Podcast Summary: Here's the Scoop (NBC News)

Episode: The Quiet Breakup of the Education Department; Inside Iran’s Water Emergency
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Yasmin Vossoughian explores two major stories:

1. The Trump administration’s covert efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education by parceling out its functions to other government agencies—a move described as a significant step toward the administration's long-standing goal of eliminating the federalized education department.
2. Iran’s escalating water crisis, including on-the-ground insight from Tehran about the impact of war and political instability on water infrastructure and the daily lives of residents.

Additional news briefs include major updates on the James Comey indictment mishap, the Larry Summers-Jeffrey Epstein email controversy, Russian strikes in Ukraine, new research on smoking risks, and soaring Thanksgiving turkey prices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Quiet Breakup of the U.S. Department of Education

Guest: Erica Meltzer, National Editor at Chalkbeat
Time: 00:48–08:31

Key Details of the Administrative Changes

• Six Interagency Agreements Announced
  • K-12 education (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education) and higher education (Office of Postsecondary Education) functions are being moved under the Department of Labor.
  • Educational services for Native Americans move to the Department of the Interior.
  • Childcare for college student-parents and foreign medical school accreditation move to Health and Human Services.
  • International education responsibilities move to the Department of State.
  • Further moves, such as special education to HHS, are anticipated.

"If you were to go back into last year, any education reporter you talk to would tell you the Education Department was created by Congress, only Congress can get rid of it. But the administration is saying we're allowed to contract with other departments for services, and that's what we're doing here. So this is totally legal and we think this will be better for students and families."
— Erica Meltzer (01:53)

Motivations & Legal Approach

• Administration is employing interagency agreements to sidestep Congress, which does not have the votes or political will to dissolve the Department of Education outright.
• Legal ambiguity is expected to prompt lawsuits, but for now, the moves do not require congressional approval.

"But this is not something that needs congressional approval. And they are sidestepping Congress, where they probably do not have the votes to get rid of the Department of Education."
— Erica Meltzer (03:36)

Concerns About Deprioritizing Education

• The creation of the Department of Education under Carter was aimed at prioritizing education at the federal level.
• By decentralizing and "farming out" responsibilities, many experts and educators fear education will be deprioritized and lose oversight and expertise.
• Conservative critics of the department accuse it of liberal bias and believe decentralization will curb that influence.

"Having a standalone department, you have a cabinet level position that's prioritizing education... They're very worried that as these things get split up that you'll lose a lot of expertise, that people won't be able to answer these questions, that things will be disrupted."
— Erica Meltzer (04:22)

Impact on Public School Funding

• The changes themselves do not directly cut funding, but accompany budget proposals with significant grant and funding cuts.
• A "return to the states" rationale is paired with recommendations for reduced federal funding.

"The administration has been slashing grants all over the place. That's largely been upheld by the courts... When they talk about returning education to the states, they have proposals for significantly less funding."
— Erica Meltzer (06:45)

Will Parents and Students Feel the Impact?

• Immediate, day-to-day effects may be minimal and highly dependent on local circumstances.
• Effects may be felt more in loss of expertise, fewer grants/programs, and resources that are quietly eliminated.

"The day to day experience of your child going to school will probably not change that much. But that doesn't mean things aren't changing in terms of the resources that are available at the system level."
— Erica Meltzer (07:39)

2. Iran’s Water Emergency

Guest: Amin Khodadodi, NBC News Producer in Tehran
Time: 10:03–14:31

Current Situation on the Ground

• Prolonged lack of rain and damaged infrastructure from recent conflict (Iran-Israel 12 Day War) have led to severe shortages in Tehran.
• City water pressure is being reduced; residents are encouraged to buy storage tanks and pumps—though inflation and economic hardship make this unattainable for many.
• The crisis is described as urgent and unprecedented for a city of 10 million.

"The taps, they're reducing the pressure and they're asking people to buy storage tanks... With this inflation, all of these devices are definitely more expensive to buy right now compared to a year ago. And these people are having issues... When a city doesn't have water, it's uninhabitable."
— Amin Khodadodi (10:40)

Historical Context & Structural Issues

• Iran’s geography should provide enough water, historically supported by mountain runoff and water canals.
• Political issues—especially faltering relations with Afghanistan and Turkey—have weakened Iran’s access to shared regional water resources.
• War and sanctions have led to underinvestment in infrastructure.

"The big issue is when you're not politically strong... You're not receiving [water shares] currently. Right now, you lost your bargain when you're not politically strong. And these have led to this crisis right now."
— Amin Khodadodi (12:02)

Government Solutions: Cloud Seeding

• The government is promoting cloud seeding as a potential fix, but residents remain skeptical, citing a lack of visible results.
• Lake Urmia, once the Middle East’s largest lake, has practically dried out despite reported interventions.

"What the people are saying is like, any solution would help, but we have to see the results, not only talk."
— Amin Khodadodi (13:25)

The Mood Among Iranians

• A collective sense of shock and anxiety pervades the population—concern about daily water running out is unprecedented.
• Officials estimate only 100 days of water remain in many dams.

"There are people still in a shock to have on your mind that you're not going to have water maybe in two months from now... But now it's here."
— Amin Khodadodi (14:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the legal maneuvering to dissolve the Department of Education:
  "This is a somewhat obscure area of law that they're tapping to do this. And so we'll see what the legal arguments are when we go into court."
  — Erica Meltzer (03:36)

• On how education decentralization could impact schools:
  "It doesn't make sense to have one function under the Department of Labor and another function under the Department of Health and Human Services."
  — Erica Meltzer (04:22)

• On water as an existential need:
  "When there's wars, when there's sanctions, you can live. But when a city doesn't have water, it's uninhabitable."
  — Amin Khodadodi (10:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:48–08:31: Discussion on the Trump administration's silent breakup of the Education Department (Erica Meltzer interview)
• 10:03–14:31: On-the-ground reporting from Tehran about Iran’s worsening water crisis (Amin Khodadodi interview)

Additional Headlines (14:34–18:14)

• 14:34: Larry Summers steps down from OpenAI board after Epstein emails emerge.
• 15:14: DOJ error in James Comey grand jury proceedings could threaten the case.
• 15:51: Russian airstrikes kill 25 in Ukraine; NATO airspace briefly violated.
• 16:59: New research: Even minimal cigarette exposure increases heart risk.
• 17:29: Thanksgiving turkey and meat prices soar due to avian flu and supply issues.

Summary

This episode of "Here’s the Scoop" delivers an incisive look at two underreported but consequential stories. The Trump administration’s unprecedented reorganization of the Department of Education reveals not only creative legal maneuvering but also sharp ideological divides over the federal role in schooling, with potentially far-reaching consequences for U.S. students and educators. Meanwhile, reporting from Tehran exposes the human side of Iran's deepening water crisis—a stark reminder of how governance, environment, and geopolitics converge to shape basic survival. These in-depth segments are complemented by brisk headlines rounding up the day's other major developments.

For listeners seeking quick, clear, and insightful rundowns on news that shapes the world, this episode serves as a prime example of the podcast’s intelligent, facts-driven reporting.