The Education Department is handing off two of its most important functions, giving oversight of special education and civil rights to other agencies. With the latest moves, the department will have offloaded the vast majority of its duties.
Dissolving the department entirely requires an act of Congress. Still, the latest developments bring the administration significantly closer to fulfilling President Donald Trump‘s pledge to shut down the Education Department, which he says will give education “back to the states.”
The administration is framing Tuesday’s moves as a partnership between federal agencies intended to reduce bureaucracy. The Justice Department will handle civil rights enforcement in schools, and the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. The Justice Department will also manage work involving student privacy protections.
How the Education Department handles civil rights, special education
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When parents believe their child is facing discrimination at school, and when local officials fail to fix it, families often turn to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights as a last resort. The office investigates complaints filed by students, parents and advocacy groups alleging civil rights violations at schools, colleges and universities that get federal money. It also occasionally will initiate an investigation on its own.
Based on an investigator’s findings, the department may force the school to fix the problem. Schools that refuse risk losing federal money.
The office investigates a wide range of complaints, including allegations of discrimination based on race, sex, religion and disability status. As examples, a complaint may point to unequal treatment of girls and boys in sports, or it may claim a school mishandled sexual assault allegations. It might say a school is disciplining students of one race more harshly than another.
The Trump administration has used the Office for Civil Rights for its own purposes, forcing schools to comply with its views on diversity, equity and inclusion. Some schools and colleges have closed DEI offices and abandoned efforts to close achievement gaps between white students and their Black and Latino peers. The Office for Civil Rights also has enforced the administration’s efforts to push transgender athletes out of sports.
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For special education, the Education Department indirectly plays a critical role in the lives of students with disabilities, distributing billions of dollars to schools.
The department’s special education office ensures states comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees access to education for disabled students. It also supports special vocational programs and career counseling for young people with disabilities. The office once employed around 200 people and now employs about 121.
Which education programs have gone to other agencies
Trump campaigned on dismantling the department. Last March, shortly after the confirmation of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the administration enacted major reductions in the Education Department workforce, cutting its staff roughly in half.
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The Education Department has since been handing off various operations, including massive grant programs, through a series of interagency agreements.
Work that’s already been reassigned includes Title I funding for schools serving low-income communities, as well as smaller funding pools for teacher training, English instruction and a college-access program known as TRIO. These programs are now at the Labor Department.
The federal student loan portfolio is being handed over to the Treasury Department in phases. And the Department of Health and Human Services took grant programs related to safety, community engagement and parents attending college, plus foreign medical school accreditation.
Foreign language programs and a portal that tracks foreign gifts to universities have gone to the State Department. And the Interior Department is now overseeing Native American education.
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What’s left at the Education Department
Many of the program transfers have at least nominally kept the Education Department in charge of oversight and policy while moving everyday operations to the other agencies. The department’s biggest functions are effectively now reassigned, and what remains is a skeleton of what it once was.
Functions still at the department include the agency’s research arms, though they’ve been heavily downsized. The Institute of Education Sciences evaluates and collects statistics, and the National Center for Education Statistics administers the Nation’s Report Card and other federal tests.
The Office of the Education Secretary remains intact, including her staff who’ve been executing agreements with other agencies. The department is working to approve requests for waivers that give states more flexibility for spending federal money. Finally, legal oversight of major grants remains with the department, even though day-to-day operations have been transferred to other agencies.
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What changes for students and families
A Trump administration fact sheet promises: “This partnership will not impact students, parents or families who believe they have experienced discrimination. Anyone who believes discrimination has occurred in an education program or activity may file a complaint with ED-OCR” — the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.
However, advocates worry the movement of key functions to other agencies will complicate the process for enforcing disability and civil rights. Currently, for example, if a student with a disability is denied school accommodations, her parents can often appeal to a single federal agency — the Education Department — to handle the violation. Now, parents might have to navigate multiple bureaucratic systems to get answers.
With special education work transferred to Health and Human Services, students with disabilities could be viewed through a medical lens and not in terms of their educational needs, advocates said.
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In a medical model, “disability is treated as a diagnosis to manage instead of a natural part of human life,” said Robyn Linscott, who directs education policy at The Arc of the United States, a major disability rights group. “When that mindset drives education decisions, students are more likely to be segregated, underestimated or treated as separate from the school community.”
What we still don’t know
It’s possible a group might file a lawsuit or amend existing lawsuits to stop these changes, at least temporarily.
It’s also unclear what will happen with staff at the Office for Civil Rights or those who oversee special education. If any remain, how exactly will responsibilities be divided, especially between the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights and the Justice Department? Who will handle existing cases?
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The office has had quite the case backlog, which started before Trump took office but has grown during his presidency. In April, a report from Sen. Bernie Sanders found the Office for Civil Rights had reached zero resolution agreements since March 2025 over sexual harassment, sexual violence, seclusion and restraint, racial harassment or discriminatory school discipline. The report from Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, also found more than 2,700 pending cases in those categories.
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AP Education Writer Annie Ma contributed from Washington. _____
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
The ad for Pure Cremation, seen in January, featured a woman standing in her home surrounded by drinks and plates of food, saying: “That was a great celebration. Dad would have loved it. He hated how expensive traditional funerals are, ao he got a Pure Cremation funeral plan. He wanted his money to go to us, not funeral expenses.”
Hundreds more people could soon benefit from greater access to grassroots sport to improve their health and wellbeing after a planned expansion of a popular boxing club was supported by councillors.
Westway Boxing Club in the Eastfield neighbourhood of Scarborough is facing “time-critical” cost pressures and requires £350,000 in funding for a proposed scheme to expand the community venue.
A private developer has already covered the first £350,000 for the design, planning work and initial capital contribution to extend the facility.
NYC’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include stronger communities, said: “It’s a good news story. It’s been one of the ambitions to expand the club for a long time and it was one of the bedrock items for the Eastfield Town Council vision programme.
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“This project will not detriment any other schemes, there is still scope to deliver the ambitious projects put forward as part of the community consultation.
“Boxing might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it instils discipline and respect in people and it is a massively important project for an area that has been left behind.”
The proposed expansion would almost double the club’s footfall from around 300 to 500 people, enabling a safe, positive place to build confidence, discipline and life skills through sport.
Eastfield boxing club. NYC (Image: NYC)
The club has secured a quote of £700,000 for the planned construction work, but it is only guaranteed until the end of June. All other quotes received are more than £1 million, meaning delays could significantly increase costs. In addition, planning permission requires work to begin before January 30, 2027.
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At a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee on Tuesday, June 16, council bosses unanimously approved the allocation of £350,000 to fund the project.
Westway Boxing Club has always been described as a valuable and long-standing community asset with a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes.
In December last year, North Yorkshire Council gave Eastfield community groups 15 months to agree on a single plan for how £3.2 million in regeneration funding should be used.
This funding request is an exception to the council’s previous decision that money from the £3.2 million reserve would only be allocated after a community-led investment plan is developed through the Town Investment Plan (TIP) process.
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The boxing club’s expansion plans include a main training hall with a full-sized boxing ring, extra gym space, changing rooms and toilets, a café area as well as new classrooms and spaces for storage.
Consultation during the planning process led to 44 supportive comments from the community.
North Yorkshire Council’s elected member for the Eastfield division, Cllr Tom Seston, said: “I have lived near this club my whole life, and I’ve seen how well attended it is.
“Expanding the club will take it to the next level and allow it to operate as two classes at once by doubling the capacity.
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“This will be a high-class facility and with an investment of £350,000 we are getting so much social benefit for the community.
”It is also due to create rooms for alternative education and specialist programmes, including support for people with Parkinson’s disease.”
Cllr Malcolm Taylor, executive member for highways, said at the meeting: “I’ve seen first hand the diversionary work that this boxing club does for young people in the community; it does brilliant work, and I’m very happy to support it.”
He was diagnosed when he was 49 and had already tried several advanced treatments as his symptoms were progressing quickly
Meet Martin Hannigan, a Belfast cyclist who is back on his bike after major brain surgery.
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Martin was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017 when he was 49. By 2022, his symptoms were progressing quickly. He had already tried several advanced treatments but nothing worked.
Parkinson’s is a complex brain condition that gets worse over time. It has more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety, and there is no cure. Someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the UK every 20 minutes and by 2050, the number of people living with the condition worldwide will double to 25 million.
For Martin, DBS surgery was a final throw of the dice. DBS, also known as Deep Brain Stimulation, involves fitting wires into the brain of the Parkinson’s patient. These wires are then connected to a pulse generator (a device like a heart pacemaker) placed under the skin around the chest or stomach area. The device helps with Parkinson’s motor symptoms, including tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.
Martin explained: “Before my surgery, I tried hard to keep pushing through, especially with my cycling. I knew I had to look after myself. Exercise is the only proven way to slow down the progression of the condition.
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“But my Parkinson’s progressed to a point where I couldn’t cycle. I started using a walking stick, then I couldn’t make it to the end of the street, and eventually, I couldn’t even pick things up. DBS changed everything. Now I’m back on my bike and living life to the fullest.”
Now Martin is preparing for Pedal Causeway Coast on Sunday, June 28. He is tackling the 100-mile route across the Causeway Coast – a feat he can only attempt thanks to his life-changing brain surgery.
He has conquered many charity rides before, but this is his first time fundraising for Parkinson’s UK in Northern Ireland.
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“I’ve never thought of myself as someone who needs help, but I see others in our Parkinson’s community who are further down the road. They need support. This ride is for them. I can still pedal these roads, but many can’t. Maybe someday I’ll need to reach out too, which is why I’m backing Parkinson’s UK,” Martin added.
With three routes available, Martin didn’t hesitate to choose the longest: “I’m taking on the full 100 miles because there’s no point doing it by halves! It might take me longer than the others to reach the finish line, but I will get myself round. This is about fundraising, supporting a great charity, and spreading the word.”
For Martin, cycling is the perfect analogy for life: “Nobody likes cycling up a hill. But you have to climb up to get the reward of the descent. You have to get your head down and keep moving forward, otherwise you’ll miss the good stuff on the other side. That’s life. You just have to keep going.”
Police rushed to reports of a fight in a Cambridgeshire town
A man who fled a fight scene has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill in a Cambridgeshire town. Officers were called at around 4pm on Friday, June 12 to reports of two men fighting next to St Peters and St Paul’s Church in Wisbech.
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Officers attended the scene but arrived to find that one of the men involved had fled and tried to hide behind a car. A member of the public offered one of the force’s officers a lift.
The officer was able to “surprise” the 33-year-old man who made off and arrested him on suspicion of assault amounting to grievous bodily harm (GBH) and threats to kill. He has since been bailed until September 7.
Manchester United are looking to sell Manuel Ugarte this summer and a reunion could be on the cards for the Uruguayan
AC Milan are contemplating a move to rescue Manuel Ugarte from his Manchester United ordeal. United are eager to sell Ugarte to the highest bidder this summer and Italian heavyweights Milan are mulling over a deal to bring the Uruguayan midfielder back together with Ruben Amorim.
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United acquired Ugarte from Paris Saint Germain in 2024 in a transfer worth £42m. However, the midfielder has struggled to establish himself with the English club. He has started only 30 league matches across two seasons – and dropped down the hierarchy when Kobbie Mainoo reclaimed his position in the side during the latter half of the previous campaign.
And Michael Carrick has informed Ugarte he doesn’t feature in his future plans. United have brought in Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalantaand are poised to submit an offer for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.
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Ugarte recognises he has no prospects at Old Trafford and has asked his representative, Jorge Mendes, to secure him a new club. Mendes has now initiated discussions with Milan regarding a potential transfer.
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Amorim, who has been appointed Milan’s new head coach, previously managed Ugarte during his triumphant spell at Sporting, and subsequently during his disappointing period in the Old Trafford hot seat. High expectations surrounded Ugarte – especially after Amorim’s appointment – but he never lived up to his price tag.
Speaking two months prior to his dismissal as United manager, Amorim acknowledged he was collaborating intensively with Ugarte in an attempt to help him recapture his finest form. He said: “You can sense a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle. He is struggling at the moment but it is our job to try to help and help him to feel like I felt when he was a Sporting player.
“But it is a different world. He needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training.”
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
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Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
United are hoping to recover a substantial portion of the fee they spent on Ugarte – and are demanding approximately £30m.
Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani is unwilling to match the valuation, but additional discussions are scheduled in an attempt to find middle ground.
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A strong World Cup campaign could aid United’s position, with Ugarte having started Uruguay’s opening fixture as they were held by Saudi Arabia.
They meet Cape Verde on Sunday, before completing the group stage against Spain on June 27.
The disruption follows a multi-vehicle collision during this morning’s rush hour (June 16).
Greater Manchester Police said the crash appeared to involve five vehicles, although National Highways initially reported that it involved a car and two heavy goods vehicles.
No serious injuries have been reported and no arrests have been made.
Drivers have been diverted via the M61, with routes available through junction 4 and the Kearsley Spur.
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Earlier updates confirmed that all vehicles involved in the collision had been removed from the carriageway.
One commuter caught up in the disruption told The Bolton News: “I’m sitting in standstill traffic and have been for the past hour.
“Two ambulances have driven past, and all lanes are stationary.
“I hope everyone is okay.”
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Motorists are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys and consider alternative routes while the closure remains in place.
National Highways said the motorway will reopen only after resurfacing work has been completed and inspections have confirmed it is safe for traffic.
Chelsea confirmed the exit of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid on Monday, and will now look to sign a replacement. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, a former Blues player, is said to be of interest. Man United – also admirers of Hall – are set to confirm Ederson as their first summer signing, and have been credited with interest in Bouaddi and a double swoop on West Ham for £50m-rated Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes, who could cost close to a club-record fee, which is currently more than what United want to pay.
Almost half of teachers in Scotland have reported pupils using the addictive Snus-style pouches during school time.
Concerns are mounting over the number of children using nicotine pouches in Scotland’s schools. Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Scotland said new addictive trends, including the rise of Snus-style products, have followed the surge in vaping.
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A 2025 report by the teachers’ union NASUWT found 46% of teachers in Scotland reported their pupils using nicotine pouches during school time.
The pouches, often labelled “Snus” after a similar Swedish tobacco product, are designed to be placed between the user’s lips and gum, where they release nicotine.
Ash Scotland said teachers have consistently raised concerns about the rise in nicotine products being used by young people. The charity has announced free learning resources to help educators tackle the issue.
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of Ash Scotland, said: “Our new e-learning module is designed to provide a resource for educators to learn about the negative impacts that nicotine use can have on the lives of children and young people.
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“Following the upsurge in youth vaping, a new generation is being attracted to using other addictive, health-harming products such as nicotine pouches.
“Drawing in new customers produces huge profits for the tobacco industry, but at a cost to the health and wellbeing of our young people and disruption in the classroom.
“We trust that our new nicotine pouches e-learning module will help teachers and youth workers to build their knowledge and confidence to start discussions with children and help them make informed choices about protecting their health and wellbeing.”
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Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, said teachers have expressed “serious concerns” that the regulation of nicotine products has “failed to keep pace with innovation by the companies selling them”.
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He said: “The recently published guidance for schools on how to address substance abuse among pupils was welcomed but this is only a first step.
“We need a greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention at all ages to stop children and young people from being drawn into nicotine pouch use.
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“NASUWT has therefore welcomed the e-learning materials from Ash Scotland as one part of a wider systemic response needed to tackle substance misuse in schools.”
Cristiano Ronaldo looks to make history by becoming the first player to score a goal in six World Cups when Portugal meets Congo on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo has scored in each tournament dating to 2006.
His debut comes one day after Lionel Messi opened his sixth World Cup for Argentina.
Messi had 13 goals on 105 shots entering this World Cup, and Ronaldo had eight goals on 103 shots. However, Ronaldo has scored in all five previous World Cup appearances, while Messi failed to find the net in 2010.
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“Well, I wish him the best — I hope that he scores but not against us,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said.
Ronaldo’s focus has been on his team’s success.
“We go match by match, but not with the expectations of winning it all,” Ronaldo told reporters in Portugal last week before the team’s departure. “It has to be step by step. A good start is the most important thing,”
After scoring just once in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo was upset after he subbed off against South Korea and benched for the club’s first knockout-stage match against Switzerland. He also failed to score in the 2024 European Championship — the first time that has happened at a major international tournament.
But Ronaldo has also shown signs of his old productivity.
He scored eight goals during Portugal’s 2025 UEFA Nations League title, including an equalizer in the final against Spain. And, he recently won his first Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr, scoring a club-high 28 goals.
What to watch on June 17
— Portugal vs. Congo, 1 p.m. EDT in Houston (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
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— England vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Ghana vs. Panama, 7 p.m. EDT in Toronto (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, 10 p.m. EDT in Mexico City (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
Kane, England seek strong World Cup start vs. Croatia
Harry Kane, one of the world’s dominant goal scorers, leads England into its first match against Croatia with the Three Lions seeking their first World Cup title since 1966, when they won on home soil.
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Kane has been a force over the past year with 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich across all competitions. The 32-year-old striker has eight goals in two previous World Cups and won the Golden Boot in 2018 by scoring six times in Russia.
But he didn’t score in England’s semifinal loss to Croatia in 2018. In 2022, he missed a penalty late against France in a 2-1 semifinal loss in Qatar when he sent the ball over the crossbar.
Kane’s eight World Cup goals are two shy of Gary Lineker’s England record.
Ghana to be without Partey for opener after appeal denied
Ghana will play its opening match against Panama without midfielder Thomas Partey after a Canadian judge on Tuesday rejected a bid to allow him into the country as he awaits trial on rape charges.
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Partey’s visa application was denied last week.
He will remain in the United States while his teammates play in Toronto on Wednesday. He will be eligible to play in Ghana’s next two matches — both in the U.S.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had criticized the visa denial, calling it a “high-handed and extremely unfair decision.” Its appeal was heard by the court earlier Tuesday.
Partay is awaiting trial in Britain while facing allegations from several women dating to his time playing for Arsenal from 2020-25. He has pleaded not guilty.
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England’s Livramento will miss tournament with injury
England fullback Tino Livramento was ruled out of the World Cup on Tuesday because of a calf injury, forcing coach Thomas Tuchel into a late squad change ahead of his team’s opener against Croatia.
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah was called up as a replacement and due to head to the England training camp in Kansas City. Livramento was injured during training on Sunday.
“A subsequent scan and medical assessment on Monday unfortunately confirmed he could play no further part in England’s tournament,” it said in a statement.
Uzbekistan ready to make World Cup debut
Uzbekistan will mark the biggest moment in the country’s soccer history on Wednesday when it participates in its first World Cup, facing Colombia.
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Coached by Fabio Cannavaro, Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain and a former Ballon d’Or winner, Uzbekistan finished second in Asian qualifying to earn its way into the expanded 48-team field.
Colombia is back in the World Cup after failing to qualify in 2022.
England has struggled against European opposition at the global showcase, losing six of its last eight matches. Its overall record versus UEFA teams at the World Cup includes 14 wins, 12 losses and 13 ties.
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AP Sports Writers Jim Vertuno and Kristie Rieken contributed to this report.
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