White House claims about USAID ripped apart by fact-checker: 'Only one claim was accurate'

Travis Gettys
February 7, 2025 
RAW STORY




Donald Trump's administration used nearly a dozen false or misleading claims to justify the dismantling of the nation's primary vehicle for delivering foreign aid, according to a new fact check.

The White House this week issued a statement titled, “At USAID, Waste and Abuse Runs Deep,” that alleged the U.S. Agency for International Development "funnels massive sums" of taxpayer funds to pay for "ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats," but the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler said 11 of the 12 listed examples plucked from right-wing websites lacked context, at best, or were outright false.

"We examined these line items, as they have spread across social media," Kessler said. "By eliminating USAID’s website, the administration made harder to ascertain the details of some of these programs. But we determined that, as framed by the White House, only one claim — out of 12 — was accurate. After we highlighted key errors in the statement to the White House, we received a statement from spokeswoman Anna Kelly: 'This waste of taxpayer dollars underscores why the president paused foreign aid on day one to ensure it aligns with American interests.'"

Americans consistently and wildly overestimate how much the U.S. spends on foreign aid, which in reality is less than 1 percent of the federal budget, but a majority believe it's closer to 10 percent, and the White House and Elon Musk seemingly exploited that misconception to attack USAID.

"In fiscal year 2023, USAID was appropriated about $25 billion by Congress, according to foreignassistance.gov," Kessler said. "The website in recent days has been changed to combine USAID spending with foreign aid distributed by the State Department, so the combined total is nearly $39 billion. The White House identified only about $12 million in grants — one of which was $6 million — though one allegation vaguely claimed 'hundreds of millions of dollars.' Upon inspection, that turned out to be from 2005 to 2008."

The only White House claim with any basis in reality was one Kessler rated as "mostly accurate," which states that USAID provided $1.5 million to "advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities," which the fact checker said was funding for a called Grupa Izadji that's focused on creating opportunities for young LGBTQ people as part of the aid organization's goal of improving civil society in Serbia.

However, claims that USAID spent $70,000 for production of a "DEI musical" in Ireland, $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam, $47,000 for a "transgender opera" in Colombia, $32,000 for a "transgender comic book" in Peru and $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt were all rated as simply wrong.

Those claims either conflated USAID spending with State Department grants or misstated the purpose of the funding, and none of them made clear the strategic reasoning the organization was operating in the countries where those funds were spent.

The White House also claimed that USAID spent $2 million for sex changes and ‘LGBT activism’ in Guatemala, hundreds of thousands of dollars for a nonprofit linked to designated terrorist organizations and hundreds of thousands of meals that went to al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria, and paid to print "personalized" contraceptives birth control devices in developing countries – all of which Kessler said was misleading.

"As the article cited by the White House makes clear, investigators, including the USAID inspector general, discovered that the head of a nongovernmental organization diverted $9 million intended for Syrian civilians to combatant groups," Kessler said of the al-Qaeda claim. "He was charged in a 12-count indicted unsealed in November."

Another White House claim alleging that USAID gave "millions" to a lab in Wuhan, China, where some believe Covid-19 originated, was rated as lacking some context.

"Before the pandemic, up until 2019, USAID provided $1.1 million to EcoHealth Alliance, an environmental health nonprofit organization, via a subagreement on virus research," Kessler said. "USAID initially awarded a grant to the University of California at Davis to improve monitoring of zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential in African and Asian countries. UC-Davis then hired EcoHealth, which in turn contracted with Wuhan University and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, to collect biological samples from roughly 1,500 individuals in the Yunnan province with exposure to bats, other wildlife and domestic animals, according to the Government Accountability Office. The origin of the covid virus has still not been determined. In 2022, USAID awarded EcoHealth $4.7 million for a conservation project to improve farming practices in southwest Liberia — completely unrelated to virus research."

The White House also claimed USAID spent "hundreds of millions of dollars to fund ‘irrigation canals, farming equipment, and even fertilizer used to support the unprecedented poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan," but Kessler said that was false.

"USAID never intended to support opium poppy cultivation or the Taliban, and in fact the U.S. sought to stem it," Kessler wrote. "The White House cites a right-wing news site’s account of a 2018 report by the Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) — who President Donald Trump recently fired — that found that USAID efforts to fund alternative development projects during the George W. Bush administration (2005 to 2008) had failed. The Taliban before 2001 had successfully banned poppy cultivation, but the U.S. invasion led to a power vacuum that was exploited by poppy growers. USAID was the lead U.S. agency for implementing alternative development projects, modeled after a more successful effort in Colombia, but the report documented how conflicts among agencies and with allies hampered the effort. It’s a stretch to now, years later, accuse USAID of helping the Taliban."

'Trump slowdown': Critics hammer President for lackluster jobs report

Brad Reed
February 7, 2025

RAW STORY

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 04: Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on September 4, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

Numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday showed that the United States economy added just 143,000 jobs in January, which missed Wall Street expectations of 169,000 jobs.

Although most of the jobs data for the month came while Joe Biden was still the president, that didn't stop President Donald Trump's critics from pouncing on the disappointing number and predicting even worse numbers in the months ahead as Trump and X owner Elon Musk attempt to enact mass layoffs of the federal workforce.

"The Trump slowdown," commented Democratic strategist Matt McDermott on X.

"Trump was president for less than half of January," wrote designer Christopher Webb. "He’s brought economic uncertainty since day one."

Sirius XM radio host Dean Obeidallah echoed a similar theme on BlueSky and predicted that "with layoffs in federal government we can expect a spike in unemployment in coming months."

Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, meanwhile, put the disappointing jobs report into the broader context of what he said would be destructive Trump economic policies.

"New jobs report one of the worst since COVID - 143,000 jobs created," he wrote on BlueSky Friday. "So far under Trump: - GDP growth has slowed - Job growth has slowed - Inflation has risen - Destructive tariffs loom - Fed did not cut interest rates - GOP econ plans will explode the deficit.

Trump inherits Biden’s ‘astonishing’ jobs legacy — but prices already soar on his watch

David Badash, 

The New Civil Rights Movement
February 7, 2025 


U.S. President Donald Trump sits at the Resolute Desk, where he signed executive orders during a brief event in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

The January jobs report has been released, showing unemployment remaining near historic lows. As President Donald Trump takes over, he is inheriting what one noted economist is calling President Joe Biden’s “astonishing” and “beautiful” jobs record and labor market. But beyond employment figures, key benchmarks, such as the prices of essential goods like eggs, coffee, and gas, are drawing attention—leading some to wonder if last year will be remembered as the actual “golden age” for everyday consumers.

“In many respects, Donald Trump inherited the “golden age” he claims to be ushering in. All he really needs to do is not screw it up,” Reuters editor-at-large Mike Dolan wrote two days after Trump’s inauguration. “In economic and financial terms, the United States has rarely been in better health.”

But President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and economic policies, and his promised “mass deportations,” coupled with his efforts to slash the federal government workforce, could come with strong financial and even personal health costs to everyday Americans.

For the month of January, the unemployment rate dropped, from 4.1% to 4%.

“Except for January 1970, the unemployment rate is lower today than it was in *every single month* of the 1970s, 80s and 90s,” wrote portfolio manager Eddy Elfenbein. Professor of Economics Justin Wolfers, a frequent cable news guest, responded: “This is an astonishing (and beautiful) fact, and we really ought to celebrate it. The labor market is in terrific shape, and continuing to improve. If the economy continues its momentum (a big if, to be sure), the unemployment rate isn’t far from returning to its fifty year low.”


But according to The New York Times, the “fresh numbers suggest that the labor market may be losing momentum heading into the second administration of President Trump, whose policy agenda — including sharp cuts to federal payrolls and large-scale deportations of unauthorized migrants — could affect both employment and the availability of workers.”

During his campaign, President Trump vowed he would “immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.” That has not happened, and there is little to suggest he has made any tangible progress.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture now says the price of eggs will likely jump by 20 percent in 2025,” Politico reported this week. “An executive order Trump signed in January placed deregulation at the center of his cost-cutting strategy.”

The White House has suggested Trump’s energy policies will also lead to dramatic price drops for families.

“President Trump is already taking bold action to drive down costs with his executive actions to unleash American energy, and he is working diligently with Secretary Brooke Rollins to address the price of eggs,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Politico, the news outlet reported.

But the price of eggs is being directly impacted by a massive Bird Flu outbreak across the country, and it does not appear the Trump administration has taken steps to end it. Meanwhile, farmers have had to kill over 148 million birds, including chickens and ducks, to prevent the spread of the disease.

It could get worse.

“The White House is working on an executive order to fire thousands of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services workers, according to people familiar with the matter,” The Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive on Thursday. “The job cuts under consideration would affect the Department of Health and Human Services, which employs more than 80,000 people and includes the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in addition to the FDA and CDC.”

“The agencies,” WSJ added, “are responsible for a range of functions, from approving new drugs to tracing bird-flu outbreaks and researching cancer. A loss of staff could affect the efforts depending on which workers are cut and whether they are concentrated in particular areas.”

Politico adds, “The White House has in recent days taken drastic steps to reorganize USAID and strip the embattled agency of its autonomy. USAID’s headquarters were closed Monday and Secretary of State Marco Rubio named its acting administrator. Trump doubled down on Tuesday, taking steps to put nearly all of the agency’s Washington-based staff on leave.”

“But shutting down an office that fights diseases worldwide will only mean prices stay high, Democrats argue.”

It appears the international health community is concerned.

“The US has the most cases of bird flu in humans globally,” the Financial Times reports. “Scientists have called for increased vaccination of farm workers and more efforts to stem the spread among farm animals as the H5N1 pathogen continues to infect cattle and chickens across the country.”

“It is arguably grossly irresponsible for the US authorities to allow such sustained high level of virus transmission in dairy cattle as this poses such a major threat to global human health,” Professor James Wood, an infectious diseases expert at the UK’s Cambridge University, told FT.

President Trump’s promise to lower the price of gas “on day one” has also not materialized.

“Amid the threat of tariffs, the national average for a gallon of gas ticked up two cents from last week to $3.13,” according to AAA on Thursday, which tracks gas prices.

In addition to Bird Flu and its impacts, there’s reason to believe food costs will continue to rise.

Bloomberg energy and commodities columnist Javier Blas reported Wednesday that “Wholesale Arabica coffee prices rise above $4 per lb in New York — an all-time high and more than double the level of a year ago.”

Blas says “just the threat” of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Colombia, the world’s third-largest coffee producer, “is enough to scare the market.”

And he’s predicting a “coffee inflation wave” for this year, and says retail coffee prices “are going to go up between 20% and 25% in the next few months.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

In Rousing Press Conference, Progressive Democrats Say It's Time to 'Fire Elon Musk'

"It's time for all of us to get off the mat and get back in the ring. We're going to fight smarter. We are going to fight harder," the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus said.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chair of the of Congressional Progressive Caucus, speaks during a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center to oppose Elon Musk's influence over various federal agencies, on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
(Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Eloise Goldsmith
Feb 06, 2025
COMMON DREAMS


"We're here to say with one voice: Fire Elon Musk," said Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, kicking off a Congressional Progressive Caucus press conference on Thursday which brought some of the fighting spirit that Democrats have been accused of lacking in recent weeks.

Caucus members gave remarks denouncing billionaire and GOP megadonor Elon Musk, whose so-called Department of Government Efficiency has infiltrated multiple federal agencies with the aim of carrying out cuts to spending and personnel, for engaging in an "illegal power grab." Casar, who is the chair of the caucus, told reporters that they would use "every legislative, judicial, and public pressure tool at [their] disposal as members of Congress" in an effort to get rid of Musk.

"Many Democrats need a time to soul search, to grieve, to think, but that time has ended," Casar said. "It's time for all of us to get off the mat and get back in the ring. We're going to fight smarter. We are going to fight harder."




Musk and his associates at DOGE now have moved to exert influence over agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Education, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Treasury Department. The Wall Street Journalreported Wednesday that representatives at DOGE have also secured access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and are "searching agency payment systems for fraud."

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) called out House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for failing to have the "courage to stand up and defend the integrity of the legislative branch" in the face of Musk and Trump's broadsides against federal agencies, which in some cases appear illegal. "This is not only unethical, it is illegal and unconstitutional," she said.

Representatives of the caucus also said that there will be an attempt to pressure Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, which has a Republican majority, to join Democrats in subpoenaing Musk to come testify before the panel. Ranking member of the committee, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), brought a motion on Wednesday to subpoena Musk to testify before the committee which failed in a 20-19 vote along party lines, according to Politico.

"We only lost that vote by one vote," said Casar. "We just need to pressure, in that case, just one Republican to have a spine and be willing to hear from Elon Musk."

Meanwhile, the day before the press conference, over 100 civil society groups sent a letter to congressional leaders demanding that Congress immediately act to investigate the full extent of actions taken by Musk and representatives at DOGE.

The groups that signed the letter include the labor union SEIU, the environmental group Greenpeace USA, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and others.

"Millions of Americans are likely to be harmed if Elon Musk and DOGE are allowed to continue to infiltrate and take over critical government systems," the according to the letter, which says Congress should probe whether Musk and associates at DOGE have violated multiple temporary restraining orders issued by district courts in response to a late January memo from the Office of Management and Budget attempting to freeze funding for federal grants and other programs, among other concerns.

"What we have seen from Elon Musk and DOGE indicates an astounding disregard for the law," the letter concludes.

The Trump administration, Musk, and DOGE are facing resistance in court. Yesterday, the AFL-CIO and four unions filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against DOGE and acting Labor Secretary Vince Micone aimed at keeping DOGE out of the Department of Labor. Two unions and an advocacy group sued Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Treasury Department on Monday for giving DOGE access to a sensitive payment system, citing privacy concerns.

Also Wednesday, thousands turned out for grassroots-organized, anti-Trump rallies around the United States.

Musk shields his finances as he hoards private data of millions of Americans: report

Travis Gettys
February 7, 2025 

RAW STORY

Elon Musk vowed "maximum transparency" in his government work but won't even share his financial disclosures, according to a new report.

The tech billionaire has been invited into President Donald Trump's administration to cut government spending and regulation with his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, but the White House will allow him to file a “confidential” financial disclosure" as an unpaid “special government employee," reported the Washington Post.

Special government employees who are paid at or below the level of federal employees with Senior Executive Service status, according to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, are not required to file a public financial disclosure report.

They may instead file a confidential report if they are expected to “have a substantial role in the formulation of agency policy," which so far Musk has done.

"As a special govt employee, Musk is limited to 130 days of work a year," noted journalist Natalie Alms. "A former White House ethics lawyer has told me that if Musk exceeds that, you can expect lawsuits to make this financial disclosure public."

A White House official told the post that Musk received an ethics briefing this week, and other DOGE staffers will do the same if they haven't already.

DOGE will also attempt to shield their work behind the Presidential Records Act, according to the group's adviser Katie Miller, which would keep their records sealed until 2034, five years after Trump leaves office and eight years after DOGE is scheduled to disband.

However, that claim will almost certainly face a legal challenge, and some observers noted his secrecy while his DOGE lackeys gain access to sensitive private data for federal employees and taxpayers and feed them into artificial intelligence models.

"So just to recap: Elon Musk has all of your personal confidential data," posted the co-executive director of the activist group Indivisible Guide. "And he will not be disclosing any of his information to the American people. One set of rules for Musk and Trump, one set of rules for the rest of us."

 

Elon Musk floats re-hiring self-proclaimed 'racist' DOGE aide fired for bigoted comments

Brad Reed
February 7, 2025

RAW STORY

X owner Elon Musk on Friday floated the possibility of bringing back Marko Elez, the racist former Department of Government Efficiency staff member who was fired after the Wall Street Journal exposed his past racist social media posts.

Writing on X Friday morning, Musk asked his followers if he should "Bring back DOGE staffer who made inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym?" and then posted a poll to allow them give their input.

As of this writing, the overwhelming number of participants in the poll advised Musk to bring back his racist former staff member.

As the WSJ reported on Thursday, Elez made a number of racist posts pseudonymously that included recommendations to "normalize Indian hate" and boasts that "just for the record, I was racist before it was cool."

ALSO READ: 'Selfish, wasteful, and cruel': Ex-Republican slams Elon Musk's vision for government

Elez, a graduate of Rutgers University and an employee at Musk companies SpaceX and Starlink, left a trail of breadcrumbs that allowed the Journal to identify his use of a pseudonymous account.


"The deleted @nullllptr account previously went by the username @marko_elez, a review of archived posts shows,” the Journal revealed. “The user behind the @nullllptr also described themselves as an employee at SpaceX and Starlink, where Elez has worked, according to archives of Elez’s personal website.

'Your wife is Indian': J.D. Vance mocked for defending 'racist' anti-Indian DOGE staffer

Brad Reed
February 7, 2025 

U.S. Senator J.D. Vance speaks at a rally in Portage, Michigan, U.S. November 1, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

Vice President J.D. Vance was hit with immediate mockery on Friday after he defended Marko Elez, the recently fired Department of Government Efficiency staffer who was exposed for making racist comments earlier this week.

Writing on X, Vance argued that "I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life."

Vance added that "we shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people... so I say bring him back. If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that."

Among Elez's "foolish" past social media posts were declarations to "normalize Indian hate," which in theory should be of particular interest to Vance given that his wife, Usha Vance, is the daughter of Indian immigrants.

Given this, many of Vance's followers on social media wondered what Usha thought of him defending someone who says that he hates her and her family.

"The VP of the United States says it’s worse to be a journalist shining a light on racist behavior than it is to say racist things," wrote journalist Ryan Satin. "Insane. This man has an Indian wife and children, and doesn’t even have the balls to stand up against racism towards them. What a bad husband and dad."

"Elez wanted to normalize Indian hate, you’re standing up for him, and your wife is Indian," commented another of Vance's followers. "Usha deserves way better bro."

"Defending the kid who called for normalizing 'Indian hate' how does this dude go home and look his wife and kids in the face," wondered Kevin Saucedo-Broach.

Other followers took issue with Vance describing the 25-year-old Enez as a "kid," particularly when the Trump administration gave him access to some of the most sensitive data collected by the United States federal government.

"So he's a racist kid with no impulse control, but he should have access to the system that doles out trillions of dollars of the federal budget and see all of our personal information," wrote journalist Emily Singer.

The Bulwark's Sam Stein, meanwhile, expressed bewilderment that Vance was acting more like a spectator on social media rather than someone who had influence within the administration.

"I'm having trouble following this," he wrote on Friday. "If they all want the guy who made racist tweets to have remained on staff then who decided to let him go in the first place? No one forced them to fire the guy."

 

US Lawmakers Rip Trump's Plan to Destroy Department of Education

"We will not stand by and allow the impact that dismantling the Department of Education would have on the nation's students, parents, borrowers, educators, and communities."


U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as Linda McMahon—who then led the Small Business Administration—looks on during an October 17, 2018 Cabinet meeting in the White House in Washington, D.C.
(Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)


Brett Wilkins
Feb 06, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday led five members of Congress in a warning against the Trump administration's plan to "unilaterally dismantle" the Department of Education and demanded answers from the acting head of the agency about recent moves "to put federal workers on administrative leave, coerce employees into leaving their jobs, provide access to students' sensitive data, and illegally freeze vital funding."

"Over the course of two weeks, the Trump administration issued sweeping executive orders and sought to broadly and illegally freeze federal financial assistance," the lawmakers—Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)—wrote in a letter to acting Education Secretary Denise Carter.

"Federal employees have been targeted, in some cases for simply following the law. Elon Musk is attempting to shut down the work of entire agencies while gaining access to some of the federal government's most far-reaching and sensitive data systems. Media reports indicate a similar effort may be underway at the Department of Education," the lawmakers noted.

The letter continues:
The Department [of Education] has been a target of President [Donald] Trump and his unelected advisers since even prior to his inauguration. And recently, the department has put workers on administrative leave for attending trainings promoted by former Secretary Betsy DeVos, once touted among results achieved by the department, and coerced employees into leaving their jobs. Workers at the department—like those across the government—have been made to fear their jobs will be reclassified so that they lose employment protections. Some staff from the entity referred to as the Department of Government Efficiency have reportedly gained access to internal department data systems, including financial aid systems that include personally identifiable information on millions of students. These actions appear to be part of a broader plan to dismantle the federal government until it is unable to function and meet the needs of the American people.

"We will not stand by and allow this to happen to the nation's students, parents, borrowers, educators, and communities," the lawmakers stressed. "Congress created the department to ensure all students in America have equal access to a high-quality education and that their civil rights are protected no matter their ZIP code."

"We urge you to provide information on the steps the department is taking to ensure the continuity of programs that Americans depend on, the ability of the department to effectively administer programs for their intended purposes without waste, fraud, and abuse, and the safeguards in place to protect student data privacy," the legislators added.

Specifically, the letter asks for a list of officials "who have been granted access to personally identifiable or sensitive information," an "explanation of all steps the department has taken to protect" such data, the names of "all individuals placed on administrative leave or terminated" since Trump took office and all department communications to such employees, and confirmation that the department "has not frozen, paused, impeded, blocked, canceled, or terminated any awards or obligations since January 20."

The lawmakers' letter came on the same day that nearly 100 Democratic members of the House of Representatives wrote to Carter requesting a meeting to discuss "reports that the Trump administration has plans to illegally dismantle or drastically reduce" the Department of Education via executive order.

Both letters came ahead of next week's scheduled Senate confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon, a top fundraiser for Trump's campaign whom the president subsequently nominated for education secretary. McMahon—a billionaire who led the Small Business Administration during Trump's first term—is expected to face tough questions from Democratic senators about what one campaigner called her "documented history of enabling sexual abuse of children and sweeping sexual violence under the rug" during her tenure as World Wrestling Entertainment CEO.

The very future of the Department of Education is uncertain, as Trump has repeatedly vowed to abolish the agency, which was established during the administration of President Jimmy Carter in 1979.

"I told Linda, 'Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job,'" Trump quipped earlier this week.

A funny thing happened on the way to closing the Department of Education

Julia Steiny, Rhode Island Current
February 7, 2025 


A view of the U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

The Trump administration continued its head-scratching appointments by anointing billionaire Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education — even though he had campaigned on a pledge to abolish the department. The president has expressed his hope that McMahon would eventually “put herself out of a job.”

She has been part of the president’s inner political circle, but is best known as president and co-founder, with her husband, of World Wrestling Entertainment. McMahon used to be a wrestler herself. Her only K-12 experience was a brief stint on the Connecticut Board of Education, although she feels wrestling showed her what all students should learn about respect, leadership and such.

But then – surprise! – the deputy education secretary spot went to Penny Schwinn, who is far more famous to the likes of us education writers. Schwinn’s deep, impressive bona fides include becoming a teacher through Teach for America, followed by service as a classroom history teacher, school principal and then a swift ride up high-level administrative posts in various states including Texas. In 2019, at 43, she became Tennessee’s Commissioner of Education.

In Education Next’s extended interview, Schwinn emphasizes that educators must aim every single decision not merely toward achievement, but toward the best interests of kids. This “North Star” helps her to sift through irrelevant political chaff so she can stay with her agenda even in the face of constant opposition.

“That is always going to be personal and emotional; however, we must find a way to engage in hard conversations without taking them personally,” she said.

Schwinn’s biggest claim to fame was an all-hands-on-deck initiative designed to shift reading instruction from the terrible 3-cueing system that teaches kids to guess words, to one that is science-based. At the time, COVID raged. But for her, reading is a “nonnegotiable goal.” In a mere two years, Tennessee’s third graders improved by eight percentage points on their state reading assessment. The state has just under 1 million K-12 students, with 74,000 third graders, so eight points is a big average jump for a cohort that size.

Furthermore, the just released 2022 NAEPs showed Tennessee with a slight increase while most all other states’ results declined to varying degrees. (Rhode Island’s scores declined by three percentage points.) Tennessee also did well in math, which can be a side benefit of helping kids unpack word problems and written directions.

When first appointed, Schwinn turned to Carey Wright, the education commissioner who pulled off what is known as the “Mississippi miracle,” a show-stopping leap from Mississippi’s frequent dead last ranking to becoming the only state that didn’t tank in the 2019 national NAEP reading test.

Last summer, Wright and Schwinn wrote an op-ed for The74 begging political leaders to listen to what the research is saying about learning, especially reading. They note that in the late 1990s, the feds poured $9 billion into excellent research, which then went largely ignored. Their dedication to data-driven decisions means Schwinn wants to beef up federal research, not shut it down. (Yes, I know the feds are angling to shutter the Department of Education. But why would she take the job if that were really the goal?)



I’m hard pressed to think of another current politician or education leader with such credible dedication to kids, no matter what.

What really wins my heart are leaders who can change their minds with the right evidence and articulate reasons to make the change.

For example, in 2021, true to the Republican playbook, the Tennessee Legislature passed a law mandating holding back third graders who did not pass a reading proficiency test. Without apparent appetite, Schwinn acknowledged it was her job to implement state laws. While punishing third graders did boost scores in some states, the long-term effects of removing 9-year-olds from their age and friend cohort is almost never good. Schwin did not fight the law, but her “Reading 360” initiative did reduce the vast numbers of retained kids. It opened many pathways to the fourth grade including intensive tutoring, after-school and summer reading camps, allowing families to agree to intervention during fourth grade, and more.

Also, to help kids from the educational get-go, she established the only national teacher apprenticeship program designed to drag higher education’s butt into the 21st century with preparation driven by current research and contemporary children.

Mind you, Schwinn is far from everyone’s cup of tea. She’s a Republican. But that’s hard to tell from the totality of her actions. Her work has infuriated both the orthodox left and right.

Eventually, for example, her efforts to sidestep the culture wars proved to be too obstructive to stay focused on the work. In 2023, Tennessee passed a law designed to scrub curricula of information about race and gender. Again, Schwinn said she’d honor state law. But no hardliner, her directive to the field was to “limit” such discussions, enraging culture warriors on both sides of the aisle. In the end, her efforts got swallowed up in those unproductive battles, so she quit that summer.

Did the president’s vetters know what they were getting into? The two appointments to the federal DOE seem like a contradiction in terms — a wrecking ball and a design-build contractor. But Schwinn doesn’t seem like the kind of woman to put her North Star away, so she must have been convinced she could do real work.

Of course, we’ll see. The best interests of the kids could use a true champion. Good luck, Deputy.

'A Disgrace': Trump Admin Targets Multiple Environmental Justice Offices

"Donald Trump has decided that we do not deserve clean air or water, and our right to a livable and safe planet comes second to further enriching his fossil fuel friends and donors," said one environmentalist.

The Environmental Protection Agency flag flies outside the EPA headquarters in Washington on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
(Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Eloise Goldsmith
Feb 06, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

The Trump administration plans to place over 100 workers who are employed with the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights on administrative leave, according to Wednesday reporting from The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed sources.

Other outlets have since reported on the development, including The Washington Post, which wrote Thursday that Trump appointees at the EPA told staff that they plan to close the office.

This move targeting the EPA, one the latest efforts by the Trump administration to drastically reshape federal agencies, was panned by multiple environmental organizations, who accused the White House of turning its back on vulnerable communities.

"The EPA's environmental justice office was created to challenge the historic pattern of pollution disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color," said Chitra Kumar, managing director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Kumar was also formerly an official with the EPA Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.

"Once again, the Trump administration is sidelining both science and the nation's most overburdened people," she added.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also reportedly working to "remake" the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, which defends the U.S. government's environmental actions in court and brings cases against individuals who violate federal environmental law. The Washington Post reported that Trump appointees at the Department of Justice said they plan to fire roughly 20 workers at the division, "among other actions that have sent morale there plummeting."

The Office of Environmental Justice within the division has already "been eliminated," and the five people working in that office have already been put on administrative leave, according to the outlet.

And in one of her first acts as U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi undid a Biden-era directive ordering the Department of Justice to emphasize enforcement of environmental laws in disadvantaged and low-income communities.

Trump administration attacks on what the White House deems "diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility" (DEIA) initiatives were expected. On his first day in office, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating the end of all federal DEI programs, goals, mandates, and plans. The order also specifically called for the termination, "to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and 'environmental justice' offices and positions."

"By shuttering these offices, Donald Trump has decided that we do not deserve clean air or water, and our right to a livable and safe planet comes second to further enriching his fossil fuel friends and donors," said Sierra Club executive director Ben Jealous in a Thursday statement. "Trump has been on the job for less than a month, but every single day he is making our communities less safe."

Like Kumar at the Union of Concerned Scientists, senior VP of environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Council Matthew Tejada (also an alum of the EPA's environmental justice office) said that the country's most vulnerable communities would lose out.

"Shuttering the environmental justice office [at the EPA] will mean more toxic contaminants, dangerous air, and unsafe water in communities across the nation that have been most harmed by pollution in the past," said Tejada. "Trump EPA is turning its back on those who need a cleaner environment more than anyone. This is a disgrace."

'This isn't it': FEC head thumbs nose at Trump after letter informs her of ouster

Daniel Hampton
February 6, 2025 

RAW STORY

Federal Election Commission logo on smartphone screen against the background of the USA flag. (Photo credit: PalSand / Shutterstock)

The Democratic chair of the Federal Election Commission appeared to scoff at President Donald Trump on social media after receiving a letter from him informing her she was fired.

Ellen Weintraub, who has served as a commissioner on the panel for more than 20 years and was elected chair for the fourth time this year, took to X to share Trump's letter — and her response.

The two-sentence letter dated Jan. 31 and addressed to Weintraub said, "You are hereby removed as a member of the Federal Election Commission, effectively immediately. Thank you for your service on the Commission."

Weintraub shared the letter Thursday evening on her X account.

"Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of @FEC. There’s a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn’t it. I’ve been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That’s not changing anytime soon," she retorted.

Weintraub has consistently advocated for significant campaign finance law enforcement and disclosure of political spending.

"She believes that strong and fair regulation of money in politics is important to prevent corruption and maintain the faith of the American people in their democracy," Weintraub's biography states.

Additionally, she "sounded the alarm early–and continues to do so–regarding the potential for corporate and 'dark-money' spending to become a vehicle for foreign influence in our elections."

The FEC is an independent regulatory agency with more than 300 employees and is led by six commissioners who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Commissioners serve in staggered six-year terms and two seats are subject to appointment every two years. The chair changes every year.

Campaigning ends as violence-weary Ecuadorans eye Sunday vote


By AFP
February 7, 2025


A supporter carries a human size cardboard of Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa - Copyright AFP NELSON ALMEIDA

Andrew BEATTY

Ecuador’s dueling presidential campaigns fell silent Friday, as a ban entered into force ahead of Sunday’s keenly fought election.

Ahead of a midnight campaign cutoff, President Daniel Noboa and his leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez held razzle-dazzle closing rallies Thursday, promising to tackle soaring narco violence, a lackluster economy and crumbling public services.

Incumbent Naboa, the 37-year-old telegenic tattooed scion of a banana empire, told supporters in Quito that his 14 months in power had changed the country.

Victory, he claimed, was all but assured.

“We are no longer a promise, we are a reality” he told about 13,000 fans in Quito’s Bull Ring. “This country has already made up its mind. Now let’s protect the votes, let’s protect the will of the people.”

Most polls have shown him with a sizable lead. But they have been wrong before, and he may struggle to gain enough votes to avoid an April runoff.

To win in the first round a candidate needs over 50 percent of the vote, or 40 percent with a ten-point lead over their nearest rival.

Noboa’s brief term in office has been anything but smooth. The once-peaceful country of almost 18 million is in the crosshairs of international drug traffickers.

Organized crime groups from around the world are locked in a murderous battle for control of Ecuador’s ports, a key launching point to send cocaine to Europe, the United States and Australia.

Noboa has staked his political fortunes on a hardline “mano dura” policy of tackling the powerful criminal gangs head on, and on his youthful “Action Man” image.

In affluent parts of Quito, shop owners peppered window fronts with life-sized cardboard cutouts of the youthful president in a tank top and shorts, or dressed-down with arms crossed.

On the campaign trail, he has strode shirt-unbuttoned shoulder-to-shoulder with heavily armed soldiers, and donned a bulletproof vest while leading spectacular ready-for-TV security operations.

The impact has been a surge in cocaine seizures, arrests — and bloodshed, with the country witnessing its highest ever murder rates.

Tourist numbers have dropped, tens of thousands of Ecuadorans have fled overseas and investors are jittery.

“We are surviving, not living,” said 56-year-old Quito street vendor Jesus Chavez, summing up widespread discontent over insecurity and the country’s anemic post-pandemic economic recovery.

“There are cruel deaths, assassinations, crimes, it is a daily reality,” said Chavez, who has been robbed multiple times during his hour-long commute to and from Quito’s picturesque colonial heart.



– ‘Declarations of war’ –



Almost 14 million Ecuadorans are obliged to vote in Sunday’s election.

From Friday midday, a total alcohol ban will enter into force, allowing fun-loving Ecuadorans a period of sober — if slightly grumpy — reflection.

Noboa’s main rival is Luisa Gonzalez, a similarly telegenic tattooed single mother and heir to Ecuador’s powerful leftist movement.

Gonzalez’s campaign has focused on her coastal strongholds, and on mopping up votes in poorer neighborhoods where her political mentor, exiled ex-president Rafael Correa made his name.

During a final rally in the country’s largest city Guayaquil she ripped Noboa as out-of-touch and vain, a “cardboard man” whose cash-strapped administration has neglected public services while issuing “declarations of war.”

“There can be no peace without social justice, no peace without medicines in hospitals,” she told supporters while flanked on stage by rifle-wielding special forces in full combat armor.

Baghdad’s first skatepark offers boarders rare respite


By AFP
February 6, 2025


The Baghdad skatepark provides a welcome means of escape for young Iraqis in a country that has endured decades of conflict and crisis - Copyright AFP AHMAD AL-RUBAYE

Christy-Belle Geha

Rukaya al-Zubaidi placed a cautious foot on a skateboard and then struggled to find her balance as others glided back and forth at Baghdad’s first park dedicated to the sport.

“It’s only my second time skating, but I want to keep going, especially now we have the space for it here in Baghdad,” the 22-year-old said as loud music mixed with laughter from fellow boarders.

After negotiating with authorities for five years, three organisations from Italy, Iraq and Belgium have now opened Baghdad’s first skatepark.

It is not the first in the country, however: that honour went to the northern city of Sulaimaniyah.

The new skatepark at the sports ministry in a Baghdad suburb provides a welcome means of escape for young people in a country that has endured decades of conflict and crisis.

It also offers a rare respite from the often scrutinising gaze of conservative Iraqi society.

Zubaidi, wearing a pink sweater, watched fellow enthusiasts, both professional and amateur, as they rolled on colourful boards in the open-air park.

“When my friends first told me about skateboarding, I was scared,” she said — not just of falling but also because of what people might say and because her parents might not approve.

“But when I tried it, it just filled me with a beautiful energy,” she added.

The skatepark project “is about inclusivity and community, about having a place for everyone”, said Ishtar Obaid of Iraq’s “Forsah” association.

Forsah, which means “opportunity”, was one of the three organisations that spearheaded the project.



– ‘A new chapter’ –



It provides a space “where people from different backgrounds” come together, and “that’s the beauty of sport”, said Obaid, who also advises Iraq’s Olympic committee.

Her organisation plans to run skateboarding classes for children and trainers.

“It is a new chapter for sports in Iraq,” Obaid said.

When the authorities approved the project in late 2024, the associations including Make Life Skate Life, a Belgian-US charity that has set up skateparks in northern Iraq, Libya and India, built the new facility in just one month.

Kjell Van Hansewyck of Make Life Skate Life said it was a “real struggle” to find a location for the skatepark.

He described Baghdad as “a crowded city with a lot of pollution and traffic jams”, and lacking “public land and facilities for children”.

The Iraqi capital is bustling with dozens of infrastructure and construction projects. Towering cranes and machinery dominate its streets, as new tunnels and bridges are being built.

“It is like one big job site,” Van Hansewyck said.

When authorities said they could provide space at the sports ministry, the groups could hardly turn down the offer, despite this meaning skaters would have to pass through security checkpoints.

Van Hansewyck said the skatepark is “not visible from the streets”, which makes it difficult for people who want to check it out.

But he is confident that passionate skaters will still promote the park and do everything possible to make it a major attraction.



– ‘You become friends’ –



Mohammad al-Qadi, 19, bought his first skateboard in 2019, the year he also joined a wave of nationwide anti-government protests.

Baghdad was the vibrant epicentre of the movement. Protesters also organised cultural and sports events before the demonstrations were crushed in a brutal crackdown that saw more than 600 people killed.

Since then, Qadi had only been able to skate on Baghdad’s busy streets.

“When we took to the streets with our skateboards, people would call us bad boys,” he said.

In conservative Iraq, skateboarding is widely viewed as an alternative sport adopted by rebellious youths — forcing many to shun it for fear of ruining their reputations.

Qadi said this perception may have slightly improved, but until now local skaters still had nowhere to go.

“When I feel pressured by my studies or in my personal life, I turn to skateboarding, which has never let me down,” he said.

The new skatepark offers an “opportunity” for a break and a rethink, Qadi added.

Hussein Ali, 18, has been skating for five years and said he hoped Iraq will eventually have a “national team” to compete in championships.

Skateboarding was one of five sports that made an Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 games.

For some in Iraq, skateboarding provides a sense of normality in a country where violence had long been a fact of life.

For Ali, it is also a way to meet new people.

“When you see someone else skating you simply reach out, and just like that, you become friends.”