The State Department inspector general has launched an assessment of the billions of dollars in foreign aid for hundreds of awards through the U.S. Agency for International Development.
A handful of protesters tried to rally support for recently fired State Department employees outside the U.S. State Department headquarters on Friday, but the spectacle fell flat.
Vice President JD Vance cast two tie-breaking votes in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, advancing a $9.4 billion rescissions bill championed by President Donald Trump. The legislation, which aims to slash spending across foreign aid and liberal public media outlets, cleared its final procedural hurdle after a 50-50 split vote—twice—requiring Vance’s intervention to proceed.
President Trump has submitted a $9.4 billion rescission package to Congress, aiming to slash federal funding for what the administration calls wasteful and ideologically driven programs.
U2 frontman Bono faced fierce pushback on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast after claiming the Trump administration’s disbandment of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) caused 300,000 deaths. Rogan and Elon Musk quickly challenged the singer’s claim, calling it baseless and untested.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday to make the case for his department’s 2026 budget and defend sweeping reforms aimed at cutting red tape, improving efficiency, and ensuring foreign aid reaches those who truly need it.
Actress and political activist Angelina Jolie voiced strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s cuts to USAID spending, declaring she felt “very angry” and “very sick” over the decision. Her comments came during a press appearance at the Chopard gala in Cannes on May 16, where she addressed the reductions in billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars previously allocated to global aid initiatives.
