Nonilex<p>…<br><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Democrats" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Democrats</span></a> pointed to a surge in Iranians tuning into <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/RadioFarda" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RadioFarda</span></a>, the Persian-language news service funded by the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAGM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAGM</span></a>. Amid the recent <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/war" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>war</span></a> between <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Israel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Israel</span></a> & <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Iran" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iran</span></a>, they argued, the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/US" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>US</span></a> should continue to fund <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/media" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>media</span></a> orgs countering the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/misinformation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>misinformation</span></a> disseminated by Iran & other countries, such as <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/NorthKorea" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NorthKorea</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VOA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VOA</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAGM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAGM</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independence</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/dictatorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dictatorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/tyranny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>tyranny</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AmericanAutocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmericanAutocracy</span></a></p>
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#softpower
21 posts · 4 participants · 9 posts today
Nonilex<p>Rep Michael McCaul, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Republican" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Republican</span></a> of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a>, said there were “systemic problems” in the agency, but that it remained necessary around the world.</p><p>“We need America’s voice in <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Iran" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Iran</span></a> right now,” he said. “We need to ensure the Iranian people hear the truth that we do not intend to harm them.”</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VOA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VOA</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAGM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAGM</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independence</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/dictatorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dictatorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/tyranny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>tyranny</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AmericanAutocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmericanAutocracy</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>“<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Congress</span></a> should ask Ms. Lake to provide proof for the mystifying allegations,” Mike Abramowitz, the director of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a>, said in a statement. “If <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VOA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VOA</span></a> is controlled by the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/CCP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CCP</span></a>, then why are they rejoicing at its being shut down?”</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Democrats" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Democrats</span></a> & some <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Republicans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Republicans</span></a> voiced concern that in moving to dismantle the global media agency, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> was abandoning a useful tool of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independence</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/dictatorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dictatorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AmericanAutocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmericanAutocracy</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>Noncitizens cannot obtain security clearances for viewing <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/classified" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>classified</span></a> info, & NO reporters at the global media agency have such security clearances, said Kate Neeper, a director of strategy who received a layoff notice last week. Some executives may have security clearances to receive <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/intelligence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>intelligence</span></a> that would help them protect <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/reporters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>reporters</span></a> who work in war-zones or in countries w/repressive governments, Neeper said.<br><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independence</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AmericanAutocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmericanAutocracy</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>On Wednesday, Lake asked members of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Congress</span></a> to amend the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/laws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>laws</span></a> requiring the existence of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a> & its aligned newsrooms, which have sought to fight the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> admin’s push to shutter them. She argued that her agency was “unsalvageable” & “a threat to America’s national security,”[?] asserting falsely that its reporters, including foreign nationals, had obtained security clearances, & that it had ties to the Chinese Communist Party.🤦🏼♀️</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>Lake, the fmr *news*caster <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> put in charge of the dept that includes the international broadcast network, sent layoff notices last week to all but around 200 reporters & support staff at <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a> & the parent agency she leads. She has also withheld <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/funding" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>funding</span></a> from other <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/news" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>news</span></a> orgs that are separate nonprofits but receive federal dollars, such as <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/RadioFreeEurope" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RadioFreeEurope</span></a> / <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/RadioLiberty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RadioLiberty</span></a> & <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/RadioFreeAsia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RadioFreeAsia</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independence</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/dictatorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dictatorship</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>“What is going out on <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VOA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VOA</span></a> airwaves—it’s outrageous, & it has to stop,” Lake told the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/House" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>House</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ForeignAffairs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ForeignAffairs</span></a> Cmte. She called <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independent</span></a> reporting from international <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/news" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>news</span></a> agencies funded by the govt “corrupt” & “biased,” & made clear that Trump’s goal was not to overhaul but to shut down the global media agency, which she called “a rotten piece of fish.”</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> himself chimed in with a social media post, urging <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Congress</span></a> to “kill” the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> Urges <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Congress</span></a> to ‘Kill’ <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/VoiceOfAmerica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VoiceOfAmerica</span></a> as Its *Leader* Defends Gutting It</p><p>In a heated hearing, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/KariLake" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KariLake</span></a>, the Trump [crackpot] ally in charge of the federally funded international broadcasting network, called the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/media" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>media</span></a> agency “a rotten piece of fish” that should be defunded.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/FreePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FreePress</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/journalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>journalism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/independence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>independence</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>censorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/dictatorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dictatorship</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/tyranny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>tyranny</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AmericanAutocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmericanAutocracy</span></a> <br><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/us/politics/trump-lake-voice-of-america.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">nytimes.com/2025/06/25/us/poli</span><span class="invisible">tics/trump-lake-voice-of-america.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare</span></a></p>
Tan_ia_alive“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” — Criss Jami<br>
<br>
<a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/vulnerability?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#vulnerability</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/naturespeaks?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#naturespeaks</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/softpower?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#softpower</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/quote?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#quote</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/seedsofreflection?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#seedsofreflection</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/nature?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#nature</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/strength?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#strength</a>
Nonilex<p>…Shuttering <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> so quickly “likely violated the United States <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Constitution" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Constitution</span></a> in multiple ways,” a federal judge ruled less than two months into the new admin. (That ruling is on hold while an appeals court completes a review.)</p><p>By that point, it didn’t matter. The agency was effectively gone.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>Few <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Republicans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Republicans</span></a> had been as vocal in their support for <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> as <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/MarcoRubio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MarcoRubio</span></a>, who, as a senator, once said that “in every region of the world, we should always search for ways to use USAID & <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/humanitarian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>humanitarian</span></a> assistance to strengthen our <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/influence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>influence</span></a>.” But as the agency collapsed, its remnants placed under his control as Secretary of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/State" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>State</span></a>, Rubio was largely a bystander while <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Musk</span></a> & others shaped decisions on foreign <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/aid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>aid</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>The result was a real-time decision to take down an institution created almost 65 years ago as a linchpin of US <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ForeignPolicy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ForeignPolicy</span></a>, intended to advance the country’s <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/NationalSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NationalSecurity</span></a> interests by establishing new markets for American goods, reducing conflicts that risked entangling US <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/troops" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>troops</span></a>, & countering efforts by communist & autocratic regimes to expand their power.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>…The Times investigation found that <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Musk</span></a>’s <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DOGE</span></a> first approached <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> as a source of useful anecdotes of what it called “viral waste” — government spending that seemed foolish, & could be exploited to support the case for cuts.</p><p>When employees raised concerns about demands that they viewed as dangerous or <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/unlawful" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>unlawful</span></a>, the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> admin branded their actions as “insubordination” — then used that charge to justify dismantling the agency.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Musk</span></a> demanded that Gray shut off email & cellphone access for <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> workers around the world, including in conflict zones. Gray refused, saying that doing so would put their lives at risk, according to people familiar with the exchange. By the next day, he had been removed from his post.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>Today, the rapid-fire dismantling of the country’s sprawling <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/global" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>global</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/aid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>aid</span></a> agency remains one of the most consequential outcomes of the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a> admin’s efforts to overhaul the federal government. Not only did it transform US <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ForeignPolicy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ForeignPolicy</span></a>, but it also provided a vivid opening display of Trump’s willingness to tear down institutions as he saw fit, in defiance of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Congress</span></a> & the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/courts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>courts</span></a>, with a speed that was hard for his opponents to comprehend, much less resist.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>A little after 4PM, Gray issued an upbeat memo to the agency’s more than 10,000 employees, telling them to expect a focus on innovation & new partnerships.</p><p>“The next four years offer a great opportunity for our agency,” he wrote.</p><p>Two weeks later, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> was on the cusp of oblivion — its programs around the world stopped, its staff in Washington told to stay home.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>Inside the agency’s offices, Gray’s colleagues gathered around, trying to buck him up.</p><p>Yes, the job would be challenging under <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>, whose “America First” politics weren’t exactly sympathetic to sending <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/US" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>US</span></a> taxpayer money around the world. But <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> had come through the first Trump admin largely unscathed, & <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/MarcoRubio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MarcoRubio</span></a>, the incoming secretary of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/state" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>state</span></a>, was a longtime supporter.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>The outgoing <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Biden" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Biden</span></a> admin had selected somebody with more <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/ForeignAid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ForeignAid</span></a> experience to manage <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a> until the new president chose, & <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Congress</span></a> approved, a permanent administrator. But <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>’s team, apparently eager to reverse any decisions by the former president, told Gray to take the helm instead.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>It was the day of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>’s inauguration, & the U.S. Agency for International Development’s new director looked like he might pass out, as the color drained from his face.</p><p>Jason Gray, <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a>’s chief information officer, who had been at the agency for only 2 years, had just learned he would be in charge, effective immediately. Gray wasn’t supposed to be the boss.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a></p>
Nonilex<p>Missteps, Confusion & ‘Viral Waste’: The 14 Days That Doomed <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USAID" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>USAID</span></a></p><p>The rapid dismantling of the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/global" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>global</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/aid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>aid</span></a> agency remains one of the most consequential outcomes of <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>’s efforts to overhaul the federal government, showing his willingness to tear down institutions in defiance of the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/courts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>courts</span></a>.</p><p><a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SoftPower" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SoftPower</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/law" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>law</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/judiciary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>judiciary</span></a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SeparationOfPowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SeparationOfPowers</span></a> <br><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/us/politics/usaid-cuts-doge.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">nytimes.com/2025/06/22/us/poli</span><span class="invisible">tics/usaid-cuts-doge.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare</span></a></p>
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