Latest news with #internetaccess
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Science
- Khaleej Times
AI without internet: How graduate from UAE's MBZUAI creates smart apps that work offline
When Daniel Gebre was growing up in Dekemhare, a small city in Eritrea, internet access was a rare luxury. He and his classmates would take turns using a single campus connection, share downloaded files, and rely on offline copies of Wikipedia just to study. That experience stayed with him — not as frustration, but as fuel. 'Growing up in a place where internet access was scarce, I know the frustration of being curious and eager to learn but constantly being held back by limited digital resources,' he said. 'That challenge pushed me to think about how technology could be made to work in environments like the one I came from.' Now 27, Gebre is a recent graduate of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), where he focused his master's research on how to bring artificial intelligence (AI) tools to people without internet access. His thesis project, iShrink, compresses large language models (LLMs) so they can run offline on mobile devices — an innovation aimed at students and professionals in low-connectivity areas. 'There were times in Eritrea when even downloading a simple document or video was a challenge,' he said. 'iShrink is about making sure people do not have to wait for internet access to be part of the AI conversation.' How it works 'In simple terms, iShrink is a framework designed to make large language models smaller and more efficient without significantly affecting their performance,' Gebre explained. 'It does this by identifying and removing parts of the model that are less important, then fine-tuning the remaining components so they still work well. This makes the models faster, lighter, and easier to run on devices with limited resources.' Shrinking smaller models poses a unique challenge, he said, because they contain fewer redundant parameters compared to larger models. 'Despite this, we achieved about a 22.5 per cent and 19.7 per cent size reduction on models such as LLaMA 3.1-1B and Falcon 1B respectively.' 'iShrink currently supports LLaMA, Falcon, and Qwen models, with plans to expand to other open-source architectures in the future.' To test the tool, Gebre developed a mobile application that runs entirely on a local device. 'The results were promising,' he said. 'In the future, I aim to enhance it with voice and multimodal capabilities to make it even more useful in real-world scenarios,' he added, 'I plan to make iShrink fully open source so it can be used and improved by the AI community.' Scholarship to the UAE Gebre moved to the UAE in 2019 on a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, awarded to top engineering students in Eritrea. He completed his undergraduate degree in information technology at Zayed University with a focus on cybersecurity. It was during a research internship at MBZUAI that his direction changed. Mentored by Dr Moayad Aloqaily and Professor Mohsen Guizani, he became immersed in the possibilities of AI and how it could address real-world problems. 'They really encouraged me to explore AI more seriously,' he said. 'I had planned to pursue my master's elsewhere, but Professor Mohsen kept urging me to apply to MBZUAI. Eventually I did, and that decision changed everything.' Gebre described his first semester of graduate school as the most difficult academic experience of his life. He spent long nights reinforcing his math skills and adjusting to the pace of the programme. 'I had to catch up fast,' he said. 'There were days I studied until three in the morning just to stay afloat.' His perseverance paid off. He completed his thesis, co-authored three academic papers, and presented at international conferences, including the IEEE International Conference on Human-Machine Systems in Abu Dhabi. 'You really grow when you take ownership of your learning,' he said. 'It was difficult, but transformative.' From research to real-world impact Since graduating in May 2025, Gebre has joined Inception, a G42 company, as an Applied Scientist. He is now working on domain-specific AI solutions for industry — a transition supported by a prior internship at the Technology Innovation Institute. 'That was the first time I saw what it takes to bring AI into production,' he said. 'It gave me a much clearer picture of how research turns into impact.' While his focus today is on refining his skills in industry, Gebre's long-term mission remains unchanged: to expand access to technology for underserved communities. 'In Eritrea, many students still have not heard of tools like ChatGPT or Gemini,' he said. "Even at college, they often have to gather around one internet access point to download materials. The gap is real, which means the potential is even greater." Future plans "Absolutely," he said, when asked whether he plans to return to Eritrea to work on digital infrastructure and education. 'Given the current technology gap in our country, I want to be among the pioneers who lay the foundations for a thriving tech industry in Eritrea. My goal is to lead AI enablement programs across various domains and initiatives.' When it comes to Eritrea's many ethnic groups and languages, he believes the lack of digital representation is an issue that can and should be addressed. 'Our population is around six million, and while English is used in some areas, it is not universal,' he said. 'The main challenges are data and computation. As a small population country, gathering sufficient data is not easy. Most of our literature in local languages exists in hard copy form, so collecting these materials, digitising them, and preparing them for training is a significant but achievable task. With adequate resources and collaboration, it is certainly possible to build such a model.' 'At the moment, I am fully engaged in my role at Inception. In the future, I plan to launch an initiative to bring together individuals with backgrounds in AI, machine learning, and natural language processing to contribute to open-source projects that develop models aligned with Eritrea's diverse languages, cultures, and values.' Advice to students from under-served communities 'During a panel discussion at MBZUAI, one of my professors said that the key to excellence in any field is mastering the fundamentals, no shortcuts. That advice completely changed my perspective, and I would pass it on to anyone starting out in AI,' he explained. 'For students from backgrounds similar to mine, I would add that talent and good academic performance are not enough. The right mindset, consistent effort, strong interpersonal skills, and building a solid professional network are equally important in determining how far you can go.' When he received his degree, his mother was in the audience — a proud moment marking how far he had come. 'I am so grateful to the UAE for giving me this opportunity,' he said. 'It changed the course of my life.' He hopes his work is only the beginning. 'If iShrink or any part of what I have done can help students like me learn, explore, and grow — no matter where they live or what resources they have — that's the kind of impact I want to keep building.'
Associated Press
01-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
$100,000 Marathon Petroleum Grant To Help Bridge a Digital Divide in El Paso
Key Points An effort to expand broadband internet access in an underserved area of El Paso, Texas, has gained momentum through a $100,000 grant from Marathon Petroleum Corporation's (MPC) El Paso refinery. The funds will support Project Overcome, which focuses on the 79901 ZIP code where limited internet availability exists. 'This ZIP code faces some of the deepest digital and economic divides in the region,' said Andrea Tirres, CEO of Borderplex Connect, the nonprofit recipient and supporting organization of the El Paso Community Foundation. 'An astounding 44% of households have no internet subscription at all, while about 27% of households rely on their cellular subscription to access the internet according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Commerce.' 'This ZIP code faces some of the deepest digital and economic divides in the region.' Project Overcome is expected to begin later this year. It will provide the infrastructure needed to deliver high-speed internet service to a targeted section of the 79901 ZIP code. 'This assistance is among our more important investments in El Paso because it will link so many residents with resources and opportunities that they've never had before,' said MPC Principal Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Relations Representative V.J. Smith. Borderplex Connect is a regional coalition of public, private and nonprofit organizations that promotes broadband accessibility and affordability across far West Texas and southern New Mexico. Along with expanding internet service, the coalition supports digital skills training, distribution of devices that connect to the internet, and access to affordable internet for low-income residents and rural households. 'Working with Borderplex Connect reinforces MPC's broader commitment to promote thriving communities where we operate by addressing basic needs and fostering economic progress,' Smith said. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Marathon Petroleum
CNET
30-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
Starlink Is Set to Receive Billions in Federal Subsidies but Analysis Says It Can't Handle the Traffic
Key takeaways A new X-Lab analysis indicates Starlink can only support 6.66 households per square mile before speeds drop below FCC broadband minimums (100/20 Mbps). Currently, only 17% of Starlink users currently meet FCC broadband speeds, yet altered BEAD program rules could direct significant federal funds to Starlink as the lowest-cost option. While Starlink greatly improves internet access and quality for rural Americans, experts worry about its long-term viability for widespread broadband expansion. Starlink has hit a lot of milestones in the past month: It debuted satellite texting on the big three cellphone carriers, passed 2 million subscribers in the US and launched its 500th Falcon 9 rocket. But a new analysis from Penn State University's X-Lab is pouring some cold water on all that good news. Researchers found that Starlink's satellites can handle just 6.66 households per square mile before service starts to dip below minimum broadband speeds set by the Federal Communication Commission. Last year, the FCC raised this standard to 100 megabits per second download, 20Mbps upload and below 100 milliseconds latency. Starlink has been an absolute game changer in rural areas -- the first truly modern internet connection many Americans have ever had -- but it's also never been fast enough to meet the FCC's definition of broadband. With the company set to receive billions of dollars in federal subsidies to add millions of new subscribers, this new analysis suggests we're at risk of stranding rural America with subpar internet for decades to come. 'What our math is showing is that there's a problem,' Sascha Meinrath, the X-Lab researcher who led the analysis, told CNET. 'We're raising some substantial concerns that go to the heart of the largest public expenditure in broadband infrastructure in the nation's history.' Locating local internet providers According to a report from the speed test site Ookla in June, only 17% of Starlink customers are currently getting 100/20Mbps speeds. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) That 100/20Mbps line might not matter very much for Starlink customers who are just happy to finally have an internet connection that can stream Netflix, but it means a lot for the $42.5 billion in federal funds going out to states through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, which was created to expand broadband infrastructure in rural areas. We're betting big that this will work, and yet it's very clear that whoever is betting on Starlink is doing so blindly. Sascha Meinrath, director of X-Lab at Penn State University President Donald Trump's Commerce Secretary tweaked BEAD's rules in June to make them more 'technology neutral,' an update that was viewed by many as a handout to Elon Musk's Starlink. One industry expert I spoke to at the time predicted that more than half of BEAD money would go to Starlink after the changes, up from an expected $4.1 billion under the old rules. The original law favored fiber-optic networks -- long considered the gold standard for broadband connections -- while the new guidance generally requires states to choose the lowest-cost option. However, any internet provider that wants to take BEAD money still has to prove it can supply future customers with 100/20Mbps speeds. One state broadband director who spoke with me on the condition of anonymity said it's largely a guessing game with low-Earth orbit satellite providers like Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper. While fiber companies bidding on BEAD projects go through a detailed physical inspection process, states generally have to take Starlink and Amazon's word that they can provide the speeds they say they will. 'We're betting big that this will work, and yet it's very clear that whoever is betting on Starlink is doing so blindly. And that is quite disconcerting,' Meinrath said. A representative for Starlink did not respond to a request for comment. Can Starlink's speeds keep up with millions of new customers? Starlink has increased speeds and added millions of customers since it launched service in 2020. In Ookla's most recent speed test report, median download speeds nearly doubled from 53.95Mbps in 2022 to 104.71Mbps today. Ookla Starlink accomplished that by drastically increasing its number of satellites in orbit. At the beginning of 2022, it had 1,761 satellites in the sky; today, that number stands at 7,943, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer who maintains a catalog of space objects. SpaceX, the company that owns Starlink, has said it eventually hopes to have as many as 42,000 satellites in space. While Starlink's latest speed test results (barely) clear the FCC's bar for download speeds, most Starlink subscribers aren't getting the minimum in upload speed. Ookla's data shows median upload speeds of 14.84Mbps, which is well below the 20Mbps required for BEAD money. But many customers may not even notice those slower upload speeds, says Ellis Scherer, a broadband policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonpartisan science and technology policy research institute. 'The reality is, everybody's broadband needs and internet usage needs are going to be different,' Scherer told CNET. 'When you have these arbitrary definitions like 100 over 20, it does lead to a situation where certain technologies are considered not feasible, when, in reality, for the needs of actual broadband consumers, they probably provide more than enough capacity.' It's true that most of us download a lot more than we upload. Monthly upstream data consumption is about 48GB for the average US household, compared to 616GB for downstream, according to the latest report from OpenVault. That said, upstream data consumption is growing much faster than downstream, as things like video calls, cloud backups and IoT devices become a more significant part of our home internet mix. Zoom only requires about 3Mbps upload speeds for an HD video call, so you could theoretically hold five different video meetings on one Starlink connection. But researchers have also documented 'latency spikes' caused by handoffs to different satellites as they orbit the Earth. 'There is a major increase in latency at the point when the user is assigned to a different spacecraft. The worst case in this data set is a shift from 30ms to 80ms,' writes Geoff Huston, a scientist who studies internet infrastructure at the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre. 80ms latency isn't ideal -- it'd make for a pretty miserable online gaming experience, for example -- but it still has a good amount of wiggle room under the FCC's 100ms benchmark. It could still be high enough that it keeps Starlink customers from fully participating in a virtual world many of us take for granted. 'If I'm online and scrolling through websites, I might not notice that. If I'm trying to do a live telemedicine appointment, it might be really problematic,' Meinrath said. But most Starlink customers don't seem to mind too much. In a customer satisfaction survey taken a year ago, Starlink customers reported more outages than customers with fiber internet but were much more satisfied with their service overall. That's because Starlink is so much better than the internet most rural Americans had before -- if they had it at all -- that they're more forgiving of the occasional outage or latency spike. Will Starlink improve in the future? That's the $42.5 billion question. SpaceX owner Elon Musk has a long history of saying Starlink improvements are right around the corner. Its initial application to the FCC in 2016 promised gigabit speeds for every user. Last November, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell even predicted that speeds of 2 gigabits per second aren't out of the question. But Meinrath says these rely on misleading metrics. 'I see it again and again in various Starlink documents of how much throughput capacity if you just aggregated all the transceivers on all of the satellites. It's just ludicrous,' Meinrath says. 'Each of my tires can each go 100 miles per hour. It doesn't mean my car can go 400.' We're not talking about capacity for LEOs today. We're talking about capacity for LEOs in four years. Ellis Scherer, broadband policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Starlink defenders would argue the company has pulled off an impressive one-two feat: doubling speeds in the US over two years while adding more than 5 million customers globally. If it gets to its stated goal of 42,000 satellites, is it unreasonable to think it could connect a good chunk of the 7 million homes that BEAD dollars are designated for? 'We're not talking about capacity for LEOs today. We're talking about capacity for LEOs in four years, which, if the current pace of progress for LEO broadband is any indicator, will be quite a lot more than it is today,' Scherer told me. Scherer pointed to a couple of reasons for optimism about Starlink taking on new BEAD users: friendlier FCC rules on the wireless spectrum used by Starlink and newer satellites with 10 times the downstream capacity of the previous generation. Not everyone is so convinced. ' 'When the next iteration comes out, it'll all be fixed.' Yeah, I've been hearing this now for five years. It's still not fixed. And in fact, it's consistently not fixed,' Meinrath says. What to consider before you sign up for Starlink Starlink is an excellent internet option in rural areas -- especially if you're in one of the locations that can get the $349 satellite dish free -- but there are some limitations to keep in mind. The areas in white are currently offering the Standard Kit ($349) free when you commit to one year of service. Starlink For one, you'll need a clear view of the sky. Objects like a tree branch, pole or roof can disrupt your connection. Before you order anything, you can use Starlink's app to check for obstructions that may impact your service. The other thing to note is how many other Starlink customers are in your area. At my address in Seattle, for example, there's currently a $1,000 'Demand Surcharge' because of high use in the area. That's up from $500 previously, indicating that Starlink's capacity issues aren't going away anytime soon. 'What we see again and again is that there's a first mover advantage to joining Starlink. If you're the first individual in your region that joins, you get wonderful service,' Meinrath says. 'The problem is when you end up with congestion, i.e. other users. Starlink seems to not be able to deliver the claimed or advertised speeds that it says it can deliver. That has been just overwhelmingly documented.' If you can get a cable, fiber or 5G home internet provider at your home, I'd go with one of those over Starlink every time. (You can check what's available by entering your address on the FCC's broadband map.) Starlink is your best bet if none of those options are available. Just know that if there are more than six other houses that use it within a square mile, you probably won't technically be getting standard FCC broadband speeds.
Zawya
21-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Community Wifi, MVNO and the rise of hybrid communications providers
SA Connect is the South African government's national broadband policy and strategy. This framework aims to deliver universal, affordable internet access to all citizens. Launched in 2013, the initiative seeks to connect government institutions, schools, healthcare facilities, and underserved communities to fast and reliable internet. As part of the programme, the government aims to deliver full broadband coverage by 2030, ensuring that every South African, regardless of location, can participate in the digital economy. But as the government works on longer-term broadband infrastructure projects, like SA Connect, there is a significant opportunity for ISPs to fill these connectivity gaps. Introducing the hybrid carriers In the past, a company might specialise in offering fibre networks, and that's the only field they played in. But this has changed. To compete, you need to expand your offerings. This trend is driving the rise of hybrid carriers; service providers that find other ways to connect communities. Hybrid carriers and ISPs are companies that combine multiple connectivity technologies or service models to deliver internet access more efficiently and affordably, especially in areas where a single approach falls short. These hybrid players are usually smaller than the more traditional telcos, and they're able to succeed by servicing the more isolated and underserved communities. They're typically more agile and can deploy modern connectivity solutions at pace. This agility also allows them to experiment with innovative service models that might be unfavourable to larger, more traditional providers. Fibre companies like those mentioned above face multiple obstacles in deploying new infrastructure to remote township communities, such as obtaining demand and intent confirmation and securing municipal approval. The time and cost associated with digging or erecting fibre lines is another barrier. Couple this with the reality that many of these communities are unbanked and have constrained disposable income, which limits their ability to sign on for debit payments and what they can afford to spend on data or subscriptions. Additionally, smaller user bases and lower ARPU (average revenue per user) mean that the financial return on these infrastructure investments is typically far lower. The business case for Community Wifi Underserved South African communities alone represent R26 billion in annual spending power, much of which remains disconnected from digital commerce and services. Across these underserved areas, community Wifi has the potential to empower people by allowing them to connect to the Internet. In action, a Community Wifi model will see subscribers buying prepaid vouchers that they can use to get online at different Wifi hotspots across their community, be it their local supermarket or the cafè down the road. For a small fee of around R5 or R10, community members can access the Internet for a day as they move about connecting to different hotspots across their community. For a fibre operator, offering this additional service makes good business sense because the average person might not be able to afford their fibre services, but can afford to connect for a small daily fee. Now, this single fibre point might be servicing a few hundred people, and that small daily fee equates to a positive return on investment. In this way, they're able to make money where fibre isn't a good fit, while also driving digital inclusion because the solution is more affordable. In addition to fixed and hotspot coverage, hybrid carriers also represent the next frontier in MVNO growth, with many ISPs leveraging their existing presence in underserved communities to roll out mobile services. This omni-service approach ensures that providers are able to service their customers at home, at their destination and anywhere in between. While expanding your service offerings opens up new business opportunities, it can also increase billing complexity. Many OSS (Operational Support System) / BSS (Business Support System) vendors offer billing software that caters to a specific type of billing, but few are equipped to meet the complex and evolving needs of hybrid carriers. To scale effectively, hybrid telcos need flexible, integrated billing systems that can support their growing needs and cater to multiple disparate services, like mobile (MVNO), fixed line, fixed wireless and fibre, as well as the voucher inventory, distribution and redemption requirements associated with community WiFi or prepaid mobile. Across our portfolio of products and services, VAS-X remains committed to supporting providers looking to bridge the digital divide with capable and cost effective solutions..
CNN
03-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Activists sound alarm over US cuts to programs providing internet access and promoting democracy in Iran
Days after Israel began striking Iran's nuclear and military sites last month, a US non-profit that has provided Starlink internet service to Iranian citizens asked the State Department to urgently reinstate their funding, according to two sources familiar with the outreach. More than a week later, the request from NetFreedom Pioneers (NFP) has not been granted. At the same time, the White House has proposed cutting all but a few programs in the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor – including those that work to get Iranians internet access, a third source familiar said. The Trump administration has for months slashed foreign assistance, but the freeze of NFP funding and the possible additional cuts at the State Department came at a critical time as Iranian society grappled with the Israeli strikes that hit sites throughout the country and killed senior military leaders. During the nearly two weeks of conflict between Iran and Israel, Tehran imposed internet blackouts nationwide – leaving Iranians unable to quickly access information or contact loved ones outside the country. Within the State Department, career officials are frustrated that money that could help Iranians isn't getting out the door. 'Even if programs are active, a number of them are struggling because payments aren't being made on time,' a State Department official familiar with the issue told CNN. After Secretary Marco Rubio's order to pause foreign assistance in January, a new level of bureaucracy sunk in that has delayed funding disbursements for numerous programs across the department, including those related to Iran, the official said. The State Department's pending reorganization, and the proposed cuts to aid programs, mean it's hard for department officials to be optimistic in conversations over funding with nonprofits, according to the official. 'You can read the tea leaves whether you're in the department or not,' they added. Though the Trump administration is pursuing a diplomatic deal with Iran, President Donald Trump raised the idea of regime change in a social media post the day after the US carried out strikes against Iran's nuclear sites. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later implied that any regime change wouldn't come through US force while floating the idea of the Iranian people 'rising up against' the regime if it does not give up its nuclear program. But Iranians are struggling for online access to independent information about their government. 'Without access to the open internet, Iranian people are trapped inside the regime's propaganda bubble. The Internet disruptions in Iran allows the government to revive anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment and rewrite the truth after the 12-day military conflict,' said Mehdi Yahyanejad, an Iranian-American democracy activist. NFP, the non-profit organization, has received US government grants to get the Elon Musk-backed Starlink kits inside Iran for more than two years. Those kits have allowed Iranians to more easily access the internet, avoid government censorship and access blocked sites, even amid the blackouts. 'Iran is at a critical juncture, and millions depend on tools like VPNs, Starlink, and satellite file-casting—many of which are supported by US government funding—to access uncensored information,' Evan Firoozi, the executive director of NFP, told CNN. 'The proposed termination of nearly all overseas pro-democracy programs by the US government threatens to sever this vital lifeline, leaving countless individuals without access to free and trustworthy information,' he said. Last year, the group received about $150,000 in US government funding and expected to receive the same amount this year. But the grant was unexpectedly halted in January amid the administration's foreign aid freeze, and the group has been given no clear indication when or if the funding will be reinstated. NFP worked to get about 200 Starlink kits inside Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022 sparked massive protests nationwide. The Iranian government throttled internet access inside the country as part of its attempt to quell the unrest. There was a concerted effort by the US government at the time to support internet access in Iran. US funding for NFP helped to pay the subscription fees for the kits inside Iran, develop technology for the kits to be used more effectively, and enabled the group to get more kits into the country. After the funding cut, only about half of the Starlink kits the group managed to get into Iran are operational. Some Trump officials have urged support for Starlink service in Iran. 'Can you turn on @Starlink for free in Iran for the next few weeks, @elonmusk?' Richard Grenell, who currently serves as a special envoy and was the former acting director of national intelligence in the first Trump administration, posted on X on June 21. 'My friends inside Iran don't have regular access to information right now.' Grenell did not respond to multiple requests for comment. NFP is not the only Iran-focused tech group pressing the Trump administration for funding. Psiphon, an open-source software tool that millions of Iranians use to evade censorship, is running out State Department funding, according to Ali Tehrani, Psiphon's director of DC operations. Tehrani told CNN that he has repeatedly appealed to the State Department to disperse funds he says are available through the end of the fiscal year in September, but State Department officials have not committed to doing so. If the funding doesn't arrive, he said, the app simply won't be available to Iranians at scale. 'It's so ironic that when people actually need it, you just do not have access,' Tehrani said. 'That is exactly the time that the Islamic Republic feeds their propaganda to them.' Use of the Psiphon app in Iran surged during the 2022 protests over Amini's death, Tehrani said. 'That was only possible because the State Department back then was very cooperative in terms of making this happen.' The State Department did not provide a comment when asked about the funding for NFP or Psiphon. CNN has requested comment from Iran's mission to the United Nations. Meanwhile, the White House's Office of Management and Budget has proposed widespread cuts at the State Department. Among the nearly 400 programs they recommended be cut from the State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor are those fighting and tracking internet censorship in places like Iran, the third source familiar told CNN. Other programs supported efforts to provide virtual private networks, or VPNs, to allow free internet access in authoritarian countries. The proposed cuts from OMB come in addition to the scores of foreign assistance contracts that have already been slashed or suspended at the State Department and now-defunct USAID. It is unclear if the State Department will take OMB's recommendations, but the Democracy, Human Rights and Labor bureau is expected to undergo a radical shift away from human rights work as part of the agency's reorganization plan. Christopher Le Mon, who served as a deputy assistant in the bureau during the Obama administration, criticized the potential cuts. 'Zeroing out millions of dollars a year in support for human rights defenders, for the women and men fighting abuses by the awful regime in Tehran is not only a moral travesty – it's also completely at odds with the Trump Administration's own Iran policy, and goes against years of directives and support for these programs from Republican and Democratic Members of Congress including then-Senator Rubio,' he said.
