Missteps, Confusion & ‘Viral Waste’: The 14 Days That Doomed #USAID
The rapid dismantling of the #global #aid agency remains one of the most consequential outcomes of #Trump’s efforts to overhaul the federal government, showing his willingness to tear down institutions in defiance of the #courts.
It was the day of #Trump’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.
Jason Gray, #USAID’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.
The outgoing #Biden admin had selected somebody with more #ForeignAid experience to manage #USAID until the new president chose, & #Congress approved, a permanent administrator. But #Trump’s team, apparently eager to reverse any decisions by the former president, told Gray to take the helm instead.
Inside the agency’s offices, Gray’s colleagues gathered around, trying to buck him up.
Yes, the job would be challenging under #Trump, whose “America First” politics weren’t exactly sympathetic to sending #US taxpayer money around the world. But #USAID had come through the first Trump admin largely unscathed, & #MarcoRubio, the incoming secretary of #state, was a longtime supporter.
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.
“The next four years offer a great opportunity for our agency,” he wrote.
Two weeks later, #USAID was on the cusp of oblivion — its programs around the world stopped, its staff in Washington told to stay home.
Today, the rapid-fire dismantling of the country’s sprawling #global #aid agency remains one of the most consequential outcomes of the #Trump admin’s efforts to overhaul the federal government. Not only did it transform US #ForeignPolicy, but it also provided a vivid opening display of Trump’s willingness to tear down institutions as he saw fit, in defiance of #Congress & the #courts, with a speed that was hard for his opponents to comprehend, much less resist.
A NYT examination found that #Trump admin ofcls came to #USAID with no plan to dismantle the agency, at least not so quickly. Instead, that decision emerged day by day, marked by rash demands, shock & confusion. It culminated with a tense showdown 10 days after #Trump’s inauguration, in which agency employees defied orders from #ElonMusk, who was then at the height of his influence in Washington, & personally intervened to drive the agency’s elimination.
#Musk demanded that Gray shut off email & cellphone access for #USAID 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.
…The Times investigation found that #Musk’s #DOGE first approached #USAID 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.
When employees raised concerns about demands that they viewed as dangerous or #unlawful, the #Trump admin branded their actions as “insubordination” — then used that charge to justify dismantling the agency.
The result was a real-time decision to take down an institution created almost 65 years ago as a linchpin of US #ForeignPolicy, intended to advance the country’s #NationalSecurity interests by establishing new markets for American goods, reducing conflicts that risked entangling US #troops, & countering efforts by communist & autocratic regimes to expand their power.
Few #Republicans had been as vocal in their support for #USAID as #MarcoRubio, who, as a senator, once said that “in every region of the world, we should always search for ways to use USAID & #humanitarian assistance to strengthen our #influence.” But as the agency collapsed, its remnants placed under his control as Secretary of #State, Rubio was largely a bystander while #Musk & others shaped decisions on foreign #aid.
…Shuttering #USAID so quickly “likely violated the United States #Constitution 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.)
By that point, it didn’t matter. The agency was effectively gone.
Heidi Reichinnek revived the left thanks to social media. Jette Nietzard, on the other hand, regularly irritates with her postings. There is a reason for this: the young Greens missed an important development. byteseu.com/1129364/ #DE #Deutsch #Deutschsprechenden #Europe
A bulletin from the National Terrorism Advisory System warns of a "heightened threat environment" in the U.S. following the military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.
The image shows a social media post from a user named "indigosfindings" dated July 7, 2024. The post is written in white text on a black background and discusses the "chat is a pronoun" discourse, comparing it to a hypothetical scenario where people start believing dogs are birds. The user describes how this misinformation would lead to defensiveness and confusion, with people questioning the validity of taxonomy and categorizing animals based on arbitrary qualities. The post includes hashtags and engagement metrics, such as "1,061 notes," and features a "Blaze" icon, indicating the post's popularity. The user's profile picture is a pixelated heart with a purple background. ― The image depicts a social media post, likely from an Instagram-like platform, with a handwritten-style font. The post is written in English and is divided into two sections. The top section features a profile picture of a stick figure with a checkmark, indicating a verified account. The text reads: "EVERYONE ON HERE NEEDS TO STOP LAUGHING ABOUT HOW 'ADOPTING PETS FROM A SHELTER IS FOR LOSERS' AND
... show more
The image shows a social media post from a user named "indigosfindings" dated July 7, 2024. The post is written in white text on a black background and discusses the "chat is a pronoun" discourse, comparing it to a hypothetical scenario where people start believing dogs are birds. The user describes how this misinformation would lead to defensiveness and confusion, with people questioning the validity of taxonomy and categorizing animals based on arbitrary qualities. The post includes hashtags and engagement metrics, such as "1,061 notes," and features a "Blaze" icon, indicating the post's popularity. The user's profile picture is a pixelated heart with a purple background. ― The image depicts a social media post, likely from an Instagram-like platform, with a handwritten-style font. The post is written in English and is divided into two sections. The top section features a profile picture of a stick figure with a checkmark, indicating a verified account. The text reads: "EVERYONE ON HERE NEEDS TO STOP LAUGHING ABOUT HOW 'ADOPTING PETS FROM A SHELTER IS FOR LOSERS' AND 'THOSE ANIMALS SHOULD ALL BE HUNTED FOR SPORT INSTEAD.' IT'S REPREHENSIBLE ON SO MANY LEVELS! FIRST OF ALL..." The bottom section continues with: "SOMETIMES, ONE OF MY FRIENDS POSTS AN ANGRY RESPONSE TO SOME TERRIBLE OPINION I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE, AND IT'S A WEIRD INDIRECT WAY TO LEARN HOW AWFUL THEIR OTHER FRIENDS MUST BE." The overall tone of the post is critical and humorous, addressing the issue of pet adoption and hunting.
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This is a reminder that Murmel's price is still a mere $1.99 with a 30-day free trial. Help us keep it at that level by signing up and spreading the word with your friends: mastodon.social/@murmel_social…
📢💰We will run an experiment of drastically reducing the price of our monthly subscription from $4.99/m down to a mere $1.99/m. That's a 60% price reduction! Of course, the 30-day free trial remains, too.
To make the lower price stick, we'd need to get as many people to try Murmel as we possibly can.
Please, help us spread the word throughout the #fediverse. We'd love to get a boost from you. Please, smash that 🔁 button! 🚀🙏
The type of news we should expect from London, a National Park City.
Sadiq Khan has said he will pedestrianise Oxford Street “as quickly as possible”, after two in three respondents to a public consultation backed plans to ban traffic from London’s central shopping area.
Hold onto your hats, everyone — there’s stunning news afoot. It’s hard to believe, but it looks like over-reliance on chatbots to do your homework can turn your brain into …read more #hacking #projects hackaday.com/2025/06/22/hackad…
Hold onto your hats, everyone — there’s stunning news afoot. It’s hard to believe, but it looks like over-reliance on chatbots to do your homework can turn your brain into pudding…
🎉🎂 Happy Purr-thday to the most adorable furball in town! 🐾 You light up every corner you curl into, and today we celebrate you ,your soft paws, gentle eyes, and all the love you bring. Here’s to more naps, treats, and chin scratches! 🧁💖 #MeowgicalBirthday #cats #photo #photography
Beauty comes in all colors, especially black. Don’t let myths fool you. Black cats are one of the sweetest companions you’ll ever meet. 🖤🐾 #CatsOfMastodon #cats #black #blackcats #blackandwhite
Truth Social Crashes as Trump Live-Posts Iran Bombing. The social network started experiencing global outages within minutes of Donald Trump posting details of a US military strike on Iran. byteseu.com/1129356/ #Technology
whenever the price of #bitcoin starts to drop because of global instability (or any other reason) “investors” immediately decide to send billions of dollars to #Tether, a financial company that more or less openly works with #Iran, has almost no employees, has been linked to hundreds of financial crimes, and has never produced an audit to prove it actually has all the money it says it does to back its #stablecoin #USDT. it's like clockwork.
today’s crash saw an immediate creation of $2 billion USDT, 100% of it on Donald Trump’s new business partner Justin Sun’s blockchain Tron (AKA “the crime chain”).
BT CEO warns greater job cuts could be coming – and it’s all AI’s fault – BT could save £3 billion by cutting up to 55,000 workers, AI could end even more contracts byteseu.com/1129354/ #FutureStudies #FuturesStudies #Futurology
À part les bandes blanches, je ne vois pas très bien le lien avec les Polaroid, @Indiefotog; 'faudrait m'aider un peu Tant mieux si toi tu le vois... Ah! Les celles qui étaient mal développées pis qui donnait des drôles de résultats?
Hallo @fl@diaspora.psyco.fr, Was ist es los? Was ist es passiert, dass du mit mir den Kontakt nicht halten willst? Du hast mich mit 🚫 gesperrt. Ich verstehe es nicht. Ich hoffe, das ist nur aus Versehen. Liebe Grüße. Aga
@redj 18 et @aga. Elle s'est fait agresser par quelqu'un... C'est vraiment dommage et injuste... J'espère qu'elle reviendra ! Sie wurde von jemandem angegriffen... Das ist wirklich schade und ungerecht... Ich hoffe, dass sie zurückkommt!
Danke sehr euch für die Nachrichten. 🙏 Das ist echt schade, Scheiße so etwas gemeines!!! ...😡🤬 Ich hoffe, Fleur kommt wieder zu uns hier ohne weiteren Ärger. 🍀Alles Gute und viel Erfolg für Sie. 🍀Wenn Ihr (Redj und Nad) ein Privates Kontakt mit Fleur habt. Liebe Grüße an euch alle. Aga🙋🏼♀️
Thank you very much for the news. 🙏 That's a real shame, shit something so mean!!! ...😡🤬 I hope Fleur comes back to us here without any more trouble. 🍀All the best and good luck to you. 🍀If you (Redj and Nad) have a private contact with Fleur. Best wishes to you all. Aga🙋🏼♀️
Merci beaucoup pour votre message. 🙏 C'est vraiment une honte, une telle méchanceté !!! ...😡🤬 J'espère que Fleur nous reviendra sans autre problème. 🍀Tous nos vœux de bonheur et de réussite pour toi. 🍀Si vous (Redj et Nad) avez un
... show more
Danke sehr euch für die Nachrichten. 🙏 Das ist echt schade, Scheiße so etwas gemeines!!! ...😡🤬 Ich hoffe, Fleur kommt wieder zu uns hier ohne weiteren Ärger. 🍀Alles Gute und viel Erfolg für Sie. 🍀Wenn Ihr (Redj und Nad) ein Privates Kontakt mit Fleur habt. Liebe Grüße an euch alle. Aga🙋🏼♀️
Thank you very much for the news. 🙏 That's a real shame, shit something so mean!!! ...😡🤬 I hope Fleur comes back to us here without any more trouble. 🍀All the best and good luck to you. 🍀If you (Redj and Nad) have a private contact with Fleur. Best wishes to you all. Aga🙋🏼♀️
Merci beaucoup pour votre message. 🙏 C'est vraiment une honte, une telle méchanceté !!! ...😡🤬 J'espère que Fleur nous reviendra sans autre problème. 🍀Tous nos vœux de bonheur et de réussite pour toi. 🍀Si vous (Redj et Nad) avez un contact privé avec Fleur. Meilleurs vœux à vous tous. Aga🙋🏼♀️
For complex data, by selecting different regions, you get different correlations. The ACA is a method to represent these hidden correlations. Data: NOAA.
Tant mieux si toi tu le vois...![[OC] Different regions, different correlations](https://social.trom.tf/photo/preview/640/28571063 "[OC] Different regions, different correlations")
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •It was the day of #Trump’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.
Jason Gray, #USAID’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.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •The outgoing #Biden admin had selected somebody with more #ForeignAid experience to manage #USAID until the new president chose, & #Congress approved, a permanent administrator. But #Trump’s team, apparently eager to reverse any decisions by the former president, told Gray to take the helm instead.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Inside the agency’s offices, Gray’s colleagues gathered around, trying to buck him up.
Yes, the job would be challenging under #Trump, whose “America First” politics weren’t exactly sympathetic to sending #US taxpayer money around the world. But #USAID had come through the first Trump admin largely unscathed, & #MarcoRubio, the incoming secretary of #state, was a longtime supporter.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •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.
“The next four years offer a great opportunity for our agency,” he wrote.
Two weeks later, #USAID was on the cusp of oblivion — its programs around the world stopped, its staff in Washington told to stay home.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Today, the rapid-fire dismantling of the country’s sprawling #global #aid agency remains one of the most consequential outcomes of the #Trump admin’s efforts to overhaul the federal government. Not only did it transform US #ForeignPolicy, but it also provided a vivid opening display of Trump’s willingness to tear down institutions as he saw fit, in defiance of #Congress & the #courts, with a speed that was hard for his opponents to comprehend, much less resist.
#USAID #SoftPower #law #judiciary
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •A NYT examination found that #Trump admin ofcls came to #USAID with no plan to dismantle the agency, at least not so quickly. Instead, that decision emerged day by day, marked by rash demands, shock & confusion. It culminated with a tense showdown 10 days after #Trump’s inauguration, in which agency employees defied orders from #ElonMusk, who was then at the height of his influence in Washington, & personally intervened to drive the agency’s elimination.
#law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •#Musk demanded that Gray shut off email & cellphone access for #USAID 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.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #Trump
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •…The Times investigation found that #Musk’s #DOGE first approached #USAID 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.
When employees raised concerns about demands that they viewed as dangerous or #unlawful, the #Trump admin branded their actions as “insubordination” — then used that charge to justify dismantling the agency.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •The result was a real-time decision to take down an institution created almost 65 years ago as a linchpin of US #ForeignPolicy, intended to advance the country’s #NationalSecurity interests by establishing new markets for American goods, reducing conflicts that risked entangling US #troops, & countering efforts by communist & autocratic regimes to expand their power.
#USAID #SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #Trump
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Few #Republicans had been as vocal in their support for #USAID as #MarcoRubio, who, as a senator, once said that “in every region of the world, we should always search for ways to use USAID & #humanitarian assistance to strengthen our #influence.” But as the agency collapsed, its remnants placed under his control as Secretary of #State, Rubio was largely a bystander while #Musk & others shaped decisions on foreign #aid.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #Trump
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •…Shuttering #USAID so quickly “likely violated the United States #Constitution 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.)
By that point, it didn’t matter. The agency was effectively gone.
#SoftPower #law #judiciary #SeparationOfPowers #Trump
samiamsam
in reply to Nonilex • • •