Latest news with #PEPFAR
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Really, Secretary Rubio? I'm Lying About the Kids Dying Under Trump?
I see Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a good man doing bad things, but perhaps he thinks even worse of me: He recently suggested that I was a liar. While testifying before Congress, Rubio claimed that the Trump administration's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development had not cost any lives. 'No children are dying on my watch,' he asserted. At another point in the hearing, he broadened his statement to include adults as well: 'No one has died because of U.S.A.I.D.' This is ludicrous: The only debate is whether to measure the dead in the thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. So Representative Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, challenged Rubio, citing reporting overseas by me and by Reuters of individuals who died as a result of the shutdown of American humanitarian aid. 'That's a lie,' Rubio said. 'False.' So let me help Rubio with the truth. Meet Evan Anzoo, a 5-year-old boy who was born with H.I.V. in South Sudan: I mentioned Evan in a column in March from South Sudan. This was a child as precious as yours or mine. Evan's life was in our hands, and for five years America kept him alive with antiretroviral medicines costing less than 12 cents a day, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. This was a program started by President George W. Bush that has saved more than 26 million lives so far, and it turned the tide of AIDS around the world and built enormous good will toward the United States. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Bono tells Joe Rogan US global aid cuts have led to 300,000 deaths and reveals conversations with Marco Rubio
When Mr Trump took office earlier this year, DOGE, led by Mr Musk, was set up to cut wasteful spending in the US government. The Trump administration has moved to cut funding to government foreign aid agency USAID and other global initiatives, including the United States President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved more than 25 million lives since it was established in 2003. During an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Bono told host Joe Rogan of how the world's relationship with the US seems to be changing, and revealed he is in contact with US secretary of state Marco Rubio. 'I think America's more vulnerable now than it's ever been. It feels like America's fallen out of love with the rest of the world. I don't think the world wants to fall out of love with America,' he said He then cited a report estimating 300,000 people have already died as a result of cuts made to USAID funding and said food intended for foreign aid is being left to rot because the workers who had access to it have been fired. "There's food rotting in boats, in warehouses. There is - this will f**k you off - you will not be happy, no American will, but there is, I think it's 50,000 tonnes of food that are stored in Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai and - wait for it - Houston, Texas. "And that is rotting rather than going to Gaza, rather than going to Sudan, because the people who know the codes for the warehouse are fired, they're gone. What is that? That's not America, is it?" Mr Rogan agreed there "have been organisations that do tremendous good all throughout the world" but added there was "a money laundering operation" with no oversight that saw billions or trillions of dollars of US public money go missing. The levels of waste, abuse and fraud in the US government claimed by Mr Trump and Mr Musk have been disputed by fact checkers in the American and international media. Mr Musk has responded to the claims made by Bono in a post on his social media platform X: 'He's such a liar/idiot. Zero people have died!' he wrote. ADVERTISEMENT During his conversation with Mr Rogan, Bono said a Christian aid organisation working with malnourished children is being forced to 'choose which child to pull off the IVs' because of funding cuts. "It just seems to me like a kind of, I don't know if evil is a strong word, too strong a word, but what we know about pure evil is it rejoices in the deaths, the squandering of human life, particularly children's. "It actually rejoices in it and whether it's incompetence, whether it's unintended consequences, it's not too late for people.' Bono said he is contact with Mr Rubio, who does not agree people are dying as a result of cuts to funding. "I have conversations with Marco Rubio. He's convinced people aren't dying yet. I don't know who's telling him, or not telling him, rather. But his instincts are correct.' He said Mr Rubio used to wear an armband for the One Campaign, the organisation co-founded by Bono in 2004 for providing aid in Africa. "Americans, no matter what political colour, you seem them, just the size, they just grow in stature when they know they're being useful.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Trump Gives Elon Musk an Oval Office Sendoff, Crediting Him with ‘Colossal Change'
The Associated Press President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur. Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he'll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X. Trump credited Musk with 'a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington' and said some of his staff would remain in the administration. Musk, who wore all black, including a T-shirt that said 'The Dogefather,' nodded along as the president listed contracts that had been cut under his watch. 'I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job,' Musk said after accepting a ceremonial key from the president. 'They're going to continue to be doing an incredible job.' He left a searing mark on the federal bureaucracy, including thousands of employees who were fired or pushed out. Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world. Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have already died as a result of the cuts. The State Department responded by saying most of USAID's programs on HIV, known as PEPFAR, remained operational. However, the statement did not address any of the other cuts while calling on 'other nations to dramatically increase their humanitarian efforts.' Despite the upheaval, Musk also fell far short of his goals. After promising to cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending, he lowered expectations to only $150 billion in the current fiscal year. It's unclear whether that target has been hit. The DOGE website tallies $175 billion in savings, but its information has been riddled with errors and embellishments. Musk had a bruise next to his right eye in the Oval Office, which he explained by saying he had been 'horsing around' with his young son. 'I said, go ahead punch me in the face,' he said. 'And he did.' Trump said Musk had led the 'most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations.' He suggested that Musk is 'really not leaving' and 'he's going to be back and forth' to keep tabs on what's happening in the administration. There were signs, however, that attention was already shifting away from Musk, who once appeared omnipresent in Washington. He often stood quietly next to Trump as reporters peppered him with questions about the French president (he's great), Joe Biden's autopen (it's bad) and the potential for pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs (he'll look at the facts). When Musk was asked about the impact of tariffs on Tesla — something Musk has expressed concerns about in the past — Trump jumped in to answer. Musk, the world's richest person, recently said he would reduce his political donations. He was Trump's top donor in last year's presidential campaign. Trump appeared eager to end Musk's service on a high note. 'This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,' Trump wrote on social media on Thursday evening. 'Elon is terrific!' As a special government employee, Musk's position was designed to be temporary. However, he had speculated about staying 'indefinitely,' working part time for the administration, if Trump still wanted his help. Musk has brushed off questions about how DOGE would continue without him, even suggesting it could 'gain momentum' in the future. 'DOGE is a way of life,' he told reporters recently. 'Like Buddhism.'
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office sendoff, crediting him with ‘colossal change'
'I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job,' Musk said after accepting a ceremonial key from the president. 'They're going to continue to be doing an incredible job.' Advertisement He left a searing mark on the federal bureaucracy, including thousands of employees who were fired or pushed out. Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world. Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have already died as a result of the cuts. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The State Department responded by saying most of USAID's programs on HIV, known as PEPFAR, remained operational. However, the statement did not address any of the other cuts while calling on 'other nations to dramatically increase their humanitarian efforts.' Elon Musk at Friday's new conference in the Oval Office. Musk told reporters that he thinks the team at DOGE is "going to continue to be doing an incredible job" even in his absence. Evan Vucci/Associated Press Despite the upheaval, Musk also fell far short of his goals. After promising to cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending, he lowered expectations to only $150 billion in the current fiscal year. Advertisement It's unclear whether that target has been hit. The DOGE website tallies $175 billion in savings, but its information has been riddled with errors and embellishments. Musk had a bruise next to his right eye in the Oval Office, which he explained by saying he had been 'horsing around' with his young son. 'I said, go ahead punch me in the face,' he said. 'And he did.' Trump said Musk had led the 'most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations.' He suggested that Musk is 'really not leaving' and 'he's going to be back and forth' to keep tabs on what's happening in the administration. There were signs, however, that attention was already shifting away from Musk, who once appeared omnipresent in Washington. He often stood quietly next to Trump as reporters peppered him with questions about the French president (he's great), Joe Biden's autopen (it's bad) and the potential for pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs (he'll look at the facts). When Musk was asked about the impact of tariffs on Tesla — something Musk has expressed concerns about in the past — Trump jumped in to answer. Musk, the world's richest person, recently said he would reduce his political donations. He was Trump's top donor in last year's presidential campaign. Trump appeared eager to end Musk's service on a high note. 'This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,' Trump wrote on social media on Thursday evening. 'Elon is terrific!' As a special government employee, Musk's position was designed to be temporary. However, he had speculated about staying 'indefinitely,' working part time for the administration, if Trump still wanted his help. Advertisement Musk has brushed off questions about how DOGE would continue without him, even suggesting it could 'gain momentum' in the future. 'DOGE is a way of life,' he told reporters recently. 'Like Buddhism.' Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office sendoff, crediting him with 'colossal change'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur. Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he'll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X. Trump credited Musk with 'a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington" and said some of his staff would remain in the administration. Musk, who wore all black, including a T-shirt that said 'The Dogefather,' nodded along as the president listed contracts that had been cut under his watch. 'I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job," Musk said after accepting a ceremonial key from the president. "They're going to continue to be doing an incredible job.' He left a searing mark on the federal bureaucracy, including thousands of employees who were fired or pushed out. Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world. Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have already died as a result of the cuts. The State Department responded by saying most of USAID's programs on HIV, known as PEPFAR, remained operational. However, the statement did not address any of the other cuts while calling on 'other nations to dramatically increase their humanitarian efforts.' Despite the upheaval, Musk also fell far short of his goals. After promising to cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending, he lowered expectations to only $150 billion in the current fiscal year. It's unclear whether that target has been hit. The DOGE website tallies $175 billion in savings, but its information has been riddled with errors and embellishments. Musk had a bruise next to his right eye in the Oval Office, which he explained by saying he had been 'horsing around' with his young son. 'I said, go ahead punch me in the face,' he said. 'And he did.' Trump said Musk had led the 'most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations." He suggested that Musk is 'really not leaving' and 'he's going to be back and forth' to keep tabs on what's happening in the administration. There were signs, however, that attention was already shifting away from Musk, who once appeared omnipresent in Washington. He often stood quietly next to Trump as reporters peppered him with questions about the French president (he's great), Joe Biden's autopen (it's bad) and the potential for pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs (he'll look at the facts). When Musk was asked about the impact of tariffs on Tesla — something Musk has expressed concerns about in the past — Trump jumped in to answer. Musk, the world's richest person, recently said he would reduce his political donations. He was Trump's top donor in last year's presidential campaign. Trump appeared eager to end Musk's service on a high note. 'This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way," Trump wrote on social media on Thursday evening. "Elon is terrific!" As a special government employee, Musk's position was designed to be temporary. However, he had speculated about staying 'indefinitely,' working part time for the administration, if Trump still wanted his help. Musk has brushed off questions about how DOGE would continue without him, even suggesting it could 'gain momentum' in the future. 'DOGE is a way of life,' he told reporters recently. 'Like Buddhism.' ____ Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati
