The U.S. Senate voted Monday to confirm billionaire GOP donor and former wrestling industry executive Linda McMahon as the next secretary of the federal Department of Education. read more
President Donald Trump has called for the U.S. Department of Education to be completely eliminated, and he may issue an executive order in the coming days to make that happen. But a formal closure of the department may not be necessary to significantly disrupt key operations, including overseeing federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs. The Trump administration has already taken major steps to dismantle the department from within, including by placing many employees on leave. More substantial reductions in staffing, funding, and operations appear to be imminent. And with the likelihood increasing of a broader federal government shutdown, the department's activities may be further diminished in just a matter of weeks. Here's what student loan borrowers should know as the Department of Education plunges deeper into crisis. read more
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Sunday that his country's Gaza reconstruction plan, which would ensure that the Palestinian population remains in the Strip, is ready and will be presented to an emergency Arab summit on March 4. Arab states that were swift to reject US President Donald Trump's plan for the US to take control of Gaza and resettle Palestinians are scrambling to agree on a diplomatic offensive to counter the idea.
The Associated Press spoke to anonymous sources who say Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000 and more cuts could follow with up to 50 percent of the workforce being impacted by layoffs. read more
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. -- Elizabethton's veterans monument was damaged by a tractor-trailer Tuesday. It's a visible sign of the impact of continued bridge closures five months after Helene struck our region. Resident Michael Kaal videoed the aftermath after he said the truck got stuck in the roundabout and then ran into the memorial. "He was starting to kind of curb it," Kaal said. "He started just kind of accelerating and then just completely gassed it, and at that point, he just plowed right into the side of the memorial. He took out the cannon. I'm just kind of in shock, watching this whole thing. Rocks are flying everywhere." read more
Maybe cod liver oil is something they remember from Tex Ritter's Patent Medicine Hour.