Latest news with #ExecutiveOrder
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court Lets Trump Resume Mass Federal Layoffs
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration can resume mass firing of staff at federal agencies. On Tuesday, the court lifted an order from a lower court blocking the enforcement of a February executive order in which President Donald Trump laid out plans for large scale firings and layoffs across the government. The court ruled 7-2 to lift the order, with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor joining conservatives in siding with the administration In her concurrence with the majority, Sotomayor wrote that while 'the President cannot restructure federal agencies in a manner inconsistent with congressional mandates,' the 'relevant Executive Order directs agencies to plan reorganizations and reductions in force 'consistent with applicable law.'' Since the legality of the specific plans and methods were not directly before the court, the executive order was, in her view, within the powers of the president. Fellow liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a scathing dissent that the order — and plans outlined by the Trump administration — potentially usurped powers vested in Congress. The lower court had stayed the layoffs in order while it litigated the legal merits of the case, but, as Jackson wrote, 'that temporary, practical, harm-reducing preservation of the status quo was no match for this Court's demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture.' 'This Court lacks the capacity to fully evaluate, much less responsibly override, reasoned lower court fact finding about what this challenged executive action actually entails,' Jackson added. The decision is a victory for the Trump administration, whose efforts to gut the federal workforce and dismantle entire agencies has repeatedly been stymied by legal challenges and court rulings. When U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued the preliminary injunction against Trump's February executive order, she stopped removals at over 20 agencies. The Trump administration has gambled that it can litigate many of its more extreme, constitutionally dubious initiatives through the courts and come out on top. Once again, the Supreme Court has proven him correct. More from Rolling Stone Trump Voter Andrew Schulz Can't Believe Trump Isn't Doing What He Campaigned On The DOJ's Epstein Memo Is Tearing the Trump Administration Apart Blue States Invest Retirees' Savings in Firms Boosting Trump's Extreme Agenda Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
UPI
4 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
New York joins multistate lawsuit after Trump administration's FEMA cuts
July 16 (UPI) -- The state of New York joined several other states Wednesday in a lawsuit against the Trump administration's closure of a protective arm of FEMA. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced in a press release that her state has joined 19 others in litigation against Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Richardson, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the federal government that seeks the restoration of FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, program. "I'm suing the federal government with a group of [Attorneys General] over its deadly decision to end FEMA's BRIC program and slash billions of dollars that protect communities from natural disasters," James wrote in an X post Wednesday. According to the release, BRIC had "supported critical infrastructure to protect communities from disasters before they happen" with the provision of billions of dollars to state and local governments in order for municipalities to prepare for natural disasters. In a press release that has since been deleted from the FEMA website, FEMA announced in April it was ending BRIC, and canceled all applications sent to BRIC from Fiscal Years 2020-2023, then canceled the fiscal year 2024 notice of funding opportunity. Any grant funds that hadn't been distributed were reabsorbed and returned to either the U.S. Treasury or the Disaster Relief Fund. The dissolution of BRIC followed an Executive Order made in March that, among other decrees, ordered the Secretary of Homeland Security to "propose changes to the policies" related to "national preparedness and response policies and recommend to the President the revisions, recissions, and replacements necessary to reformulate the process and metrics for Federal responsibility." The statement from James noted that the loss of the BRIC program could specifically affect New York, which is noted as being "among the states receiving the most BRIC funding" due to its coastal communities. New York currently has 38 BRIC projects that total over $380 million located across its boundaries, which would be jeopardized by the termination of BRIC. New York City alone was expected to receive BRIC funds for almost 20 different projects, including a $50 million mitigation action plan intended to provide protection from flash flooding of the Harlem River. "This administration's decision to slash billions of dollars that protect our communities from floods, wildfires, and other disasters puts millions of New Yorkers at risk," said Attorney General James in the Wednesday press release from her office. "New Yorkers depend on quality roads, floodwalls, and other vital infrastructure to keep them safe when disaster strikes," she continued. "This administration has no authority to cut this program that has helped save countless lives, and I will continue to fight to ensure New York gets the support we need to prepare for dangerous natural disasters."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US Education in the Trump 2.0: A timeline of what changed in just 6 months
Timeline of US education-related actions during Donald Trump's second presidency (January 2025 – July 15, 2025) The second presidency of Donald Trump, inaugurated on January 20, 2025, has brought significant changes to the United States' federal education policy landscape. Over the first six months of the administration, sweeping reforms were undertaken that affected the US Department of Education (USED), civil rights enforcement, university funding, Title IX and Title VI interpretations, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives across K–12 and higher education. Through executive orders, administrative actions, and Department-led initiatives, the Trump administration pursued a course of decentralisation, framing the movement as returning educational control to states and local communities. The restructuring included staff reductions, program eliminations, funding freezes, and legal battles surrounding enforcement of federal civil rights laws. January 2025: Executive orders and reorientation of USED priorities January 20, 2025: Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States. January 20–23: President Trump signed multiple executive orders aimed at dismantling DEI efforts across federal agencies. Most notably, Executive Order 14151 repealed Executive Order 11246, a landmark policy that had established affirmative action programmes requiring federal contractors to promote workforce diversity. This repeal effectively ended federal affirmative action requirements and led to the closure of DEI offices within government departments, marking a significant shift away from institutional efforts to address systemic inequities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Additional executive orders signed on January 20 included: • Executive Order on Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Governmen t: This defined sex as male and female based on biological classification at birth, rescinding prior Title IX protections for gender identity and sexual orientation. • Executive Order on Expanding School Choice: Promoted public fund usage for private education, reducing federal involvement in K–12 education. • Executive Order on Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling: Reinstated the 1776 Commission to promote "patriotic education" and prohibited funding for schools promoting gender or equity ideologies. January 29, 2025: Executive Order 14190, titled 'Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling' , was signed. The order categorised the teaching of gender ideology and critical race theory as subversive acts, calling for investigations and the possibility of criminal penalties against educators facilitating social transitions for transgender students. January 31, 2025: USED issued a "Dear Colleague" letter signalling the return to the 2020 Title IX rules from Trump's first term. The rules narrowed the definition of sexual harassment, reinstated live hearings, and limited institutional liability. Legal challenges from education advocacy organisations followed. February 2025: DEI-related investigations and legal actions February 2, 2025: USED placed approximately 100 employees on administrative leave, primarily not related to DEI, as part of enforcement under Executive Order 14151. February 3, 2025: USED opened Title VI investigations into five universities—Columbia, Northwestern, Portland State, UC Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota—over allegations of antisemitic harassment linked to campus protests. Investigations followed Trump's Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism. February 5, 2025: The 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' executive order was signed. It directed USED to enforce Title IX such that transgender women would be barred from participating in women's sports. The NCAA responded by restricting eligibility in line with the order. The University of Pennsylvania subsequently lost $175 million in federal funding due to its past compliance with more inclusive NCAA policies. February 10, 2025: USED terminated $336 million in Regional Educational Laboratory grants and $33 million in Equity Assistance Centre funding. The cancellations cited DEI and critical race theory content as misaligned with federal goals. Eight states filed suit, alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act. February 13, 2025: Linda McMahon was confirmed as Secretary of Education by the Senate (52–48 vote), with her agenda aligned toward dismantling the Department of Education. February 14, 2025: USED's Office for Civil Rights issued a "Dear Colleague" letter interpreting the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court decision as invalidating all DEI programmes. The letter gave institutions 14 days to comply or face funding loss. Legal action followed, and a federal judge in New Hampshire granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement. March 2025: Layoffs, legal resistance, and executive restructuring orders March 1, 2025: An FAQ was issued by USED OCR clarifying the February letter's provisions. Despite adjustments, a Maryland federal court issued a nationwide injunction blocking the executive order's implementation. March 3, 2025: Secretary McMahon publicly outlined the "final mission" of USED as the decentralisation of federal education control and dismantling of the Department. March 11, 2025: USED announced a workforce reduction of approximately 2,000 employees—nearly half its staff. Layoffs impacted civil rights, special education, student aid, and research functions. An additional 600 employees resigned voluntarily. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) was nearly dismantled, with $900 million in research grants cancelled. USED's civil rights office saw over 40% staffing cuts. March 14, 2025: The Senate passed H.R. 1968, a Continuing Resolution funding key education programmes like Title I and IDEA through 30 September 2025. On the same day, USED launched Title VI investigations into 45 universities over race-exclusive DEI activities. March 19, 2025: The administration cut $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania, citing Title IX violations. March 20, 2025: President Trump signed an executive order titled 'Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities' , instructing Secretary McMahon to facilitate the closure of USED and reassign responsibilities to Treasury, HHS, DOJ, and others. March 24, 2025: Over 20 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to block USED layoffs. A federal judge issued an injunction temporarily pausing further terminations and restructuring. March 31, 2025: The administration issued detailed oversight demands to Harvard, including audits and DEI policy reviews. Harvard President Alan Garber rejected these as unconstitutional. April 2025: Escalation of funding cuts and DEI restrictions April 3–11, 2025: The Trump administration expanded its demands on Harvard University. It requested a four-year audit covering academic governance, hiring practices, and curriculum oversight. In response, President Alan Garber reaffirmed resistance on April 14, citing constitutional protections. Litigation from faculty associations followed. April 14, 2025: The administration froze over $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard, citing concerns over DEI and antisemitism. Similar funding holds were placed on Columbia University (approx. $400 million), Cornell University (over $1 billion), and Northwestern University (approx. $790 million). April 23, 2025: President Trump signed a new executive order targeting DEI in higher education. The order required institutions to disclose all foreign financial ties, decertified DEI programmes for accreditation purposes, and revoked Obama- and Biden-era equity-based discipline guidance for K–12 schools. The new policy mandated behaviour-based discipline approaches and prohibited what it described as race-conscious disciplinary policies. May 2025: Institutional scrutiny and proposed agency transfers May 12, 2025: A task force including USED, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA) revoked an additional $450 million in federal grants to Harvard. The justification cited continuing violations of Title VI and DEI enforcement failures. May 22, 2025: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of intent to revoke Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification, threatening its international student enrolment. A federal judge swiftly granted an injunction, blocking the move. Late May 2025: USED and HHS opened a civil rights investigation into the Harvard Law Review following an alleged Title VI violation related to article submission practices. The investigation cited discriminatory procedures and editorial decision-making linked to DEI frameworks. May 2025 (ongoing) The Trump administration began discussing the structural reassignment of USED responsibilities. Proposals included moving: • Student loans to the Department of the Treasury or the Small Business Administration (SBA), • Special education oversight to HHS, • Civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice (DOJ). No formal transfers were completed by July 15, 2025, as such actions require congressional authorisation. The resulting uncertainty affected planning for institutions and borrowers. June–July 2025: Court rulings and further dismantling efforts June 6, 2025: Federal Judge Myong Joun upheld a March injunction that blocked further USED layoffs and agency restructuring. The ruling reaffirmed that layoffs and transfers without congressional oversight exceeded executive authority. July 14, 2025: The US Supreme Court, through its shadow docket, lifted the injunction, enabling the Department to terminate approximately 1,400 employees. The affected roles were largely within civil rights enforcement, special education, and federal research divisions. The Court's order allowed the Trump administration to proceed with dismantling USED functions, despite objections from legal and civil rights groups. Ongoing legal challenges and court rulings (January–July 2025) Multiple legal actions have been filed against the Trump administration's education policies, leading to several notable court decisions: • Boston Federal Court (March 2025): A lawsuit by 20 state attorneys general challenged the legality of USED staff terminations. A judge ordered staff reinstatement, but the administration reportedly delayed full compliance. • Maryland Federal Court (March 2025): A nationwide injunction was issued blocking major provisions of the anti-DEI executive orders, temporarily safeguarding grant eligibility. • New Hampshire Federal Court (March 2025): A judge blocked the enforcement of the February 14 'Dear Colleague' letter, ruling that it infringed upon free speech protections. • New York Federal Court (February 2025): The American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers filed a case over Columbia's funding cuts, alleging unconstitutional restrictions on institutional autonomy and academic speech. These legal developments have resulted in temporary relief for some institutions, though broader challenges remain pending in federal courts. July 15, 2025: Current status As of July 15, 2025, the US Department of Education remains operational, though significantly weakened. While full congressional dissolution of USED has not occurred, its functions have been curtailed through staffing reductions, executive orders, and agency restructuring. Core federal education programmes such as Pell Grants, Title I, and IDEA remain active. However, questions persist regarding their future oversight and delivery mechanisms. Universities, particularly Ivy League institutions, continue to face funding freezes and investigations related to DEI and antisemitism compliance. Summary of actions and institutional impacts Area Action Immediate Effects DOE workforce ~50% staff cut; legal injunctions; Supreme Court approval in July Disruptions in civil rights enforcement, research, student loans, and data collection Student loans/grants Mandates to transfer to Treasury/SBA; frozen university funds Borrower uncertainty; disruptions to aid and research funding Higher education $2.2B+ in grants frozen; DOJ/HHS investigations; accreditation scrutiny over DEI Legal battles; oversight compliance measures K–12 schools Executive orders on CRT, gender ideology, and discipline Removal of protections for transgender students; increased litigation Federal roles Proposals to transfer to HHS, DOJ, Treasury, Labour Coordination and implementation issues Legal and political context Despite multiple lawsuits and preliminary injunctions, the administration has proceeded with its education reform agenda. The Supreme Court's intervention to lift an injunction on USED layoffs marked a key turning point, raising concerns about separation of powers. While Congress holds the authority to dissolve federal agencies, no legislative action to abolish USED has occurred as of mid-July. The Trump administration has framed its education strategy as an effort to return control to states, eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies, and protect what it describes as American values. The coming months are expected to include continued legal battles, potential legislative standoffs, and policy shifts as USED's functions are reassessed. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump wants to dismantle the Education Department. What would that mean?
The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to the Department of Education — a win for the president who has been pushing to do away with the department altogether. Trump signed an executive order in March saying he would take 'all lawful steps' to close the Education Department, although the White House acknowledged at the time that only Congress can do so. Trump has claimed that the current education system is 'failing' children and their families.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Supreme Court OKs Trump's plan to dismantle the Education Department
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday gave President Trump the authority to dismantle the Education Department and to fire about half of its staff. In a 6-3 decision, the court's conservatives set aside a Boston judge's order and cleared the way for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to carry out her plans to shut down much of her department. The court issued a brief order with no explanation, followed by a 19-page dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor that spoke for the three liberals. 'Only Congress has the power to abolish the Department. The Executive's task, by contrast, is to 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,'' she wrote. 'Yet, by executive fiat, the President ordered the Secretary of Education to 'take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department' ... Consistent with that Executive Order, Secretary Linda McMahon gutted the Department's work force, firing over 50 percent of its staff overnight. In her own words, that mass termination served as 'the first step on the road to a total shutdown' of the Department.' The Department of Education was created in 1979 under President Carter, and it has been a favorite of Democrats since then. It sends funds to school districts across the nation to support extra help for students, including those with disabilities, and it administers programs for grants and loans for students in colleges and universities. Republicans have been anxious to dismantle the Education Department for decades. They say education policy should be left mostly to states and argue that the teachers unions have too much sway in Washington. But they also say they would not change or block the federal funding that now goes to support schools and higher education students. Last week, the court upheld the Trump administration plans for mass layoffs in the more than 20 departments and agencies. Attorneys for California and 10 other Democratic-led states had sued to block the planned layoffs of about 1,400 Education Department employees, and they won before a federal judge in Boston and the 1st Circuit Court. Those judges said Congress could reduce or redirect funding from the Education Department, but the president was not free to do it on his own. But in last week's order as well as Monday's, the court's majority sided with Trump and his broad view of executive power. Trump's Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer said the administration decided it can 'carry out its statutorily mandate functions with a pared down staff' at the Education Department. Democracy Forward, a progressive group that sued on behalf of educators, said it was 'incredibly disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision to allow the Trump-Vance administration to proceed with its harmful efforts to dismantle the Department of Education while our case moves forward. This unlawful plan will immediately and irreparably harm students, educators and communities across our nation.'
