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Trump to sign executive order to shut down Education Department
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The Trump administration moves to dismantle the Department of Education in a new executive order Thursday, March 20. And a website lists the alleged personal information of Tesla owners and DOGE employees. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Trump to sign executive order to begin dismantling Education Department
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday, March 20, initiating the process of closing the federal Department of Education.
The White House said the order would direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take steps toward dismantling the agency and transferring its essential programs to other government departments.
The president, however, cannot close the agency on his own. Closing the department would require congressional approval.
Point phone camera here
While Trump is expected to take the first step toward closing the Department of Education on Thursday, Congress would have the final say. Eliminating the department would require 60 votes to break a filibuster in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.
The administration cannot abolish the Department of Education unilaterally, though it can reduce its staff and cut inefficient programs. McMahon has already initiated such steps, including a workforce reduction.
Several Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff members are also working with the agency to reduce costs.
Straight Arrow News reporter Karah Rucker has more on what Trump can do to make it happen here.
Critics of Trump’s plan have spoken out.
“You can’t shut down the Department of Education, and you know it. Fox News knows it. So stop,” Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., wrote in a post on X.
More bullshit.@realDonaldTrump, you can’t shut down the Department of Education — and you know it. Fox News even knows it. So stop it.
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) March 20, 2025
We know you’re just trying to wear us out. But for the record, I am not overwhelmed. My zone isn’t flooded.
I will fight your illegal… pic.twitter.com/YYZxuVNvZs
Smith also vowed to fight Trump’s “illegal behavior until the cows come home.”
The president of the National Education Association — one of the nation’s largest teachers unions — released a statement:
“If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, and making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle-class families… Taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.”
Last week, nearly two dozen Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to halt the effort to lay off half of the Department of Education’s workforce.
Meanwhile, a White House spokesperson said the executive order “will empower parents, states and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.”
Israel says it intercepted Houthi missile as strikes on Gaza continue
The Israeli military reported it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early Thursday morning, March 20, as hostilities with the Houthi rebels intensified amid Trump’s threats to punish Iran for its apparent support of the militant group.
In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces said, “A missile launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory. Sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol.”
Israel’s ambulance service did not report any serious injuries.
A Houthi spokesperson confirmed that the militant group was responsible for a missile strike targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
Earlier this week, the Houthis vowed to escalate strikes in support of the terrorist group Hamas.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 58 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight, according to hospitals in the area.
Israel resumed heavy strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, March 18, effectively ending the ceasefire with Hamas. Israel claimed Hamas refused to release the remaining hostages — a total of 59, with 24 still believed alive.
Since then, Israeli attacks have resulted in nearly 500 deaths among Gaza residents, according to a spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense team.
Russia and Ukraine exchange attacks as US pushes for ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Trump during a call on Wednesday, March 19, that his country was ready to implement a limited ceasefire in the war with Russia. However, Russian authorities reported a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack on the Engels airbase in Russia, a major bomb operations base.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed it shot down 54 drones in the region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported a Russian bombardment of the central city of Kropyvnytskyi overnight, with more than 30 explosions reported.
The regional governor also said that Russia launched a “massive” attack on the eastern city of Kupyansk, near the front line.
Authorities said at least one person was killed and another wounded after the Russians dropped at least 20 bombs on the city in a matter of hours.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 171 drones in the country overnight. It claimed to have shot down 75 of them, and 63 were lost in flight without causing damage.
Tesla owners targeted in alleged doxxing campaign on ‘Dogequest’ website
Elon Musk’s ties to the Trump administration have led to an apparent act of intimidation online as Tesla owners now face an ultimatum: sell your car or find yourself on a blacklist.
A website called “Dogequest” posted the alleged personal information of Tesla owners across the U.S. with an interactive map, including an image of a Molotov cocktail as the cursor.
“Dogequest” aims to, “Empower creative expressions of protest” through exposing the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of Tesla owners. The owners of the website said it will only remove the data if they can provide proof they’ve sold their Teslas.
Encouraging destruction of Teslas throughout the country is extreme domestic terrorism!! https://t.co/8TCNIbrQxA
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2025
The map also includes Tesla dealership addresses, Tesla supercharger locations and the employees’ personal information from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Straight Arrow News reporter Lauren Taylor has more details on the controversial website’s workings and the Trump administration’s response here.
While doxxing is not explicitly illegal under U.S. federal law, it can violate certain laws related to harassment, stalking, threats and invasion of privacy.
Federal reserve holds interest rates steady
The Federal Reserve has maintained interest rates at their current level. On Wednesday, March 19, the Fed held the benchmark rate between 4.25% and 4.5%. However, the committee of decision-makers anticipates two rate cuts in 2025, each by a quarter point.
Wednesday’s decision to keep interest rates steady coincided with Trump’s tariff imposition on Canada, Mexico and China, with further tariffs anticipated in early April. The ongoing tariff wars have sparked economic uncertainty, prompting the committee to foresee potential price increases on specific goods.
Meantime, inflation remains near 3%, slightly higher than the Fed’s preferred number of 2%.
“If the economy remains strong, and inflation does not continue to move sustainably toward 2%, we can maintain policy restraint for longer,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said.
The markets reacted positively to the news. The Dow was up by 383 points on Wednesday and the S&P 500 by 60 points. As of Thursday morning, stock futures are “up.”
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Finland tops list of happiest countries in the world, US drops in rank
The 13th annual World Happiness Report found Finland is the happiest nation in the world for the 8th year in a row, with Denmark and Iceland following next on the list.
The U.S., however, has earned its lowest ranking yet, landing at 24 on the list.
According to the report, declining happiness and social trust have significantly contributed to the rise of political polarization in the U.S. and some parts of Europe.
The World Happiness Report ranks countries based on self-assessed life evaluations, asking respondents to visualize a ladder where the best possible life for them is a 10 and the worst a zero. They then rate their current lives on this scale.
Additionally, it considers six variables, including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and freedom from corruption.
Tags: Crime, Department of Education, DOGE, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Gaza, Hamas, Houthi, Inflation, Interest rates, Iran, Israel, Middle East, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Tesla, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
GOOD MORNING
I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI
IT’S THURSDAY MARCH 20TH
AND THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES:
IT COULD BE LIGHTS OUT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S expected move today TO CURTAIL WHAT IT BELIEVES IS A DEPARTMENT BLOATED WITH BUREAUCRACY and what defenders of the agency are saying.
AND — TARGETING TESLA OWNERS. THE WEBSITE THAT OUTED DRIVERS OF ELON MUSK’S FAMOUS VEHICLES. A FORM OF PROTEST OF MUSK’S CUTS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY OR AN ATTEMPT TO HARASS AND INTIMIDATE AVERAGE AMERICANS ?? THIS MORNING, THE CONTROVERSY AND THE FALLOUT
TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BEGIN DISMANTLING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
TODAY — PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO SIGN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER… THAT WOULD BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CLOSING THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
THE PRESIDENT, HOWEVER, DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO SHUTTER THE AGENCY BY HIMSELF.
CRITICS OF THE PLAN ARE SPEAKING OUT — MINNESOTA DEMOCRAT SENATOR TINA SMITH TAGGED PRESIDENT TRUMP IN A POST ON X SAYING “YOU CAN’T SHUT DOWN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND YOU KNOW IT.
FOX NEWS KNOWS IT.
SO STOP.”
SHE ALSO VOWED TO FIGHT THE PRESIDENT’S QUOTE “ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME.”
THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION — ONE OF THE NATION’S LARGEST TEACHERS UNIONS — RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING QUOTE, “IF SUCCESSFUL, TRUMP’S CONTINUED ACTIONS WILL HURT ALL STUDENTS BY SENDING CLASS SIZES SOARING, CUTTING JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, MAKING HIGHER EDUCATION MORE EXPENSIVE AND OUT OF REACH FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES…
TAKING AWAY SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND GUTTING STUDENT CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS.”
LAST WEEK, NEARLY TWO DOZEN DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION — SEEKING TO HALT THE EFFORT TO LAY OFF HALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S WORKFORCE.
Meantime, in statement, a White House spokesperson said the executive order quote “will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.”
ISRAEL SAYS IT INTERCEPTED HOUTHI MISSILE AS STRIKES ON GAZA CONTINUE
NOW TO THE ONGOING CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST — THE ISRAELIS MILITARY SAID IT INTERCEPTED A MISSILE LAUNCHED FROM YEMEN EARLY THIS MORNING AS HOSTILITIES WITH THE HOUTHI REBEELS INTENSIFIES AMID PRESIDENT TRUMP’S THREATS TO PUNISH IRAN OVER ITS APPARENT SUPPORT FOR THE MILITANT GROUP.
IN A STATEMENT — THE I-D-F SAID “A MISSILE LAUNCHED FROM YEMEN WAS INTERCEPTED before CROSSING INTO ISRAELI TERRITORY.
SIRENS WERE SOUNDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROTOCOL.”
ISRAEL’S AMBULANCE SERVICE SAID NO SERIOUS INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
A HOUTHI SPOKESPERSON CONFIRMED THE MILITANT GROUP WAS BEHIND A MISSILE STRIKE TARGETING BEN GURION AIRPORT IN ISRAEL.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE HOUTHIS VOWED TO ESCALATE STRIKES IN A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR THE TERROR GROUP HAMAS.
MEANWHILE — ISRAELI STRIKES KILLED AT LEAST 58 PALESTINIANS ACROSS THE GAZA STRIP OVERNIGHT, ACCORDING HOSPITALS THERE.
ISRAEL RESUMED HEAVY STRIKES ACROSS GAZA ON TUESDAY — EFFECTIVELY ENDING THE CEASEFIRE WITH HAMAS. ISRAEL CLAIMS HAMAS IS REFUSING TO RELEASE THE REMAINING HOSTAGES — 59 in TOTAL WITH 24 STILL believed to be ALIVE.
SINCE THEN, ISRAELI ATTACKS HAVE LEFT NEARLY 500 GAZA RESIDENTS DEAD, ACCORDING TO A SPOKESPERSON FOR GAZA’S CIVIL DEFENSE TEAM.
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE EXCHANGE ATTACKS AS U.S. PUSHES FOR CEASEFIRE
AS UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY told President Trump on a call Wednesday that his COUNTRY IS READY TO IMPLEMENT A limited CEASEFIRE IN THE WAR WITH RUSSIA, RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES REPORTED A “MASSIVE” UKRAINIAN DRONE ATTACK ON THE ENGELS AIRBASE IN RUSSIA. ENGELS IS A MAJOR BOMB OPERATIONS BASE.
RUSSIA’S DEFENSE MINISTRY CLAIMS TO HAVE DOWNED 54 DRONES OVER THE AREA.
UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES, MEANWHILE, REPORTED A RUSSIAN OVERNIGHT BOMBARDMENT OF THE CENTRAL CITY OF KRO-PYV-NYTSKYI (crow-PAHV-nitsky) WITH MORE THAN 30 EXPLOSIONS REPORTED.
THE REGIONAL GOVERNOR ALSO SAID RUSSIA LAUNCHED A “MASSIVE” ATTACK ON THE EASTERN CITY OF KUP-YANSK (coop-yahnsk), CLOSE TO THE FRONT LINE.
AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST ONE PERSON WAS KILLED AND ANOTHER WOUNDED AFTER THE RUSSIANS DROPPED AT LEAST 20 BOMBS ON THE CITY IN A MATTER OF HOURS.
UKRAINE’S AIR FORCE SAYS RUSSIA LAUNCHED 171 DRONES IN THE COUNTRY OVERNIGHT. THE AIR FORCE CLAIMS IT SHOT DOWN 75 OF THEM AND 63 WERE LOST IN FLIGHT, WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE.
TESLA OWNERS TARGETED IN ALLEGED DOXXING CAMPAIGN ON ‘DOGEQUEST’ WEBSITE
OPERATORS OF A CONTROVERSIAL WEBSITE APPEAR TO HAVE NOW TAKEN IT DOWN, AFTER CRITICS VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE’S PRIVACY, THEIR SAFETY AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MIGHT GET ATTACKED.
THE WEBSITE — CALLED “DOGE QUEST” — TARGETED ELON MUSK’S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY AND ITS EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS TESLA CHARGING STATIONS — AND INDIVIDUAL TESLA OWNERS.
WHILE DOXXING ITSELF IS NOT EXPLICITLY ILLEGAL UNDER U-S FEDERAL LAW — IT CAN VIOLATE SOME LAWS RELATED TO HARASSMENT, STALKING, THREATS, AND INVASION OF PRIVACY.
FEDERAL RESERVE HOLDS INTEREST RATES STEADY
THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS KEEPING INTEREST RATES RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE. THE FED ON WEDNESDAY HELD THE BENCHMARK RATE BETWEEN 4.25 % AND 4.5 %.
HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE OF DECISION MAKERS SEES TWO FUTURE RATE CUTS, AHEAD IN 2025. BOTH BY A QUARTER OF A POINT.
YESTERDAY’S MOVE TO KEEP INTEREST RATES THE SAME, CAME AT A TIME WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS IMPLEMENTED TARIFFS ON CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA, WITH more ON THE HORIZON IN EARLY APRIL. THE TARIFF WARS HAVE SPARKED ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND with the committee anticipating they MIGHT PUSH PRICES up ON CERTAIN GOODS.
MEANTIME, INFLATION IS STILL NEAR 3 %, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE FED’S PREFERRED NUMBER OF 2 %.
FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN JEROME POWELL, SAID QUOTE, ” IF THE ECONOMY REMAINS STRONG, AND INFLATION DOES NOT CONTINUE TO MOVE SUSTAINABLY TOWARD 2% WE CAN MAINTAIN POLICY RESTRAINT FOR LONGER. “
THE MARKETS REACTED POSITIVELY TO THE NEWS. THE DOW WAS UP BY 383 POINTS ON WEDNESDAY AND THE S-AND-P 500 by 60 POINTS. AND this morning — STOCK FUTURES ARE “UP.”
FINLAND TOPS LISTS OF HAPPIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, U.S. DROPS IN RANK
FINALLY THIS MORNING — THURSDAY IS THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS AND TO MARK THE OCCASION… WE’RE GETTING AN IDEA where to find THE HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH.
SPOILER ALERT: THEY DON’T INCLUDE DISNEY WORLD.
THE 13-TH ANNUAL WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT SHOWS FINLAND IS THE HAPPIEST NATION IN THE WORLD — FOR THE 8-TH YEAR IN A ROW – with Denmark and Iceland next on the list.
THE UNITED STATES, HOWEVER, EARNED ITS LOWEST RANKING YET — LANDING AT 24 ON THE LIST.
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, IN THE U-S — AND SOME PARTS OF EUROPE — DECLINING HAPPINESS AND SOCIAL TRUST HAVE CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE RISE OF POLITICAL POLARIZATION.
THE WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT RANKS COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO SELF-ASSESSED LIFE EVALUATIONS AFTER ASKING RESPONDENTS TO THINK OF A LADDER WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE LIFE FOR THEM BEING A 10 AND THE WORST BEING A ZERO… THEN RATE THEIR CURRENT LIVES ON THAT SCALE.
ADDITIONALLY: IT CONSIDERS SIX VARIABLES, AS WELL, INCLUDING G-D-P PER CAPITA, SOCIAL SUPPORT, HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY, FREEDOM, GENEROSITY AND FREEDOM OF CORRUPTION.
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