Connect with us

International

Trump Admin announces 90% of USAID contracts to be cut

Published

3 minute read

MXM logo  MxM News

Quick Hit:

The Trump administration has announced the elimination of more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) foreign aid contracts, amounting to $60 billion in cuts. The administration argues the decision targets “significant waste” while realigning U.S. foreign assistance to better serve American interests.

Key Details:

  • Over 5,800 of 6,200 USAID contract awards will be terminated, totaling $54 billion in cuts.
  • An additional $4.4 billion will be cut from State Department grants, impacting 4,100 of 9,100 programs.
  • The administration claims the cuts will curb waste and enhance efficiency, while critics argue it undermines U.S. global influence and humanitarian efforts.

Diving Deeper:

The Trump administration’s decision to cut more than 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, aligning with President Donald Trump’s commitment to reducing federal government spending and prioritizing domestic interests. In total, $60 billion will be slashed from U.S. assistance programs worldwide, impacting thousands of development and humanitarian projects.

According to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press, the administration described the cuts as a necessary measure to address “significant waste stemming from decades of institutional drift.” The memo also highlighted plans to restructure how USAID and the State Department distribute foreign aid, emphasizing a strategy to “use taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests.”

This sweeping reduction includes the termination of 5,800 out of 6,200 multiyear USAID contracts, amounting to $54 billion in cuts. An additional $4.4 billion will be eliminated from State Department grants, affecting 4,100 programs. The administration’s actions reflect its broader agenda to reduce U.S. involvement in international development, a stance supported by key Trump ally Elon Musk, who has argued that USAID projects often advance a liberal agenda at the expense of American taxpayers.

Despite strong support from conservative circles, the decision has faced criticism from international aid organizations, advocacy groups, and some members of Congress. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused the administration of attempting to bypass congressional and judicial authority by swiftly terminating the contracts.

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court’s order requiring the administration to release billions in foreign aid by midnight, allowing the cuts to proceed while legal battles continue. The court’s decision comes after U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali ordered the administration to unfreeze funds following a lawsuit by nonprofit groups and businesses owed payments on USAID contracts.

This move marks one of the most substantial reductions in U.S. foreign assistance in modern history, raising questions about its impact on global health initiatives, counterterrorism efforts, and international alliances. The Trump administration, however, maintains that the cuts are necessary to eliminate waste and redirect resources to strengthen American interests at home and abroad.

Todayville is a digital media and technology company. We profile unique stories and events in our community. Register and promote your community event for free.

Follow Author

Business

Trump demands free passage for American ships through Panama, Suez

Published on

MXM logo MxM News

Quick Hit:

President Donald Trump is pushing for U.S. ships to transit the Panama and Suez canals without paying tolls, arguing the waterways would not exist without America.

Key Details:

  • In a Saturday Truth Social post, Trump said, “American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America.”

  • Trump directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “immediately take care of, and memorialize” the issue, signaling a potential new diplomatic initiative with Panama and Egypt.

  • The Panama Canal generated about $3.3 billion in toll revenue in fiscal 2023, while the Suez Canal posted a record $9.4 billion. U.S. vessels account for roughly 70% of Panama Canal traffic, according to government figures.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump is pressing for American ships to receive free passage through two of the world’s most critical shipping lanes—the Panama and Suez canals—a move he argues would recognize the United States’ historic role in making both waterways possible. In a post shared Saturday on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America.”

Trump added that he has instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “immediately take care of, and memorialize” the situation. His comments, first reported by FactSet, come as U.S. companies face rising shipping costs, with tolls for major vessels ranging from $200,000 to over $500,000 per Panama Canal crossing, based on canal authority schedules.

The Suez Canal, operated by Egypt, reportedly saw record revenues of $9.4 billion in 2023, largely driven by American and European shipping amid ongoing Red Sea instability. After a surge in attacks by Houthi militants on commercial ships earlier this year, Trump authorized a sustained military campaign targeting missile and drone sites in northern Yemen. The Pentagon said the strikes were part of an effort to “permanently restore freedom of navigation” for global shipping near the Suez Canal.

Trump has framed the military operations as part of a broader strategy to counter Iranian-backed destabilization efforts across the Middle East.

Meanwhile, in Central America, Trump’s administration is working to counter Chinese influence near the Panama Canal. On April 9th, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced an expanded partnership with Panama to bolster canal security, including a memorandum of understanding allowing U.S. warships and support vessels to move “first and free” through the canal. “The Panama Canal is key terrain that must be secured by Panama, with America, and not China,” Hegseth emphasized during a press conference in Panama City.

American commercial shipping has long depended on the canal, which reduces the shipping route between the U.S. East Coast and Asia by nearly 8,000 miles. About 40% of all U.S. container traffic uses the Panama Canal annually, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.

The United States originally constructed and controlled the Panama Canal following a monumental effort championed by President Theodore Roosevelt in the early 20th century. After backing Panama’s independence from Colombia in 1903, the U.S. secured the rights to build and operate the canal, which opened in 1914. Although U.S. control ended in 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, the canal remains vital to U.S. trade.

Continue Reading

International

U.S. Army names new long-range hypersonic weapon ‘Dark Eagle’

Published on

One of the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon Transporter Erector Launchers assigned to Bravo Battery, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, Long Range Fires Battalion, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, participates in exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3 on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 5, 2024.

From The Center Square

By 

The U.S. Army’s newest long-range hypersonic weapon will be called “Dark Eagle” the Pentagon announced Thursday after a successful test flight.

The land-based, truck-launched system is armed with hypersonic missiles that travel 3,800 miles per hour with a range of 1,725 miles. They can reach the top of the Earth’s atmosphere and “remain just beyond the range of air and missile defense systems until they are ready to strike, and by then it’s too late to react,” according to Army statements in a March 2023 Congressional Research Service report.

In December, the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, completed a successful end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

“Hypersonic weapons will complicate adversaries’ decision calculus, strengthening deterrence,” said Patrick Mason, senior official performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “Their speed, accuracy and versatility are befitting its new popular name, Dark Eagle.”

Army officials repeatedly delayed tests of the Dark Eagle system after failures in 2021 and 2022, according to the CRS report.

The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs partnered to get land and sea variants of a hypersonic weapon system.

The use of a common hypersonic missile and joint test opportunities allow the services to pursue a more aggressive timeline for delivery and to realize cost savings, according to the Pentagon.

A Congressional Budget Office study from January 2023, buying 300 Intermediate-Range Hypersonic Boost-Glide Missiles, which are similar to the LRHW, was estimated to cost $41 million per missile in 2023 dollars.

But that’s just an estimate. Since the 2023 CBO cost estimate, the Pentagon has said little about the per missile cost of the LRHW.

With the Army planning to field LRHWs to units by the end of FY2025 – if the Army’s new leadership team concurs – an actual per missile cost should be available for policymakers,” according to the CRS note. “With an established per missile cost, the Army should also be able to provide Congress with details about the total LRHW stockpile it intends to procure and how long it will take to ‘grow’ the LRHW stockpile.”

The prime contractors on the project are Lockheed Martin, Dynetics Inc. and Dynetics Technical Solutions, according to the CBO report.

Continue Reading

Trending

X