Trump is dismantling democracy, reports find. And, Treasury to take over student loans

## Summary
LISTEN & FOLLOW NPR App Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio YouTube Music RSS link Trump is dismantling democracy, reports find. And, Treasury to take over student loans March 20, 2026 7:29 AM ET By Brittney Melton Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes, Trump Meets Japan PM, Kharg Island Future Listen · 13:01 13:01 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-114547/nx-s1-mx-5754051-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Good morning. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption toggle caption Vahid Salemi/AP 🎧 NPR's Carrie Kahn is in Tel Aviv, where she tells Up First that the mood is tense , even though many in the Middle East are observing the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. George Brich/AP hide caption toggle caption George Brich/AP My phone kept going off on Wednesday afternoon with texts from different friends — each wanting to trade thoughts on what felt like the second death of Cesar Chavez.

## Article Content
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Trump is dismantling democracy, reports find. And, Treasury to take over student loans
March 20, 2026
7:29 AM ET
By
Brittney Melton
Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes, Trump Meets Japan PM, Kharg Island Future
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Today's top stories
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel acted alone
when it struck an Iranian gas compound earlier this week. President Trump said he wasn't informed in advance of that attack. But a person briefed on the matter tells NPR that the U.S. and Israel are coordinated on all targets. Netanyahu said Trump has asked Israel to
hold off on future attacks
. As the war nears the end of its third week, the Pentagon is requesting Congress' approval for an
additional $200 billion
to assist U.S. defenses.
Two women and a child holding an Iranian flag walk toward the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque to attend Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, on Friday.
Vahid Salemi/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Vahid Salemi/AP
🎧
NPR's Carrie Kahn is in Tel Aviv, where she tells
Up First
that the mood is tense
, even though many in the Middle East are observing the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Tension within Israel has risen
after police deployed tear gas against Muslim worshippers heading to the Old City in Jerusalem. Authorities closed the Al-Aqsa mosque at the beginning of the war, citing safety concerns due to incoming missiles and lack of shelter. Mustafa Abu Sway, a member of the mosque's managing authority, argues these claims are a guise for increased Israeli control over this sacred site.
🎧
Trump yesterday met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
, who joined five other U.S. allies in
supporting a coalition
to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Takaichi did not offer any military support to aid Trump's goals. The near-total halt of traffic through the strait has had a catastrophic effect on the global energy market. Here's why it's so
hard for world leaders to bring down
oil and gas prices.
➡️
Foreign policy often ranks near the bottom of U.S. voters' concerns.
But military action that goes badly has often imperiled presidents and brought
irreversible political consequences
. The longer the Iran war goes on, the worse it could be for Trump, based on past presidents' history.
Three major reports this month reveal that Trump has rapidly harmed American democracy
since returning to the White House. Bright Line Watch, which surveys over 500 U.S. scholars, concluded that the U.S. now falls nearly halfway between liberal democracy and dictatorship. The organization's co-directors
spoke to NPR exclusively
ahead of the survey's publication next week. An annual V-Dem report dropped the U.S.'s democracy ranking from 20 to 51 among 179 countries. A Freedom House report released yesterday said that among free countries, the U.S. recorded some of the largest declines in political rights and civil liberties last year.
Mediators have presented Hamas with a formal proposal to surrender their weapons
, a senior U.S. official told NPR. The plan calls for Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza to relinquish their weapons, placing the responsibility of all arms in the hands of a new governing authority. A Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the written document
a "take it or leave it" offer
and said that the group will wait to see the outcome of the war in Iran before making a decision.
The Trump administration announced a three-phase transition yesterday
to shift significant management of the nation's federal student loan portfolio from the Education Department to the Treasury Department. The interagency agreement obtained by NPR shows that in the first phase, the Treasury will resume
control of collecting on defaulted student loans
. The announcement marks the latest move in Trump's effort to close the Education Department.
Behind the story
by
Adriana Gallardo
,
Morning Edition
editor
Cesar Chavez, a farm worker, labor organizer and leader of the California grape strike, is seen in a California works office in 1965.
George Brich/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
George Brich/AP
My phone kept going off on Wednesday afternoon with texts from different friends — each wanting to trade thoughts on what felt like the second death of Cesar Chavez.
His first death happened on April 23, 1993. He was 66 and died of natural causes. Over 50,000 people attended his funeral in Delano, Calif.
At that time, I was in elementary school in su

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- The Trump administration announced a three-phase transition yesterday to shift significant management of the nation's federal student loan portfolio from the Education Department to the Treasury Department.

### Areas for Consideration
- I've learned that justice for many means the world recognizing the harm done to them — and the difficult work they have done to no longer live defined by it.
- His daughter, also a teacher, is the subject of campus gossip because her husband just left her for a student. 📚 Books: Roger Bennett's We Are the World (Cup) is a love letter to the game that explores how past World Cups met cultural and geopolitical moments. 🎵 Music: R&B singer Jill Scott's first full-length album in over a decade, To Whom This May Concern , embraces various iterations of herself, including her current role as family caregiver and her eighth-grade self. 🎭 Theater: The Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year with an international tour.

### Implications
- And, Treasury to take over student loans March 20, 2026 7:29 AM ET By Brittney Melton Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes, Trump Meets Japan PM, Kharg Island Future Listen · 13:01 13:01 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-114547/nx-s1-mx-5754051-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Good morning.
- Netanyahu said Trump has asked Israel to hold off on future attacks .
- Here's why it's so hard for world leaders to bring down oil and gas prices. ➡️ Foreign policy often ranks near the bottom of U.S. voters' concerns.
- The longer the Iran war goes on, the worse it could be for Trump, based on past presidents' history.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers trump, npr, week topics. Notable strengths include discussion of trump. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1501.