What's Happening

Education

Next on the Chopping Block: The Department of Education

What's going on: The Trump administration is drafting an executive order that would eventually shutter the Education Department, according to NBC News. The move aligns with President Donald Trump's campaign pledge to defund the department, but it wouldn’t result in an immediate shutdown. Instead, it signals a plan to dismantle it from within — shrinking its workforce, stripping its authority, and shifting its functions elsewhere. The department oversees billions in federal grants that support high-poverty K-12 schools and students with disabilities, along with enforcing civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in federally funded schools. Since the department's creation in 1979, many Republicans have repeatedly pushed for its closure, arguing that education policy should be handled at the state level. The National Student Legal Defense Network is already evaluating legal challenges to block any attempt to dissolve the agency.

What it means: Only Congress has the authority to shut down the department. The move would likely face steep hurdles on Capitol Hill, requiring at least seven Democrats to back the plan to reach the 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. Sources told The Washington Post the department will likely be directed to shift some functions under other federal agencies — a move that also requires congressional approval. Some responsibilities could shift to the Treasury and Justice Departments if Trump follows ideas from Project 2025’s conservative roadmap. While Trump hasn’t claimed any ties to Project 2025, CNN found that two-thirds of his executive orders since returning to office mirror proposals from the blueprint.

Related: What Dismantling the DOE Could Mean for Your Student Loans (CNBC)

Politics

Trump’s Moving at the Speed of Light — Will Anything Stick?

What's going on: Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has unleashed a near-daily barrage of executive orders, sweeping directives, and policy shifts. (Has it really only been 16 days?)If it feels like he's moving to reshape the country at breakneck speed, that’s because he is. This strategy dates back to at least 2018, when former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon outlined his “flood the zone” approach — bombard Democrats and the media so they struggle to keep up. The tactic has stretched Democrats' bandwidth, with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) describing it to The New York Times as “an overwhelming sensory overload.” So far, Trump’s controversial orders (many of which have been challenged) include ending birthright citizenship, freezing federal funding for grants, and requiring the government to recognize only two genders. Each order raises the same immediate question: Is this even legal?

What it means: Trump is pushing the limits of presidential power further and faster than any modern president — and the legal system could take months or years to determine if his actions will hold. Some of Trump’s actions have been described by experts as outright unconstitutional, like dismissing Senate-confirmed officials before their terms expire. UC Berkeley’s Law Dean told The Guardian “I cannot think of any president who has ever so ignored the constitution as extensively in the first 10 days of office as this.” Executive orders let presidents act without Congressional approval, but they have limits. Some are legally binding, but others are just presidential wish lists courts can strike down. For the Trump administration, chaos itself might be a victory. Every order reinforces his image of dominance to his supporters and signals that he's trying to deliver campaign promises — whether or not they can stand.

Related: Trump Calls for US “Ownership” of Gaza Strip (NBC)

Business

Even Waffle House Isn’t Immune to the Bird Flu

What's going on: Waffle House is a cultural institution that does it all, from feeding drunk college students to serving as a hurricane index. However, egg prices are proving to be the breakfast chain’s kryptonite. Waffle House announced yesterday it’s adding a 50-cent surcharge per egg at its nearly 2,100 locations. That might not sound like much, but Waffle House serves 272 million eggs per year — more than any other menu item. One Waffle House employee said they’ve already been “cursed out several times” over the price hike. (The egg rage is real: elsewhere, someone stole $40,000 worth of the breakfast gold.)

What it means: The breakfast chain isn’t alone in its egg woes, thanks to the bird flu. Since its initial outbreak in January 2022, farmers have had to slaughter more than 75 million egg-laying chickens, causing a nationwide shortage. Egg prices have jumped nearly 40% in the past year, and the US Department of Agriculture expects them to rise even more in 2025. In December, a dozen huevos averaged almost $9 in California. Cluck that. The bird flu has also infected 67 people, mostly working on avian farms. While there’s no significant danger to the general public — aside from breakfast missing a vital protein — scientists are closely monitoring whether the bird flu can become airborne like with COVID. It doesn’t help that the Trump administration has halted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly reports on bird flu studies.

Related: Cue the Egg Wars at Costco (Fortune)