Linda McMahon foreshadows Education Department's 'final mission'
Education Secretary Linda McMahon invited Education Department employees to join her in "this historic final mission" in a message to staff earlier this week, comments that come as Trump targets it for cuts.
The president has said he wanted to dismantle the department.
McMahon said in her message that her "vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children."
"This restoration will profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations here at the Department," she added later. "In coming months, we will partner with Congress and other federal agencies to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people."
“This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students," McMahon concluded. "I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future.”
The Education Department did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment on McMahon's message.
Ukrainians call Trump’s halt to vital intel ‘pathetic’ as Europe’s leaders discuss Kyiv’s defense
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine may have enough weapons to fight Russia unaffected for a few weeks at least, but Trump’s decision to stop sharing intelligence will cost civilian lives almost immediately, dismayed Ukrainians said today.
Trump’s decision to halt intelligence came as European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelenskyy, convened a summit in Brussels as they attempt to cope with an upended landscape in which the Trump administration appears to be treating them with hostility while seemingly warming to the Kremlin.
Miles away from these high-powered meetings, ordinary Ukrainians may have to confront the real-world consequences of the White House’s U-turn.
Russia blasts ‘threat’ from France’s Macron as it mends fences with Washington
Russia ruled out European proposals to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine and said today that French President Emmanuel Macron had threatened it by suggesting that Moscow was a grave menace to Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address to the nation yesterday that he plans next week to hold a meeting of army chiefs from European countries willing to send troops to Ukraine after any eventual peace deal with Russia.
He also said France needs to be ready if the United States is no longer by its side.
DOGE plans to cut VA contracts may harm veterans’ care, employees say
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency abandoned some of its plans to slash contract spending for veterans’ health care services this week after a revolt by front-line Veterans Health Administration employees who contended many of the cuts would imperil safety at the agency’s almost 1,400 hospitals and clinics.
What had been a list of 875 VA contracts scheduled for termination a little over a week ago has now become 585 canceled contracts, the VA said Monday. The about-face is a rare public retreat by the so-called efficiency operation known as DOGE, which has come under fire for moving to ax crucial government services and overstating the value of some of its savings to taxpayers.
The list of contracts still on the chopping block has not been made public, and the VA declined to provide it. But VA employees have identified 200 of the remaining scheduled cancellations to NBC News, and some of them appear to be central to patient safety, those employees say.
Abbey Gate terror suspect extradited to the U.S.
The U.S. apprehended a suspect in the suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed 13 American service members during the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021. NBC News’ Ken Dilanian reports on the new details on the suspect and the reaction from the families of those service members.
As Trump pivots to Russia, allies weigh sharing less intel with U.S.
Some U.S. allies are considering scaling back the intelligence they share with Washington in response to the Trump administration’s conciliatory approach to Russia, four sources with direct knowledge of the discussions told NBC News.
The allies are weighing the move because of concerns about safeguarding foreign assets whose identities could inadvertently be revealed, said the sources, who included a foreign official.