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WASHINGTON D.C. - The Environmental Protection Agency canceled two $20 million environmental justice grants that the Biden administration awarded to its own advisers, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

On Monday, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency's latest round of grant cancellations and cost-cutting measures. Included among the more than 400 canceled grants are 2 that the Biden administration awarded in December to Tennessee-based nonprofit Young, Gifted & Green and North Carolina-based nonprofit Democracy Green, a source familiar told the Free Beacon. Both groups had connections to the Biden White House and EPA—and neither had handled such a substantial amount of money before securing the taxpayer funds.

Young, Gifted & Green received its $20 million environmental justice grant after its CEO—LaTricea Adams—personally applied for the funding while simultaneously serving as a member of a top White House environmental justice council, the Free Beacon reported last month. The group has reported just $2.7 million in revenue—about 14 percent the size of the grant—since it registered as a nonprofit in 2020, tax filings show. Click here to read more.

 

NEW YORK, NY- On Tuesday, we saw a massive stock market dump. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged almost 900 points.

The stock market has been in a bit of a freefall over the course of the last couple of weeks, and I have been predicting this for a while.

It turns out that when you mess with the market mechanisms, people don’t like it. Investors tend to take the money out of the market and wait for things to be a little calmer, a little steadier. If you think of the free markets essentially as an ocean, sometimes it’s pretty choppy out there. Right now, it’s choppy.

If this administration is blamed for the choppy waters, that will be quite bad — not just for this administration, but also for everything it represents in the public mind.

Today, Emerson released a new poll showing President Trump’s handling of the economy underwater by 11 points. His job approval rating remains at 47-45, which is largely due to the widespread and correct perception that he totally changed the game on immigration. Click here to read more.

 

HENRICO, Va. - A registered nurse in Virginia who was arrested after several NICU babies were found with mysterious injuries is facing more charges, according to authorities.

Erin Strotman was initially charged with malicious wounding, child abuse, and neglect causing serious injury after an incident showing her mishandling a NICU baby on hospital surveillance video in November 2024.

However, on March 10, Strotman was charged with two more counts of malicious wounding and four other counts of child abuse and neglect.

“Not just video but also other evidence,” Taylor said. “Without going into details of this case, however, one of the things we can look at is to see if there is a pattern of behavior.”

A bond status hearing was held Monday to determine that these new charges do not impact her current bond.

These six new charges include two new babies who were allegedly harmed by Strotman, meaning she is now charged with abusing three of the seven injured children who are being investigated. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - While homeowners in Michigan’s largest city are free to raise chickens, ducks and honeybees on their land, residents of the far-less populated Midland Township in the Mid-Michigan area face a legal ban.

Some township residents want to change that, and they say township officials stand in the way.

Residents of Detroit are free to raise up to eight chickens, or ducks, or a combination of the two, as of Jan. 31, thanks to a Detroit City Council 5-3 vote taken Nov. 12, 2024. James Tate, council pro tem, sponsored the legislation that lets residents have honeybees on site. Residents must pay an annual permit fee of $50 and comply with various regulations.

Midland Township, by contrast, forbids many residents to raise chickens on their land. The ban applies to anyone whose plot is less than five acres. Several residents used a Feb. 12 township board meeting to ask trustees to reverse the ban. Click here to read more.

 

CHICAGO, IL - The parental right “to direct the upbringing and education of children under their control” was recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court 100 years ago.

But Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill attacking that right. If passed, the bill would require private schools to report the personal information of all enrolled students and their parents to state and local authorities.

House Bill 2827 was filed by state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Lombard, and has been co-sponsored by 15 other Democratic members of the House as of March 5. Teachers unions – ardent opponents of parents’ ability to choose alternatives to public school – have invested over $3 million in the 16 sponsors’ campaign committees, according to records with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Restricting parents’ rights and limiting educational choice is nothing new in Illinois. Despite voter support for Illinois’ private school choice program, Illinois lawmakers listened to teachers unions and ended the Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship program in 2023, taking away scholarships from more than 15,000 low-income students benefiting from the privately-funded program. Lawmakers let the program expire after teachers unions dropped nearly $1.5 million into their campaign coffers in the months ahead of the decision. Click here to read more.

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The U.S. Department of Education initiated a dramatic reduction in its workforce Tuesday night, laying off nearly 50% of its employees—approximately 1,315 workers—leaving just 2,183 staff members to carry out the agency’s operations. The mass layoffs, confirmed by senior officials, come as the Trump administration accelerates its push to shrink the federal government, with the Education Department emerging as a prime target for cuts or outright elimination. As civil servants rallied outside the department’s headquarters in protest, the move reignited a fierce debate over the agency’s role and whether dismantling it could benefit the nation’s education system.

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The layoffs, described as a “reduction in force” (RIF), began with notices emailed to employees around 6 p.m., instructing affected staff to vacate the premises by the end of the day for “security reasons.” Buildings nationwide were closed Wednesday, with employees directed to telework or stay home, reopening Thursday. Impacted workers will shift to paid administrative leave starting March 21, retaining full pay and benefits through June 9, according to department statements. The sudden cuts follow earlier terminations of 63 probationary employees last month and voluntary separations by over 300 staffers incentivized with up to $25,000 payouts.

President Donald Trump, who has long criticized the agency as a “big con job,” signaled his intent to dismantle it entirely, a promise echoed in the GOP’s campaign platform and the controversial Project 2025 blueprint from the Heritage Foundation. “I’d like it to be closed immediately,” Trump told reporters last week, aligning with his broader agenda—backed by adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—to slash federal spending and bureaucracy. While closing the department requires Congressional approval, experts say the layoffs and a potential executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to wind down operations could effectively gut its functionality.

Why Some Advocate for Dismantling the Department

For critics of the Department of Education, the layoffs are a welcome step toward dismantling what they see as an inefficient and overreaching federal entity. Established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, the agency oversees federal student aid, enforces civil rights in schools, and allocates funds like Title I grants for low-income districts. Yet, opponents argue it has outlived its purpose, encroaching on state autonomy and bloating administrative costs without improving student outcomes.

“Education is best handled at the state and local level,” said Neal McCluskey, director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute. “The federal department adds layers of red tape and spends billions on programs that don’t measurably boost achievement. Returning control to the states could save money and let communities tailor education to their needs.” Data supports the claim of limited federal impact: roughly 90% of K-12 funding already comes from state and local sources, with the department’s $80 billion annual budget—a fraction of the $1.7 trillion in total U.S. education spending—seen by some as disproportionate to its influence.

Advocates for dismantlement also point to programs like Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), suggesting they could be shifted to block grants or other agencies like Health and Human Services. Project 2025 proposes such a model, arguing it would streamline funding and empower parents with more school choice. “The department’s a middleman that distorts priorities,” one conservative policy analyst noted anonymously. “States could innovate faster without Washington’s one-size-fits-all rules.”

Opposition and Uncertainty Ahead

The layoffs sparked immediate backlash from educators and unions. National Education Association President Becky Pringle called the cuts “a direct attack on students,” warning that losing nearly half the staff threatens programs serving millions, including 7.5 million students with disabilities under IDEA and 2.8 million in low-income schools reliant on Title I. “These aren’t just jobs—they’re lifelines for kids,” she said.

Critics also question the logistics of dismantlement. Transferring student loan oversight—managing $1.6 trillion in debt—or civil rights enforcement to other agencies could create chaos, especially with reduced staff. Borrower advocates fear delays in loan forgiveness programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), already strained by administrative bottlenecks. “Fewer people means more mistakes go unfixed,” said Sameer Gadkaree of The Institute for College Access & Success.

As the department consolidates offices and braces for potential further cuts, the debate intensifies. Supporters of dismantlement see a leaner, state-led system as a bold reform; detractors warn of abandoned students and a fractured safety net. With Congress unlikely to abolish the agency outright—requiring 60 Senate votes amid a filibuster—Trump’s next moves, including a rumored executive order, could test the limits of presidential power and reshape education for years to come. For now, the laid-off workers and the students they served face an uncertain future.

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HOWELL, Mich - Howell Public Schools and 49 other school districts in the state gave their students surveys from the Michigan Department of Education, and those surveys included intimate sexual questions.

The 2025 Michigan High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey asked about students’ weight “without shoes,” alcohol and drug use, and their sexual history, which included the following questions:

• Have you ever had intercourse?

• Over the course of your life, how many sexual partners have you had?

• How many sexual partners have you had in the past three months?

• The first time you had sexual intercourse, how many years younger or older than you was your partner?

The survey also asked students in grades 7, 9, and 11 about the food they ate, their suicidal tendencies, and their sexual and gender identity.

Thomas Gould, director of communications for Howell Public Schools, confirmed that the survey was administered to six classes at Howell High School. An opt-out form was sent home to parents, he told Michigan Capitol Confidential, but the survey was not conducted according to the district’s standard process. Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - The United States vaccine injury compensation system is grappling with significant challenges in handling claims tied to COVID-19 vaccines.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic warns that without major reforms, clearing the backlog in the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP) could take almost 10 years, revealing significant system inefficiencies.

The CICP, designed to handle emergencies on a smaller scale, has struggled to adapt to the demands of a global vaccination effort. According to a report from the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, "The current backlog would take nearly a decade to eliminate without accounting for any new claims."

Critics argue that the program lacks both the capacity and transparency to function effectively. Unlike the better-funded National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), the CICP offers limited benefits, no appeals process and less public accountability. Click here to read more.

 

ATLANTA, GA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly studying if there is any link between vaccinations and the rise in autism.

Sources told Reuters that the CDC, which is under the purview of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is planning a large study into vaccines and autism. A CDC study from 2020 found that 1 in 36 children in the United States have been diagnosed with autism.

The Daily Wire reached out to HHS about the report, but has yet to receive a reply.

Over the weekend, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the department will leave “no stone unturned” while studying the rise in autism.

“As President Trump said in his Joint Address to Congress, the rate of autism in American children has skyrocketed,” he said. “CDC will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening. The American people expect high quality research and transparency and that is what CDC is delivering.” Click here to read more.

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A man allegedly told officers that his dog shot him while he was laying in his bed "relaxing" and "talking" with his female friend on Monday, according to a police press release.

The dog owner, who has not been identified, allegedly told officers that he was shot in the leg by his pet, according to a press release from the Memphis Police Department obtained by PEOPLE. Officers went to the man's home about the "accidental injury" shortly before 4:00 a.m.

According to the press release, the dog "jumped on the bed and got his paw stuck in the trigger guard and ended up hitting the trigger." Police confirmed the man was "grazed in his top left thigh," PEOPLE reported.

Police said the first responders that arrived on the scene were able to clean the man's wound before taking him to a hospital in "non-critical" condition. Click here to read more.

 

BOSTON, MASS - A component found in all fungi may provide a shield that prevents flu-related lung damage, according to a new Canadian study.

The preclinical trial uncovered how beta-glucan—which is found in all mushrooms, and also yeast, oats, and barley—can ‘reprogram’ immune cells to prevent lung inflammation.

A team of scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, demonstrated that administering the compound to mice before their exposure to influenza, reduced lung damage, improve lung function and lowered the risk of illness and death.

The scientists led by Professor Maziar Divangahi discovered that a unique structure of this component can boost defenses against pathogens.

While most research focuses on stopping the virus from replicating, this study explored how to regulate the body’s immunity to infection, a concept known as “disease tolerance.” The researchers discovered that beta-glucan significantly enhanced flu survival rates by modulating immune responses and preventing severe lung inflammation, a common cause of fatality. Click here to read more.