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US Dept Of Education slashes staff by 50 percent

linda mcmahon department of education hearing
© LiveNOW from Fox / YouTubeLinda McMahon
The announcement comes at the Education Department is trying to streamline its operation and prioritize allowing states to control federal education funding.

The U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday evening that it will be cutting its staff by about 50 percent as part of a "reduction-in-force" to start downsizing the department.

In a press call, a senior department official said that of the 4,133 employees currently at the Education Department, 1,315 will be subject to the reduction-in-force — a formal governmental process. That number is on top of the 259 employees who utilized the deferred resignation program, 313 who took the voluntary separation incentive payment of $25,000, and another 63 probationary employees who were terminated in February.

"Today's reduction in force reflects the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a press release. "I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system."

Comment: Not a moment too soon:



Full text:

1. WestEd — $260M revenue — trained teachers on Critical Race English Education (CREE): "Students will discuss the role of the white savior complex in the character development of Atticus Finch"

2. American Institute for Research — $300M revenue — presented to education leaders on how to racially integrate schools. Their suggestions:
  • DEI + "anti-racist" hiring practices
  • Axing honors classes
  • Equity audits
3. Mathematica — $300M revenue — released a tool to measure "ambitious and inclusive" math instruction among teachers Their measure rewards teachers for using math as a "tool for social justice"



Handcuffs

Catholic Charities reported to DOJ for alleged trafficking of illegals under RICO law

catholic charities logo
A formal complaint has been filed with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) against Catholic Charities, accusing the organization of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) through alleged involvement in facilitating illegal immigration.

The complaint, first brought to public attention by journalist Jack Posobiec via a post on X, claims that Catholic Charities, a prominent Catholic nonprofit and recipient of substantial federal funding, has engaged in activities that amount to trafficking undocumented immigrants across US borders.

The filing invokes RICO, a statute traditionally used to combat organized crime, alleging a pattern of racketeering activity tied to the organization's immigration-related operations.

Comment: In 2022, Just the News reported:
Migrants using Catholic Charities to avoid deportation: report

"This is to delay as long as possible the removal of illegal aliens." Both the Department of Homeland Security and Catholic Charities recognize that the phenomena is occurring, with DHS asserting that its agents have to accept any listed address a migrant provides, according to the Washington Times.

In so doing, the migrants make it more difficult for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to serve them with an immigration court summons and lessens the likelihood of deportation in the immediate future. Upon apprehension, immigration authorities request an intended address to which they may send a court summons. The migrants then provide a real address, but one where they do not intend to reside. Accordingly, they never receive a notice to appear at their court date.

"If you keep them off the docket there's never a court hearing, which means the next time ICE gets them, they're just then beginning that process. This is to delay as long as possible the removal of illegal aliens," former Trump immigration official Rob Law told the Times.
Catholic Charities has been at this since the Obama days:

Waves of refugees fleeing Central American gangs enter US, while Obama nowhere in sight


X

Top Romanian court upholds ban on nationalist Calin Georgescu running for president

romanians
Romanians gather in Bucharest to hear appeal of Calin Georgescu over rejection of his candidacy in election
Romania's Constitutional Court has upheld the decision to bar populist Calin Georgescu from running in the May presidential election.

Georgescu appealed the March 11 decision of the Central Election Board (BEC), which barred him from competing in the presidential election because his candidacy "does not meet the conditions provided by law."

The verdict was unanimous with nine judges out of nine rejecting the appeal. Justice Minister Radu Marinescu said the decision was binding and must be respected. He defended the court's verdict, saying that "extremism is unacceptable in a democratic society."

'Exposed The Demon In All Its Ugliness'

Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, was a surprise winner of the first round of the presidential election in November 2024. However, after the vote, Romanian intelligence said that foreign actors, most likely Russia, had manipulated social-media platforms, especially TikTok, to benefit Georgescu.

Comment: 'Russia did it'. Specifically contoured speculation, without proof, wins the day.

See also:


Footprints

Trump admin launches new self-deportation app for illegal migrants with a clear warning: 'Leave now'

CPB Home self deportation
© DNSThis screenshot shows functionality from the CBP Home app
President Donald Trump and Kristi Noem want migrants who came here illegally to 'self-deport' back to the countries they came from.

As of Monday, the administration rolled out a new app as a substitute for CBP One app - previously used as a way to encourage a more orderly legal migration - to make it a vehicle for people here illegally to 'self-deport.'

The new app is named 'CBP Home' - and intends to usher people out.

'The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,' the Homeland Security Secretary said in a statement.

'If they don't, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return,' Noem continued.

Comment: Better to leave voluntarily:




Arrow Up

Made in China 2025 - revisited

Robot
© Telegra.ph
The Two Sessions, part of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, held last week at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, were a pretty serious deal.

Not only because the sessions set the framework for Beijing to confront serious economic challenges ahead.

But also because of the stellar performance by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who forcefully imprinted in the collective psyche of the Global Majority how China should be regarded as a premier source of stability in this extremely turbulent geopolitical juncture, standing firm "in the right side of History".

So let's start with the key Wang Yi takeaways - which translate as de facto setting the tone for Beijing's diplomacy throughout 2025.

Extinguisher

Best of the Web: Cargo ship collides with stationary US fuel tanker off UK coast - One sailor missing, presumed dead - Captain under arrest

MV Stena Immaculate
Dramatic images appear to show one of the two vessels turned into a blazing inferno following the crash
At least 32 people have been rescued and brought ashore after an oil tanker and cargo ship crashed off the Yorkshire coast before exploding into a 'massive fireball'.

US-flagged tanker, MV Stena Immaculate, was hit while at anchor by the Portugal-flagged container ship, MV Solong, off the coast of Humber Estuary, Hull, this morning.

Horrifying footage shows huge plumes of black smoke rising from the scene of the smash, as a large inferno rages out of control 10 miles off the East Yorkshire coast.

Both ships are now ablaze, with fires also raging on the water - with port bosses saying they spotted a 'massive fireball'.

A major rescue mission is now underway, with coastguards having issued an urgent call for ships to join the search and rescue effort.

More than 30 people have been pulled ashore, according to a local port boss. However, it's unclear how many of the crew from each stricken ship remain unaccounted for.

Comment: The captain of the Solong has been arrested "on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter," Humber police say.

Interestingly, the Stena Immaculate has an "all-American crew," and transports jet fuel to the US military's overseas bases:
In 2023, the tanker was selected by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to serve in its Tanker Security Program. While under charter on this voyage for the Military Sealift Command, the tanker was anchored while it awaited berth availability at the Port of Killingholme, where it was due to make a standard delivery of fuel as part of a routine service under this program when it was struck.
Question: how on earth does an experienced 59-year-old captain steer his ship into another - in daylight and in fair weather - in the open sea?? Did something unusual happen here?

UPDATE 12 March

The British have 'let it be known' that the captain of the cargo ship is Russian.

So, a cargo ship rams into an anchored US military fuel tanker - for no apparent reason - off the British coast, and the British media wants us to suspect the Russian government caused it. More likely, one vessel was remote-hijacked and steered into the other, in service of sabotaging US-Russia rapprochement regarding Ukraine.


NPC

Irish teacher punished over trans student's pronouns

Enoch Burke
© Niall Carson/Getty ImagesIrish teacher Enoch Burke
An Irish schoolteacher who refused to use 'they' instead of 'he' when addressing a biologically male transgender student, citing his Christian beliefs, could now be stripped of his salary, according to The Irish Times. He has already spent more than 500 days in prison.

Enoch Burke, formerly a teacher of history and German at Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath, has been at the center of a prolonged legal and ethical dispute since 2022. Burke was suspended after he opposed the school principal's request to refer to a 'transitioning' student by a new name and the pronoun "they."

Following a hearing on Friday, the High Court of Ireland will be asked to appoint a receiver to recover unpaid fines from Burke's salary. If approved, the move would enable authorities to collect €79,100 - an amount he has accrued through daily €700 fines for showing up at Wilson's Hospital School in defiance of court orders to stay away.

The teacher, who has an evangelical Christian background, had repeatedly failed to heed a court order barring him from entering the grounds of the school.

Arrow Down

Meet Mark Carney - Canada's next (Unelected) Prime Minister

Carnage
© Off-Guardian
After officially resigning two months ago, Justin Trudeau is finally stepping down as Prime Minister of Canada. His replacement? The recently-selected Mark Carney.

Regular readers are no doubt familiar with Carney, he's had quite a few high-profile jobs over the years. As a quick reminder, let's run down the highlights of his CV:
  • 1990-2003: Goldman Sachs (various)
  • 2003-2007: Department of Finance, Canada (senior associate deputy minister)
  • 2007-2013: Central Bank of Canada (Chairman)
  • 2010-2012: Bank of International Settlements Committee on the Global Financial System (Chairman)
  • 2013-2020: Bank of England (Governor)
  • 2020-2024: Brookefield Asset Management (Vice-Chairman)
  • 2020-2025: UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance
  • 2025-????: Prime Minister of Canada...apparently
My, there are a lot of banks on that list, aren't there? Not to mention his special appointments at Chatham House and the World Economic Forum or his regular appearances at Bilderberg. However, the eagle-eyed may note the absence of previous elected offices.

In fact, not only has he never won any elected office at any level of government, he's never even run before. He will be the first Canadian Prime Minister to have never held a seat in the House of Commons.

Rose

SOTT Focus: Five years since Covid, guys

LUC TALKS
No, I won't retraumatize you all by going through the Covid timeline again. It's enough that I had to see one the other day, complete with the measures, lockdowns and their idiotic names. Talk about a PTSD flare.

The whole mess is now 5 years old, almost to the day.

Magnify

DOJ launches antitrust investigation over high egg prices

eggs
© iStock
The Department of Justice has launched an anti-trust investigation into escalating egg prices, including whether large producers have conspired to raise prices or hold back supply.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the price of eggs jumped 15.2% from December to January, and 53% from January 2024 to January 2025. The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs in January was $4.95, a 139% increase from October 2023, when the cost was $2.07.

The DOJ sent a letter to some egg companies that instructed them to preserve documents about their pricing conversations with customers and competitors, as well as communications with the group that tracks wholesale egg prices, Expana, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The letter also signaled the department was interested in company communications about egg production and the bird flu. It is unknown if the investigation, in its initial stages, is being conducted by criminal or civil authorities.

Comment: USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins: Vaccines 'off the table' as part of fight for lower egg prices