The Morning: Cuts at the Education Department

Plus, tariffs and Spelling Bee.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 12, 2025 Good morning. We're covering Trump's layoffs at the Education Department, tariffs and Spelling Bee. In Atlanta. Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times Education reform By Dana Goldstein I cover education. Last night, the Trump administration fired more than a thousand workers at the Education Department. It's not gone; only Congress can abolish a cabinet-level agency. But President Trump can hobble it while retaining a core staff to advance his agenda. Trump wants to use the department to crack down on schools and colleges with D.E.I. efforts he opposes. He also says parents and local governments should fully control education policy. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's allies have slashed the education research budget and moved to replace some human labor with artificial intelligence. Combined with earlier layoffs, the latest cuts will leave the agency with about half the staff it had before Inauguration Day. In today's newsletter, I'll explain what the Education Department does and, after this week, what it may not do. The main job Students are unlikely to feel much immediate impact. That's because, despite what Trump says, state and local school districts already make their own decisions about reading lists, curriculums, teacher pay, testing policies and student discipline practices. Only about 10 percent of funding for public education flows through Washington. It's mostly directed toward low-income and disabled students. Trump can't withhold that money. The government distributes it according to formulas set by Congress. Most of the Education Department's budget helps students pay for college, through grants and loans. Many Trump allies believe that the student aid program should be transferred to the Treasury Department — and sources in Washington say that work is now underway. The department's critics In Washington, D.C. Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times The federal government has collected data and conducted research on education since the 19th century. But historically, both Democrats and Republicans have doubted whether the United States needs a cabinet department for this. Jimmy Carter created the department in 1979, fulfilling a campaign promise to teachers' unions. But even he was skeptical. At a celebration of the agency's creation, Carter tempered the crowd's exuberance, warning, "This thing won't work as well as you think it will." Some liberals flatly opposed the department back then, believing that a single federal agency should handle all the programs — health care, cash welfare and education — that affect kids. Still, in recent decades, the Education Department's work became part of the Beltway firmament and enjoyed bipartisan support. Many of the programs it oversees are popular. Those include Pell grants, which pay for college tuition, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which helps disabled children get services. Trump's education goals The right's view has changed in recent decades. Republicans like George W. Bush thought the federal government had an important role: It should ensure that students really learn at school, and it should push more students to and through college. Trump's movement has a very different agenda. He and his allies want to give parents public dollars they can use to pay for private school tuition and home-schooling. Conservatives also oppose student debt forgiveness, a Biden administration priority. (Joe Biden wiped away debt for millions of borrowers. The Supreme Court blocked part of that effort, calling it illegal.) Alongside some liberal allies, they now argue that fewer Americans need traditional four-year college. Both Trump and his education secretary, Linda McMahon, have encouraged more students to pursue vocational education instead. Student performance In Studio City, Calif. Philip Cheung for The New York Times Trump officials posit that test scores are low because of the federal role in education. And like any government bureaucracy, there is bloat — dated websites and research projects that aren't relevant to students or teachers in the real world. Still, achievement improved during two periods when Washington was unusually involved in schools, scholars say. In the 1970s and 1980s, when courts desegregated Southern classrooms, academic gaps between racial groups closed significantly. Test scores also rose in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Experts are still debating why, but those years were the height of a bipartisan movement focused on standards and accountability. Bush signed a law holding schools and teachers accountable for student test scores. Barack Obama supported those goals, too. But that meant students took more exams, and a backlash to testing gathered strength. In 2015, Obama signed a law relaxing the federal pressure. In other words, yesterday's cuts come at a time when federal involvement in classrooms is the lowest it has been in decades. More on the federal government: The Trump administration intends to eliminate Environmental Protection Agency offices responsible for addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution facing poor communities. THE LATEST NEWS Tariffs Trump's 25 percent tariff on metal imports went into effect. The move is expected to raise the cost of making cars, solar panels and other products in the U.S., potentially slowing the economy. The European Union announced billions in retaliatory tariffs. Trump vs. Canada The Ambassador Bridge, which links Michigan to Ontario. Rebecca Cook/Reuters In a frenetic tit-for-tat, officials in Canada and the U.S. imposed — and then rescinded — bursts of fees and tariffs. Ontario added a surcharge on electricity it supplies to neighboring U.S. states. In response, Trump doubled his tariffs on steel and aluminum. By the end of the day, both had relented. Trump repeated his threat to annex Canada: "The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State," he wrote on social media. War in Ukraine Ukraine said it would support the Trump administration's plan for a 30-day cease-fire in the war with Russia. Russia has not yet responded to the proposal. In exchange for Ukraine's cooperation, the U.S. resumed military assistance and intelligence sharing. Russian forces are assaulting Sudzha, the main town in the part of its Kursk region that Ukraine captured last year. Trump's diplomatic moves over the past 50 days have hollowed out the international system that the U.S. built after World War II, David Sanger writes. More on Trump On the grounds of the White House.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump and Musk surveyed Teslas in front of the White House in what was essentially an extended commercial for Musk's company. (Late night hosts weighed in.) Musk told Trump's advisers that he wants to donate $100 million to Trump's political operation. A senior official at U.S.A.I.D. ordered employees to destroy classified documents. It's not clear if records officials gave permission. Tuberculosis is resurgent after Trump cut aid that helped treat the disease across Africa and Asia. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told food company executives that he intends to eliminate artificial dyes. More on Politics The House passed a bill to fund the government through the fall. It will need Democratic support to pass in the Senate, and the government would shut down without it. Keith Self, a Texas Republican, repeatedly referred to the only transgender woman in Congress as a man, then adjourned the session when a Democratic member challenged him. International Greenland held a parliamentary election, which had a very high voter turnout. The winning party has criticized Trump's rhetoric about buying the island. Separatists in Pakistan hijacked a train with about 400 people aboard and threatened to kill the passengers unless the government agreed to a prisoner exchange. Chinese warships circled Australia for nearly a month. Covid Anniversary On March 12, 2020, Broadway went dark. Now, audiences are back to 95 percent of their prepandemic levels. In some respects, Covid echoed the 1918 flu pandemic. But in many others, medical historians say, it was unique. Other Big Stories New Yorkers protested the arrest at Columbia of a Palestinian activist who held a green card and is married to an American. Archaeologists in Italy unearthed what they believe to be an ancient Jewish ritual bath. It would be the oldest found in the Roman world. Opinions The United States' unreliability is encouraging allies to develop nuclear weapons. Trump should denounce their plans, Bill Hennigan writes. After a pandemic, it takes years for normalcy to return. Trust in public health speeds up that progress, Charles Kenny writes. Here are columns by Thomas Friedman and Bret Stephens on Trump's zigzagging policies. Save up to 75% on Games. Our best offer won't last. Love to play? Discover all our games. Subscribe to New York Times Games today and save up to 75% on your first year — improve your Wordle strategy with Wordle Bot, reach Genius on Spelling Bee, plus more. Come play with us. MORNING READS Firstview Spooky: This fall's fashion has a "witchy vibe." Space: Astronomers knew Saturn had at least 146 moons. They just spotted another 128. "Bookie boo": On TikTok, choreographers are finding words for their moves. Orange feathers: In Michigan, a snowy owl named Rusty or Creamsicle has enthralled and mystified bird watchers. See a photo. Most clicked yesterday: These exercises can help you age well. Dog as default: Cats often remain medical mysteries. Lives Lived: Stanley Jaffe was a Hollywood wunderkind — president of Paramount at 29 — who went on to be an Oscar-winning producer of films such as "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Fatal Attraction" and "The Accused." He died at 84. SPORTS M.L.B.: The first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is asking the Blue Jays for $500 million in his next contract, sources briefed on the negotiation told The Athletic. N.F.L.: The Eagles will visit the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory. Golf: Tiger Woods says he ruptured his Achilles' tendon. That probably ends his 2025 season. ARTS AND IDEAS The New York Times Every day for the past seven years, Sam Ezersky, the editor of The Times's Spelling Bee, has scrambled 25 letters for millions of solvers. Today, for the 2,500th digital puzzle, he did something he'd never done before: He included S. As regular players know, S is a fraught letter for the Bee, given its potential to increase the word count. The puzzle, which you can find lower in this newsletter, has a pangram to match the occasion. "Rather than a random word with an S, I wanted to pick a good fun word," Sam said. See the puzzle below. More on culture Read how "Operation Mincemeat," a very British hit, is changing for Broadway. On her new Netflix show, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, says Sussex is her surname. Royal experts aren't so sure. Michelle Obama is starting a video podcast with her brother. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Yossy Arefi for The New York Times Roast broccoli with a vinegar-mustard glaze. Choose better hangers. Buy your ski passes for next season and save some money. Organize your bathroom better with this hack. Protect your passwords. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was embankment. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. P.S. Are you a federal worker? The Times would like to hear about your experience in the second Trump administration. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018