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Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Trump Administration Releases Billions It Withheld from Schools
The Trump administration plans to release more than $5 billion in funding to public schools that it has withheld for nearly a month, a senior administration official said Friday, ending weeks of anxiety and uncertainty for school leaders who had said the freeze jeopardized programs and staffing for the upcoming academic year. The government placed nearly $7 billion in funding under review June 30, then released $1.3 billion of it last week. The administration's review of the remaining funding has ended, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) confirmed the move on social media, saying that he pushed for the money to be released. 'Exciting news to announce! All frozen education funding for the upcoming school year have been released,' he wrote on X. Lawmakers from both parties had lobbied to release the money, which funds six grant programs related to English-language-learning programs, teacher training, support for children of migrant workers and academic enrichment activities. The freeze was also being challenged in court by states and school districts. States expected the funding to be released July 1, as normally happens each year. Instead, the Education Department notified states June 30 that the money was under review for compliance with President Donald Trump's priorities. The Office of Management and Budget said it was investigating whether any of the grant money had in the past been used for a 'radical left-wing agenda.' The administration official said Friday that 'guardrails' will be in place 'to ensure these funds will not be used in violation of executive orders or administration policy.' It was not immediately clear what those guardrails will be or when school districts will see the funds. Public education supporters credited pressure from educators and advocates for helping to unfreeze the funding but criticized the administration for withholding the money in the first place. 'This administration deserves no credit for just barely averting a crisis they themselves set in motion,' Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) said in a statement. 'You don't thank a burglar for returning your cash after you've spent a month figuring out if you'd have to sell your house to make up the difference.' Holding back the funding was the latest attempt by the administration to disrupt federal support for K-12 public schools. Since taking office, Trump has instructed the education secretary to move toward shutting down the Education Department and to find ways to transfer some of its duties to other governmental agencies. The Education Department has also moved to cancel billions of dollars in K-12 grants and contracts and to reduce its workforce by half. Trump has portrayed the department as 'failing' and asserts that he wants to 'return education to the states,' but the administration's moves have outraged public education advocates who say cutting off federal support does nothing to help students learn. Speaking at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Colorado Springs on Friday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the freezing and thawing of the funding was part of 'the transition aspect' for a new administration. She added that it took some time for the Office of Management and Budget to 'look at all the programs' before the funding was released. 'Now those funds are going to be going out,' she told Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado), who was leading a panel discussion. 'I would think now that we've reviewed them, looked at that process, so that a year from now, we wouldn't find ourselves in the same situation.' A group of 24 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration last week over the decision to freeze nearly $7 billion, arguing that it violated the Constitution and federal law, in part because the money had been appropriated by Congress. A group of school districts, parents, teachers unions and nonprofits filed a separate lawsuit. More than 200 superintendents have gone to senators' offices on Capitol Hill to plead their case, and some lawmakers worked to pressure the administration to release the funding. The Trump administration last Friday said it would release one of the streams of frozen funding, allowing $1.3 billion for after-school and summer programs to flow to schools. Educators continued lobbying for all the money to be restored. 'This is a major victory for public education and the communities it serves,' said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the school districts and others. 'While this development shows that legal and public pressure can make a difference, school districts, parents, and educators should not have to take the administration to court to secure funds for their students.' In its original message to state education agencies, the Education Department said the funding was being reviewed 'given the change in Administrations.' Later, an OMB spokesperson told reporters that the administration was investigating whether the funds had been used by any school districts for purposes such as scholarships for undocumented immigrant students or teachings on LGBTQ+ topics. The Democratic states that sued the government contended that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to offer 'a reasoned explanation' for the funding review. Nearly three-quarters of superintendents who responded to a mid-July survey by AASA, the School Superintendents Association, said they would have to eliminate academic services for students if the rest of the federal funding were not restored. Eighty-five percent of the superintendents said they have contracts that are supposed to be paid with the funds in question. Half said they would have to lay off staff and teachers without the money, including those who work with English-language learners and special education students, according to AASA, which collected responses from more than 600 superintendents in 43 states. 'We are pleased public schools will receive the funding as appropriated by Congress for the 2025-26 school year,' AASA Executive Director David Schuler said in a statement Friday, noting 'how disruptive withholding these funds would be for our nation's students.' Superintendents in multiple states told The Washington Post this week that the withholding of the money would probably result in cuts in their districts and said that they were holding out hope that the Trump administration would reverse course. For some, the effects of the lost funding would have been severe – particularly in areas where many students are learning English. In Marshalltown, Iowa, where a pork plant draws migrant agricultural workers and immigrants from dozens of countries, the school district was facing a 'devastating blow,' said Theron Schutte, superintendent of the Marshalltown Community School District. Schutte had contacted all his congressional representatives asking for help. District programs like swim lessons for summer school students – started after children drowned several years ago, Schutte said – were on the chopping block so money could be moved to support English-language and other services. 'You have to prepare for the worst-case scenario,' Schutte said Thursday, before the money was unfrozen. 'But … you're still hoping they'll do the right thing and release those funds.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Bipartisan Pair of House Members to Meet With Sheinbaum in Mexico
A bipartisan pair of congressmen is set to travel to Mexico next week to meet with President Claudia Sheinbaum and other top government officials as President Trump stokes tension between the United States and its southern neighbor. Representatives Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, and Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, are planning one of the first formal trips by members of Congress to meet with Ms. Sheinbaum. With Mr. Trump's tariffs driving up prices and his immigration crackdown affecting the region, Mr. Khanna and Mr. Bacon said they hoped to use their visit to figure out how policymakers in Washington could pursue a more constructive approach. 'This is one of our closest allies — one of the nations that most impacts life here in terms of the economy, in terms of the culture, in terms of immigration,' Mr. Khanna said in an interview ahead of the trip. 'And Trump, I think, has really put strains on that relationship with these tariffs.' Mr. Bacon said he was hoping the trip would help him 'understand our neighbors better.' 'I know what we feel about the border,' Mr. Bacon said. 'I think it's going to be fascinating to hear the Mexican leadership perspective on trade, border, cyber, national security.' Mexico has been at the center of the president's trade war and his often whipsawing pronouncements about slapping financial penalties on nations that do not bow to his wishes. Mr. Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on a wide range of Mexican goods, and just last week threatened to increase the penalty to 30 percent on Aug. 1 if the country failed to stop drug cartels and the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Mr. Bacon, who represents a swing district that includes Omaha and recently announced he would not seek re-election, is among the few Republicans who has pressed for more congressional oversight of tariff decisions, including those that would apply to Mexico. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump administration releases billions it withheld from schools
The Trump administration plans to release more than $5 billion in funding to public schools that it has withheld for nearly a month, a senior administration official said Friday, ending weeks of anxiety and uncertainty for school leaders who had said the freeze jeopardized programs and staffing for the upcoming academic year. The government placed nearly $7 billion in funding under review on June 30, then released a $1.3 billion slice of it last week. The administration's review of the remaining funding has ended, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), celebrated the move on social media, noting he pushed for the money to be released. 'Exciting news to announce! All frozen education funding for the upcoming school year have been released,' he wrote on X. Lawmakers of both parties had lobbied to release the funds, which support six grant programs related to English-language learning programs, teacher training, support for children of migrant workers and academic enrichment activities. The freeze was also being challenged in court by Democratic state and the D.C. attorneys general. States expected the funding to be released on July 1, as normally happens each year. Instead, the Education Department notified states June 30 that the money was under review for compliance with President Donald Trump's priorities. The Office of Management and Budget said it was investigating whether any of the grant money had in the past been used for a 'radical leftwing agenda.' The administration official said Friday that 'guardrails' would be in place 'to ensure these funds will not be used in violation of executive orders or administration policy.' The holding back of the funds had resulted in last-minute financial juggling and acute anxiety in school districts preparing for an academic year that is weeks away. A group of 24 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the freeze last week, arguing that it violated the Constitution and federal law, in part because the money had been appropriated by Congress. More than 200 superintendents went to senators' offices on Capitol Hill this month to plead their case, and some lawmakers worked to pressure the administration to release the funds. Last week, the Trump administration said it would release funding from one of the six streams that had been frozen, allowing $1.3 billion for after-school and summer programs to flow to schools. Nearly three-quarters of superintendents who responded to a mid-July survey by AASA, the School Superintendents Association, said they would have to eliminate academic services for students if the rest of the federal funding were not restored. Eighty-five percent of the superintendents said they have contracts that are supposed to be paid with the funds in question. Half said they would have to lay off staff and teachers without the money, including those who work with English language learners and special education students, according to AASA, which collected responses from more than 600 superintendents in 43 states. 'We are pleased public schools will receive the funding as appropriated by Congress for the 2025-26 school year,' AASA executive director David Schuler said in a statement Friday, noting 'how disruptive withholding these funds would be for our nation's students.' In its original message to state education agencies, the Education Department said the funds were being reviewed 'given the change in Administrations.' Later, an OMB spokesperson told reporters the administration was investigating whether the funds had been used by any school districts for purposes such as scholarships for undocumented immigrant students or teachings on LGBTQ topics. The Democratic states that sued the government contended that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to offer 'a reasoned explanation' for the funding review. Superintendents in multiple states told The Washington Post this week that the withholding of the money would likely result in cuts in their districts and said they were holding out hope that the Trump administration would reverse course. For some, the impacts of the lost funds would have been severe — particularly in areas with many students who are learning English. In Marshalltown, Iowa, where a pork plant draws migrant agricultural workers and immigrants from dozens of countries, the school district was facing a 'devastating blow,' said Theron Schutte, superintendent of the Marshalltown Community School District. Schutte had contacted all his congressional representatives asking for help. District programs like swim lessons for summer school students — started after children drowned several years ago, Schutte said — were on the chopping block so that funds could be moved to support English language and other services. 'You have to prepare for the worst-case scenario,' Schutte said Thursday, before the funds were unfrozen. 'But … you're still hoping they'll do the right thing and release those funds.' This is a developing story. It will be updated.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Lawmakers want independent re-do of Air Force missile community cancer study
The Air Force started studying cancer rates in the nuclear missile community in 2023 due to pressure from ailing missile officers. Lawmakers may soon order an independent re-do of an ongoing Air Force study on possible cancer risk in personnel manning its nuclear missiles. A provision in the House's draft defense policy bill would, if passed, require the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to commission a study examining "occupational health and safety conditions" in Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile facilities. The sites include the underground alert facilities where Air Force missile officers spend long shifts prepared to launch in the case of nuclear war. The move comes after an independent researcher concluded there is an increase in cases of a rare cancer at an Air Force missile base in Montana, adding another wrinkle to a years-long push for answers. The new, congressionally directed research would also scrutinize the methodology and design of an ongoing Air Force study of the issue. The Air Force Medical Service and Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the service's nuclear-armed missile and bomber forces, began studying the missile community's cancer risks in 2023 after a Space Force officer compiled a list of cancer diagnoses at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. The Air Force study's preliminary findings indicated troops in the nuclear missile community don't have higher cancer diagnosis or death rates than other active duty servicemembers or the general U.S. population. The official study's environmental surveys, however, confirmed the presence of polychorinated biphenyls − a likely cancer-causing chemical − in alert facilities at Malmstrom and at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. And an independent assessment of self-reported Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases at Malmstrom released in April found an increase in diagnoses among missileers. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, submitted the independent study amendment, which cleared a key hurdle when it passed the House Armed Services Committee on July 16. Bacon told USA TODAY that a meeting with one of his constituents − an ailing retired missile officer − moved him to author the provision. "Let's make sure that we have some outside experts working with the Air Force," said Bacon, who is a retired Air Force brigadier general. "We want to make sure there's credibility and, whatever results come out, that we've done total due diligence." The Omaha-based representative added that the Air Force needs to learn what's wrong in the aging Minuteman III launch facilities before it builds new ones for the planned Sentinel ICBM. Air Force officials defended the rigor and transparency of their ongoing study in a statement to USA TODAY. "We welcome the opportunity of scientific and medical professionals to review Air Force studies and to provide comments," said Alana Miller, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General. Miller emphasized the internal independence of Air Force epidemiologists conducting the study and their partnerships with external researchers who review their findings. The Torchlight Initiative, an advocacy group for missile community members, praised the independent study amendment in a press release. Torchlight has documented more than 800 self-reported cases of cancer and other exposure-related diseases among ICBM airmen and veterans. "There is an urgent need for ... thorough independent research, formal acknowledgement of likely exposures, and a sustained commitment to safeguard future personnel through enhanced environmental monitoring," the group argued. For the independent study to occur, the provision must make it into the final defense policy bill later this year. The House and Senate typically pass competing versions of the legislation before negotiating a compromise bill for the president's signature. Davis Winkie's role covering nuclear threats and national security at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Money starts pouring into Nebraska midterm congressional races
The U.S. Capitol as lawmakers worked into the night on the "big beautiful bill" on July 2, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) OMAHA — Two political matchups in Nebraska will likely get national attention as both could help determine which party controls what parts of Congress after the 2026 midterm elections. One is the U.S. House race in Nebraska's Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. The seat is typically a target of both national parties, as one of the rare remaining swing districts that has stayed politically split. The seat may be more of a target now, since U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., decided not to seek reelection. Several Democrats jumped into the race, creating a politically diverse and competitive primary race. A first-time federal candidate is leading the Democratic pack in terms of fundraising as more politically established candidates are lagging behind. New federal campaign finance filings show congressional candidate newcomer and business owner Denise Powell led the way, raising $429,739 in the second quarter. Powell has connections to some of local Democrats' top donors. Much of her political team has ties to former State Sen. Tony Vargas' 2024 House bid. While money isn't the be-all in politics, it can provide a glimpse of the initial support and the viability of a candidate. Powell said, 'It's clear that people are tired of lip service from politicians.' Instead, she said, people are 'ready for someone who is ready to go to Washington to put our communities first.' She called her bid an 'opportunity to send a champion for hardworking Nebraskans to Congress who will finally put a stop to the chaos of the Trump administration.' State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, the other high-profile candidate who has been in the Democratic primary since early June, raised the second most. The incumbent, with his own list of donors, raised $130,341 over the same span. Ethan Dunn, a Cavanugh campaign spokesperson, said the senator 'continues to hear from voters across [district] that they know he will be the voice of reason amongst the Trump chaos.' 'The plan that John has to win the nomination is on track, and we are confident John's message voters will resonate with the voters,' Dunn said. Powell's campaign lists having more campaign cash on hand than Cavanaugh – with $340,121 compared to the state senator's $127,122. A third high-profile Democrat in the race, Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades, announced her bid Monday and just started fundraising. The same can be said of Navy veteran Kishla Askins, who joined the race last week, after the fundraising quarter ended in late June. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Also running as Democrats are Mark Johnston and Evangelos Argyrakis. Those lesser-known Democratic candidates haven't filed campaign finance forms. Federal law requires candidates to file campaign finance paperwork quarterly with the Federal Election Commission unless they have not yet raised or spent $5,000. The two highest-profile announced Republican candidates in Nebraska's 2nd District, Omaha City Council, Vice President Brinker Harding and former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, entered the race this month, after the fundraising quarter ended. Neither had filed FEC reports. However, Harding's campaign has said it had raised $222,000 in the first two days after announcing his bid. Lindstrom's team said the former senator raised $250,000 in his campaign's first week. National political observers view the Omaha-area House seat as a possible pickup for Democrats, although the district retains a slight GOP lean. The 2nd District includes all of Douglas and Saunders Counties, as well as western Sarpy County. Nebraska's other federal race that could garner national attention is the bid by former Omaha labor leader Dan Osborn to unseat U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. Osborn made national headlines in 2024 for turning an expected safe race for Republicans into a potential upset bid against U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. He outraised Fischer in 2024, according to which tracks federal fundraising. He raised $14 million, including some late money from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. For Nebraska's 2026 Senate race, Osborn has reported raising $196,541 since his July announcement, according to his latest filing. He listed having $124,202 in cash on hand. As expected, Ricketts, a former two-term governor, significantly outraised him. His campaign raised $901,113 and his separate Pete Ricketts Victory Fund raised $1.2 million. His victory fund is can be used for multiple races, political parties and causes. Ricketts has a combined war chest of about $1.5 million. Ricketts, who had to run in a 2024 special election to finish the last two years of former Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse's term, raised $5.8 million against Preston Love Jr., records show. Ricketts also has used his own money to influence Nebraska politics. He retains the state's dominant political operation. Osborn, who has proven himself a prolific fundraiser, has tried to frame his race against the millionaire Ricketts as 'the billionaire versus the mechanic.' Will Coup, a Ricketts campaign spokesperson, pointed to Osborn's use of ActBlue, a fundraising tool used often by Democrats, as evidence of a nonpartisan bid Senate bid with Democratic help. 'Dan Osborn's ActBlue page makes it easy for his liberal, out-of-state donors to support him, AOC and Kamala Harris without having to switch [browser] tabs,' Coup said. Osborn has said previously that he maintains independence from the Democratic Party and that he would not caucus with either party. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
