Trump administration briefing: Democrats denounce education department ‘shutdown’

Education secretary ordered to take all necessary steps' to dismantle department; US rejects Mexico's request for water - key US politics stories from Thursday at a glance

Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that instructs the US education secretary, Linda McMahon, to start dismantling the education department, seemingly attempting to circumvent the need to obtain congressional approval to formally close a federal department.

The administration may eventually pursue an effort to get Congress to shut down the agency, Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House on Thursday, because its budget had more than doubled in size in recent years but national test scores had not improved.