Saturday, March 15, 2025
All civic learning topics for this day
Today's Topics
Musk's team installs Starlink on White House roof without security clearance
Musk's DOGE team installed a Starlink terminal on the White House roof in February 2025 without informing communications teams, despite Secret Service and cybersecurity warnings about national security risks. The installation occurred while Musk simultaneously secured new federal contracts worth hundreds of millions: a $2.4 billion FAA communications system replacement, $400 million in State Department armored Cybertrucks, and changes to Commerce Department BEAD program rules that opened millions in broadband contracts to Starlink—creating unprecedented conflicts between his government advisory role and private company profits.
Whistleblower networks document Hatch Act and ethics violations
Federal employees across agencies formed underground networks to document constitutional violations and protect democratic institutions by March 15, 2025. EPA scientists, DOJ attorneys, and State Department diplomats leak documents exposing illegal orders while others refuse to implement policies they consider unconstitutional, risking termination and prosecution.
State Department loses 60 FSOs as USAID budget slashed 40%
Over 60 senior diplomats quit on March 15, 2025, after budget blueprint slashed development funds by 40%. The mass resignations weaken U.S. influence abroad while creating "brain drain" that alarms policy veterans as bipartisan letters seek restoration of foreign aid funding.
Banking Committee targets Dodd-Frank as CFPB enforcement collapses
Trump administration moves to dismantle Dodd-Frank banking regulations, reduces Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement, and eliminates cryptocurrency oversight. The administration proposes eliminating stress tests for large banks while reducing mortgage lending protections and student loan borrower safeguards.
OPM resurrects Schedule F stripping protections from career workforce
Trump reinstated Schedule F allowing firing of career civil servants, eliminated collective bargaining for over 1 million federal employees, and conducted mass terminations. The administration cut staff at Education Department and renewable energy labs while restructuring departments to align with political priorities.
ICE deploys Palantir AI to surveil 33 million legal residents
Trump administration expanded AI-powered social media surveillance March 15, 2025, increased data collection on 33 million immigrants, and strengthened warrantless wiretapping capabilities while constitutional privacy protections erode for digital communications affecting every American.
OMB cuts Education budget as Senate delays McMahon confirmation
Trump signed an executive order to begin closing the Department of Education while proposing a 15% budget cut and meeting with Congressional leaders about transferring education control to states. This affects how schools get federal funding and who controls what your kids learn.
Executive order targets Education Department as Congress holds sole authority
When Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education on March 20, 2025, it launched a process that could reshape how your local schools get funded and who controls what your kids learn. This quiz breaks down what federal education dollars actually pay for and how power would shift to states.