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Kurdish officials fear Islamic State revival as US aid cuts loom
Humanitarian groups worried north-east Syrian camps holding suspected IS members will lose basic facilities
OMB freezes all disbursements / USAID shutdown / Govt Funding ordered restored
- Thread starter ChapelHillSooner
- Start date
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- Politics
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- Messages
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“… White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted four that she said were emblematic of “the waste and abuse that has run through USAID over the past several years”: “$1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia’s workplaces, $70,000 for production of a DEI musical in Ireland, $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia, $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru.”
“I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going toward this crap,” Leavitt said. “And I know the American people don’t either. That’s exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do, to get the fraud, waste, and abuse out of our federal government.”
But some of those projects weren’t described accurately. And only the first was funded by USAID; the rest were funded by the State Department.
Each of the projects highlighted represents a relatively small amount of money — the entire amount managed by USAID was about$40 billion in fiscal year 2023 (the most recent year with complete data), according to a Congressional Research Service report. That amount is less than 1% of the total federal budget. …”
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A ‘Transgender Comic Book’ in Peru
In 2021, the U.S. Embassy in Peru introduced a comic book called “The Power of Education,” which it used to promote education and exchange programs in the U.S.The following year, the embassy commissioned a second volume.
“The Embassy asked us to introduce a gay student in #2 to show his personal struggle coming out to his parents, but that has zero to do with being transgender,” David Campiti, who owns the company that produced the comic book, told us in an email. “The comics were about scholarships and furthering education.”
The series ended up including three comic books, each one showing an aspect of cultural exchange and education. View them here, here and here.
The second one is what was highlighted by the Trump administration as a “transgender comic book.” But volume 2 of “The Power of Education” does not include a transgender character. Rather, as Campiti said, it featured a hero who was gay.
The writer of the comic, David Lawrence, said the same thing in a post on his Facebook page on Feb. 4, explaining why the embassy had requested an LGBTQ character. “The US embassy in Peru requested that as a small response to anti gay prejudice in the country,” he wrote.
We reached out to the embassy for comment and were referred to the State Department, which did not respond to us.
Like the first volume, the second one was used to promote education and exchange programs. And, incidentally, it won two awards in 2023, including comic of the year, from a Peruvian organization called Chronicles of Diversity.
The funding for this project didn’t come from USAID, either, but, again, from the State Department.
gtyellowjacket
Iconic Member
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I don't think the fact that its USAID or the State department really matters to most people including me. Its taxpayer funds.
I also don't think it really matters if its a musical or a musical event.
I also don't think it really matters if its a musical or a musical event.
CFordUNC
Inconceivable Member
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I do tend to agree with both of these points, but I'll also confess that I don't really care that much nor give it much thought one way or the other. These things cost, what, something like .000000000000000001% of the overall federal budget? I'm all for trying to clean up wasteful spending in the government but I think there are much, much bigger fiscal fish to fry out there before we concern ourselves too much about spending $47,000 or whatever on cultural events in other countries. The way I view it is that, similar to how we were decimating Russia for pennies on the dollar and with no American boots or blood on the ground in Ukraine, there are way worse investments (and taxpayer expenditures) than spending a few pennies that might build American soft power or goodwill abroad. Just my opinion, though, and I recognize that it's not one that many Americans will share, and that's okay.
So if you give reasons for doing something to an organization for shutting them down , it's okay even if they are either misrepresentations or lies?
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Judge orders immediate restoration of federal funding after Trump's freeze
Organizations across the country have reported that they were still not receiving funds that had been previously approved.
Judge orders immediate restoration of federal funding after Trump's freeze
A federal judge has ordered the immediate restoration of federal funding that the Trump administration attempted to freeze.
www.lex18.com
“A federal judge in Rhode Island has issued a stern order to the Trump administration, demanding the immediate restoration of federal funding. The court was presented with evidence showing that some funds remained frozen, despite a previous temporary restraining order.
… Judge John J. McConnell Jr.'s latest order compels the administration to immediately restore the frozen and withheld funds.
The judge stated that the administration could request targeted relief from the temporary restraining order if it could demonstrate specific instances where it was acting in compliance with the order.
The Trump administration was also hit with a temporary restraining order on the same issue last week after a coalition of nonprofits sued. …”
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“… Fifty percent of voters from families with an income of less than $50,000 a year cast their ballots for Trump, according to the data, compared with 48 percent for Vice President Kamala Harris. Four years ago, President Joe Biden carried those voters by 11 percentage points; Hillary Clinton won them by 12 points in 2016 and former president Barack Obama by 22 points in 2012.
… Some longtime Democrats like Mosura said they initially struggled over whether to vote for Trump. They had believed Democrats were the most likely to help the poor and disagreed with Republicans on issues like abortion. But Mosura said she kept coming back to the conclusion that Trump would put Americans like her first and improve her economic prospects.
Mosura said she has been unable to find full-time work in her field and is planning to change her party affiliation to Republican. But she also gets anxious when she hears GOP politicians talk about reducing government spending.
“We helped get you in office; please take care of us,” Mosura said, shifting the conversation as though she were speaking to Trump.
“Please don’t cut the things that help the most vulnerable.” …”
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More than half of the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership’s $32 million budget comes from federal aid, said Scott, the organization’s leader. That helps it do things like shuttle low-income residents to medical appointments and offer rental assistance. Federal aid is also key in keeping New Castle’s children fed. About 90 percent of students come from low-income families and qualify for free school lunches, and many are sent home with food to eat over the weekend.
...
Lynne Ryan, chairwoman of the Lawrence County Republican Party, said Democrats lost the support of New Castle residents over their handling of illegal immigration and foreign aid. She said Trump was a skilled politician whom low-income voters found to be honest and relatable.
“Trump won’t cut necessary programs, and nowhere has he said he is cutting any of that,” Ryan said. “He is cutting bloated government. He is not cutting programs that work for the American people.”
City Administrator Chris Frye, a Republican and former mayor of New Castle, said he expects GOP leaders will push for some changes to how federal programs are administered. But Frye urged his party to show “empathy” when it comes to determining the actual benefits that people receive.
“I think it would be stupid to just take something away,” Frye said. “We would have mass chaos. Mass homelessness … so nationally, I don’t think it is going to be a situation where they are taking away from people.”
Detractors worry that New Castle residents will come to regret their votes.
“I have big concerns those who voted for him didn’t realize what they are doing and it’s going to affect their family and friends and probably themselves, too,” said Timothy Buck, chairman of the Lawrence County Democratic Party.
...
Steve Tillia, 59, receives $1,600 a month in Social Security disability payments and $300 in food stamps to support himself and his son. Tillia, who said he is unable to work after suffering from mini strokes, still drives around New Castle with a Trump flag anchored on the bumper of his SUV.
Tillia said he’s confident that Trump and GOP leaders will reduce spending by “cutting the fat” out of government — and not slashing benefits.
“It’s not cutting government programs, it’s cutting the amount of people needed to run a program,” he said. “They are cutting staff, which could actually increase the amount of the programs that we get.”
...
Lynne Ryan, chairwoman of the Lawrence County Republican Party, said Democrats lost the support of New Castle residents over their handling of illegal immigration and foreign aid. She said Trump was a skilled politician whom low-income voters found to be honest and relatable.
“Trump won’t cut necessary programs, and nowhere has he said he is cutting any of that,” Ryan said. “He is cutting bloated government. He is not cutting programs that work for the American people.”
City Administrator Chris Frye, a Republican and former mayor of New Castle, said he expects GOP leaders will push for some changes to how federal programs are administered. But Frye urged his party to show “empathy” when it comes to determining the actual benefits that people receive.
“I think it would be stupid to just take something away,” Frye said. “We would have mass chaos. Mass homelessness … so nationally, I don’t think it is going to be a situation where they are taking away from people.”
Detractors worry that New Castle residents will come to regret their votes.
“I have big concerns those who voted for him didn’t realize what they are doing and it’s going to affect their family and friends and probably themselves, too,” said Timothy Buck, chairman of the Lawrence County Democratic Party.
...
Steve Tillia, 59, receives $1,600 a month in Social Security disability payments and $300 in food stamps to support himself and his son. Tillia, who said he is unable to work after suffering from mini strokes, still drives around New Castle with a Trump flag anchored on the bumper of his SUV.
Tillia said he’s confident that Trump and GOP leaders will reduce spending by “cutting the fat” out of government — and not slashing benefits.
“It’s not cutting government programs, it’s cutting the amount of people needed to run a program,” he said. “They are cutting staff, which could actually increase the amount of the programs that we get.”
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Boy howdy, that middle bit …
Quite the loud whistling as they stroll past the graveyard.
ChapelHillSooner
Esteemed Member
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“… Fifty percent of voters from families with an income of less than $50,000 a year cast their ballots for Trump, according to the data, compared with 48 percent for Vice President Kamala Harris. Four years ago, President Joe Biden carried those voters by 11 percentage points; Hillary Clinton won them by 12 points in 2016 and former president Barack Obama by 22 points in 2012.
… Some longtime Democrats like Mosura said they initially struggled over whether to vote for Trump. They had believed Democrats were the most likely to help the poor and disagreed with Republicans on issues like abortion. But Mosura said she kept coming back to the conclusion that Trump would put Americans like her first and improve her economic prospects.
Mosura said she has been unable to find full-time work in her field and is planning to change her party affiliation to Republican. But she also gets anxious when she hears GOP politicians talk about reducing government spending.
“We helped get you in office; please take care of us,” Mosura said, shifting the conversation as though she were speaking to Trump.
“Please don’t cut the things that help the most vulnerable.” …”
Sorry, he is now a dictator and no longer needs your vote. Surely you understood you are not a peer of his and were just a vote to him.
uncjhodges
Distinguished Member
- Messages
- 272
How are people that stupid
1moretimeagain
Iconic Member
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Thank you for taking the time to research.