WASHINGTON (AP) – A senior official at Elon Musk´s Department of Government Efficiency is taking a leadership role at the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press, giving DOGE a top job at an agency that it has helped to dismantle. Pete Marocco, a Trump administration political appointee who was serving as deputy head of USAID, disclosed the change in an email Tuesday to State Department staff. Jeremy Lewin, who has played a central role in DOGE’s government-cutting efforts at USAID and other federal agencies, becomes at least the second DOGE lieutenant to be appointed to a top job at an agency during the Trump administration, further formalizing the work of Musk’s associates in the federal government. Musk has faced heavy blowback from some and support from others for his chainsaw-wielding approach to laying off workers and slashing programs. It comes after Marocco and DOGE oversaw the gutting of 83% of USAID contracts, shifting the remaining programs under the State Department. The integral role that DOGE teams have played in the administration’s push to dramatically reduce the size of the government has been divisive among the public and lawmakers.

Trump administration works to scrap the aid and development agency.

Marocco said in his email that he will serve as the State Department’s director of foreign assistance. In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. Institute for Peace, a government think tank meant to promote conflict resolution. In this week’s actions, Rubio also designated Kenneth Jackson as administrator for management and resources who will also serve as the agency´s chief financial officer, according to Marocco’s email. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by USAID employees and contractors, who argued that Musk and DOGE are wielding power that the Constitution reserves only for those who win elections or are confirmed by the Senate. President Donald Trump also recently appointed Jackson as acting president of the U.S. Marocco’s email was sent the same day a federal judge ruled that Musk and DOGE likely lacked constitutional authority to help the Trump administration shut down State Department and USAID foreign assistance, fire staffers and terminate humanitarian and development contracts. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce on Wednesday confirmed his appointment. The lawsuit was aimed specifically at DOGE, and the ruling suggested that similar moves from designated officials at USAID would not necessarily run afoul of the Constitution in the same way. That came after Democratic lawmakers and others expressed alarm at DOGE’s access to Treasury’s payment systems. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland indefinitely blocked DOGE from making further cuts to the agency. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. Their lawyers said the ruling “effectively halts or reverses” many of the steps taken to dismantle the agency. In February, the Treasury Department designated another worker associated with DOGE, Tom Krause, to perform the functions of an assistant secretary at the agency. The move comes as multiple proposals circulate among State Department and USAID officials on what foreign assistance programs to save and how to carry them out as the Trump administration works to scrap the aid and development agency. Marocco wrote that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will “effective immediately” designate Lewin as deputy administrator for policy and programs at USAID and as chief operating officer.

From just 18-years-old, she started to perform in national and international dance events.

Every winter, Lorina Sthapit and her cousins would warm their feet in woollen socks freshly knitted by their grandmother. The gender studies graduate then taught a course in women’s empowerment at Nepal’s first women’s college Padma Kanya Multiple Campus. A decade-long career in international development followed, including working for Oxfam and the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). From just 18-years-old, she started to perform in national and international dance events. Through podcasts and blogs, Sthapit and the makers’ grandchildren take listeners and readers on a nostalgic journey through the lives of the elderly artisans. Aji’s — which means grandmother — was founded in 2018 by Sthapit, her sister Irina and husband Pursarth Tuladhar, selling a variety of products including knitwear, blankets and jewellery. Born in Kathmandu in 1988, Sthapit found herself drawn to the Indian classical dance of Kathak — derived from the Sanskrit word kathaka, or storyteller. Undaunted by the male-dominated start-up world, Sthapit quit her NGO job to work full-time on Aji’s. The tales — from being married at just eight-years-old, battling to be given an education and raising five children as a single mother in the patriarchal society — shed light on Nepal’s rich social and cultural history, but also its strict gendered social order. She worked around the world from Uganda to Uzbekistan, but felt she wanted to make a difference in her home country. She slowly cultivated loyal customers who shared their love for the products with others, eventually drawing the attention of the wider public and international clients. As the brightly coloured pairs stacked up in her cupboard, the 32-year-old felt inspired to share the creations with the world — co-founding a crafts venture that not only sells such handmade products but also delves into the seldom-told lives of their mostly elderly female makers.

Aji’s now has 30 elderly women and men working with them, using traditional Nepali techniques and materials. Another craftswoman, Dil Hera Tuladhar, has sewn traditional blankets and shawls for years. The crafts are sold at two stores in the Kathmandu valley and on the online marketplace Etsy. Sthapit herself learnt that her grandmother was “more confident and bold than I thought”. Ratna Kaji Tamrakar makes silver jewelry in his workshop in Kathmandu. The company works closely with makers’ children or grandchildren, in an effort to help the families develop closer bonds. For Sthapit, the venture has grown much bigger than she envisaged. Sthapit was emboldened by her grandmother’s joy about how popular her socks had become. Sthapit found the social enterprise had another benefit — it gave the artisans a sense of purpose. Tuladhar herself has become an evangelist for staying active. When she first told her grandmother, Champa Devi Tuladhar, that her socks were being snapped up, the 77-year-old’s eyes lit up. But for the first time, she’s started earning from them. Parents traditionally live with their children in Nepal with the elderly discouraged from working and earning. Businesses pay greater attention to so-called “grey dollar” and older consumers, while studies have shown keeping active boosts older people’s physical and mental well-being.

Kmart Australia has copped criticism over a change to the accessories range. Claudia, from the Gold Coast, slammed the brand for using single use plastic bags, sparking outrage from thousands. Another agreed and said: ‘Former Kmart employee here.. Customers noticed the retail giant has started selling jewellery encased in small plastic bags. Kmart, I’m so angry with you,’ she said in a TikTok video. Is this performative environmentalism ? Kmart employee here. the ones not in plastic bags come in plastic bags to be removed for display. Im all for no plastic but maybe taking a step to improve the paper bags could go a long way.I have helped too many vulnerable people pick up their stuff. If they wanted to prevent losing earrings or having them stolen, they could always put them in a plastic box and unlock them and people go to buy them,’ one commented. Normally the products dangle on shelf hooks from cardboard backings. Everyone keeps stealing earrings, I feel like I never see a full set anymore,’ a third wrote. Probably because people just steal them otherwise – but yeah, it is stupid. They’re a multimillion dollar company, but can’t afford to loose some cheap jewels? Or is it a new law ? You start rolling out those paper bags, but you’ve started covering your earrings in plastic. We appreciate our customers giving us feedback, as we know we have a responsibility to reduce our impact by increasing our packaging recyclability as well as phasing out problematic plastics,’ the spokesperson said. Customers noticed Kmart Australia has started selling jewellery encased in small plastic bags. Kmart workers also joined the conversation and shared a lesser-known insight. Though many admitted the decision was likely made as a response to ‘high theft rates’. After 48 hours the video exceeded more than 60,000 views and other shoppers were appalled. A Kmart spokesperson told FEMAIL the retail giant is taking the customer complaints seriously.