? Department of Education. We\u2019re going to eliminate it,\u201d Trump said in the East Room of the White House at a ceremony where he was flanked by children seated at school desks.<\/p>\n

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the department would not be completely eliminated, saying its \u201ccritical functions\u201d would continue, including enforcing civil rights laws and overseeing student loans and Pell grants.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump urges Democrats to back his effort to dismantle Education Department<\/h2>\n
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Trump said at the White House today as he prepared to sign an executive order to dismantle the Education Department that the matter is likely to come before Congress and encouraged Democrats to vote for it. Fully abolishing the department would require a vote from Congress.<\/p>\n

“Everybody knows it\u2019s right, and the Democrats know it\u2019s right, and I hope they\u2019re going to be voting for it, because ultimately it may come before them,” Trump said, adding that the United States hasn’t performed well globally in education “for a long time.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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‘Hitting a fly with a sledgehammer’: Federal judge blasts DOGE and blocks access to Social Security records<\/h2>\n
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Gary Grumbach<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Chloe Atkins<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A federal judge in Maryland blocked DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration records. In a blistering ruling, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander said DOGE is \u201cessentially engaged in a fishing expedition” at the agency “in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hollander said: \u201cThe American public may well applaud and support the Trump Administration\u2019s mission to root out fraud, waste, and bloat from federal agencies, including SSA, to the extent it exists. But, by what means and methods?\u201d She added that DOGE has launched a search for \u201cthe proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo facilitate the expedition, SSA provided members of the SSA DOGE Team with unbridled access to the personal and private data of millions of Americans, including but not limited to Social Security numbers, medical records, mental health records, hospitalization records, drivers\u2019 license numbers, bank and credit card information, tax information, income history, work history, birth and marriage certificates, and home and work addresses,\u201d\u00a0she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hollander said the \u201cdefendants, with so called experts on the DOGE Team,\u201d never identify or articulate a reason DOGE needs \u201cunlimited access to SSA\u2019s entire record systems, thereby exposing personal, confidential, sensitive, and private information that millions of Americans entrusted to their government.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also said the administration has not \u201cattempted to explain why a more tailored, measured, titrated approach is not suitable to the task. Instead, the government simply repeats its incantation of a need to modernize the system and uncover fraud. Its method of doing so is tantamount to hitting a fly with a sledgehammer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my view, plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claim that such action is arbitrary and capricious, and in violation of the Privacy Act and the APA,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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GOP Rep. Mike Lawler demands the Social Security Administration explain a planned office closure in a critical location<\/h2>\n
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Rebecca Shabad<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Ryan Nobles<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., demanded that the Social Security Administration explain why its acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, plans to close an agency hearing office in White Plains, New York.<\/p>\n

According to Lawler’s office, SSA’s lease of the space in White Plains, in Westchester County, expires at the end of May and Dudek has rejected calls from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to maintain the office \u2014 the only one in the Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis office handles over 2,000 backlogged cases and conducts hundreds of in-person hearings every year,” Lawler said in a statement voicing anger at the Trump administration. “Telling my constituents that they now have to travel hours to Lower Manhattan, New Haven, the Bronx, or Goshen is completely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Other officials who have argued in favor of keeping the White Plains office open have also pointed to the travel time to other offices as a major reason not to close it. <\/p>\n

\u201cWestchester County offered a solution, and instead of working to find an alternative location, the SSA is turning its back on thousands of people who need these services. Concerns about mold don\u2019t justify abandoning folks in the Lower Hudson Valley,\u201d\u00a0Lawler added.<\/p>\n

The SSA didn\u2019t immediately reply to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Lawler wrote in a letter this month with Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y., that the SSA’s regional public affairs office in New York said the White Plains location was closing because the landlord is not interested in renewing the lease.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has taken steps to downsize the SSA’s workforce, with the agency announcing in February<\/a> that it planned to slash 7,000 people out of 57,000.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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U.S. Forest Service ordered removal of DEI materials from bulletin boards<\/h2>\n
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Jacob Soboroff<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Alexandra Marquez<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A memo early last month to staffers at the U.S. Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department, ordered that any materials relating to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts be removed from bulletin boards.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/picture>
A bulletin board at a U.S. Forest Service facility in California before the DEI materials order.<\/span>Obtained by NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The email, which was sent by Lois Lawson, the Forest Service’s deputy director of civil rights, said employee resource groups for workers of certain ethnicities or affinity groups would be disbanded and told staffers to suspend plans to celebrate or observe \u201cSpecial Emphasis Program[s].\u201d That was in line with the guidance\u00a0other agencies<\/a>\u00a0have also given employees after Trump signed an executive order seeking to eliminate DEI programs and celebrations from the federal government.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cPlease be advised that identity-based Employee Resource Groups and Special Emphasis Programs which involve Diversity Equity Inclusion\u00a0(DEI), should be disbanded.\u00a0Additionally, all Special Emphasis Program observances should be held in abeyance, which includes any statements and written communication. Additionally, any information posted on bulletin boards or other areas, should be immediately removed,\u201d Lawson wrote in the email, dated Feb. 3.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/picture>
A bulletin board at a U.S. Forest Service facility in California after the DEI materials order.<\/span>Obtained by NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Later in the month,\u00a0thousands of Forest Service employees were laid off<\/a>, joining thousands at other federal agencies who were laid because of Musk and DOGE’s push to reduce the federal workforce by firing workers who were still in their early probationary periods.<\/p>\n

The Forest Service, which oversees national forests and grasslands, employs\u00a0thousands of firefighters<\/a>\u00a0who help combat forest fires and assist in other emergencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. Warren calls Trump’s expected Education Department executive order a ‘code red’<\/h2>\n
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., slammed Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Education Department, saying in a statement that it’s “a code red for every public school student, parent, and teacher in this country.”<\/p>\n

“Trump is telling public school kids in America that their futures don\u2019t matter. Billionaires like Trump and Musk won\u2019t feel the difference when after school programs are slashed, class sizes go up, and help for families to pay for school gets cut,” she said in a statement first to NBC News. “But working families, students, and teachers will pay a heavy price.”<\/p>\n

Trump is expected to sign an executive order later today attempting to close the Education Department. However, a department cannot be shut unilaterally; it would require congressional action. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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McConnell says Trump’s dismantling of Education Department will land in court before Congress <\/h2>\n
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Sydney Carruth<\/span>Sydney Carruth is a digital assistant for NBC News.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rebecca Kaplan<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sydney Carruth<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Rebecca Kaplan<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the former Republican leader, dodged questions today about whether he would vote to shut down the Education Department should the measure reach Congress as Trump prepares to sign an executive order to dismantle, and eventually shutter, it this afternoon.<\/p>\n

McConnell, responding to questions from a reporter at a news conference in Kentucky who pointed out that Trump cannot shut down the department without congressional approval, said \u201cit\u2019s a good idea to reduce government spending\u201d but declined to elaborate on whether he supports dismantling the Education Department.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way to look at all of these reorganization efforts by the administration is what\u2019s legal and what isn\u2019t, and they\u2019ll be defined in the courts,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cThis is a different approach, and the courts will ultimately decide whether the president has the authority to take these various steps. Some may have different outcomes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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He added that while he is \u201cnot a fan\u201d of Trump\u2019s aggressive tariffs on longtime U.S. trade partners \u2014 noting their negative impact on Kentucky\u2019s key industries, like agriculture and bourbon \u2014 only skyrocketing prices, not legislative action, can stop the president.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of who has the authority to do it, the president has, unlike the earlier question on this, the president does have a lot of latitude. So there\u2019s no particular legislative act that we could take to stop it,\u201d McConnell said. “I think it\u2019ll be determined by whether the prices start going up, which is what typically happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Administration reiterates Trump will return education to the states<\/h2>\n
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The Trump administration released a statement today on the president’s plan for education ahead of his expected signing of an executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department. <\/p>\n

“Instead of maintaining the status quo that is failing American students, the Trump Administration\u2019s bold plan will return education where it belongs \u2014 with individual states, which are best positioned to administer effective programs and services that benefit their own unique populations and needs,” the administration said.<\/p>\n

The press release did not explicitly mention the expected executive order. <\/p>\n

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“Instead of a bloated federal system that burdens schools with regulations and paperwork, the Trump Administration believes states should be empowered to expand educational freedom and opportunity for all families,” it said. “Why would we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result?”<\/p>\n

Trump cannot unilaterally shutter a department. Instead, closing a department would require an act of Congress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Republican lawmaker booed during rowdy town hall after complaining crowd is \u2018obsessed\u2019 with the government <\/h2>\n
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Kate Santaliz<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Megan Lebowitz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reporting from LARAMIE, Wyo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman faced a torrent of heckles and boos during a town hall in deep-red Wyoming as she repeatedly tried to downplay constituents\u2019 concerns about the Trump administration\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people attended the town hall for the state’s sole House member, jeering Hageman on issues including\u00a0cuts to the federal government\u00a0<\/a>spearheaded by Elon Musk\u2019s\u00a0Department of Government Efficiency.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so bizarre to me how obsessed you are with federal government,\u201d Hageman told attendees, prompting more outbursts from the crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys are going to have a heart attack if you don\u2019t calm down,\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, your hysteria is just really over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full story here. <\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Government misses deadline to provide answers in Alien Enemies Act deportations case<\/h2>\n
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Judge James Boasberg had ordered the government to provide, by noon today, “the information discussed in the Minute Order of March 18, 2025, or to invoke the state-secrets doctrine and explain the basis for such invocation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of 1 p.m. ET, the government had\u00a0not\u00a0posted to the docket the information requested in five questions, nor had they posted to the docket invoking the state-secrets doctrine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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White House press secretary says loans and grants will remain at Education Department<\/h2>\n
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said today that \u201ccritical functions\u201d of the Department of Education \u2014 specifically student loans and Pell grants \u2014 will remain under the department\u2019s purview and will be \u201cmuch smaller,\u201d but stopped short of saying they will be eliminated.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This contradicts what Trump said earlier this month in the Oval Office when he suggested that student loans and federal grants would be moved to a different department.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

“That would be brought into either Treasury or Small Business Administration or Commerce, and we’ve actually had that discussion today,” Trump said to reporters then. “I don’t think that Education should be handling the loans. That’s not their business. I think it’ll be brought into Small Business, maybe.”<\/p>\n

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Leavitt on Thursday said, “The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today. … When it comes to student loans and Pell grants, those will still be run out of the Department of Education.”<\/p>\n

Her remarks come as Trump is set to sign an executive order later today that would aim to close the federal Department of Education, though formally eliminating the department would require an act of Congress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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NAACP president says Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Education Department marks ‘a dark day’<\/h2>\n
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NAACP President Derrick Johnson criticized Trump’s plans to try to dismantle the Department of Education, saying in a statement that Trump is “deliberately dismantling the basic functions of our democracy, one piece at a time.”<\/p>\n

“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” Johnson said ahead of Trump signing the executive order. “Don\u2019t be fooled, Trump doesn\u2019t have your back \u2014 he only cares about the billionaire class who will profit from the privatization of essential services, including education.”<\/p>\n

Trump does not have the power to unilaterally abolish a department. Congress would need to act. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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American who was detained by Taliban is freed<\/h2>\n
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Abigail Williams<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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American George Glezmann was freed Thursday from Afghanistan after being held for more than two years in Taliban captivity, Secretary of State Rubio said Thursday in a statement. The release was brokered by Qatar.<\/p>\n

Glezmann, who was a Delta Airlines mechanic, has left Kabul and is now on his way to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra, Rubio said. U.S. officials traveled to Kabul to bring Glezmann home, a U.S. official said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump administration officials were engaged with representatives of the Taliban to secure Glezmann\u2019s release, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the discussions, but he was not freed as part of a larger prisoner exchange.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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A spokesperson for Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs\u00a0released<\/a>\u00a0photos on social media Thursday of Trump Senior Adviser Adam Boehler and former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad meeting with the Taliban.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration did not read out any of the meetings or offer further details on the discussions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, two other Americans were released from Afghanistan,\u00a0Ryan Corbett and William McKenty<\/a>, in a deal struck during the final days of the Biden administration, in exchange for a member of the Taliban being held in U.S. custody.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Trump administration continues to call for the release of Afghan-American businessman Mahmoud Habibi and for all Americans detained in Afghanistan to be set free.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGeorge\u2019s release is a positive and constructive step,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cIt is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Former prosecutor says Article 3 of the Constitution is stronger than Trump’s attacks on the judiciary<\/h2>\n
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Sydney Carruth<\/span>Sydney Carruth is a digital assistant for NBC News.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Norm Eisen, a prosecutor and the former special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2020 during Trump\u2019s first impeachment case, said Article 3 of the Constitution will act as a safeguard for the judiciary amid the Trump administration\u2019s mounting attacks on federal judges and institutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have Article Three, the judiciary, that is acting as a guardrail,\u201d Eisen said during an interview on MSNBC this morning. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten court orders saying Trump can\u2019t target 6,000 FBI agents who worked on January 6th, just this week, we got a court order saying Elon Musk and DOGE operated unconstitutionally when they tore down, or as he put it, put USAID through the wood chipper.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eisen pointed out that judges under the powers granted to them by Article 3 of the Constitution, which established the judiciary as a separate branch of government, are ruling against some of the Trump administration\u2019s orders in cases across the country. He spoke shortly before the Justice Department was scheduled to respond to questions from Judge James Boasberg about deportation flights to Venezuela in a case that drew national attention after Trump called for Boasberg to be impeached.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is they\u2019re losing in court, and I think Judge Boasberg, who I\u2019ve known for three decades, since he was a young prosecutor, I was a young defense lawyer in D.C. Superior Court, Judge Boasberg is going to impose consequences, and he should,\u201d Eisen said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Musk donates to the campaigns of lawmakers who called for impeaching judges<\/h2>\n
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Billionaire CEO Elon Musk, Trump\u2019s right-hand adviser, made several maximum-allowable hard-dollar donations to members of Congress who have expressed support for impeaching judges who have ruled against or halted elements of Trump\u2019s agenda, a source familiar with the donations confirmed to NBC News.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The news was first reported by\u00a0The New York Times<\/a>\u00a0on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The members of Congress include Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Musk\u2019s contributions, which he made Wednesday, were for $6,600 to each member\u2019s campaign. They came after the president and his allies railed against a Saturday ruling from Judge James Boasberg, chief justice of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.. <\/p>\n

Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to return flights to El Salvador that were deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members and return them to the U.S. The administration did not do so.<\/p>\n

Trump has called for Boasberg\u2019s impeachment while Musk has called for 60 senators to form a block to convict him and other judges after articles of impeachment are passed. The Constitution requires 67 senators to reach a conviction after an impeachment trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Chinese students slam GOP bill that would ban them from U.S. schools<\/h2>\n
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Several Chinese students slammed legislation introduced last week by Republican lawmakers that seeks to keep them out of American schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bill, the Stop CCP VISAs Act, would halt the issuance of student visas to Chinese nationals looking to study at U.S. universities or take part in exchange programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bill cites national security concerns, saying that those on student visas have in the past attempted to spy for the Chinese Communist Party. But the Chinese nationals who spoke to NBC News said that they came to the U.S. looking for more academic freedom, calling the legislation \u201cthe new Chinese Exclusion Act.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s just blatant racism and xenophobia,\u201d said one Chinese student who recently graduated from a D.C.-area university and requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. \u201cWe are not spies. We are students who want to get a better education.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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House education committee Democrat calls Trump’s plan to dismantle the Education Department ‘reckless’ and ‘illegal’ <\/h2>\n
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Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, criticized Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education, calling the move “reckless.”<\/p>\n

“I am adamantly opposed to this reckless action,” said the Virginia Democrat.\u00a0“I am also disappointed, although not surprised, that Secretary McMahon\u2019s first order of business after her confirmation is capitulating to the President\u2019s dangerous, and illegal demands.”<\/p>\n

Scott said he thinks Trump’s expected executive order “will be used to distract Americans from the fact that Republicans are not working to address the real problems facing students and families: widening academic achievement gaps, school shootings, and the burden of student loans.”<\/p>\n

Trump is expected to sign <\/a>an executive order aimed at abolishing the department later today. However, formally shuttering the department requires congressional action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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AOC and Bernie Sanders start town hall swing out West<\/h2>\n
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will join Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour today for a series of town hall events.<\/p>\n

The pair will hold their first town hall in Las Vegas before they head to Tempe, Arizona, for a second event later tonight. Tomorrow, they’ll hold events in Colorado.<\/p>\n

The high-profile progressives are holding the events as many congressional Republicans shy <\/a>away<\/a> from holding in-person gatherings with constituents amid backlash to the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the federal government’s workforce and budget alongside Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.<\/p>\n

Democrats have sought to fill the void by hosting events in Republican-leaning districts. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, has held events in Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin as part of the effort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pentagon restores histories of Navajo Code Talkers and other Native veterans after public outcry <\/h2>\n
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The Associated Press<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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PHOENIX \u2014 The Pentagon restored some webpages highlighting the crucial wartime contributions of\u00a0Navajo Code Talkers<\/a>\u00a0and other Native American veterans on Wednesday, days after tribes condemned the action.<\/p>\n

The initial removal was part of a sweep of any military content that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion, or commonly referred to as DEI. Following Trump\u2019s broader executive order ending the federal government\u2019s DEI programs, the Defense Department deleted thousands of pages honoring contributions by women and minority groups. Department officials say the Navajo Code Talker material was erroneously erased.<\/p>\n

Read the full story.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Democrats are desperately searching for new leaders. AOC is stepping into the void.<\/h2>\n
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+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ryan Nobles<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Melanie Zanona<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Jonathan Allen<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is stepping into the Democrats\u2019 leadership void, picking up her powerful megaphone to channel the base\u2019s anger \u2014 toward both President Donald Trump and her own party.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some of the initial skepticism in the party around the progressive star when she first arrived in Washington six years ago has started to fade as she has established herself as a political player on Capitol Hill and demonstrated a unique knack for communicating with a younger generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read the full story.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Acting DOGE head pulls back the curtain on parts of the group’s structure in a court filing<\/h2>\n
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The acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency<\/a>, Amy Gleason, shed some light on the agency’s structure in an overnight court filing in a case brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington seeking the disclosure of its records.<\/p>\n

DOGE has 79 employees who were directly appointed to it and 10 from other agencies, but no formal front office or organizational chart, Gleason said in the filing. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery member of an agency\u2019s DOGE Team is an employee of the agency or a detailee to the agency,\u201d Gleason wrote. \u201cThe DOGE Team members \u2014 whether employees of the agency or detailed to the agency \u2014 thus report to the agency heads or their designees, not to me or anyone else at USDS [U.S. Digital Service].\u201d<\/p>\n

Gleason said she reports to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and noted that she does not report to tech billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump put in charge of efforts to cut the government under DOGE, nor does Musk report to her.<\/p>\n

Gleason said DOGE has an obligation to maintain records under the Presidential Records Act and will transfer records to the National Archives and Records Administration \u201cat the appropriate time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Immigration authorities detain Georgetown University graduate student <\/h2>\n
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Federal immigration authorities have detained a Georgetown University graduate student from India who was teaching at the Washington, D.C., institution on a student visa, his attorney said last night.<\/p>\n

Masked agents arrested the graduate student, Badar Khan Suri, outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday night, attorney Hassan Ahmad said.<\/p>\n

The agents identified themselves as being with the Department of Homeland Security and told him the government had revoked his visa, Ahmad said.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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New DOGE leadership of USAID outlines priorities to remaining staff<\/h2>\n
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Abigail Williams<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Megan Lebowitz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The new Department of Government Efficiency leadership of the U.S. Agency for International Development sent a letter to the remaining staff last night about their plan to \u201clead USAID through a responsible, safe, and cost-efficient process to transfer USAID operations to the State Department.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 83% of foreign aid programs<\/a> have been cut, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month. The approximately 1,000 remaining programs will be transferred to the State Department, the USAID email said. <\/p>\n

“Our remaining programs exemplify the promise of responsible American foreign assistance: they invest in partners, deliver real and measurable impact for people in need, and further the foreign policy objectives of the country and President,” the email said.<\/p>\n

DOGE senior official Jeremy Lewinsky and Ken Jackson, who were made deputy administrators this week, committed in the email \u201cto ensure the safety, dignity, and productivity of USAID personnel during this transition period,\u201d adding that they \u201caim to share additional details soon on what this process will mean for USAID personnel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Inside Vance\u2019s unfiltered \u2018err on the side of openness\u2019 social media presence<\/h2>\n
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Former Vice President Al Gore championed the development of the internet so enthusiastically that one of the\u00a0first myths of the online era<\/a>\u00a0was that he claimed to have invented it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was in those early days of the world wide web that\u00a0one of Gore\u2019s successors<\/a>\u00a0came of age. JD Vance<\/a>\u00a0grew up with chat rooms and email and instant messaging. He graduated into young adulthood at the dawn of blogging. He entered politics with a millennial\u2019s fluency in social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, at 40, he is the nation\u2019s third-youngest vice president \u2014 and, nearly a quarter-century after Gore left office, the nation\u2019s first very online vice president. It\u2019s a pioneering distinction that reflects the serious time and thought, as well as the\u00a0<\/strong>debate-me vibes, that Vance\u00a0<\/strong>puts into his interactions with othe<\/p>\n

Read the full story.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump to sign executive order aimed at eliminating the Education Department<\/h2>\n
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Trump is expected to sign an executive order this afternoon to dismantle the Education Department, the White House<\/a> confirmed.<\/p>\n

Trump will participate in an event at the White House at 4 p.m. ET and sign an order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to \u201ctake all necessary steps to facilitate the closure the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only Congress can formally close the department, but Trump can move to make it nearly impossible for employees to carry out their work, continue hollowing out the size of the agency or significantly reduce spending, as it has done with the U.S. Agency for International Development<\/a> and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.<\/a><\/p>\n

Read the full story.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New political spending signals Elon Musk\u2019s huge role in the GOP is still growing Ben Kamisar and Allan Smith After having sunk more than a quarter-billion dollars into the 2024 election and then taken a central role in Trump\u2019s administration, Musk is demonstrating that he\u2019s not done with his efforts to reshape American politics. Musk, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}