Latest news with #Lewin
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why the Trump Administration Is About to Set Fire to 500 Tons of Emergency Food
Toward the end of the Biden administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spent about $800,000 on high-energy biscuits used to help people impacted by natural disasters or fleeing war, according to a report by The Atlantic. Following Donald Trump's return to the White House, the food meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan reportedly languished in a Dubai warehouse as Trump and former DOGE chief Elon Musk dismantled much of the federal government, including the government's foreign aid department. The publication said that previously, career staff could have handed off the biscuits to the World Food Programme to distribute them, but employees said that since Musk's so-called DOGE devastated USAID — firing and placing thousands of workers on leave — aid items cannot move without the new political leaders of the agency. And while the responsibility originally was given to Trump appointee Pete Marocco, it passed to Jeremy Lewin, who became deputy administrator for policy and programs for what's left of USAID. (Rolling Stone previously reported on Lewin's alleged history of violence and racist remarks.) Staffers who sent the memos requesting approval to move the emergency food said they never got a response, however, and it is unclear if either Marocco or Lewin ever received the memos. Now, enough food to feed about 1.5 million children for a week — equal to nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food — is set to expire today, The Atlantic reports. Despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio ensuring representatives on the House Appropriations Committee in May that food aid would reach its intended recipients, the Trump administration reportedly plans to spend $130,000 to burn the biscuits instead of sending them to children in need. While improper food storage, a flood, or a terrorist group may lead to a few dozen tons of food aid being lost a year, a USAID staffer said that he has never witnessed this many biscuits wasted over his decades with the agency. Unfortunately, USAID inventory lists show that as of January, more than 60,000 metric tons of food already purchased by the U.S. government were sitting in warehouses across the world, including 36,000 pounds of peas, oil, and cereal. A former senior official at USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance told The Atlantic that when she left her job earlier in July, only a small portion of the food appeared to have moved, while a current employee said small shipments are starting to leave a warehouse in Djibouti. However, given that USAID has been gutted of key employees essential to coordinating and distributing the food to people across the world, whether those parcels will land in the right hands is uncertain. More from Rolling Stone Speaker Mike Johnson Splits From Trump, Calls for Release of Epstein Files How Texas Bullied Big Banks Into Dropping Their Climate Commitments What Trump Has Said About Jeffrey Epstein Over the Years Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence Solve the daily Crossword
Middle East Eye
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US ignored report saying GHF was not fit to deliver aid in Gaza: Report
The main US government agency that distributes foreign aid raised 'critical concerns' about a newly formed aid group's ability to deliver food safely and effectively to Palestinians in Gaza, just days before the Trump administration announced $30m in funding for the organisation, CNN reported on Tuesday. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) in June wrote a 14-page confidential internal assessment, criticising a request for funding submitted by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF). According to the assessment, which was obtained by CNN, at least nine elements normally required to obtain government funding were not included in the application, such as insufficient planning information ensuring Palestinians would actually receive aid. One criticism was that the overall plan lacked 'basic details' regarding a scheme to give out powdered baby formula in a Gaza area where clean drinking water is not available. 'I do not concur with moving forward with GHF given operational and reputational risks and lack of oversight," a USAID official said, concluding it would not be safe to move forward with the GHF organisation. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters A source familiar with GHF's application told CNN on the condition of anonymity that the paperwork was "abysmal" and "sorely lacking real content'. Another source said USAID staff had expressed worries about working with GHF because they did not think the group could uphold the humanitarian principle of "do no harm". 'GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,' USAID said, asking the organisation to supply safety, accountability and access details. Expedited approval Despite the concerns, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and deputy administrator for policy and programmes at USAID, Jeremy Lewin, pressed ahead for expedited approval, two sources told CNN. Another source said that expedited approvals are typically reserved for trusted partners, and GHF would not likely have been funded under normal procedures. After the confidential assessment was made, USAID CFO and deputy administrator for management and resources Kenneth Jackson recommended that Lewin 'waive the various criteria given the humanitarian and political urgency of GHF's operations' in an internal memo dated 24 June. Netanyahu 'backs Gaza concentration camp' plan, reportedly says 'feed them Ben & Jerry's' Read More » Both Lewin and Jackson oversaw cuts to USAID as part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Two days later, on 26 June, the State Department approved the funding, detailing the requirements needed for the funds, including some concerns raised by USAID. The $30m funding award has not been disbursed yet and will be released in stages, provided that GHF meets key requirements. GHF is seeking $30m of its $100m operating costs from the State Department. A State Department official last week also suggested the US could provide further funding to GHF as long as it continues to operate 'safely and securely and consistent with sort of the principles that we've laid out for them'. In response to the report, the GHF said in a statement, "GHF has done what others could not: deliver free, nutritious, and secure emergency food aid directly to the people of Gaza without interference from Hamas". "In just over a month, we've delivered more than 66 million meals. We're grateful to the Trump Administration for recognizing the impact of our work with a $30 million commitment to help expand our operations," the organisation added. The group said that its 'success stands in stark contrast to groups that have received US government funding for years - including the UN'. Controversy The US and Israeli-backed GHF was established after Israel blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza for 11 weeks. Criticisms of GHF in the assessment have been mirrored by international humanitarian aid groups who have a track record of safely and effectively delivering food and aid to Palestinians over decades, such as the United Nations relief and works agency for Palestine refugees, which was banned from operating by Israel. The UN and major aid groups have refused to work with GHF, saying it serves Israeli military goals and violates basic humanitarian principles. GHF's scheme replaced 400 aid distribution points across the enclave with four militarised distribution sites in central and south Gaza, where millions have been forced to travel from other areas of the strip on foot and risk death in the hope of receiving aid since it started operating on 27 May. The militarised sites involve US armed security contractors working with the Israeli military. Both American contractors and Israeli soldiers have reportedly killed at least 640 Palestinians seeking aid in the last six weeks it has been in operation. Israeli troops have admitted to deliberately shooting and killing unarmed Palestinians waiting for aid in the Gaza Strip, following direct orders from their superiors. More than 170 NGOs called for immediate action to end the 'deadly' US and Israeli-backed GHF aid scheme on 1 July, and revert back to UN-led aid coordination mechanisms. Timeline: Trump's remarks on the forcible transfer of Palestinians in Gaza Read More » 'Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,' the NGOs said in a joint statement. The signatories include Oxfam, Save the Children, Amnesty, Doctors Without Borders, and Action Aid. GHF's chairman, Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader aligned with US President Donald Trump, has denied that any Palestinians had been killed at its sites, telling journalists earlier this month that no violence had occurred. "We have not had a single violent incident in our distribution sites. We haven't had a violent incident in close proximity to our distribution sites," he said.
Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Former DOGE official rushed grant to Trump-backed Gaza aid group over staff objections
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Palestinians gather to collect what remains of relief supplies from the distribution center of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo WASHINGTON - A top U.S. State Department official waived nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards to rush a $30 million award last month to a Gaza aid group backed by the Trump administration and Israel, according to an internal memorandum seen by Reuters. Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency associate, signed off on the award despite an assessment in the memorandum that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) funding plan failed to meet required "minimum technical or budgetary standards." The June 24 action memorandum to Lewin was sent by Kenneth Jackson, also a former DOGE operative who serves as an acting deputy U.S. Agency for International Development administrator. The pair has overseen the agency's dismantling and the merger of its functions into the State Department. Lewin also overrode 58 objections that USAID staff experts wanted GHF to resolve in its application before the funds were approved, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Lewin, who runs the State Department's foreign aid program, cleared the funds only five days after GHF filed its proposal on June 19, according to the June 24 "action memorandum" bearing his signature seen by Reuters. "Strong Admin support for this one," Lewin wrote to USAID leaders in a June 25 email - also seen by Reuters - that urged disbursement of the funds by the agency "ASAP." The action memorandum was first reported by CNN. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Tremendous opportunities for growth in US-Singapore ties, says Trump's ambassador nominee Sinha Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Singapore Govt watching job situation for fresh graduates closely, exploring further support: Gan Siow Huang Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore People working in air-conditioned spaces prefer 24 deg C and warmer: Survey Lewin and Jackson did not respond to requests for comment. The documents underline the priority the Trump administration has given GHF despite the group's lack of experience and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians near its Gaza aid distribution hubs. GHF, which closely coordinates with the Israeli military, has acknowledged reports of violence but says they occurred beyond its operations area. Lewin noted in the email that he had discussed the funds with aides to Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's negotiator on Gaza, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office. He acknowledged that authorizing the funds would be controversial, writing: "I'm taking the bullet on this one." The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Witkoff and Rubio did not reply to a question about whether they were aware of and supported the decision to waive the safeguards. The State Department said in a statement that the $30 million was approved under a legal provision allowing USAID to expedite awards in response to "emergency situations" to "meet humanitarian needs as expeditiously as possible." "The GHF award remains subject to rigorous oversight, including of GHF's operations and finances," the statement said. "As part of the award, GHF was subject to new control and reporting requirements." RAISING THE RISK In response to a request for comment, a GHF spokesperson said: "Our model is specifically designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources — which will eventually include American taxpayer funds — reach the people of Gaza." The spokesperson added that such requests for clarification from the U.S. government about fund applications were routine. Speaking about the nine conditions that were waived, the spokesperson said: "We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required." GHF says its operation is preventing Hamas from hijacking food aid and using it to control the enclave's population, charges denied by the Islamist militants who ran Gaza. In the June 24 action memorandum, Jackson wrote that GHF is 'uniquely positioned to operate in areas with restricted access,' and said it has delivered millions of meals and diluted Hamas' control over Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians. He acknowledged that GHF 'is a new organization that has not met USAID's various formal criteria for eligibility' for the $30 million award. Jackson listed nine conditions that applicants normally must satisfy before receiving USAID funds, explicitly outlining the terms of each and the risks of waiving them. For instance, he noted a 'legal requirement' that aid organizations working in Gaza or the West Bank undergo vetting for ties to extremist organizations before they are awarded USAID funds, the document said. 'Waiving the requirement could increase the risk' that an aid group, its subcontractors or vendors 'could be found ineligible due to terrorism-related concerns,' said the document. Jackson also wrote that USAID was required to examine whether an organization has sufficient internal controls to manage awards. He warned that waiving the condition 'could raise the risk of misuse of taxpayer resources,' according to the document. GHF submitted a plan – required prior to approval of funds – that was incomplete on how it would deal with legal and operational risks of operating in Gaza, the document said. Waiving the need for a full plan 'could risk programmatic diversion, reputational harm, and potential violations of U.S. counterterrorism laws," it continued. Despite the risks, Jackson recommended waiving all nine requirements and allowing GHF to fulfill them later because of the "humanitarian and political urgency" of its operation, the memo said. Lewin checked a box labeled 'Approve' on each of the recommendations, it showed. In addition to waiving the nine requirements, two sources familiar with the matter said, Lewin overrode 58 objections from USAID staff reviewing GHF's application. Two former top USAID officials said they had never heard of a senior official like Lewin expediting an award over the objections of professional staff. "I oversaw something like 1,500 grants. I never saw it happen," said Sarah Charles, who led USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance from 2021-2024. "Very occasionally, we would do the vetting after an award in a sudden onset emergency - think earthquake - but that was at the recommendation of staff." In the review, the USAID experts questioned how GHF would ensure the safety of Palestinians collecting food packages at its sites; whether its staff had proper humanitarian training and its plans to distribute powdered infant formula in an enclave with scarce access to clean drinking water, the sources said. REUTERS
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Community rallies for Juliet chef after serious hit-and-run injuries
Lewin, 40, sustained serious injuries that night. In addition to a broken right wrist and right collarbone, he suffered two broken ribs. The most severe injury is a laceration to his left eye, bandaged after surgery. Lewin says it will be a couple of months of healing before he learns the status of his vision. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up North Shore Motosports, a young motorcycle club that Lewin joined a year ago, set up a Advertisement 'Personally, I struggled with some depression last winter, and one of the persons constantly texting me, always talking to me, was him. I really wanted to be there for him in the same way, and the group feels the same as well.' Advertisement Lewin has embraced the support, after some reconsideration about looming medical expenses. 'We always tell the people on our teams (at Juliet): ask for help when you need it,' he says. 'I never would have asked for this help on my own, but at every turn, I'm being pushed a little bit further toward realizing it's OK.' Lewin and Juliet co-owner Katrina Jazayeri are currently assessing how to balance the needs of their nearly 10-year-old restaurant and its 35-member staff while Lewin is unable to work. Last June, they ended their partnership with Peregrine, the Beacon Hill restaurant inside the Whitney Hotel, after the five-year contract expired. (Peregrine continues to operate under a different menu and management.) Juliet, which has garnered accolades locally and nationally, includes a 20 percent service fee on meals, divided evenly, based on hours worked, among all staff. Front-of-house staff are paid full wages. Lewin and Jazayeri were midway through a detailed process of refocusing efforts on the single restaurant when the accident occurred. They worry about the impact his accident will have on the restaurant. 'The circumstances of running a restaurant have gotten harder and harder over the past five years, and then for this to happen,' says Jazayeri. 'Truly, Josh is a person who does everything for everyone else. … So, the cruelness of someone's inattention to harm him — and then to have those consequences hit a bunch of other people who are also innocent in this circumstance — it's just not fair. And we've always been about fairness and equity and justice in this restaurant.' Advertisement Complicating matters, the summer season is among Juliet's most challenging as regulars venture on vacations and tourists stick more centrally to Boston. The GoFundMe aside, Lewin and Jazayeri urge the community to 'Don't forget us!' and ask folks to consider booking tables during the week, or buying 'Juliet will endure,' Lewin says. 'Juliet has endured a lot, but every bump and bruise is really hard for us. We made it through the pandemic, we expanded employment shortly after the pandemic once we got back to baseline-ish. We will find a way to make it.' JULIET 257 Washington St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-718-0958, Peggy Hernandez can be reached at . Follow her on Instagram
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Breaking the cycle of poverty: 11 graduate from Decatur's ‘Pathway of Hope' program
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — It's graduation season, but not everyone is celebrating the end of their schooling. Some are crossing the finish line of their time with a unique, transformative program that aims to break the cycle of poverty. Pathway of Hope is personal for many as they earn recognition for completing a series of services through Decatur's Salvation Army. Of the 11 who graduated on Thursday afternoon, several didn't think they would ever reach this point. Patrick Hahn was once battling a drug addiction and alcoholism. He was in and out of prison several times, until he said he reached a point of knowing 'I can't do it on my own. I need somewhere to go.' That's when he found himself at the Salvation Army, working with Andrea Lewin, a case manager. She brought the Pathway of Hope program to Macon County in 2013, helping 426 people so far. 'I've had people with bachelor's degrees, people who have been homeless with children, people who need housing and jobs,' she described. Celebrating success: 11 adults graduate from UI's 'Odyssey Project' program She wants the community to know her door is open to talk, learn about resources and get in touch with emotions. Of all the moments and interactions with clients, Lewin said graduation day tops her list of 'rewarding moments.' 'I get to see the process of someone having hope, who didn't have hope,' she said. 90% of those who start the program without homes end with stable housing. 88% achieve employment goals by the last day. Hahn is a perfect example of that. He once never imagined being employed, but is now a professional custodian with Quality Plus Cleaners in Decatur. Chicken coop lamp sparks garage fire at Decatur home; residents displaced Following graduation, Lewin will check in with each client every three months. She and her team are also gearing up to help dozens of others reach their dreams in the future. 'It touches my heart. That I can develop a relationship,' she said. 'It's not just a client. It's a person, a human being. It's their feelings.' If you need help or want to get involved, you can contact the Decatur location at 217-429-8050. More details can be found on this website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
