Leaked docs: While Gaza starved, USAID and State's refugees bureau came to a legally explosive conclusion — Israel had deliberately prevented food & medicine from getting in
But Blinken told congress the exact opposite, so the arms could keep flowing.
NEW: The Trump official currently dismantling USAID was caught in a secret meeting with a group of pro-Russian separatists in the Balkans.
Those he met with are under American sanctions for trying to restart the Bosnian war in the name of Christian nationalism. 1/
There is a ceasefire deal, so I want to share this story from my past year reporting inside the State Dept. trying to answer the central question of Biden’s foreign policy:
How did the U.S. let Israel get away with widespread horrors in Gaza? 1/
NEW: How did the Trump administration disembowel USAID in less than three weeks? The first step was seizing control of the agency’s IT system — including the personal data of all its employees. This, we were told, may have violated federal law. 1/
🚨 Late last month, Dr. Bill Foege — public health titan, former CDC director, presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, man most responsible for eradicating smallpox — sent the current CDC director an extraordinary letter in private.
NEW: There’s a dire situation in Vietnam, at the largest Agent Orange spill in the country. When Trump and Marco Rubio cancelled foreign aid, froze funding and began dismantling USAID, those who were cleaning up the Bien Hoa air base had to halt work. 1/
Our intern just published her first story with us and this is the vitriol she’s been met with. Just insane. Here’s the piece — it’s great and so is Brenna usatoday.com/story/news/nat…
NEW: The Trump administration promised to take months to carefully review all foreign aid.
But less than four weeks later, they cancelled 10,000 programs at once — including those they had already deemed to be critical, lifesaving operations. 1/
NEW: Trump and Rubio have arrested the international humanitarian aid system and forced lifesaving aid programs to completely halt operations — this despite an announcement earlier in the week claiming they had changed course. 1/
NEW: Internal State Department records show that months of warnings have become a reality: The Trump administration’s sudden withdrawal of foreign humanitarian aid has brought about death, violence and unrest. 1/
ProPublica just obtained a remarkable directive to those remaining at USAID: Empty the safes with the classified and personnel records and then ...
"Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break."
