The Education Department鈥檚 is in the Trump administration鈥檚 layoffs, effectively gutting an office that already faced a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families across the nation.
Among a total of more than announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press. Seven of the civil rights agency鈥檚 12 regional offices were entirely laid off, including busy hubs in New York, Chicago and Dallas. Despite assurances that the department鈥檚 work will continue unaffected, huge numbers of cases appear to be in limbo.
Here's the latest:
Federal judge appears skeptical probationary firings were for performance
U.S. District Judge James Bredar repeatedly sounded skeptical at a Wednesday hearing that the Trump administration fired a mass of probationary federal workers because the employees couldn鈥檛 do their jobs. He said the terminations appeared to be part of a larger goal.
Nearly 20 states are seeking a temporary restraining order to stop any more firings of federal probationary employees and to reinstate those who have already been dismissed. They argue that the Trump administration blindsided them by ignoring laws set for large-scale layoffs, which could have devastating consequences for their state finances.
鈥淭his case isn鈥檛 about whether or not the government can terminate people. It鈥檚 about if they decide to terminate people how they must do it,鈥 Bredar said. 鈥淢ove fast and break things. Move fast, fine. Break things, if that involves breaking the law then that becomes problematic.鈥
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House Democrats debate their comeback and criticize Musk at retreat
House Democrats gathered in Leesburg, Virginia, for an annual conference are debating how to respond to the second Trump term. Already a key target on the summit鈥檚 first day: Billionaire Elon Musk.
鈥淭he good news for Democrats is that House Republicans and Donald Trump are making our messaging work easier for us,鈥 Rep. Lauren Underwood, of Illinois, said. 鈥淭he chaos that Elon Musk has unleashed in our communities by laying off public servants who provided critical services is deeply unpopular.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, of Michigan, denounced a 鈥渕eat grinder鈥 approach to government cuts led by Musk, while Rep. Maxwell Frost, of Florida, said Trump was 鈥渋ncompetent.鈥
Rep. Lori Trahan, of Massachusetts, said Democrats would have been open 鈥渢o modernizing our systems, rooting out fraud, waste and abuse鈥 but criticized the DOGE process.
鈥淭hat should be done in full view of the American people,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t should be debated.鈥
Military leaders warn of risks to forces鈥 readiness in temporary budget
The vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force said if they don鈥檛 get additional funding, they at least need the flexibility to shift money to ensure their priorities are covered.
鈥淯ltimately, the Army can afford a large, ready or modern force, but with the current budget, it cannot afford all three,鈥 Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army, told the Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee on Wednesday. 鈥淓ither we provide soldiers the capabilities needed to win or accept greater risks in other areas.鈥
He warned that the Army will pay for those risks down the road 鈥渋n real-world battlefield consequences.鈥
Speaker Mike Johnson says he and Trump hope the Senate will vote to keep the government open
Johnson says they 鈥渁re both very happy with the outcome of the vote鈥 in the House to fund the government past Friday鈥檚 deadline and are 鈥渨atching very closely what happens in the Senate.鈥
鈥淚 hope they keep the government open,鈥 he said after an annual Irish luncheon at the Capitol.
He warns that Democrats are 鈥済oing to regret鈥 not joining Republicans to pass the bill and that if Senate Democrats block the bill, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to be a Schumer shutdown,鈥 referring to the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he wants that.鈥
Scientists see EPA鈥檚 regulatory rollbacks as latest form of 鈥楻epublican climate denial鈥
鈥淭hey can no longer deny climate change is happening, so instead they鈥檙e pretending it鈥檚 not a threat, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that it is, perhaps, the greatest threat that we face today,鈥 University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said.
The United States is the carbon polluter in the world, after China, and the largest of greenhouse gases.
鈥淭he Trump administration鈥檚 ignorance is trumped only by its malice toward the planet,鈥 said Jason Rylander, legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity鈥檚 Climate Law Institute. 鈥淭rump and his cronies are bent on putting polluter profits ahead of people鈥檚 lives.鈥
EPA chief says removing clean-air rules will ensure 鈥楢merican energy remains clean鈥
Zeldin said EPA will rewrite a rule restricting and a separate measure restricting emissions that Zeldin and Trump incorrectly label an electric vehicle 鈥渕andate.鈥欌
Former President Joe Biden made fighting climate change , pledging that half of the new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. would be zero-emission by 2030.
Zeldin鈥檚 EPA also is undoing restrictions on mercury and other air toxins, and a three-decade effort to improve conditions in areas heavily burdened by industrial pollution.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 about abandoning environmental protection 鈥 it鈥檚 about achieving it through innovation and not strangulation,鈥 Zeldin wrote. 鈥淏y reconsidering rules that throttled oil and gas production and unfairly targeted coal-fired power plants, we are ensuring that American energy remains clean, affordable and reliable.鈥
Trump administration resumes detention of migrant families after Biden-era pause
Fourteen immigrant families were being held in a South Texas detention facility as of Monday, according to RAICES, a legal nonprofit providing services to migrant families at the Karnes Detention Center. They鈥檙e from nations including Colombia, Romania, Iran, Angola, Russia, Armenia, Turkey and Brazil.
Faisal Al-Juburi, RAICES鈥 chief external affairs officer, said the nonprofit noticed the shift in detention population last week after adult detainees were moved out.
Detaining family members together was largely halted, but not abolished, during the Biden administration, which briefly .
Ukraine has run out of longer-range ATACMS missiles
Pentagon shipments of weapons to Ukraine have restarted, but officials acknowledged on Wednesday that Kyiv no longer has any of the longer-range Army Tactical Missile System weapons.
That鈥檚 according to a U.S. official and a Ukrainian lawmaker in the defense committee. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to provide military weapons details.
The American official said the U.S. provided fewer than 40 of those missiles overall and that Ukraine ran out of them in late January. Senior U.S. defense and military leaders had told Ukraine there would only be a limited number of the ATACMs delivered and that the U.S. and NATO allies considered air defense systems to be far more valuable.
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Associated Press reporters Lolita C. Baldor and Samya Kullab contributed to this report.
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To be combative or conciliatory? 2 Democrats diverge sharply on Trump strategy
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has tried to sound collaborative when it comes to Trump, declaring that she looks forward to talking with him about border security.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, meanwhile, began suing the Trump administration at a fast clip.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can yield to authoritarian, anti-democratic behavior when it鈥檚 in the White House and when our country is in as much danger as it is right now,鈥 Mayes said. 鈥淥ur country has never been in this much peril since the Civil War.鈥
Both seek reelection next year in a state that went for Trump. Their starkly different approaches show how Democrats nationwide are struggling to shore up winning coalitions.
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There鈥檚 new data on how many immigrants have been arrested since Trump took office
A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said during a call with reporters that they have arrested 32,809 people so far, 14,111 of which were convicted criminals and 9,980 with pending criminal charges.
A further 8,718 had violated U.S. immigration law, which usually means they crossed the border illegally but haven鈥檛 committed other crimes since arriving.
The official also said there are about 47,600 people currently in ICE detention, which he described as 鈥渕axed out.鈥
White House national security adviser speaks with Russian official about ceasefire proposal
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an appearance on Fox News Channel that Mike Waltz spoke Wednesday with his Russian counterpart.
Leavitt also confirmed that Trump鈥檚 special envoy Steve Witkoff will be headed to Moscow for talks with Russian officials. The Trump administration wants Russia to sign off on the U.S. proposed ceasefire agreement to pause fighting with Ukraine for 30 days.
She did not say with whom Witkoff will be meeting.
A person familiar with the matter said Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later his week. The person was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity
EPA administrator declares 鈥榤ost consequential day of deregulation in American history鈥
administrator Lee Zeldin announced rollbacks Wednesday of 31 environmental regulations including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles.
鈥淲e are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America鈥檚 Golden Age,鈥欌 Zeldin said in an essay in the Wall Street Journal.
Zeldin says these actions will eliminate trillions of dollars in regulatory costs and 鈥渉idden taxes,鈥 lowering the cost of living for American families and reducing prices for buying cars, heating homes and operating businesses.
Zeldin said he and the president support rewriting the agency鈥檚 2009 finding that planet-warming greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare 鈥 a Clean Air Act underpinning of climate regulations on pollution sources.
Environmentalists and climate scientists say any attempt to undo this bedrock of U.S. law won鈥檛 succeed.
鈥淚n the face of overwhelming science, it鈥檚 impossible to think that the EPA could develop a contradictory finding that would stand up in court,鈥 said David Doniger, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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Trump says the friendship between the US and Ireland is 鈥榮trong and unbreakable鈥
The president made the comment during the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon, also attended by Irish Prime Minister Miche谩l Martin, on Capitol Hill.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson toasted the relationship between the two countries, and the Irish dance group 鈥淩iverdance鈥 鈥 which is performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. 鈥 made a surprise appearance to round out the event.
Martin called Trump 鈥渁 great friend of Ireland鈥 and said he hopes to welcome him back to the country soon.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do this at least three more times,鈥 Trump said of the remaining years in his term, to laughter in the room.
Layoffs hit nearly half the staff at the Education Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights
The layoffs effectively gut an office that was already facing a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families.
Among a total of more than 1,300 layoffs announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the department鈥檚 civil rights office, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press. Seven of the civil rights agency鈥檚 12 regional offices were entirely laid off, including busy hubs in New York, Chicago and Dallas.
Some staffers who remain say there鈥檚 no way to pick up all of their fired colleagues鈥 cases, which involve families trying to get school services for , allegations of bias related to race and , and complaints over at schools and college campuses.
Department officials insist the cuts will not affect civil rights investigations.
Research group says state-required abortion reporting should be scaled back
A research organization that advocates for abortion rights is calling on state governments to stop requiring providers to submit .
Data can be collected voluntarily and in the aggregate instead, says the Guttmacher Institute, which noted that Trump has appointed abortion opponents to key federal jobs.
鈥淚t would be a mistake for anyone to assume now that the information a state could collect about abortion would not be used to harm people,鈥 said Kelly Baden, Guttmacher鈥檚 vice president for public policy.
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Federal Trade Commission requests delay to Amazon Prime deceptive practices trial
The commission asked a federal judge for more time to prepare, citing staffing and budgetary challenges. The FTC filed the suit in 2023, and the trial is scheduled for September.
鈥淥ur resource constraints are severe and really unique to this moment,鈥 Jonathan Cohen, an FTC attorney, told Judge John Chun during a status hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. 鈥淲e have lost employees in the agency, in our division and on the case team.鈥
When Chun asked if this was in reference to recent cuts in the federal government, Cohen said it was, adding that some employees who resigned could not be replaced due to the federal hiring freeze.
Trump and Vance show guarded optimism about Russia accepting ceasefire proposal
Vice President JD Vance says the administration believes it is in a 鈥渧ery good place鈥 as it pushes the Kremlin to sign off on a U.S.-backed proposal to pause the fighting with Ukraine for 30 days.
Trump says he has received some good feedback to the proposal. He has offered no details.
鈥淚鈥檝e gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation,鈥 Trump said. 鈥淭his is a situation that could lead to World War III.鈥
Dems want to see the economic impact from Trump鈥檚 tariffs
Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and other Democratic senators are proposing a bill that would require the International Trade Commission to investigate the impact of tariffs on consumers, companies and the job market.
鈥淭he last thing we need are tariffs that will raise prices,鈥 Alsobrooks said in a statement. 鈥淢y bill will force a nonpartisan study on this Administration鈥檚 tariffs and how they will impact everyday Americans.鈥
The proposed Tariff Transparency Act would force the Trump administration to provide details of the latest taxes on imports for evaluation by the commission, just as the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation evaluate the impact that Congress鈥 proposals could have on the economy.
Trump says 鈥榠t鈥檚 up to Russia now鈥 as US presses for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine
鈥淗opefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,鈥 Trump said during an extended exchange with reporters during an Oval Office meeting with the Irish prime minister. 鈥淎nd if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath鈥 ended.
The president again made veiled threats of hitting Russia with new sanctions.
鈥淲e can, but I hope it鈥檚 not going to be necessary,鈥 Trump added.
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Catholic Charities group says Trump administration owes it $42 million 鈥 and counting
A federal judge is weighing a request by Catholic Charities of Fort Worth to force the Trump administration to resume payments under its contract to provide aid to refugees.
The charity says the money owed is growing by the day since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paused payments in January.
An attorney for HHS said the pause is temporary, meant to ensure the money is being spent properly.
Catholic Charities attorney Edward Waters said the funding freeze appears part of an effort to 鈥済rind this program to a halt.鈥
Republican rejoice that a Democratic senator is not running for reelection
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen鈥檚 decision brings to an end the 78-year-old New Hampshire senator鈥檚 long political career and deals a significant blow to Democrats, who are already facing a difficult path to reclaiming the Senate majority.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the Senate Republican campaign arm, wrote on the social platform X, 鈥淣ew Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans 鈥 and will do so again in 2026!鈥
The GOP holds 53 seats in the Senate compared with the Democrats鈥 47, including two independents who caucus with Democrats.
Critics say Trump, who campaigned as free speech protector, now threatens it
boasted in his to Congress last week that he has 鈥渂rought back to America.鈥
First Amendment advocates say they鈥檝e never seen the freedom so under attack.
Trump鈥檚 Republican administration has threatened to investigate Democratic members of Congress for criticizing conservatives, pulled federal grants that include language it opposes, sanctioned law firms that represent Trump鈥檚 political opponents and which Trump called 鈥渢he first arrest of many to come.鈥
鈥淵our right to say something depends on what the administration thinks of it, which is no free speech at all,鈥 said Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan First Amendment group.
Even some Trump allies seem uncomfortable with targeting people over their language
鈥淭here鈥檚 almost no one I don鈥檛 want to deport,鈥 conservative commentator Ann Coulter wrote on X, 鈥渂ut, unless they鈥檝e committed a crime, isn鈥檛 this a violation of the first amendment?鈥
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Election winners have a message for Trump: Greenland is not for sale
Trump told that the U.S. would get Greenland 鈥渙ne way or the other.鈥
The surprise winners in Greenland鈥檚 parliamentary elections are pushing back, saying the results show Greenlanders alone will decide their future.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to be Americans. No, we don鈥檛 want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future,鈥 Demokraatit leader Jens-Friederik Nielsen .
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Emirati diplomat identified as carrying Trump letter meets with Iran鈥檚 foreign minister
Iranian state television showed Emirati official Anwar Gargash meeting with Abbas Araghchi. Garachi was identified by Iran as carrying a letter from Trump seeking to jumpstart talks over Iran鈥檚 rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Trump said its intended recipient is who has said he鈥檚 not interested in talks with a 鈥渂ullying government.鈥
Iran continues to struggle with economic woes, and Trump has imposed even more sanctions over its nuclear program. That pressure, coupled with internal turmoil and direct attacks by Israel, has put the theocracy in one of its most-precarious positions yet.
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US Jewish groups are sharply divided over Trump effort to deport campus protester
The Anti-Defamation League welcomed the detention of Columbia University graduate student , a legal U.S. resident who led pro-Palestinian campus protests that accused Israel鈥檚 military of 鈥済enocide鈥 in Gaza and pushed the university to end investments in Israel.
鈥淲e appreciate the Trump Administration鈥檚 broad, bold set of efforts to counter campus antisemitism,鈥 the ADL said. 鈥淲e also hope that this action serves as a deterrent to others who might consider breaking the law on college campuses or anywhere.鈥
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said the the Trump administration 鈥渋s exploiting real concerns about antisemitism to undercut democracy: from gutting education funding to deporting students to attacking diversity, equity, & inclusion."
"This makes Jews 鈥 & so many others 鈥 less safe,鈥 she posted on Bluesky.
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Trump says the latest inflation numbers are 鈥榲ery good news鈥
U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low, even as threaten to send prices higher.
The US imposes sanctions on the Foxtrot Network
The Sweden-based group is suspected of orchestrating an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm in January 2024 on behalf of Iran, and of trafficking drugs and carrying out attacks on Israelis and Jews in Europe.
鈥淚ran鈥檚 brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime鈥檚 attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe,鈥 Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said. 鈥淭reasury, alongside our U.S. government and international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to further Iran鈥檚 thuggish and destabilizing agenda."
Wisconsin governor: 鈥楾his is a clown show we have to stop鈥
Gov. Tony Evers said he expects Democratic state attorneys general to sue over the Education Department cuts. A former teacher, school administrator and state superintendent, he joined two other former teachers, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, on a conference call.
Walz said Minnesota will prioritize schools, but states can鈥檛 possibly replace the federal education funding being cut. He said 鈥渢his is undermining our economic well being for the future,鈥 as well as 鈥渢he moral authority that every child truly matters.鈥
Meyer said he and other governors spoke Tuesday with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, but are getting mixed messages: 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure they know what they鈥檙e doing,鈥 he said.
Congressional hearing ends abruptly after GOP representative calls transgender colleague a man
When Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self introduced the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress as 鈥淢r. McBride," Rep. Sarah McBride responded by referring to Self as 鈥淢adam Chair鈥 and tried to move on to her remarks.
The subcommittee鈥檚 top Democrat, Rep. William Keating, called Self 鈥渙ut of order,鈥 asking, 鈥淗ave you no decency?鈥 He insisted that Self 鈥渋ntroduce a duly elected representative the right way.鈥
Self adjourned the meeting instead.
Republican lawmakers have targeted McBride and refused to acknowledge trans people鈥檚 identity after Trump signed executive orders declaring only two sexes.
鈥淣o matter how I鈥檓 treated by some colleagues, nothing diminishes my awe and gratitude at getting to represent Delaware in Congress,鈥 McBride later posted. 鈥淚 simply want to serve and to try to make this world a better place.鈥
The United Nations secretary-general says there are no winners in a trade war
Antonio Guterres was responding to a question on the threat of a trade war following tariffs imposed by Trump and retaliatory tariffs on American products, including by Canada, China and the European Union.
Guterres said we all live in a global economy where everything is interlinked.
鈥淎nd obviously one of the great advantages of having a situation of free trade is to create conditions for all countries to benefit,鈥 he told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. 鈥淲hen we enter into a trade war, I believe all will lose."
Chinese commerce officials meet with Walmart representatives over tariffs
China鈥檚 state broadcaster CGTN says the Chinese officials warned the U.S retail giant that its demand for lower prices to absorb the impact from tariffs could disrupt the supply chain and hurt both sides.
CTGN indicated in its blog post that Beijing would like to see American and Chinese businesses working together to cope with the challenges caused by the tariffs.
United Nations secretary-general calls Ukraine ceasefire proposal 'a positive first step鈥
Antonio Guterres hopes Russia agrees and a ceasefire 鈥渨ill materialize.鈥
鈥淎nd we hope that it will pave the way for peace 鈥 a just peace鈥 he told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Guterres stressed in response to questions from reporters that a just peace must be based on the U.N. Charter, which requires every country to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other countries, international law and U.N. General Assembly resolutions, which have demanded the withdrawal of all Russian troops.
Canada and Europe retaliate quickly to Trump鈥檚 steel and aluminum tariffs
Canada will announce retaliatory tariffs that add up to $21 billion in U.S. dollars, according to a senior Canadian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren鈥檛 authorized to speak before the announcement.
The European Union also announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products, responding within hours to the Trump administration鈥檚 increase in to 25%.
Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S.
US inflation cooled last month, though trade war threatens to lift prices
U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September, and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum that threaten to send prices higher.
The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday鈥檚 from the Labor Department showed. Sticky inflation could create problems for Trump, who promised while campaigning to 鈥渒nock the hell out of inflation.鈥
Grocery prices were unchanged overall last month from January, but the cost of eggs jumped 10.4% and are nearly 60% more expensive than a year ago.
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Vance breaks fast with Irish PM at vice president鈥檚 residence
JD Vance welcomed the Irish prime minister to Washington with a breakfast reception, the first of several events during the Irish leader鈥檚 visit to celebrate St. Patrick鈥檚 Day.
Vance reminisced about a recent trip to Ireland and joked that his wife, Usha, could finally wear her green pants: 鈥淪he鈥檚 had these in the closet for years.鈥
Martin thanked the United States for being 鈥渁 steadfast friend鈥 and praised Trump for working to end the war in Ukraine, saying, 鈥淲e are ready to play our part.鈥
Trump pressured Ukraine for a peace deal. Will it push Russia as well?
Rubio wouldn鈥檛 say as he spoke with reporters en route to talks with U.S. allies in Canada.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 constructive to stand here today and say what we鈥檙e going to do if Russia says no,鈥 Rubio said, adding he wants to avoid statements about Russia that 鈥渁re abrasive in any way.鈥
Rubio did note that Biden administration sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his 2022 invasion of Ukraine remain in place.
Rubio defends arrest of pro-Palestinian Columbia student
The secretary of state says that if a green card holder supports Hamas, riles up anti-Jewish activities and shuts down college campuses, 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to kick you out. It鈥檚 as simple as that.鈥
鈥淭his is not about free speech. This is about people that don鈥檛 have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card,鈥 Rubio said.
Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident born in Syria who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana.
Student leaders say their broad anti-war movement also includes Jewish students and groups and is not antisemitic.
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US says the ball is in Russia鈥檚 court on talks to end its war on Ukraine
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is pursuing multiple points of contact to see if Putin is ready to negotiate an end to his war against Ukraine.
鈥淭he ball is truly in their court,鈥 Rubio said after mediation in Saudi Arabia saw Ukraine agree to start immediate talks with Russia on ending their three-year war.
Rubio expressed hopes that Russia will stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days as a first step, saying 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying.鈥
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The Education Department was created to ensure equal access. Who would do that in its absence?
Officials have suggested other agencies could take over the Education Department鈥檚 major responsibilities once it鈥檚 dismantled.
But the question remains about what could happen with a more lofty part of its mission 鈥 promoting equal access for students in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal.
Without the department, advocates worry the federal government would not look out in the same way for poor students, those still learning English, disabled students and racial and ethnic minorities.
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Education Department cuts half its staff, a prelude to Trump's elimination
The plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees, a prelude to Trump鈥檚 plan to .
The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency鈥檚 staff, through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday鈥檚 layoffs, the department鈥檚 staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.
Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants.
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Trump鈥檚 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports go into effect
Trump officially increased to 25% on Wednesday, promising that the taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs at a time when his seesawing tariff threats are and raising fears of an economic slowdown.
Trump on the metals, in addition to increasing the tariffs on aluminum from 10%. His moves, based off a February directive, are to disrupt and transform global commerce.
Trump told CEOs in the Business Roundtable on Tuesday that the tariffs were causing companies to invest in U.S. factories. The 8% drop in the S&P 500 stock index over the past month on fears of deteriorating growth appears unlikely to dissuade him, as Trump argued that higher tariff rates would be more effective at bringing back factories.
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UK calls Trump tariffs disappointing but doesn鈥檛 retaliate
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, however, did not rule out future tariffs on U.S. imports and said he would 鈥渃ontinue to engage closely and productively with the U.S. to press the case for U.K. business interests.鈥
Britain is not part of the European Union, which on Wednesday .
Center-left U.K. Prime Minister has worked to build , in hope of avoiding the tariffs levied on many other U.S. trading partners.
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The EU retaliates against Trump's tariffs, slapping duties on produce from Republican states
The European Union announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products.
The world鈥檚 biggest trading bloc was expecting the U.S. tariffs and prepared in advance, but the measures still place great strain on already tense transatlantic relations. Only last month, Washington warned Europe that it would have to .
The EU measures will cover goods from the U.S. worth some 26 billion euros ($28 billion), and not just steel and aluminum products, but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods.
The EU duties aim for pressure points in the U.S. while minimizing additional damage to Europe. The tariffs 鈥 taxes on imports 鈥 primarily target Republican-held states.
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The Associated Press
