NEWS

Good morning! I’m Nicole Fallert. Welcome to the fierce vibes of Aries season.

Get ready for Friday with the news:

Enter the era of a scaled-back Education Department

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, laying the groundwork for the most contentious and far-reaching battlefront in his fight to push the bounds on presidential authority.

What happens now? The immediate impact is unclear. But dissolving the department, created by Congress in 1979, requires action from Congress.

• What will happens to student support? White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday federal Title I and funding for students with disabilities ‒ as well as Pell Grants and student loans ‒ will still be administered by the department under the order.
• But who will do that work? Some federal aid workers Trump laid off from the department have been quietly rehired.
• Trump says he’s giving education back to states. But local school districts and states already control curriculums with the federal government providing limited oversight.

Stuck at the airport with the rest of the world

Heathrow Airport in London, one of the world’s busiest airports, is closed Friday after a large fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a power outage. A Heathrow Airport spokesperson told USA TODAY that fire crews responded to the incident but there is no clarity on when power may be reliably restored. The airport, which sees about 1,300 combined take-offs and landings a day, expects significant disruption over the coming days. Travelers should avoid Heathrow and contact their airlines.

• More travel news:Here’s what countries will be affected by a travel ban by President Trump coming Friday.

More news to know now

Stuck at the airport? Check out USA TODAY’s Crossword. Sally’s hint: Cut Class.

People are taking great measures to get eggs

Federal data shows that eggs are being seized at U.S. borders more than the synthetic opioid fentanyl, a trend occurring amid an ongoing bird flu outbreak causing poultry shortages across the nation. According to data collected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there have been 5,572 egg product seizures so far this fiscal year. Contrast that with 413 drug seizure events involving fentanyl in the same time frame. The illegal importing of eggs comes as prices climb and consumers’ concerns persist.

Here’s how activist groups are responding to Trump

“They were so concerned. The majority of them were seniors. They were concerned about Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and quite a few were veterans, and they were petrified that their livelihoods were going to be affected. People are scared. People are really, really nervous.” 

~ Kathy Dotson, a leader of the Nevada County chapter of Indivisible, a progressive advocacy group, speaking about people she met at a recent local event by Rep. Kevin Kiley of California that was attended by more than 400 unhappy constituents. The event is one of many ways local groups are responding to President Trump’s policies.

Today’s talkers

Clemson is served March Madness’ first big upset

The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament was as mad as advertised Thursday night. No. 12 seed McNeese dominated Clemson through the first half before surviving a late comeback scare in the second half, securing the program’s first-ever March Madness win with a 69-67 victory. Arkansas also handed Kansas a 79-72 loss, marking the Jayhawks’ first upset in the first round since 2006. USA TODAY Sports chronicled Thursday’s action. Here’s a rundown of Friday’s men’s and women’s match-ups.

Photo of the day: Peak bloom approaches DC

A pink, frothy forest of Yoshino Cherry trees in Washington, D.C., is a beautiful sight each spring. The National Park Service announced that the peak bloom season for the Capital’s Tidal Basin cherry blossoms is expected to fall from March 28 to March 31 this year. Here’s how long you have to catch the best blossoms.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.