Department of Education’s 'final mission' starts with laying off nearly half its workforce, secretary says
“As part of the Department of Education’s final mission,” the new education secretary, Linda McMahon, announced on Tuesday evening, “the Department today initiated a reduction in force (RIF) impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce.”
On social media, McMahon, the former chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, shared posts praising the move, including one by a founder of Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, which said: “She’s slashing total @usedgov staff by 50%—down from 4,133—and saving over $500 million annually!'”
After Tuesday’s layoffs, the department’s staff will be roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said.
The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said.
Department officials said the agency would continue to oversee the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell grants.
Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, claiming it had been overtaken by “radicals, zealots and Marxists”. At McMahon’s confirmation hearing, she acknowledged that only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganization.
On Monday, McMahon wrote to 60 universities to warn them that they were under investigation for supposed violations of the Civil Rights Act because of protests against Israel’s war on Gaza that the Trump administration defines as “antisemitic harassment and discrimination” of Jewish students.
As the department pushes ahead with cuts, a federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration’s plan to cut hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training, finding that cuts were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage.
The US district judge Myong Joun sided with eight states that had requested a temporary restraining order. The states argued the cuts were likely driven by Trump’s drive to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which the president seems to believe is a form of racism against white Americans.
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White House confirms 25% tariff on steel and aluminum 'with no exceptions' starts at midnight
Following widespread confusion as to whether or not Trump would make good on his threat to impose 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the White House released a statement to clarify that the president had withdrawn that proposal, but would press ahead with blanket 25% tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum from US trading partners, including Canada, starting at midnight.
Here is the full statement from a White House deputy press secretary, Kush Desai, who got his start as a “fact check reporter” for the Daily Caller, a publication co-founded by Tucker Carlson, who is not known for his rigorous adherence to the facts:
After President Trump threatened to use his executive powers to retaliate with a colossal 50 percent tariff against Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke with Secretary Lutnick to convey that he is backing down on implementing a 25 percent charge on electricity exports to the United States. President Trump has once again used the leverage of the American economy, which is the best and biggest in the world, to deliver a win for the American people. Pursuant to his previous executive orders, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum with no exceptions or exemptions will go into effect for Canada and all of our other trading partners at midnight, March 12th.
The uncertainty about tariffs has helped drive the stock market sharply down this week.
House narrowly passes stopgap funding bill as government shutdown looms
The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding bill, which would avert a government shutdown if it also passed the Senate before midnight on Friday.
The measure would extend government funding largely at current levels through the end of September, but includes cuts in funding, including for veterans’ healthcare, infrastructure investments, and nutrition and rent assistance for families in need. It passed by a vote of 217-213, with one Republican voting against it, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and one Democrat voting for it, Representative Jared Golden of Maine.
Democrats in the Senate could block the bill from becoming law, since it requires 60 votes there, and Republicans hold only 53 seats. One Republican senator, Rand Paul, has come out strongly against the bill, writing: “Count me as a hell no!” on X. One Democratic senator, John Fetterman, said he would support the Republican bill, telling a HuffPost reporter: “I’m not going to vote to shut the government down.”
Faisal Ali
In remarks to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Donald Trump defended the decision to detain the former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, saying that he would like to see the measure, which has triggered widespread condemnation and protests, be expanded to attempt to deport more students from the US.
Trump was asked how many arrests would be necessary and answered: “I think we ought to get them all out of the country,”, adding: “They’re troublemakers, they’re agitators, they don’t love our country.” Trump claimed to have watched tapes of Khalil making statements that he described as “plenty bad”.
Up to half of the Department of Education’s 4,400 employees could be laid off on Tuesday evening, sources tell CNN.
The news was echoed by a report from Fox that employees could receive “reduction in force” notices ahead of sweeping layoffs.
The new education secretary, Linda McMahon, said in a video posted on X on Tuesday that Trump would be making good on one of his campaign promises by “sending education back to the states”.
Trump could still make good on a pledge to eliminate the education department entirely, which Republicans have been discussing for more than a decade. In 2011, when the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, had a brain freeze on naming all three of the departments he would cut, one of the two he named was education.
In the meantime, however, the department is being used to pursue other priorities of the Trump administration.
On Monday, the department announced that it had “sent letters to 60 institutions of higher education warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities.”
New tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum will be 25% not 50%, White House says
Peter Navarro, a senior aide to Donald Trump on trade, told CNBC that the president had reversed his decision, announced this morning, to double planned tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%.
New tariffs of 25% on all imported steel and aluminum are still scheduled take effect at midnight on Wednesday, including against allies and top US suppliers Canada and Mexico, the White House confirmed to Reuters after Navarro’s interview.
Trump had earlier signaled to reporters outside the White House that he was rethinking his decision to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports, after Ontario’s premier Doug Ford canceled a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three US states.
Donald Trump’s impromptu press conference outside the White House with Elon Musk also saw him announce his selection of one of several Teslas that were parked in the driveway.
The president told the press he would be buying a red Model S, though he added he would not be allowed to test-drive it.
The decision puts Trump on the wrong side of a boycott aimed at Tesla for Musk’s involvement in stripping down the US government:
Wall Street indices have clawed back some of their losses seen earlier today, after the US and Canada dialed back a flare-up in their newly tense trade relationship.
But markets have generally fallen in recent days after Donald Trump imposed tariffs on America’s northern neighbor.
Asked for his reaction to the sell off, Trump said it “doesn’t concern me. I think some, some people are going to make great deals by buying stocks and bonds and all the things they’re buying. I think we’re going to have an economy that’s a real economy, not a fake economy.”
Trump will 'probably' reconsider increasing tariffs on Canada after Ontario cancels electricity surcharge
Donald Trump said he is rethinking his decision earlier today to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports, after Ontario’s premier Doug Ford canceled a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three US states.
“I’m looking at that, but probably so,” Trump responded, when asked if he was rethinking his decision to raise tariffs on Canadian metals to 50%. He added that Ford was “a gentleman”, then pivoted to arguing that Canada should become America’s 51st state.
Trump was speaking outside the White House with Elon Musk and one of his sons, along with some Teslas that the president said he would buy.
Donald Trump is currently taking questions from the press outside the White House on a nice early spring day in Washington DC.
He’s with Elon Musk and one of his sons, plus some Teslas, which Trump recently said he would be buying.
Ontario suspends electricity surcharge after US commerce secretary agrees to talks
Ontario will suspend its 25% surcharge on exports of electricity to three US states after top American trade officials agreed to negotiate with the Canadian province in Washington DC later this week.
The end of the surcharge, which prompted Donald Trump to double his administration’s tariffs on Canadian metal imports and threaten even harsher measures, was announced in a joint statement from Ontario premier Doug Ford, and US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. Ford imposed the tax last week, in retaliation for 25% tariffs Trump levied on Canadian goods, which the White House later relaxed.
Here is the statement, in full:
Today, United States Secretary of Commerce @howardlutnick and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the United States and Canada.
Secretary Lutnick agreed to officially meet with Premier Ford in Washington on Thursday, March 13 alongside the United States Trade Representative to discuss a renewed USMCA ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline. In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 per cent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota.
Government funding bill moves closer to passage after key House vote
A bill to fund the government through September and prevent a shutdown from starting after Friday has cleared a key vote in the House.
The Republican-controlled chamber voted 216 to 213 to begin debate on the continuing resolution, which authorizes spending for the remainder of the fiscal year. All Democrats opposed the measure, while the sole GOP defector was Thomas Massie, who has attracted the ire of Donald Trump for bucking Republican leadership.
The continuing resolution is expected to have a final vote on passage later today, and it remains to be seen if any further Republican defections will emerge.
Ukraine agrees to accept 'immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire', US restores security, intelligence aid
Ukraine has agreed to accept a US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire and to take steps toward restoring a durable peace after Russia’s invasion, according to a joint statement by American and Ukrainian delegations meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Washington has also announced that it will immediately restart security assistance and intelligence sharing.
We have a live blog covering this breaking story, and you can follow it here:
The Trump administration has asked Columbia University for help in identifying alleged “pro-Hamas” activists on its campus, but the school is refusing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“Columbia University has been given the names of other individuals who have engaged in pro-Hamas activity, and they are refusing to help [the Department of Homeland Security] identify those individuals on campus, and as the president said very strongly in his statement yesterday, he is not going to tolerate that,” Leavitt said at her just-concluded press briefing.
It’s unclear what sort of help the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires, as Leavitt said they already have the names of the activists. The comment comes after immigration agents arrested activist Mahmoud Khalil and are attempting to deport him, despite the fact that he holds a green card. Donald Trump has said more such arrests will come:
Incoming PM Mark Carney says Canada will keep tariffs 'until the Americans show us respect'
Canada’s prime minister-designate Mark Carney said he would not lift retaliatory tariffs on American good until Washington does the same.
In a brief post on X, Carney, a former central banker who won the race to lead the federal Liberal party on Sunday, said:
President Trump’s latest tariffs are an attack on Canadian workers, families, and businesses. My government will ensure our response has maximum impact in the US and minimal impact here in Canada, while supporting the workers impacted.
My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade.
White House warns Ontario against cutting electricity to US states and defends tariffs on Canada
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt is defending Donald Trump’s decision to further tighten tariffs on Canada, despite widespread economic jitters on Wall Street that are fueling yet another sell-off in today’s ongoing trading.
Pointing to investment announcements Trump has made since and decent economic data, including last week’s jobs report, Leavitt said: “The American people, CEOs and people on Wall Street and on Main Street should bet on this president. He is a deal maker. He is a businessman, and he’s doing what’s right for our country. He wants to restore wealth to the United States of America.”
She also signaled that further measures could taken against Ontario, if the Canadian province’s premier Doug Ford makes good on threats to cut off electricity supplies to three US states:
The president has made it very clear that Canada would be very wise not to shut off electricity for the American people, and we hope that that does not happen. As for what would happen if that does take place, I’ll leave it to the president to make those decisions.
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