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Items tagged with: softpower
The #Trump admin intends to terminate the #UnitedStates’ financial support for #Gavi, the org that has helped purchase critical #vaccines for #children in developing countries, saving millions of lives over the past quarter century, & to significantly scale back support for efforts to combat #malaria, one of the biggest killers globally.
🤬 #US to End #Vaccine Funding for Poor Countries
A 281-page spreadsheet obtained by NYT lists the #Trump admin’s plans for thousands of #ForeignAid programs.
#USpol #geopolitics #GAVI #USAID #SoftPower #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
nytimes.com/2025/03/26/health/…
U.S. to End Vaccine Funds for Poor Countries
A 281-page spreadsheet obtained by The Times lists the Trump administration’s plans for thousands of foreign aid programs.Stephanie Nolen (The New York Times)
The Department of Government Efficiency is shuttering organizations that Beijing worried about most, or actively sought to subvert. And, as with much that #Musk’s DOGE has dismembered, there has been no published study of the costs and benefits of losing those capabilities — and no discussion of how the roles, arguably as important as a fighter jet, might be replaced.
nytimes.com/2025/03/22/us/poli…
archive.ph/YQ2wU #US #SoftPower
Our @nikolamikovic.bsky.social takes a look at how the EU is boosting efforts to counter China's dominance in Central Asia timesca.com/in-central-a... #EU #China #Russia #EUStrategy #CentralAsia #SoftPower #StrategicInvestments #EUForeignPolicy
Opinion: In Central Asia, the ...
Opinion: In Central Asia, the EU Defies Its “Geopolitical Dwarf” Label - The Times Of Central Asia
As the United States and Russia reportedly aim to create a new global security architecture, other major actors in the international arena are working toNikola Mikovic (The Times Of Central Asia)
The #Trump admin plans to overhaul the structure of how the US distributes billions of dollars of #ForeignAid, acc/to an internal memo that calls for funding fewer areas that it views as better aligned w/[Trump’s]…geopolitical interests.
The proposal,…comes during a push by Trump & #billionaire #Musk to *shrink* [destroy] the federal govt, which they say misuses taxpayer money for causes that do not advance *US* [their] interests.
#USpol ##geopolitics #USAID #SoftPower
reuters.com/world/us/trump-off…
Those officials are Jeremy Lewin, who has been working for the cost-cutting task force led by the billionaire #ElonMusk, & Kenneth Jackson, a #State Dept official who was named the acting president of the U.S. Institute of #Peace #USIP this week [another independent agency under assault by #Trump, #Musk & #DOGE & subsequently embroiled in federal lawsuits].
#PeteMarocco, the #State Dept ofcl who oversaw the #Trump admin’s efforts to dismantle the main govt agency distributing foreign #aid, announced in an email on Tues night that he would be replaced at the agency by 2 officials who had been involved in making the cuts.
Marocco said in the email that he would remain at State as director of #ForeignAid, but that 2 other officials would handle what remains of the #USAID.
#law #USpol #Trump #Musk #DOGE #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #TrumpPurge
2 Officials Who Helped Dismantle #US #Aid Agency Are Named as Its New Leaders
Secretary of #State #MarcoRubio said he had canceled 83% of #USAID’s programs. A federal judge found that efforts to shutter the agency were likely #unconstitutional.
#law #USpol #Trump #Musk #DOGE #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #TrumpPurge
nytimes.com/2025/03/19/us/poli…
USAID’s New Leadership Includes DOGE Official Who Helped Dismantle Agency
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had canceled 83 percent of U.S.A.I.D.’s programs. A federal judge found that efforts to shutter the agency were likely unconstitutional.Karoun Demirjian (The New York Times)
I'm starting to run a list in my head of soft power institutions that are having funding cut (in one way or another) at the very same time the Govt. has empanelled a group to look at how the UK's soft power might be repaired.
This week is the likely cuts to the BBC world service, which as we all know retains a reputation (now sadly partly diminished) for reliability & objectivity; which (well who'd have thought) fed into the UK's soft power.
More idiocy on soft power!
A 'delicate situation' for King Charles: Royal soft power and diplomacy in the face of world turmoil
#GlobalTurmoil #SubtleSignals #SoftPower #KingCharles #UnitedKingdom
If the #Trump #US #government continues to promote #propaganda for #Putin and #Russia, telling outright lies and lampooning #Ukraine, the divide between #America and #Europe will widen substantially.
We cannot accept this kind of insulting power play. Jake Broe should be wary tho. The #EU and #China might become fast friends as a result. Trump is also destroying US #softpower, throwing away billions of dollars.
Trump Has Sided with Russia - Europe Must Wake Up
youtube.com/watch?v=vb6mhr7mZW…
The #Ebola outbreak in #Uganda has worsened significantly, & the country’s ability to contain the spread has been severely weakened by #Trump’s freeze on #ForeignAid, American ofcls said this week.
The ofcls, representing a variety of #health & #security agencies, made the assessment during a meeting w/ #US Embassy staff in #Kampala, the Ugandan capital, on Wed. An audio recording of the session was obtained by The NYT.
#USAID #SoftPower #geopolitics
nytimes.com/2025/03/06/health/…
As Ebola Spreads in Uganda, Trump Aid Freeze Hinders Effort to Contain It, U.S. Officials Fear
Two more people are reported dead from the disease, and dozens are in isolation, as the outbreak grows.Abdi Latif Dahir (The New York Times)
In other words, Justices Samuel #Alito, #ClarenceThomas, #NeilGorsuch & #BrettKavanaugh don’t believe in the power of the #judiciary, their own power, or the #SeparationOfPowers.
They believe that the president is in fact above the #law — as long as that president is #Trump.
Here is the order, Alito’s self sabotaging dissent starts on page 2.
supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pd…
#DeadBeatPresident #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #USAID #aid #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #geopolitics #USpol
#SCOTUS on Wednesday backed a federal judge's #power to order the #Trump admin to pay $2B to #USAID contractors but did not require immediate payment.
In doing so, the court on a 5-4 vote rejected an emergency application filed by the #DOJ after #US District Judge Amir Ali issued a series of rulings demanding the government unfreeze funds that Trump put on hold with an #ExecutiveOrder.
#law #DeadBeatPresident #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #aid #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #geopolitics #USpol
#SCOTUS rejects #Trump admin’s bid to avoid paying #USAID contractors
The admin’s efforts to effectively dismantle the #ForeignAid agency led contractors to file suit claiming they're owed money.
#law #DeadBeatPresident #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #aid #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #geopolitics #USpol
nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-c…
Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's bid to avoid paying USAID contractors
The Supreme Court ensured the Trump administration must pay up to $2 billion to U.S. Agency for International Development contractors even as it works to dismantle the agency at a breakneck pace.Lawrence Hurley (NBC News)
Taiwan comics on the rise: Local storytellers, global aspirations
A supportive ecosystem and eager audiences — both domestic and global — are boosting the soft power of illustrated narratives from Taiwan.Mike Fu (The Japan Times)
It's not just nature that abhors a vacuum — China eyes global opportunities as US withdraws.
The toll to US credibility, foreign policy, national security & influence is real but incalculable. The toll to humanitarian efforts around the world, whether to advance democratic principles or improve public health, is also real — and very tangible on the ground. This come back to bite us.
csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacif… v @csmonitor
#SoftPower #China #ForeignAid #geopolitics #democracy #PublicHealth
China eyes opportunities as US scales back humanitarian aid
The freeze on U.S. foreign aid has hurt Chinese rights defenders, but encouraged China to fill the void left by USAID’s evisceration, preparing to replace Washington in the soft power landscape.Ann Scott Tyson (The Christian Science Monitor)
#USAID supported #humanitarian & development projects in >120 countries & worked to prevent the spread of #disease & eliminate #poverty.
The #State Department said the eliminations followed a review of foreign assistance designed "to ensure taxpayer dollars were used to make America stronger, safer, & more prosperous."
#law #aid #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #geopolitics #ForeignAid #ForeignPolicy #diplomacy #SoftPower #USpol #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #Trump
#Aid groups & advocates have been raising alarms that cuts to #USAID's programs would lead to loss of life, particularly in #humanitarian crisis zones such as #Sudan, where >1k food aid kitchens supported by USAID have closed amid widespread #starvation.
In the filing, Marocco wrote that 500 of USAID's grants were retained, but did not go into detail about which programs will be allowed to continue.
#law #GlobalHealth #health #geopolitics #ForeignAid #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #USpol #Trump
Elisha Dunn-Georgiou, president & CEO of the #GlobalHealth Council, said the situation is "horrible." She said that even some of the programs that had received waivers for being "life saving humanitarian assistance”–including ones that provided #HIV medications–have now received termination notices.
"This is a global health #massacre," said one #humanitarian ofcl, who isn't authorized to speak on behalf of their org.
#law #USAID #aid #ForeignAid #Health #geopolitics #SoftPower #USpol #Trump
Contractors were notified of the termination in a memo sent from #USAID's office of Acquisition & Assistance, according to one such letter obtained by NPR. The memo stated that Secy #MarcoRubio & #PeteMarocco "have determined your award is not aligned with Agency priorities & made a determination that continuing this program is not in the national interest."
#law #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #geopolitics #ForeignPolicy #diplomacy #SoftPower #USpol #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #Trump
In his statement to the lower court, #PeteMarocco, who is performing the duties of the dpty administrator of #USAID, said each of USAID's grants had been reviewed & Secy of #State #MarcoRubio decided to eliminate about 92% worth of the agency's grants. The State dept also cut around 4,100 grants. The [#Trump admin is claiming]…a total savings of nearly $60B dollars.
#law #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #geopolitics #ForeignPolicy #diplomacy #SoftPower #USpol #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
The announcement came just hours before [what was]… a court deadline for the #Trump admin to restart payments on those grants. The govt still owes >$1B for work done BEFORE Trump's foreign #aid freeze. But late Wed the admin asked #SCOTUS to vacate the lower court order to start funding those programs again, saying that it could not make the payments on the deadline set by the judge.
#law #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #geopolitics #ForeignPolicy #diplomacy #SoftPower #USpol #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
#Trump admin kills nearly all #USAID programs
The Trump admin is terminating thousands of USAID foreign assistance grants & awards, per the #State Dept. The move effectively guts the six-decade-old agency.
#law #aid #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #geopolitics #ForeignPolicy #diplomacy #SoftPower #USpol #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
npr.org/sections/goats-and-sod…
#China could reap #softpower advantage, but like Western governments, country is cutting back on aid. Philanthropies cannot replace United States.
In #2024, US contributed about $12 billion to global #health, money that has funded treatment of HIV and prevention of new infections; children’s #vaccines against #polio, #measles and pneumonia; clean water for refugees; and tests and medications for malaria.
nytimes.com/2025/02/22/health/…
archive.ph/kOIRy
As the U.S. Exits Foreign Aid, Who Will Fill the Gap?
China could reap the soft-power advantage, but like Western governments, the country is cutting back on aid. Philanthropies say they cannot replace the United States.Stephanie Nolen (The New York Times)
"adding to doubt" is an odd phrase to use. There appears to be no doubt whatsoever he does not support humanitarian aid.
#Trump #USAID #Aid #State #MarcoRubio #humanitarian #USpol #geopolitics #SoftPower #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
#Trump appointees have fired or put on paid leave thousands of employees of #USAID A task force of young engineers working for #ElonMusk [#DOGE] has shut down many technical systems in the #aid agency & barred employees from their email accounts. #Musk has posted dark #ConspiracyTheories about USAID on social media, asserting with no evidence that it is a “criminal organization” & that it was “time for it to die.”
#USpol #geopolitics #SoftPower #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
In addition, 36 people were fired from the Office of Transition Initiatives, a unit in the agency’s conflict prevention bureau that specializes in helping partner countries with political transitions & #democratic initiatives, said US officials & recent agency employees.
#USAID #MassFirings #Trump #Musk #USpol #geopolitics #SoftPower #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
~400 people were fired in recent days from #humanitarian assistance positions…. ~200 of those were contractors for the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, …& another 200 were part of a unit called the Support Relief Group, a collection of #crisis experts who helped the bureau in responding quickly to #NaturalDisasters & armed conflicts. Now only about a dozen people remain in that group.
#USAID #MassFirings #Trump #Musk #USpol #geopolitics #SoftPower #ForeignPolicy #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
#Trump Appointees Fire Hundreds at #USAID Working on Urgent #Aid
The firings added to doubts about whether Secretary of #State #MarcoRubio, the agency’s acting head, supports lifesaving #humanitarian assistance, as he has said he does.
#USpol #geopolitics #SoftPower #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #TheCrueltyIsThePoint
nytimes.com/2025/02/22/us/poli…
Trump Appointees Fire Hundreds at U.S.A.I.D. Working on Urgent Aid
The firings added to doubts about whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the agency’s acting head, supports lifesaving humanitarian assistance, as he has said he does.Edward Wong (The New York Times)
US District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary block, permitting the #Trump admin to significantly downsize #USAID staff. The decision includes ordering those stationed abroad to return to the US within 30 days at govt expense, leaving only a small fraction of staff in place.
#law #ElonMusk #DOGE #ForeignPolicy #SoftPower #aid
newsweek.com/judge-allows-trum…
Judge Allows Trump Admin to Remove Thousands of USAID Staff
US District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary block, permitting the administration to significantly downsize USAID staff.Gabe Whisnant (Newsweek)
A federal judge declined to extend a temporary restraining order pausing the imminent administrative leave of 2,200 #USAID employees, dissolving the restraining order & denying a request to let the case advance. The judge noted that threats to imminently disband the agency appeared to have fizzled out. “At present, the agency is still standing,” he wrote.
By Mitchell Gallagher, Wayne State University
China flexes its media muscle in Africa – encouraging positive headlines as part of a soft power agenda
Beijing has long used infrastructure development as a means of building influence in Africa. Now, it’s using media as well.The Conversation
Forget the use of the terms "autocracy" and "constitutional crisis." This is a savage #dictatorship, getting worse by the day.
Feb 15, 2025
commondreams.org/opinion/trump…
#RalphNader #TrumpMusk #MAGA #DOGE #USAID #softPower #CFPB #kleptocracy #CrueltyIsThePoint
Trump-Musk Dictatorship Is Awakening the American People's Resistance
Forget the use of the terms "autocracy" and "constitutional crisis." This is a savage dictatorship, getting worse by the day.ralph-nader (Common Dreams)