Friday morning news: March 21, 2025

Trump order on education department » President Trump says it’s time to return control over education to the states.

He signed an executive order Thursday aimed at largely dismantling the Education Department.

TRUMP:  People have wanted to do this for many, many years, for many, many decades, and I don't know, no president ever got around to doing it, but I'm getting around to doing it, so thank you very much.

Already, Education Secretary Linda McMahon earlier this month shed nearly half of the department’s workforce on orders from the president to pare down the agency.

Labor unions have slammed that decision. Executive Director of the National Education Association Kim Anderson.

ANDERSON: I see empty windows with people who should be at their desks, helping students achieve their full potential. Dedicated public servants.

But Trump says students and teachers will be better off without Uncle Sam running the show.

He has argued that the federal government’s 40-plus year foray into directing education has been a failure.

TRUMP:  States that run very well are gonna have, uh, education that, uh, will be as good as Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and those top Finland, those top countries that do so well with education.

The Education Department will still oversee things like student loans and Pell grants.

Completely eliminating the agency would require the approval of Congress, and that’s highly unlikely right now.

Ukraine latest » U.S. negotiators will continue work over the weekend on completing a ceasefire deal in Ukraine and then trying to expand it. Both Russian and Ukrainian leaders have agreed, in principle, to a limited agreement that would halt attacks on energy targets.

Meantime, European countries and others are looking ahead to a post-war Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says plans are moving ahead for a peacekeeping force.

STARMER:  What we've managed to do is get political momentum, political alignment, if you like, with a number of countries, the so called Coalition of the Willing, um, 30 or so countries. That is good to have that level of alignment and momentum.

He says the next step “is to turn that political momentum into operational plans.”

The coalition includes dozens of European nations plus Canada and Australia.

SOUND: [Air raid sirens in Jerusalem]

Israel latest » Air raid sirens rang out in Jerusalem Thursdayafter Houthi rebels launched a missile out of Yemen. The incident took place as several Muslims were praying near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, commonly referred to as the Dome of the Rock.

AUDIO: Allahu Ackbar!

Several people near that mosque heard there shouting Allahu-Ackbar...or God is great … as the sirens sounded.

The Israeli military says the missile was intercepted.

The terror group Hamas also launched three rockets Thursday. The Israeli Air Force shot one of them down. The other two landed in empty fields.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer:

MENCER: Let me be clear Islamists, Hamas and the Houthis, guided by Iran firing rockets at civilians aiming for maximum civilian casualties, is a war crime.

All of this comes after Hamas rejected proposals to renew a ceasefire that expired more than two weeks ago, prompting renewed military assaults from Israel this week.

TESLA suspects arrested » The Department of Justice is pursuing domestic terrorism charges against several suspects linked to attacks on Tesla properties.

Suspects in South Carolina and Colorado are accused of Molotov cocktail attacks against a Tesla charging station and dealership, along with hateful graffiti.

And a defendant in Oregon is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and firing shots at a Tesla store.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Lavitt:

LEAVITT:  It is getting dangerous and the White House wholeheartedly condemns it. And we applaud Attorney General Pam Bondi for investigating these acts as domestic terrorism because that is what they are.

All three face federal arson charges, and two also face charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device. The DOJ says the suspects were ideologically driven.

The attorney general said let this be a warning, if you join the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the DOJ will put you behind bars.

USDA bird flu » The USDA says it’s taking action to help prevent egg shortages in the future. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Egg prices are down sharply. The Agriculture Department reported that as of March 14th, the cost of a dozen eggs was $4.90 … down from $8.17 just 10 days earlier.

But the USDA wants to try and head off future outbreaks of the bird flu, which was blamed for shortages and skyrocketing prices.

The department plans to invest up to $100 million additional dollars … on things like research for therapies … and potential vaccines against the flu in poultry.

This step builds on a $1 billion effort kicked off last month, focused on biosecurity and supporting farmers.

The bird flu has has wiped out nearly 170 million birds since 20-22

The USDA also plans to start importing more eggs from South Korea. The Trump administration is already importing eggs from Turkey and Brazil in an effort to drive down prices.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Plus, Collin Garbarino reviews Disney’s new version of Snow White.

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