In 2025, the Trump administration dissolved the $40 billion U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. Days later, an exemption for "life-saving humanitarian assistance" was issued. But what that included was not specified and aid for health programs has been drastically reduced. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Uganda where there has been a spike in disease-related deaths since the cut. MORE

Since the dismantling of USAID, the Trump administration has been revamping aid policies, focusing on smaller deals with recipient governments. Countries receiving American aid will be required to finance part, and eventually, the entire program. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Kenya and Uganda, two nations that have signed agreements under the new America First Global Health Strategy. MORE

While organizations in the developing world were nearly shut out, the big aid agencies DOGE had called wasteful received huge infusions of cash, a new analysis found.

When the Trump administration began its overhaul of foreign aid in January 2025, officials made no secret of their disdain for giant aid organizations and private businesses who received multimillion dollar contracts to deliver health services to poor nations. They characterized them as “beltway bandits” who charged bloated amounts of overhead. MORE

A dearth of information has been disclosed about the agreements, fueling speculation that the “America First” approach to foreign aid is exploitative.

The Trump administration has spent the better part of a year quietly negotiating agreements with poorer nations as it seeks to scale back and reimagine U.S. foreign assistance for efforts like HIV and tuberculosis prevention through a new “America First” global health strategy. MORE

As the Trump administration ordered agencies to eradicate “illegal” diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, we identified more than 1,000 nonprofits that removed such language from the mission statements in their tax filings. MORE

One of the first acts by the second Trump administration was the complete gutting of the US Agency for International Development, a workforce of more than 10,000 people that had administered humanitarian aid and public health support to nations around the world since 1961. Thousands of jobs were immediately slashed by Elon Musk’s para-governmental Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and political appointees took over posts previously held by career civil servants. An agency once charged with fighting poverty, curbing the spread of infectious diseases, and promoting education and democracy abroad had been effectively thrown in the woodchipper. MORE

Depositions offer insight into what Elon Musk’s group was up to. Members describe a club-like atmosphere in which they pushed for grant and contract cancellations across the government with little oversight.

Members of the U.S. DOGE Service spoke regularly over Signal, the encrypted chat service that can auto-delete messages. They were informally recruited by people they knew. And other government employees didn’t know who was “DOGE.”

When DOGE members were deposed in January as part of a lawsuit over cuts to grants awarded to the National Endowment for the Humanities, they described a vague network of similarly minded technologists and lawyers who had been tasked with a vast mandate to reduce federal spending. They also described a lack of structure that allowed them to operate with little oversight or understanding of what others might be doing. MORE

Zimbabwe and Zambia have pushed back against ‘lopsided’ agreements after US asks for health data and minerals.

In late 2025 after the United States shocked the world by suspending global health aid and experts said it would lead to 700,000 more deaths, mostly of children, each year, Washington began proposing unusual bilateral health agreements to developing countries that have infuriated officials and health activists alike.

Critics said the deals, mostly made with African nations, smack of “exploitation” while at least two of the countries in dire need of health aid have pushed back against them. MORE

GSA has retired eSRS.gov and moved subcontracting plan reporting to SAM.gov as part of its ongoing modernization effort. The new capability incorporates statutory and regulatory requirements, including the Small Business Act and the upcoming FAR overhaul, while leveraging SAM.gov entity and contract data to streamline reporting. Active eSRS users were transitioned to SAM.gov. For guidance and role information, visit https://sam.gov/esrs.