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Now Reading: Hegseth’s chief of employees is ousted, the newest sacking on the Pentagon

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Hegseth’s chief of employees is ousted, the newest sacking on the Pentagon

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Hegseth’s chief of employees is ousted, the newest sacking on the Pentagon

Hegseth’s chief of employees is ousted, the newest sacking on the Pentagon

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On Friday’s episode of The Excerpt podcast: There’s been one other shake-up on the Pentagon. President Donald Trump approaches 100 days in workplace. Listed here are 100 issues which have modified. USA TODAY Training Reporter Zachary Schermele takes a take a look at a busy week for the Trump administration on schooling. A choose partly blocks a Trump order searching for to overtake U.S. elections. USA TODAY Nationwide Correspondent Elizabeth Weise tells us aboutcarnivorous ‘bone collector’ caterpillars.

Tell us what you consider this episode by sending an electronic mail to podcasts@usatoday.com.

Hit play on the participant under to listen to the podcast and observe together with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was mechanically generated, after which edited for readability in its present kind. There could also be some variations between the audio and the textual content.

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Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I am Taylor Wilson, and at the moment is Friday, April twenty fifth, 2025. That is The Excerpt. Right now, extra shakeups on the Pentagon, plus we take a better take a look at a few of Trump’s schooling strikes this week, and let’s discuss “Bone Collector” caterpillars.

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Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chief of employees is out. Joe Kasper is the fourth prime official to be fired or reassigned within the final week amid political turmoil on the Pentagon. He’ll proceed to work on particular initiatives on the Pentagon, based on a protection official who was not approved to talk publicly. The unrest on the top of the army’s management is extremely uncommon. Hegseth has been the main focus of a Pentagon inspector common’s evaluation of his dealing with of delicate army data on the industrial app sign. Final month, Kasper was amongst senior Pentagon officers who vowed to crack down on leaks. He issued a memo, warning that these suspected of exposing delicate data might be topic to lie detector exams.

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President Donald Trump subsequent week will attain 100 days in workplace. Not since Franklin Roosevelt has a brand new president pushed so many shifts so quick. It takes most presidents months and even years to make a distinction within the every day lives of People, to not point out those that reside world wide. However this time, Trump’s unprecedented use of government powers has already slashed the federal workforce, banned variety packages, dismantled USAID, divided opposition Democrats over learn how to reply, and prompted long-standing U.S. allies to calculate learn how to navigate a brand new international actuality. For extra on 100 issues which have modified up to now, we now have a hyperlink in at the moment’s present notes.

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It has been a busy week in terms of the Trump administration and strikes round schooling. I spoke with schooling reporter, Zach Schermele, for the newest. Thanks. Wrap it on, Zach.

Zach Schermele:

Hey, Taylor. Thanks for having me.

Taylor Wilson:

Zach, only a busy, busy week for schooling information. Let’s begin with this information from yesterday. What did a choose resolve right here about Trump’s capacity to withhold faculty funds over DEI?

Zach Schermele:

A federal choose in New Hampshire restricted the flexibility of President Donald Trump’s administration to chop off funding to public faculties that have interaction in these, as you say, variety, fairness, and inclusion efforts and packages. The choose issued a preliminary injunction which prevents the schooling division from imposing its anti-DEI insurance policies in opposition to members of a few teams, however a kind of teams is the Nationwide Training Affiliation, which helped carry that lawsuit.

This comes after in mid-February, the Trump administration instructed tens of 1000’s of K12 faculties and faculties that that they had simply two weeks to adjust to a reasonably sweeping order to root out DEI on their campuses. And earlier this month, the division gave state schooling commissioners throughout the nation simply 10 days to certify that they are following civil rights legal guidelines. Take note, Title 1 funding, which fits to help public faculties which have a disproportionate quantity of scholars on free and diminished lunch is a large supply of funding for faculties all throughout the nation. So if that have been to go away, it might be an enormous deal. And a whole lot of these courtroom orders now are simply placing a pause on the administration’s efforts whereas the authorized arguments play out.

Taylor Wilson:

It is an excellent explainer. As I say, numerous information coming this week. What else led up so far right here, Zach?

Zach Schermele:

Trump signed seven orders that might impression American faculties from the Oval Workplace this week. One affected the principles governing school accreditors. This can be a little wonky, and I will not get an excessive amount of into the weeds about it. School accreditors are impartial organizations that schools have to undergo in the event that they wish to distribute issues like Pell Grants and scholar loans. However the schooling division and the Trump administration now desires to see some fairly sweeping modifications. They’re wanting accreditors to cease recognizing faculties that disaggregate scholar information by race and gender. So, it is very a lot a bit of this broader battle on DEI coming from the Trump administration. And that order would additionally make it simpler for faculties to vary accreditors and for brand new accreditors to kind.

A few of the different government orders would reinforce some legal guidelines round universities and what they must disclose about overseas items and contracts with different international locations and organizations. There was one other government order Trump signed that may overhaul disciplinary measures in faculties as effectively.

Taylor Wilson:

And in the meantime, Trump this week did reaffirm his dedication to supporting the nation’s traditionally Black faculties and universities, also referred to as HBCUs. What are you able to inform us right here, Zach, and the way is that this touchdown with of us?

Zach Schermele:

It is actually fascinating that the administration, regardless of its focusing on of variety packages in greater schooling extra broadly, has actually been supportive of traditionally Black faculties and universities, at the least rhetorically, and with this government order as effectively. Trump, throughout his first time period, introduced in an initiative to the White Home to supervise traditionally Black faculties and universities. Then when Biden took over, he continued on that initiative and housed it within the schooling division. Trump is actually simply persevering with this long-standing federal help for HBCUs with issuing this order.

So, it actually reinforces the Trump administration’s prioritization of HBCUs over different forms of faculties.

Taylor Wilson:

All proper. Zach, we additionally heard extra about AI programs and certifications for top schoolers, Trump creating an order round these as effectively. What is going to this now functionally imply?

Zach Schermele:

The directive instructs a pair cupboard members, notably the schooling secretary and the secretary of the labor division to work with states to advertise synthetic intelligence in K12 faculties. And it actually underscores an space of bipartisan concern right here in Washington, which is learn how to finest incorporate AI into instructing. Each Democrats and Republicans have expressed a whole lot of fears and considerations over American college students falling behind different nations as know-how turns into extra superior and built-in into the workforce with ensuring that they keep updated on the newest AI developments. However they disagree lots over the function that federal laws ought to play.

Taylor Wilson:

All proper. Zach Schermele covers schooling for USA TODAY. Of us can stick along with his protection, as at all times, for extra on a few of these tales.

Zach, I recognize your perception, as at all times.

Zach Schermele:

Thanks, Taylor.

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Taylor Wilson:

A federal choose yesterday blocked components of President Trump’s government order searching for to impose new guidelines on US elections. Democrats and different teams mentioned the transfer dangers denying eligible residents the proper to vote. A choose dominated the Trump administration can’t implement components of the order requiring federal election officers to evaluate whether or not people who find themselves registering to vote are citizen. The choose although declined to dam components of the order that sought to drive states to not rely mail-in ballots obtained after election day. Trump and a few Republicans have made baseless claims about widespread voting by non-citizens, which is illegitimate and infrequently occurs.

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Have you ever heard of “Bone Collector” caterpillars? I spoke with USA TODAY nationwide correspondent, Elizabeth Weise, in regards to the weird carnivorous bugs.

Hey there, Beth.

Elizabeth Weise:

Hey. Right here on the icky bug beat.

Taylor Wilson:

I really like this story. Let’s simply begin with a few the fundamentals, Beth, right here on the prime. What are these caterpillars and, I suppose, the place and the way have been they discovered?

Elizabeth Weise:

They solely exist in Hawaii, and so they really solely exist on this one tiny house in a mountain valley in western O’ahu. It is about 5 miles sq.. A bunch of entomologists with the College of Hawaii began operating throughout them about 20 years in the past and did not really notice what they have been seeing at first. They only thought that they have been caterpillars that had gotten clogged up in some spider’s net. After which the following yr they’d see a number of, after which the following yr. After which lastly, they have been like, ” Huh, wait a minute. What is going on on right here?”, after which they began to check them.

They’re simply publishing their existence now. It is so new, they really haven’t got a Latin identify but, so they’re simply calling them “Bone Collector” caterpillars.

Taylor Wilson:

Let’s discuss a few of their distinctive conduct, and inform us about this carnivorous facet, I suppose. That actually stood out to me, Beth.

Elizabeth Weise:

We get press releases from upcoming scientific journals, and while you see “carnivorous bone gathering caterpillar found”, you are like, okay, I bought to jot down about that. Carnivorous caterpillars are actually uncommon. Most caterpillars munch on leaves and issues like that, however a tiny proportion of them eat different bugs. These guys found out over time that they may reside in a spider’s nest with a spider, a reside spider. It had two issues going for it.

It was actually secure, as a result of if anything got here alongside which may attempt to eat them, the spider would get it first. And in addition, there’s bits of meals laying round, as a result of the spiders lure bugs, they wrap them up in silk and possibly they arrive again and eat them later. These caterpillars would go and eat both bug leftovers, the researcher referred to as it “dried bug jerky” that is caught within the internet, or they will simply go to the nonetheless dwelling insect that is been captured within the net and eat a part of it when the spider is not round.

Taylor Wilson:

I really like that. “Bug jerky”, that is incredible. I suppose, and also you touched on this, Beth, a little bit bit, however, is not it harmful for a caterpillar to hang around in a spider’s net like this?

Elizabeth Weise:

Oh yeah, as a result of the spider will eat you if it realizes you might be there. They belong to a really odd group of caterpillars referred to as Fancy Case caterpillars, that are caterpillars that weave a silk shroud round themselves, and so they weave it such that they camouflage themselves as one thing else. These guys found out that I wish to reside in a spider net, there is a spider, it can eat me, if it realizes it is there, how can I camouflage myself?

Once they spin this net, then… And that is the place it will get gross… they principally wander across the net, discovering bits and items of the lifeless bugs that the spider has eaten. They decide them up and so they really flip them round of their pincers and ponder them some time, and typically even chew them to make them the proper measurement. After which they stick them to the case, in order that over time they seem like they’re only a bunch of bug components caught collectively, however inside that’s this little caterpillar.

You possibly can’t actually go and interview the spider and say, “What do you consider this?”. However what the researchers suppose is going on is that if these caterpillars mistakenly set off the online, they contact one thing and the spider thinks, ooh, there’s one thing there, and it runs over, they’ll scent like, and they’ll style, if the spider tries to take a chew out of them, they will simply style like trash that is left within the net, and the spider will go away them alone.

They’ve by no means in 20 years discovered considered one of these caterpillars that was trapped in an internet, in order that they suppose it really works fairly effectively.

Taylor Wilson:

These seem to solely exist in a tiny stretch of 1 Hawaiian island, at the least so far as we all know. Are there extinction worries, Beth? And what’s being finished round conservation efforts?

Elizabeth Weise:

The researchers are literally fairly involved about these as a result of there should not a lot of them in any respect, and so they’re on this one tiny, little place. It is fascinating, as a result of I mentioned, “They’re in a conserved forest. Why are you continue to frightened?”. It seems Hawaii is the extinction capital of America. And though we have preserved a whole lot of Hawaii… I imply, when you’ve ever been there, they have parks in all places… the issue is invasive species.

However the benefit of these caterpillars is that they advanced clearly to reside with Hawaiian spiders, and the Hawaiian spiders are getting killed off by invasive spiders, however in addition they appear to have found out that they’ll reside within the nests of those non-native spiders which have taken up residence in Hawaii as effectively. However nonetheless, we undoubtedly… I mentioned, “Aren’t you frightened when you inform folks the place they’re?”. He is like, “Individuals gather a whole lot of unusual issues. They do not actually gather caterpillars.”.

Taylor Wilson:

All proper. This was one other simply superior story from you, Beth. Elizabeth Weise is a nationwide correspondent with USA TODAY. Thanks a lot.

Elizabeth Weise:

Thanks.

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Taylor Wilson:

Thanks for listening to The Excerpt. We’re produced by Shannon Rae Inexperienced and Kaely Monahan, and our government producer is Laura Beatty. You may get the podcast wherever you get your pods, and when you’re on a wise speaker, simply ask for The Excerpt.

I am Taylor Wilson. I will be again tomorrow with extra of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.