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.
International Sterling Silver
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.

The Trump aid who has been spearheading cuts to foreign assistance and USAID got an earful from lawmakers in a closed-door meeting, including from a senior Republican furious over a stalled program to resettle Afghans who helped US troops. A former Marine, he filed an affidavit amid a lawsuit of his efforts to slash foreign assistance saying he had ‘grave concern about whether U.S.A.I.D. And they’re like, well, you know, some say they’re terrorists. I just said, like, you have always waivers for humanitarian assistance … It comes with up to 40,000 of them stuck in third countries like Qatar . It was so loud you could barely hear him,’ Texas Republican Rep. ’s and secretary’s directives.’ A member of the Sedition Hunters effort posted an image from video footage purporting to show Marocco and his wife inside and outside the Capitol on January 6. Marocco blasted ‘petty smear tactics and desperate personal attacks in an interview with D magazine, after spearheading efforts to change the Texas constitution. Houston in my state, all those foods rotting, and they get 500,000 metric tons on the ships at sea. They fought against the terrorists – at great risk. The Trump official taking the heat was Peter Marocco, the State Department’s head of foreign assistance who has been directing the USAID cuts as deputy administrator-designate at the U.S. They put a pause on all refugees and they paused foreign assistance to allow them, under this CARE office, to be flown. And he said, Well, we found a lot of fraud, waste and abuse, and that’s slowing it down, this and that,’ he said. It came during a tense meeting that did not appear to bring concrete resolution to slashing cuts in foreign aid , which have led to court battles and a clash over separation of powers. Marocco is a controversial figure. The situation is grave for those who might get sent back to Afghanistan, where the Taliban still rules. McCaul said he pressed Marocco on the halt in refugee flights and other assistance to Afghans who served the U.S. And many of them died, and they will die if they get sent back to Afghanistan,’ he added. All these protesters were banging on the door. And the waivers aren’t being implemented,’ said McCaul. Agency for International Development. The clash over foreign aid came as Trump’s new proposed travel ban that could take effect as soon as next week would bar visitors from Pakistan and Afghanistan , renewing some of the fury of his explosive 2017 ‘muslim ban’.
He was never charged, and President Trump pardoned January 6 defendants. We only had 30 seconds to ask a question. Didn’t have a lot of answers.’ He said there should have been a public hearing. What’s the money? But he didn’t have any answers at all? You get rid of all of the inspector generals, you get rid of all the individuals that should have oversight, like Congress,’ said Meeks. He didn’t say anything,’ fumed Rep. He’s bypassed Congress, you know, money that was directed clear congressional intent – no consultation with us at all in that regard. I mean, there was no real transparency. He said Republicans are being ‘too gentle’ with Marocco. He’s only there for an hour. He said it was his understanding that Marocco is now the sole employee at the independent Inter-American Foundation, which funds economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean, after a purge of the 37-member staff. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Well, shows what the mistakes were made? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need. But when we asked to show the documents, because he said there were some mistakes. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Protesters outside the bipartisan meeting Wednesday held up signs that said ‘Marocco lies, people with AIDS die.’ Thousands of USAID employees have been placed on leave, with DOGE overseeing cuts in government contracts. He couldn’t answer some of their questions, two or three of the members,’ he said, but said Republican House members didn’t criticize Marocco when he didn’t.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday the United States was cancelling 83 percent of programs at USAID, as the Trump administration guts spending not aligned with its “America First” agenda. Rubio said the remaining 1,000 programs would be administered by the State Department, delivering a seemingly fatal blow to USAID — where most workers have been placed on leave or fired since January. Rubio on Monday notably thanked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which billionaire Elon Musk is leading in a drive to cut federal spending and jobs. President Donald Trump, who has called for the humanitarian agency to be shut down, signed an executive order in January demanding a freeze on all US foreign aid to allow time to assess overseas expenses. Trump and his allies have argued that foreign assistance is wasteful and does not serve US interests, but aid groups argue much of the assistance supports US interests by promoting stability and health overseas. The State Department had announced last month its intention to cut 92 percent of USAID contracts, identifying 5,800 grants to be eliminated. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) distributes humanitarian aid around the world, with health and emergency programs in around 120 countries, and critics warn that slashing its work will affect millions of people.
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.
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 