Education Department’s ‘letters’ wasted billions on Washington’s woke whims

When Elon Musk’s budget-cutters start hunting for waste in the US Education Department, good luck finding the smoking gun.

The agency’s roughly $240 billion annual haul isn’t a slush fund for whimsical bureaucrats — it’s mostly a conveyor belt, dutifully delivering dollars to programs Congress has already blessed.

Title I’s $18 billion for poor kids? Mandated. IDEA’s $15 billion for special education? Same deal. Pell Grants topping $30 billion? That’s the Higher Education Act, not some rogue educrat’s hobbyhorse.

Critics itching to dismantle the department often imagine it’s awash in frivolous spending, but the truth is more mundane: It’s mostly a middleman.

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The real waste isn’t in the budget lines — it’s in the mailroom.

Enter the “Dear Colleague” letter, the department’s occasional billets-doux to schools and districts.

These missives don’t spend taxpayer dollars directly, but they’re masterful at prying them loose from state and local coffers.

Thinly veiled as “guidance,” they’re closer to a shakedown: Comply with our enlightened vision or risk a civil rights probe that could cost you your federal funding.

And when that vision skews ideological — as it often did during the Obama and Biden years — the result is a cascade of spending and disruption that leaves educators scrambling and taxpayers poorer.

All without a single line-item to point to in the federal ledger, much less any measurable benefit to students.

Take the April 2011 Title IX letter on sexual violence. A noble aim — protecting students from harassment — morphed into a bureaucratic sledgehammer.

Schools and colleges were told to adopt a lower “preponderance of evidence” standard for adjudicating cases of alleged campus rape and sexual assault, and to sidestep legal protections like cross-examination of witnesses and accusers.

The result was an explosion in the number of Title IX coordinators hired, each earning $150,000 a year or more. The cost of compliance rose by at least $2 million per year at some universities.

Multiply that across thousands of institutions, and you’re staring at hundreds of millions yearly — state and local dollars, mind you, not Uncle Sam’s — until the letter’s 2017 rescission.

Accused students sued in droves, claiming their rights were trampled, while critics like the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education decried a “guilty-until-proven-innocent” regime.

Schools, caught in the crossfire, spent money on compliance and lawyers that should have been spent teaching students.

The Biden administration similarly sought to warp Title IX to its liking. Its 2021 executive order decreed “gender identity” would now come under Title IX’s umbrella.

The Education Department dutifully followed up with a “Notice of Interpretation” a few weeks later, nudging schools to toe the line — and shoulder the cost — or risk their federal funds. 

Then there was the January 2014 discipline letter, a joint production with the Justice Department that tackled racial disparities in K-12 school suspensions.

The intent was arguably laudable — who wants bias in the principal’s office? — but the execution was a master class in overreach.

Districts suddenly wary of “disparate impact” on racial minorities embraced trendy fixes like restorative justice, or simply stopped disciplining unruly kids altogether.

Teachers got implicit bias training costing $2,000 to $10,000 per session, with no guarantee that it works; facilitators were hired or redirected, and new data systems tracked every classroom time-out by race.

A conservative estimate of the cost of compliance would be $100 million to $200 million over several years, mostly in urban school districts desperate to avoid a civil rights investigation.

But misspent dollars aren’t even the worst of it: As student suspensions dropped to appease federal monitors, teachers complained that relaxed student discipline was creating classroom chaos. Compliance trumped learning, which ground to a halt.

These letters don’t show up in the Education Department budget, but they’re fiscal vampires, draining local resources under threat of enforcement, and diverting staff time and attention from schools’ primary business of teaching and learning.

The Obama-era versions were particularly brazen, leaning hard into progressive priors — Title IX as a gender-justice manifesto, student discipline as a racial reckoning — while leaving schools and districts to foot the bill for Washington’s culture-war whims.

Efforts to trim the Education Department’s wasteful spending and redirect attention to student outcomes are overdue and necessary.

But don’t just scour its budget — start with its stationery. 

Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former public school teacher.

https://nypost.com/2025/03/02/opinion/how-education-department-letters-have-wasted-billions/

Cell-permeable peptide shows promise in nerve cell regeneration

 Each year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), millions of people in the U.S. are affected by spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, along with neuro-developmental and degenerative diseases such as ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

Assistant Professor Pabitra Sahoo, of Rutgers University-Newark's Department of Biological Sciences, has made it his life's work to understand how our neurological system becomes damaged by these injuries and conditions, and when and how neurons in our central and peripheral nervous systems regenerate and heal.

Recently, Sahoo and his RU-N research team made a breakthrough, using a peptide to help nerve cells in both the peripheral and central nervous systems regenerate. They published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We're very excited about these latest results, which may be instrumental to the field, especially relating to central nervous system trauma," said Sahoo.

The human neurological system is a complex network of cells, tissues and organs that controls and coordinates all bodily functions. It is composed of two main areas: the central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain, brain stem and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which extends from the CNS and includes all nerves that connect it to the rest of the body.

Combined, these two parts control a range of critical functions such as sensory perception, motor control, cognition, and learning and memory. This command center also helps with homeostasis, regulating things like body temperature and blood pressure, along with other involuntary functions such as breathing and digestion.

Each nerve cell, or neuron, has three parts: a cell body, which contains a nucleus, mitochondria and other organelles essential for cell function; a long tail called an axon, which transmits electrical and chemical signals away from the cell; and dendrites, branches of the neurological tree that receive messages for the cell.

Neurons communicate with each other by sending chemicals, or neurotransmitters, across a tiny space called a synapse, between the axons and dendrites of nearby neurons.

Healing the human neurological system after injury, degeneration or loss of blood supply (as with a stroke) is tricky.

CNS axons rarely regenerate naturally after traumatic injuries due to the intrinsic growth capacity of those axons, along with growth inhibitors in the extrinsic environment of the CNS. Axons in the PNS, on the other hand, can spontaneously regenerate after injury, although it's a slow process.

For PNS axons to regenerate and regain function, two conditions must be met: First, the injured neuron must initiate gene expression that supports regeneration, which happens when mRNA molecules carry genetic information from a cell's nucleus to the cytoplasm to guide the synthesis of specific proteins (a process called translation).

Second, the emerging growth cones at the tip of these axons must encounter an environment that can support and guide them, with extracellular matrix proteins, cell-adhesion molecules and other components present that favor regeneration. Typically, damage to peripheral nerves triggers such an environment.

Damage to axonal tracts in the CNS, however, triggers an unfavorable environment for axon elongation, with various components inhibiting growth. Researchers have tried various means of circumventing these inhibitors over the years to promote CNS axon regeneration, with varying, if moderate, success.

Expression of G3BP1 acidic domain in CNS neurons facilitates axon regeneration. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2411811122

The road to regeneration

Sahoo, who arrived at RU-N in fall 2023, dove deep into neurology research while earning his Ph.D. in Biotechnology at the University of Pune, in India, and completing his post-doctoral fellowship and working as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina, Columbia under the mentorship of Jeffery Twiss, a Professor of Neurobiology whose work focuses on the restoration of neural function after injury or disease.

In a 2018 paper, Sahoo and the team of researchers in South Carolina showed that a protein called G3BP1 is present in peripheral axons and forms clumps, or stress granules, that grow larger in injured nerves and inhibit the protein synthesis needed for axons to regenerate.

The team devised and patented a cell-permeable peptide derived from G3BP1, which they found dissolves these granules and ramps up the production of new proteins needed for PNS axon repair and growth.

In their recent paper, Sahoo and his RU-N team—which includes post-doctoral associates Meghal Desai and Manasi Agrawal—found that G3BP1 protein clumps are also present in CNS axons, and by using their patented peptide they were able to boost axon regeneration in both the PNS and CNS.

Equally important, this approach worked not only in mouse and rat neurons but also in human neurons grown in labs, hinting at potential future therapies for people.

"We were interested to know if CNS cells also have stress granules and if they play any role in axon inhibition or regeneration," said Sahoo.

"We found that the mRNA stored in these stress granules are now released and undergo translation to make the proteins that spark axon regeneration. We're not saying this is the solution that fixes everything, but we've made great progress, and this points to possible therapies."

The peptide that the team has been using, while promising, also has limitations in that it is bioavailable and stable in rodents for only two weeks, according to Sahoo, Desai and Agrawal, the latter of whom worked in a lab across the hall from Twiss' lab at the University of South Carolina and collaborated with Sahoo.

Going forward, the trio will try to improve the peptide or find a small molecule from chemistry lab libraries that can mimic the peptide.

"This peptide is a pathway to axonal growth, and we'll continue working to develop a better drug," said Sahoo. "We're looking forward to continuing with the next phase of our work."

More information: Pabitra K. Sahoo et al, Disruption of G3BP1 granules promotes mammalian CNS and PNS axon regeneration, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2411811122

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-cell-permeable-peptide-nerve-regeneration.html

Trump issues executive orders addressing lumber production, national security concerns

 President Donald Trump on Saturday signed two executive orders that call for immediately expanding American lumber production and addressing lumber imports' threat to national security.

The orders aim to update guidance on production, streamline permitting, and assess possible risks that imports pose to national security. 

A White House official told Fox News the president identified a crisis in both supply and demand in an industry the U.S. should be entirely self-sufficient in.

The executive order notes that the production of timber, lumber, paper, bioenergy, and other wood products is crucial for Americans in construction and energy production.

Stacked piles of wooden cases in a yard, seen in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on February 03, 2025.  (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Recent disasters, the administration pointed out, show the importance of forest management and wildfire risk-reduction projects.

Officials alleged that the Biden-era timber and lumber policies triggered wildfires and degraded fish and wildlife habitats, while driving up construction and housing costs. 

Piles of lumber are seen for sale at a home improvement store in Falls Church, Virginia, February 3, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Exporters like Canada, Germany and Brazil dump lumber into U.S. markets at the expense of economic prosperity and national security, officials said.

A White House official said U.S. reliance on imports from these countries has increased elevenfold over the past 30 years despite the U.S. having an abundance of forest resources. 

Agency heads will be asked to improve the speed of approving forestry projects, assess future supply, and reduce administrative approval time. 

Piles of lumber are seen for sale at a home improvement store in Falls Church, Virginia, February 3, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump's directive orders Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to initiate a national security investigation into U.S. lumber imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 – the same law that Trump also used to impose tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports. The investigation must be completed within 270 days. 

The official said any tariffs resulting from the probe would be added to the existing 14.5% combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on Canadian softwood lumber.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-issues-executive-orders-addressing-lumber-production-national-security-concerns

US FDA issues labeling changes for testosterone products

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it issued new labeling changes for testosterone products.

The FDA said it is recommending label changes based on results from a clinical trial testing cardiovascular effects of testosterone-replacement therapy in middle-aged and older men with hypogonadism - a condition in which the body does not produce enough of the testosterone hormone.

The agency also said it is recommending adding results from the trial to the labeling in all testosterone products, as well as a new warning about increased blood pressure for such formulations which do not already include it in their labeling.

Current FDA-approved testosterone formulations include oral, topical gel, transdermal patch and injection.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/fda-issues-labeling-changes-for-testosterone-products/ar-AA1A0GWW

Inflation, growth may be in conflict but Fed seen restarting cuts in June

 New data may point to emerging tension between the U.S. Federal Reserve's dual inflation and employment goals, as price pressures remained sticky in January while consumer spending slowed more than expected.

Traders maintained bets the Fed will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point at its June and September meetings this year, but analysts noted the situation seemed to have become more complex and could present policymakers with a difficult decision in the weeks ahead.

Hints of slowing growth alongside inflation still stuck above the Fed's 2% target, "presents a dilemma for the Fed...if you add them together, that equals stagflation," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist for Spartan Capital Securities in New York. "The Fed now has a lot of worrying to do.”

Stagflation refers to the combination of slow growth and high inflation that forces policymakers to potentially choose between cutting rates by more, at the margin, to support economic growth and jobs, or maintaining tighter monetary policy to ensure inflation returns to target.

Policymakers began pointing to that possibility this week.

"The Fed could have to balance inflation risks against growth concerns," Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid said in comments this week that noted what he felt were upside risks to inflation and concerns that uncertainty about the economic outlook could begin to weigh on growth. "There are risks that could make our monetary policy decisions increasingly difficult."\

Schmid spoke before Friday's data showing that inflation as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index did slow in January, ticking down to 2.5% last month from 2.6% in December. The core PCE measure, excluding volatile food and energy prices, fell to 2.6% from 2.9%, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis showed. 

Though an improvement, progress towards the Fed's 2% target has been slow in recent months, while concerns have mounted that price pressures could build again in the wake of import taxes the Trump administration intends to impose.

Of particular note to the Fed, as well, is a recent rise in consumers' expectations of inflation, something that if sustained would make central bankers reluctant to ease monetary policy for fear of stoking inflationary psychology.

The same report on Friday also showed consumer spending unexpectedly dropped in January, following a sharp increase in December as households stocked up on goods ahead of the Trump administration's telegraphed tariffs. A recent drop in consumer confidence may also point to slowing growth ahead given the U.S. economy's reliance on household consumption.

Fed policymakers themselves say they are focused on the data to be released over the next couple of months and on assessing the actual economic fallout of Trump's policies, including a 25% levy on imports from Mexico and Canada set to start next week, along with an increase to tariffs on China. It's unclear, they say, how much of those higher rates will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices, and on how they will impact economic growth more broadly.

None have signaled any inclination to cut the policy rate, currently in the 4.25%-4.50% range, when they meet next month, and at least a few -- including Fed Governor Adriana Kugler and Cleveland Fed chief Beth Hammack -- say rates could stay where they are for some time unless there is an unexpected increase in the unemployment rate, which last month dropped to 4%. 

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to give his own updated view on the economic and policy outlook next Friday, when the government will also release its monthly employment report for February.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/inflation-growth-may-be-in-conflict-but-fed-seen-restarting-cuts-in-june/ar-AA1A04l6