U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been ordered to release millions in frozen foreign aid by midnight. But given the past month, many doubt whether it will comply. Jobs, lives — and hey, the rule of law — hang in the balance.
The United Kingdom has announced an aid cut on par with those that caused chaos just a few years ago, and USAID workers get … double fired?
A federal judge has had enough. He’s ordered the Trump administration — after two weeks of stalling.
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“I don’t know why I can’t get a straight answer from you,” Judge Amir Ali told the administration’s attorney at a hearing yesterday. Since Trump froze aid on Jan. 20, his team has fired thousands, gutted USAID, blocked hundreds of grants, and refused to pay its bills. Despite Ali’s order to lift the freeze, hundreds of millions remain in limbo.
The judge isn’t buying excuses. He ruled all pre-Feb. 13 funds must be released by midnight and demanded a status update by noon. .
“The judge clearly has reiterated now, for the fourth time in two-and-a-half weeks, that his temporary restraining order stands,” says Mitchell Warren, head of AVAC. “But clearly the government is ignoring it.”
Since Jan. 22, 500 USAID grants and . The administration insists it can still review, suspend, and cancel awards. But Ali shut that down, rejecting its argument: “The Court was not inviting Defendants to continue the suspension.”
Even if funds unfreeze, Up to 2,000 staff were just fired, and most remaining hires lost access to their accounts. “Impossible,” a former senior USAID official tells my colleague Elissa Miolene. The government made it “impossible to comply.”
And even groups granted waivers haven’t been paid. Despite that, Ali is doubling down, ordering “all necessary actions” to ensure payments move. “I am now on the edge of my seat until 11:59 [p.m.],” Warren says. “I don’t fully expect compliance from the government.”
Hours after the judge’s order, , attempting to continue blocking foreign assistance funding and halting any additional payments.
Judge orders USAID to release millions of dollars in foreign aid
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In a move that left members of the United Kingdom Parliament reeling, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to — breaking a key manifesto promise. Why? To fund a bigger defense budget and prove to Trump that the nation is serious about standing up to Russia.
The plan: Aid spending will drop in 2027, — with a long-term goal of hitting 3%. In Starmer’s words, “hard choices” had to be made, even if it wasn’t a decision he “wanted to take or that I’m happy to take.”
But critics aren’t buying it. NGOs, members of Parliament, and aid groups are , warning it will hurt the world’s most vulnerable, damage the U.K.’s global reputation, and even weaken national security.
Some of the strongest reactions:
🔹 Global Justice Now: “A day of shame for Britain.”
🔹 Save the Children UK: “A betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children.”
🔹 Bond network CEO Romilly Greenhill: “A reckless decision that will have devastating consequences.”
Even U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy had previously called similar aid cuts — yet now, the U.K. is following Washington’s lead, writes my colleague Rob Merrick.
What’s next? of the U.K.’s legal 0.7% of GNI aid commitment, setting up a major political showdown. And with backlash mounting, Starmer may soon find himself facing more “hard choices” than he bargained for.
UK will slash billions in aid spending to fund larger military
+ Check out our page dedicated to coverage of the U.K. aid sector.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing to scale back the U.N.’s commitment to women in peacekeeping and erase efforts to combat disinformation against the U.N. Blue Helmets — .
In closed-door talks, U.S. diplomats proposed scrapping references to gender and inclusion, replacing “international law” with “relevant legal obligations,” and . They also want to remove U.N. Resolution 1325, a landmark policy promoting women’s leadership in conflict resolution, writes Devex Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch.
This aligns with the administration’s broader crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives, which Trump officials call “woke” policies undermining merit. In a World Food Programme meeting, the U.S. declared: “U.S. funds will not be used to promote gender ideology, and all references to and work to that end should cease immediately.”
But it’s not just gender policies at risk. The U.S. is also pushing to and disinformation, a stance mirroring Russia’s. U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently attacked European leaders for using these terms to silence political opponents, arguing “the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite.”
Trump admin opposes UN commitment to broaden women's peace role
The Trump administration takes war on DEI and gender global
Thousands of USAID employees were let go on Sunday — but less than 48 hours later, some received a second email terminating them immediately. The notice, signed by Kenneth Jackson, USAID’s assistant to the administrator for management and resources, stated simply that
The chaotic purge has left staff scrambling for answers, especially since earlier communications suggested they’d have time to wrap up their work. The exact number of second firings remains unclear, and the State Department isn’t offering explanations, writes Elissa.
Meanwhile, — staff were told they could contest their termination on discrimination or whistleblower grounds, but the process comes with “limited rights” and little clarity. To make matters worse, the earlier this month.
For those caught in the turmoil, the confusion — and the fallout — only continues.
USAID staff members were also told to come pick up their personal belongings from the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. They will have 15 minutes to do so, they must bring their own boxes and tape, and they won’t be reimbursed for transport or parking costs.
“It’s going to be emotional,” one USAID staff member tells my colleague Sara Jerving. “ to pack up over a decade with the agency, never mind to shred and destroy documents, as needed. It’s, of course, part of the mental game of telling us that USAID is dead.”
They were also given a lengthy description of all the things they can't bring to the pickup. This included nunchucks, swords, cattle prods, billy clubs, and brass knuckles.
Previously fired USAID staff dismissed again — this time, immediately
USAID staff given 15 minutes to pick up belongings from headquarters
Delegates returned to the negotiating table in Rome yesterday to , known as COP16.2. My colleague Jesse Chase-Lubitz, who is on the ground covering the debates, tells me that morning discussions were contentious, with countries still diverging on whether a new financial instrument should be developed or the Global Environment Facility, or GEF, should continue to operate as the primary financial mechanism under the convention.
Despite the central role of GEF in these debates, the facility did not send any spokespeople to Rome, telling Jesse that “due to the sensitiveness of the topics, the GEF won’t comment on the ongoing negotiations.”
, however. The Cali Fund, a biodiversity fund which encourages large companies that benefit the most from nature to pay in 1% of their profits, was operationalized.
A but the conference has just today and tomorrow to finalize the most essential issues of global biodiversity policy.
Cali Fund launches, calling companies to fund biodiversity protection
At COP16 take two, delegates aim to finalize funding for biodiversity (Pro)
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The , as well as skip events hosted by the country, over the African country’s support for the M23 rebel group’s advance in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [The Guardian]
United Nations agencies and NGOs have , with brutal killings forcing people to flee their homes. [France 24]
The World Health Organization has dispatched a team to northwestern DRC after . [The Telegraph]
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