A Memorandum of a Lady: Putting Women in the Best Light: Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential Run Revisited

McMahon has never worked with public schools before and has served in the Trump cabinet before. She resigned from the Connecticut State Board of Education in 2010 because she could not solicit campaign contributions under a legal opinion.

McMahon is a professional wrestling magnate who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She was selected by Trump to be the leader of the SBA. McMahon stayed out of the spotlight for two years during her time in the role, avoiding the types of scandals that followed Trump’s first term in office. She stepped down in 2019 to run the Trump-aligned super PAC America First Action and has remained in Trump’s close orbit.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said, as secretary of education, McMahon “will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families.”

She spoke emotionally about her first time working with Donald Trump when she appeared at the Republican National Convention earlier this year. He’s a good man. He has the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior. And I believe that, if necessary, he would stand at the gates of hell to defend our country.”

McMahon criticized Trump’s comments about women during the 2016 presidential run, at the same time. In an interview with Yahoo News, McMahon said, “Those [comments] were just over the top; they were deplorable, objectionable absolutely.” She added, “He’s not helping, certainly, to put women in the best light. Maybe he regrets them, maybe he doesn’t. He punches hard when he punches back, but that’s over the top. I don’t wish that a candidate would make those comments.

She’s a longtime backer of the president-elect, and donated more than $7 million to two super-PACs that supported Trump in his first campaign for president, according to Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign finance.

The Next Secretary of Education? Revisiting Biden’s Vision, Loan Repayment, and Other Effort-Avoiding Laws

No, not on her own. The U.S. Department of Education was created by Congress and “to formally abolish [it], there is no way around needing 60 votes in [the Senate],” says Max Eden, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute.

How easy is it to find 60 senators willing to abolish the department? “It’s next to impossible to see how you get 60 votes on that anytime soon,” Eden says.

It’s worth mentioning that the many things the department does wouldn’t necessarily go together if the department was shut down. For example: The major K-12 funding streams the department administers – including billions of Title I dollars to public schools in low-wealth communities – were created by Congress well before the department even existed.

“Some of the schools who rely the most on Title I are schools in poor, rural, white areas,” says Rachel Perera, a fellow in governance studies at the non-partisan Brookings Institution. “And congressional Republicans have shown time and time again that they’re not interested in hurting their constituents in that way.”

That said, the next secretary of education will still have plenty of opportunities – and authority – to influence policy that would have a direct impact on millions of Americans.

The Biden-Harris administration expanded protections against sex discrimination in the schools to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

“So they could stop enforcing Title IX,” says Perera – or at least stop enforcing Biden’s expanded vision of it. The courts have already stopped the education department from implementing the new regulations in most of the country after states sued to block them.

The incoming education secretary will also have big choices to make with the federal student loan program. Biden’s second effort at broad loan forgiveness, initiated after the Supreme Court scuttled his first, is now being litigated in court.

This so-called Plan B was challenged by Republican state attorneys general and paused by the courts in September, before the rule could be finished, let alone rolled out. It would cancel the debts of borrowers with older loans and free up money for the millions of people who owe more than they borrowed.

Also in limbo is Biden’s signature loan repayment plan, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which slashes borrowers’ payments (to as little as $0) while also preventing interest from growing. It even offers a fast-track to forgiveness for borrowers with lower balances.

But SAVE’s considerable price tag (roughly $455 billion over 10 years, by one estimate) – and the fact that Biden used the rulemaking process to essentially circumvent Congress – likewise opened SAVE to the same legal fight that upended Biden’s first big forgiveness pitch.

While the courts consider the legality of the repayment plan, 8 million borrowers have been on pause, not being asked to make payments.

The new education secretary could just phase it out if SAVE eventually becomes legal. The secretary would choose to appeal if the plan is struck down again.

The Up First Show: Breaking News, Breaking Politics: A NPR Network Look at Trump Picks Lead for Education Department. And, Tips to Bridge Political Divides

It is a good morning. You’re reading something. You can subscribe here to get it delivered and listen to the up first show for all the news on your day.

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell was grilled by Congress yesterday about accusations that the agency responded slowly to disasters and discriminated against some hurricane victims for political reasons. The Biden administration wants more money for disaster recovery, after this year’s havoc of hurricanes, flash floods and wildfires.

At least 100,000 people have left the social media platform X since Trump won the presidential election in what has become known as the X-odus. One of Donald Trump’s key advisers is X, the company owned by tech billionaire and ardent Trump supporter Elon Musk. The platform has become overrun with posts about Musk and Trump. Bluesky has been an option for many who were looking for an alternative.

Over the last few years and through this year’s contentious campaign season, there has been a coarsening in the way people talk to each other. Reporters across the NPR Network are looking for examples of people working through their differences. Some people are trying to bridge divides.

Many people are getting ready to talk with loved ones who may hold differing views as the holidays approach. Despite our disagreements, there are effective ways to bridge the divide. Science can help make the conversation more productive if you find yourself in a conflict where mutual respect is present.

Source: Trump picks lead for Education Department. And, tips to bridge political divides

The Bene Gesserit: The Six Episodic Season of Watson-W Williams and the Messenger of Paul Atreides

The Bene Gesserit is a powerful sisterhood that was created in the new show Dune: Prophecy, and it was led by Emily’s and Williams’ sisters. The show takes place 10,000 years before the rise of the novel’s messianic figure, Paul Atreides. The period is referred to as 10,000 years B.C. by bothWatson and Williams, before Atreide is played in the films. The sisterhood is working to direct humanity on the right path after a massive war where humans beat machines. The six-epsy season began on Sunday. The way in which women view and wield power was the topic of an interview with Watson and Williams by the host of Morning Edition.