At a time when we anticipate the launch of a normalization process, dismantling USAID threatens to derail it before it even begins. By NADAV TAMIR FEBRUARY 10, 2025 01:30 PROTESTERS MARCH outside the USAID building in Washington last week after Elon Musk announced that work is underway to shut down the US foreign aid agency. USAID embodies the soft power of the United States and dismantling it contradicts the concept of ‘American exceptionalism,’ the writer argues. (photo credit: Kent Nishimura/Reuters) The Trump administration, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is taking an unprecedented step toward dismantling USAID and significantly reducing US foreign aid. In recent days, thousands of agency employees have been placed on forced leave, and all aid programs worldwide have been frozen. “USAID is not
Tag Archives: USPolitics
US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Gaza’s population would only be temporary, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. It follows Trump’s suggestion that the US could “take over” Gaza and resettle the millions of Palestinians living there – an idea that has drawn criticism from the UN, human rights groups and Arab leaders. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt further clarified Trump’s comments, saying the US was not planning to put “boots on the ground” in the territory. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said Gazans “should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration”, but gave few details on how this would work. On a trip to Guatemala, Marco Rubio said Trump’s proposal was not “hostile”, but a “generous move”, showing “the willingness of the United
Jan
Two US lawmakers, including the chair of a hawkish congressional committee, are raising concerns about the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts’ decision to host the National Ballet of China, accusing the dance company of being a tool of China’s “political machinery”. They are urging the cultural institution to reconsider its ties with the Chinese ballet company. Representatives Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, and John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House select committee on China , sent a letter this week to Kennedy Centre chairman David Rubenstein and president Deborah Rutter regarding the NBC performances, which are scheduled from January 29 to February 2 in Washington as part of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations. 01:59 Taking Lunar New Year to Brooklyn Nets Taking Lunar
![Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva poses for a photo after his first cabinet meeting of 2025, at the Granja do Torto country residence in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 20 [Eraldo Peres/AP Photo]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brazils-Lula-says-any-US-tariffs-would-be-reciprocated.jpg)
The Brazilian leader says he is looking for a relationship based on mutual respect after Trump threatens tariffs. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that, if the United States imposes tariffs on his country, he will respond in kind. Speaking at a news conference in the capital Brasilia, on Thursday, Lula said his country seeks a relationship based on mutual respect. His comments came in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of heightened tariffs. “It is very simple: If he taxes Brazilian products, there will be reciprocity,” Lula told reporters. “Trump was elected to run the US, and I was elected to run Brazil. I will respect the US and want Trump to respect Brazil. That’s all.” The comments are the latest signal that Trump’s efforts
Jan
Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term, focusing on “American decline” and setting a combative tone for his presidency. Donald Trump vowed a new US “golden age” as he took the oath for a historic second presidential term Monday, but focused most of his dark inaugural speech on touting hardline policies to reverse what he called “American decline.” In an often divisive address, the 47th president took aim at illegal immigration and the culture wars as he capped the most remarkable comeback in US political history. “The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,” Trump said in the US Capitol, where his inauguration was held indoors for the first time in decades
Jan
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO). “Oooh, that’s a big one,” the newly inaugurated US president said as he approved the document after arriving back at the White House. It was one of dozens of executive actions he put his signature to on day one in office. This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO. Trump was critical of how the international body handled Covid-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic. President Joe Biden later reversed that decision. Carrying out this executive action on day one makes it more likely the US will formally leave the global
![President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in November [Evan Vucci/AP Photo]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/How-will-Trump-approach-—-and-possibly-transform-—-presidential-power.jpg)
Washington, DC – United States President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office in just five days, completing a stunning reversal of fortune that saw him rebound from defeat after his failed 2020 re-election bid. Trump’s second term in the White House, starting Monday, will serve as the latest test to his strong-armed approach to presidential power. How he proceeds could transform an office that has, for decades, grown in potency, despite its constitutional design as a balance to the legislative and judicial branches of the US government. Indeed, Trump’s sweeping claims of presidential authority — both in his norm-breaking first term and in the years since — have caused disquiet among experts who question what may come in the next four years. Marjorie Cohn, a professor emerita at the
Jan
“This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will largely be implemented by the incoming administration,” Biden said. By HANNAH SARISOHN JANUARY 16, 2025 03:44 US President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2025. (photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/POOL VIA REUTERS) President Biden began his farewell address on Wednesday night by taking credit for his administration’s “nonstop negotiations” over the past eight months that led to the ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. As of Wednesday morning, it was uncertain that Biden would be able to speak of the finalized deal from behind the Resolute desk in his final address to the nation. “This plan was developed and negotiated by
![Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 15 [Ben Curtis/AP Photo]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Key-takeaways-as-Trump-nominees-face-US-Senate-confirmation-hearings.jpg)
For a second day in a row, the United States Senate has weighed nominees for key positions in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, grilling candidates on their backgrounds and qualifications. Wednesday was a busy day for the Senate, as it held hearings for six Trump nominees, including heavy-hitters like Senator Marco Rubio — his pick to be secretary of state — and Pam Bondi, tapped for the attorney general’s seat. The hearings come as Republican leaders in Congress hope to give Trump a strong start to his second term, which begins on Monday. High-level cabinet positions need Senate approval, and Republicans hold 53 seats to the Democrats’ 45. Still, controversial nominees will need every vote possible to succeed in their appointment. Wednesday’s hearings, for instance, were preceded by fiery proceedings a day
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have officially endorsed Kamala Harris to take on Donald Trump in the upcoming US presidential election, marking a heartwarming turn of events. The endorsement comes after a period of silence from the Obamas, who had previously suggested an open contest to decide the Democratic nominee. […]
In a heartfelt and historic televised address, US President Joe Biden announced that he is ending his re-election campaign to focus on preserving American democracy. The 81-year-old president, who has served in public office for over half a century, made the announcement from the Oval Office, surrounded by his family and key White House staff. […]
After months of anticipation, JD Vance has been selected as Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 election, positioning him as a potential leader of the ‘America First’ movement. Despite having less than two years in Congress, the Ohio senator’s political inexperience is contrasted by his distinct foreign policy views. These views diverge from those […]
The Donald Trump hush money trial represents a legal, political, and public watershed moment for American democracy. At its core, the case centers on allegations that the former president’s team facilitated hush money payments to two women before the 2016 election to prevent them from publicizing claims of extramarital affairs with Trump. While the specific […]