Foreign aid food will be destroyed after Trump's USAID cuts. Here's why

Foreign aid food will be destroyed after Trump's USAID cuts. Here's why

Nearly 500 metric tons of food intended for foreign aid are set to expire this month after the Trump administration dismantled theU.S. Agency for International Development, according to multiple media reports. USAID was one of the first agencies thatElon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency targeted in theradical downsizing of the federal workforce.The agency was the world's biggest foreign aid agency. The State Department, which now oversees whats left of USAID, said the cuts aren't what caused the food to expire. ButReutersandThe Atlantichave reported that nearly 500 metric tons of high-energy biscuits used to fight hunger in emergencies are going to expire in July while in a warehouse in Dubai, a result of administrative changes that disrupted the processes for food to reach its destinations abroad. 'We have to try lifting ourselves':USAID workers fired months ago are still scrambling for jobs The biscuits will be destroyed once they expire, possibly by incineration, Reuters and the Atlantic reported. Secretary of StateMarco Rubiovowed in May that the U.S. would still be the world's biggest provider of food assistance while moving policies closer to national interests. In answering a question during a House Appropriations Committee meeting, he saidfood aid would not go to waste. The State Department did not comment specifically on the expiring biscuits in Dubai when asked by USA TODAY, but told Reuters they were purchased under the Biden administration "as a contingency beyond projections," resulting in their expiration. A spokesperson said that the policy is not to distribute food that is nearing its shelf life, and that standard protocol is to destroy it. The nearly 500 metric tons of expiring biscuits in Dubai are part of more than 60,000 metric tons of food stored in U.S. government warehouses around the world, according to Reuters. More than 600 metric tons of the biscuits, which are high in calories and vitamins tohelp people survive emergencies,were recently approved to go to Syria, Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to Reuters. USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, was originally a standalone agency and the world's largest foreign aid agency. As part of Trump's efforts to downsize the federal government, he set out to dismantle the agency and it has since been moved under the State Department. The archived website states the agency's mission is to "promote and demonstrate democratic values abroad, and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world." On July 1, the defunct agency officially stopped issuing foreign aid, Rubio said in a statement. "Moving forward, our assistance will be targeted and time limited. We will favor those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves and will target our resources to areas where they can have a multiplier effect and catalyze durable private sector, including American companies, and global investment," Rubio's"Making Foreign Aid Great Again," statement read. Contributing: Eric Lagatta,Terry Collins, USA TODAY Network Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Is the Trump administration burning food? What to know in USAID halt

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July 16, 2025

Foreign aid food will be destroyed after Trump's USAID cuts. Here's why

Foreign aid food will be destroyed after Trump's USAID cuts. Here's why Nearly 500 metric tons of food intended for foreign aid are ...

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Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says

Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says

The leader of Camp Mystic had been tracking the weather beforethe deadly Texas floods, but it is now unclear whether he saw an urgent warning from the National Weather Service that had triggered an emergency alert to phones in the area, a spokesman for camp's operators said Wednesday. Richard "Dick" Eastland, the owner of Camp Mystic, began taking action after more than 2 inches of rain had fallen in the area along the Guadalupe River, said Jeff Carr, a spokesman for the family and the camp. He said Eastland had a "home weather station" and was monitoring the rain on July 4. But after initially portraying to the media this week that Eastland got the weather alerts about a flash flood, Carr told The Associated Press that critical moment in the timeline of the tragedy isn't as clear as the family and staff first thought. No one in the family or camp staff, Carr said, could now say whether Eastland got the alert at 1:14 a.m. "It was assumed that just because he had a cellphone on and shortly after that alert, he was calling his family on the walkie-talkies saying, 'Hey, we got two inches in the last hour. We need to get the canoes up. We got things to do,' " Carr said. The new account by the family comes as Camp Mystic staff has come under scrutiny of their actions, what preventive measures were taken and the camp's emergency plan leading up to a during the catastrophic flood that has killed at least 132 people. The flash-flood warning that the National Weather Service issued at 1:14 a.m. on July 4 for Kerr County triggered an emergency alerts to broadcast outlets, weather radios and mobile phones. It warned of "a dangerous and life-threatening situation." The weather service extended the warning at 3:35 a.m. and escalated it to flash-flood emergency at 4:03 a.m. Eastland died while trying to rescue girls and was found in his Tahoe that was swept away by the floodwaters, Carr said. Even without a storm, the cellphone coverage at Camp Mystic is spotty at best, so campers and staff turn on their Wi-Fi, Carr said. He called ridiculous criticism that Eastland waited too long before beginning to evacuate the campers, which he said appears to have begun sometime between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. "Communication was a huge deficiency," Carr said. "This community was hamstrung, nobody could communicate. The first responder, the first rescue personnel that showed up was a game warden." According to Carr, Eastland and others started evacuating girls from cabins nearest the overflowing river and moved them to the camp's two-story recreation hall. Of the 10 cabins closest to the river, the recreation hall is the furthest at 865 feet (264 meters) with the closest cabin about 315 feet (96 meters), according to an Associated Press analysis of aerial imagery. To reach Senior Hill, which was on higher ground , they would have had to cross an overflowing creek, Carr said. At times the young campers were climbing hills in bare feet, he said. Some of the camp's buildings — which flooded — were in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency considered a 100-year flood plain. But in response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013amended the county's flood map to remove 15 of the camp's buildings from the hazard area. Carr said there were "legitimate" reasons for filing appeals and suggested that the maps may not always be accurate. Just before daybreak on the Fourth of July,destructive, fast-moving watersrose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. Crews in helicopters, boats and drones have been searching for victims. Officials say97 people in the Kerrville areamay still be missing. ___ Associated Press writer Christopher Keller contributed to this report from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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July 16, 2025

Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says

Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says The leader of Camp Mystic had been tracking the ...

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Over 900 former DOJ employees urge Senate to reject Bove appeals court nomination

Over 900 former DOJ employees urge Senate to reject Bove appeals court nomination

More than 900 former Justice Department employees sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday urging lawmakers to vote down the nomination of Emil Bove, the controversial top DOJ official who formerly served as President Donald Trump's defense attorney, to a seat on the powerful Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. "We are all alarmed by DOJ leadership's recent deviations from constitutional principles and institutional guardrails. We also share a grave concern over the senseless attacks on the dedicated career employees who are the backbone of the Department," the employees wrote in their letter. "Emil Bove has been a leader in this assault." The letter was organized by Justice Connection, a group that has sought to provide legal support for DOJ employees fired or otherwise targeted by the Trump administration. It comes just one day before Bove's nomination is set to be voted out of the Judiciary Committee on Thursday, where Republican members appear to be unanimous in their approval of him being confirmed for the lifetime appointment on the appeals court that oversees districts in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Bove has repeatedly drawn criticism from Democrats in the opening six months of Trump's presidency for cultivating a reputation as one of President Trump's chief enforcers at DOJ. He has fired scores of one-time career officials at Main Justice and the FBI, including prosecutors who worked on former special counsel Jack Smith's investigations of Trump as well as the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. Bove also was at the center of the department's controversial decision to drop the federal corruption case against New York Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, which led to the resignations of multiple prosecutors who argued the effort appeared to be a 'quid pro quo' to secure Adams' cooperation with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions. Adams and Bove have both denied any such 'quid pro quo' arrangement, but in agreeing to drop the charges the federal judge overseeing Adams' case dinged the Justice Department writing, "Everything here smacks of a bargain." "Mr. Bove's trampling over institutional norms in this case, and in others, sent shockwaves through the ranks -- cratering morale, triggering mass departures, and eroding the effectiveness of DOJ's vital work," the more than 900 prosecutors wrote of Bove's actions. "Prosecutorial authority carries profound consequences on individuals' lives and the integrity of our public institutions; wielding it without impartiality is a flagrant abuse of that power." More recently, however, Bove's actions have come under scruitny as the subject of a whistleblower complaint by fired DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni, who has accused Bove and other top DOJ officials of repeatedly discussing how they could potentially disobey court orders that seek to restrict the Trump Administration's immigration actions. Reuveni's complaint alleged that in one meeting Bove suggested saying 'f--- you' to courts who may try to block deportations under the 'Alien Enemies Act.' During his confirmation hearing, Bove disputed much of Reuveni's complaint -- though he only said he could "not recall" using such an expletive to describe their response to a court order. "Each one of the undersigned would testify, under oath, that we have never -- and would never -- tell a Justice Department attorney to consider defying a court order," the letter said. "Moreover, the Justice Department's later defiance of judicial mandates in the cases where Mr. Bove previewed doing so further suggests that disregarding court orders was Mr. Bove's intent all along." Republicans on the committee rushed to Bove's defense in the wake of the whistleblower complaint, and accused Reuveni of partnering with Democrats in seeking to tank Bove's nomination by filing it with the committee just 24 hours before he was set to appear publicly before them. Responding to the letter Wednesday, DOJ official Brian Nieves attacked Justice Connection as a "political hit squad masquerading as a support network" and said "they certainly don't speak for DOJ." "They speak for a bitter faction angry they no longer call the shots," said Nieves, a deputy chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Their attacks on Emil Bove are dishonest, coordinated, and disgraceful."

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July 16, 2025

Over 900 former DOJ employees urge Senate to reject Bove appeals court nomination

Over 900 former DOJ employees urge Senate to reject Bove appeals court nomination More than 900 former Justice Department employees sent a l...

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Simone Biles Beams Bright at 2025 ESPYS in Glittering Gown Made from Her 'Favorite' T-Shirt: Exclusive Details

Simone Biles Beams Bright at 2025 ESPYS in Glittering Gown Made from Her 'Favorite' T-Shirt: Exclusive Details

Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage Simone Biles and NFL star husband Jonathan Owen hit the 2025 ESPYS red carpet dressed to impress Biles wore a custom Zac Posen gown, made in collaboration with Athleta, for the occasion The gown was constructed from the brand's open back Transcend t-shirt, Biles "favorite" she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive red carpet interview at the event Simone BilesandJonathan Owensshut down the 2025 ESPYS red carpet with their show-stopping style. The record-breaking Olympic gymnast, 28, is nominated for two awards including Best Athlete in Women's Sports and Best Championship Performance for hergold medal winat the2024 Olympics in Women's All-Around‬.This is Biles' first trip to the ESPYS since 2017. The champion wore a glittering blue sequin gown, a custom design by Zac Posen in partnership with Athleta. The dress, which shimmered from every angle, was fit for a winner — the square neck line allowed the Olympian to show off her ample cleavage and tattoos with comfort and ease, as the dress was made from the same fabric as Athleta'sTranscend Open Back Tee. Amy Sussman/Getty "Zac Posen [collaborated] with Athleta to make the perfect top which was one of my favorites, the Transcend, and so that's why I have an open back. It's very comfortable underneath," Biles —who is an ambassador for the brand — exclusively told PEOPLE on the ESPYS red carpet. Biles completed the glamorous look with a smoky eyeshadow on her lids, a glossy bob worn styled in sleek waves and dazzling diamond EFFY jewelry for an added touch of sparkle. Ahead of the awards show, Athleta shared a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the gown to Instagram. Posen said that creating the "one of a kind custom piece" was like "singing a duet," while Biles noted the gown came out "exactly how I envisioned it." Meanwhile, her husband, 29, opted for a suited look by Banana Republic that consisted of a white blazer worn over a black dress shit — featuring a cowl neck to show off his tattooed chest — and black slacks. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Minutes into the ESPYS broadcast, thegymnast also took home the award for Best Championship Performance, and used a portion of her speech to recognize Texas flood victims that are struggling after the devastating storms; Owens stood up and cheered for her after she hit the stage. The couple's red carpet appearances are few and far between, the last time being at the2025 Met Gala.It marked their first Met Gala as a couple, and theChicago Bears safety's debut. At the event, Biles turned heads in a custom bright blue Harbison Studio minidress. The bold look featured a white collar, jewel appliqués, plus massive bow and train. The 4 foot, 8 inch tall gymnast topped off her look with "at least four or five" inch heels, she shared. Theo Wargo/FilmMagic Meanwhile, the football pro sported an all-white suit with and white fringe details on the sleeves and pants. Blue accents, including a white gold Margot McKinney Atlantic pendant featuring a 119.44ct aquamarine, a South Sea pearl and several diamonds, complemented Biles's look. He finished the fit with a white fur shawl and black cane. The couple joked that the event was the "ultimate date night," ahead of theirsecond wedding anniversary. "I'm just excited to be with my husband," Biles said during the event's livestream hosted byTeyana Taylor, La La Anthony and Ego Nwodim. She also shared that she and Owens were "doing long distance" during May. The couple initiallygot married in April of 2023. Biles wore a tiered white gown and Owens chose a tan suit. The athlete then worefour different dressesfor their second ceremony and wedding weekend in Cabo San Lucas, including a Galia Lahav JILL mini dress, a custom Galia Lahav GIMAYA dress, a custom Galia Lahav MAYA dress and custom Galia Lahav G-502. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. During last years ESPY Awards, Bileswon the Best Comeback Athletecategory. She did not attend the event to accept the honor as she was preparing for the 2024 Olympics. She has won four ESPY awards so far, two in 2017, one in 2021 and one last year. The ESPY Awards are airing live on ESPN beginning 8 p.m. ET. Read the original article onPeople

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July 16, 2025

Simone Biles Beams Bright at 2025 ESPYS in Glittering Gown Made from Her 'Favorite' T-Shirt: Exclusive Details

Simone Biles Beams Bright at 2025 ESPYS in Glittering Gown Made from Her 'Favorite' T-Shirt: Exclusive Details Maya Dehlin Spach/Wir...

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Why Oprah Winfrey 'would never' go to space like best friend Gayle King

Why Oprah Winfrey 'would never' go to space like best friend Gayle King

Oprah Winfreyisn't joining her bestieGayle Kingby going to space any time soon. The ex-"Oprah Winfrey Show"host got candid on the July 16 episode of the SiriusXM show"Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa"about why she skipped going on the infamous Blue Origin flight in April with her BFF. "I would never do it, but I became very interested in the whole process," Winfrey said. The Oprah's Book Club creatortold Ripa that she was "just so proud to be there for" King, adding she was "relieved" that the "CBS Mornings" host went to space, "because if she'd asked one more time, 'What should I do? Do you think I should go?' I, from the beginning, was like, 'You should do it.'" Winfrey also revealed that she told King not to "letKaty Perrycome down and say, 'It was really great fun.'" Kelly Ripa shuts down Mark Consuelos''repulsive' morning habit For the mission, King joinedpop star Perryand billionaire Amazon founderJeff Bezos'now-wife and authorLauren SánchezBezos along with three others for thefirst all-female flight to spacein decades. However, the flight fromBezos-backedexploration company Blue Origin garnered widespread criticism. Still, Winfrey encouraged King to adventure. "You're going to be really saying, 'I should have done it,'" she recalled telling King. "The minute somebody says, 'Oh my God, like a life changing experience,' you're going to go, 'Oh, I should have done it.'" Oprah says July book club pick hookedher 'until the very last shocking sentence' The "Oprah Winfrey Show" star confessed that she knew it was time to leave her eponymous daytime talk show, which ended in 2011, when her team suggested they send an audience to space. "I remember going into a meeting and someone saying, 'I think what we should do is try to get people on a spaceship, or we should be able to take an audience or some audience members up on a spaceship,'" Winfrey said. After making the admission, Winfrey gave her fellow talk show host a word of advice and told her that "it's not time for you to step away" from "Live," which Ripa hosts with husband andactor Mark Consuelos, because "you have fun and it's easy and it's light enough. And serious enough when it needs to be, and it's not a grind." The "Oprah Podcast" host said that she loved hosting her own show, but it was different than Ripa's because the "Oprah" show dealt with heavier topics, sharing with the "All My Children" alum that "the nature of what we were doing every day became just so hard." Gayle King on 'disrespectful' spacebacklash, celebrity friends 'throwing shade' "Don't let go of the platform that you have. Do not do it. Don't even consider it," Winfrey said. "Because I feel that the reach that you have, the audience that you've built, the family that you've created – both inside the studio and in the rest of the world – is really more vital and important now than ever before." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Oprah talks friend Gayle King's space trip, says she'd 'never' go

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July 16, 2025

Why Oprah Winfrey 'would never' go to space like best friend Gayle King

Why Oprah Winfrey 'would never' go to space like best friend Gayle King Oprah Winfreyisn't joining her bestieGayle Kingby going ...

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Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn’t Thrilled About Talk Show Chatter

Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn't Thrilled About Talk Show Chatter

Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn't Thrilled About Talk Show Chatteroriginally appeared onParade. Jenna Bush Hagerhas stepped into her role as a daytime talk show host with ease. For many, the mother of three has brought a lot of joy and light with her role onToday, from chatting about her home life with her kids to taking part in various segments. However, there's one thing about her role on TV that her husband, Henry Chase Hager, isn't super thrilled with. "I think it's in the same vein as when you're writing," Bush Hager said on the July 16 episode ofTodayin regard to sharing things about her three children. "You're like, 'Wait, whose story is this? Am I telling my story or is this posting because the kids are doing something really cute?'" Bush Hager noted that her husband is very mindful of the family's privacy — especially when it comes to their kids, Mila, 12, and Poppy, 9, and Hal, 5. "One of the great things about Henry is he always is thinking that way. He just believes we should have privacy as a family. So if I say something — maybe on this show — that gets pickup, he gets grumpy about it," Bush Hager continued. The former first daughter takes her husband's opinion seriously and has given it some thought. "It helps me realize that I should be better for Mila, for Poppy and Hal," she said. Nevertheless, Hager is still the ever-supportive husband and, back in March, he made hisTodayco-hosting debut alongside his wife. Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn't Thrilled About Talk Show Chatterfirst appeared on Parade on Jul 16, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.

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July 16, 2025

Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn’t Thrilled About Talk Show Chatter

Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn't Thrilled About Talk Show Chatter Jenna Bush Hager Admits Her Husband Isn't Thrilled About ...

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