WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) – The Trump administration official overseeing the dismantling of the main U.S. Lebanon and the Rohingya, the world’s largest stateless population, according to an email reviewed by Reuters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s attention to “the odd dependency” of Lebanon and the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar on U.S. In it, Marocco appeared to want the Rohingya and Lebanon to express their gratitude for U.S. Written on February 16 by Peter Marocco, the acting USAID deputy administrator, the email provides a window into some of the thinking behind the administration’s drive to terminate aid programs that it does not believe benefit the U.S. A source with knowledge of the issue confirmed the authenticity of the email and that Marocco sought to phase out aid to the Rohingya and Lebanon. Marocco “is not convinced these people need more aid,” the source said. It should outline options for “how we recommend, immediately, sending the signal, that though we have compassion, people had the warning on November 5, and things will have to change,” Marocco wrote, referring to Trump’s 2024 re-election. U.S. obligation to provide further support. The email directed Tim Meisburger, the head of USAID’s humanitarian affairs bureau, to draft an “Action memo” drawing U.S.

America First foreign policy.

The State Department declined to comment. The U.S. has been the largest provider of aid to the Rohingya refugees, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since 2017, according to a State Department website. Marocco sent the email as he and billionaire Elon Musk´s Department of Government Efficiency were launching a drive to shrink USAID and merge its remnants into the State Department. The drive began hours after Trump took office on January 20, with the Republican president ordering a 90-day freeze on all foreign assistance pending reviews of whether aid programs conformed with his America First foreign policy. The United States provides military, humanitarian and other assistance to Lebanon. The U.S. long has viewed Lebanon’s stability as critical to that of the region and sought to counter the influence that Iran has exerted there through Hezbollah, part of Tehran’s Axis of Resistance against Israel. To that end, successive Democratic and Republican presidents, including Trump in his first term, have approved since 2001 more than $5.5 billion in humanitarian, military and other aid for Lebanon, according to a USAID website. They have fired hundreds of staff and contractors and terminated billions of dollars in services on which tens of millions of people around the world depend. Four days later, Rubio granted a waiver for all life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such aid. The United Nations earlier this month warned it will have to cut monthly food rations to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from $12.50 to $6 next month, unless it can raise more funds. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the U.N. Lebanon has been rocked by a series of crises, including an influx of refugees from Syria, political paralysis, a financial collapse, a blast that devastated Beirut’s port and fighting that erupted in October 2023 between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement that uprooted tens of thousands. 2022 declared a genocide. Rubio on Monday said more than 80% of all USAID programs have been canceled. Reuters could not determine whether Meisburger sent the requested memo to Rubio or how much U.S. Food aid for the Rohingya and Lebanon was shielded by a waiver from the freeze for emergency food aid issued by Rubio on February 24, the source said. More than 1 million Rohingyas live in squalid camps in the Cox´s Bazar district of Bangladesh, which borders Myanmar, and according to the U.N. Others have sought refuge in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand and elsewhere. Visiting Cox’s Bazar on Friday, U.N. Lebanon or the more than 1 million Rohingyas who have fled violent persecution in Myanmar that the U.S. Marocco and Meisburger did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 95% of Rohingya households depend on humanitarian assistance.

Swift has attended every Chiefs home game this season, with Kansas City holding a 5-0 record in those games. Just last month, Jason, wife Kylie, their kids and mom Donna flew to Miami to catch one of Swift’s three performance at the Hard Rock Stadium. Travis was unable to join his family at the concert due to his team playing against the San Francisco 49ers that same weekend. He’s a good guy. The Chiefs are the NFL’s lone unbeaten at 9-0, and they’ll face their toughest test of the season on Sunday afternoon against the Buffalo Bills. Donna’s appearance at Swift’s Miami concert on October 18 marked her first-ever Eras Tour stop. Ahead of the Miami show, Donna was gifted a iconic Eras Tour friendship bracelet from one of the singer’s biggest fans. Donna was reportedly ‘the nicest person ever’ to the fan, who shared the experience on X (formerly Twitter). While speaking to Page Six at the premiere of Travis’ TV show debut Grotesquerie, she admitted that the relationship between the couple has been ‘kind of interesting’ while also explaining how they’re so good together. It was at Highmark Stadium last season where she met Travis’ older brother and NFL legend Jason Kelce for the first time, as well as Jason’s wife Kylie Kelce. He’s kind. He’s generous. The Kelce family has also attended several of Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour shows. He really is. He’s good,’ Donna said of her youngest son. Swift could attend her first road game of the season, as she is performing in Toronto on both ends of the game during the Canadian leg of the ‘Eras Tour’. Just before the concert, Donna made rare remarks about her son’s relationship with the Anti-Hero hitmaker.

Kmart has sparked a frenzy among Taylor Swift fans after releasing a new collection of bracelet kits ahead of the singer’s Australian leg of the Eras Tour. Fans shared their excitement on social media, claiming they’re going to ‘run’ to Kmart to get their hands on the latest DIY products. The official Kmart Australia TikTok page promoted the $20 Mega Rainbow Jewellery Kit, which is packed with beads of 20 different colours, letters, and matching string. Last year the department store launched a range of kits in the kids section, but the latest range can be found in the craft section. Fans are also particularly interested in the $9 alphabet bead packets to add lyrics and words onto the bracelets. The friendship bracelet trend started on social media in the US and was inspired by a line in the song ‘You’re on Your Own Kid’ from the singer’s latest album Midnights. In the clip, Liz said she was specifically after the pain black and white alphabet beads rather than the multi-colour packs. The department store has a vast selection of colourful, sparkly beaded kits and rhinestones available from just $9. Diehard fan Liz rushed to Kmart after hearing the news and shared a TikTok video to alert other Swifties.