logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
21m 12s

The U.S. Spent Billions Fighting AIDS. W...

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

At the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump suspended most U.S. foreign aid, causing vast confusion and concern around the world. One affected program was PEPFAR, the bipartisan initiative that works to fight HIV/AIDS globally. WSJ’s Nicholas Bariyo from Uganda and Michael M. Phillips from Kenya report. And we hear from Karl Hoffman, the CEO of the public health organization HealthX Partners. 


Further Listening:

-Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart 


Further Reading:

-Trump Aid Whiplash Hits Refugees, AIDS Patients Worldwide 

-Trump Order Freezing Foreign Aid Halts Programs Worldwide, Prompts Confusion and Rush for Waivers 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 14
Why Elon Musk’s AI Chatbot Went Rogue
Last week, Grok went rogue. The AI chatbot – which users can interact with on X – posted antisemitic comments and graphic descriptions of violence before being deactivated, leaving users with a question: Where were Grok’s guardrails? WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy breaks down what happen ... Show More
22m 52s
Jul 11
Can Superman Save Warner?
The man of steel is back in a new $225 million reboot. Riding on this weekend’s release is the hope that DC Studios will finally begin to match the past successes of its archrival Marvel. Its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery views DC Studios as critical to its success or fai ... Show More
22m 36s
Jul 10
Who Will Be the Next Fed Chair? Maybe Kevin
For years, President Trump has feuded with the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates. And now, two Republicans named Kevin (Kevin Hassett, one of Trump’s closest economic advisers and Kevin Warsh—a former Fed governor) are vying to be the next chairman of th ... Show More
22m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
What’s at stake for Africa if Trump shuts down USAID?
One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?”USAID—the United State ... Show More
20m 6s
Feb 2025
How will the US suspending foreign aid affect the world?
The US state department stops nearly all foreign aid as President Donald Trump pushes his America First policy. But this assistance also helps the United States achieve its foreign policy goals. So how will they be affected, along with other countries and communities around the w ... Show More
24m 14s
Feb 2025
Mike Benz Takes Us Down the USAID Rabbit Hole (It’s Worse Than You Think)
Mike Benz: “USAID is effectively a rent-a-riot operation. That raises questions about the Black Lives Matter protests.” (00:00) The USAID Rabbit Hole Runs Deep(05:29) Trump Is Performing Open Heart Surgery on the Country(09:50) Is USAID Truly a Humanitarian Operation?(19:41) What ... Show More
2h 17m
May 2016
Ron Klain on why we beat Ebola — but are losing on Zika
Only a few people know what it's like to lead the White House's response to a public health crisis. Ron Klain is one of them. He was chosen in 2014 by President Obama to steer the U.S. effort to fight Ebola, just when it looked like the outbreak was about to spiral out of control ... Show More
50m 36s
Feb 2025
What do US aid cuts mean for America's global influence?
Its funding pulled, and its staff sent home. The world's largest international humanitarian donor, USAID, is under assault. If the Trump administration doesn't restore the flow of aid who will fill the void? And what does it mean for global US influence? In this Episode:   Hardin ... Show More
24m 3s
Jun 22
862: Some Things We Don't Do Anymore
On his first day in office, President Trump decided to freeze all U.S. foreign aid. Soon after, his administration effectively dissolved USAID—the federal agency that delivers billions in food, medicine, and other aid worldwide. Many of its programs have been canceled. Now, as US ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2025
Trump aid freeze, India stampede, immigration raids and Congo violence
A federal judge has paused President Donald Trump's attempt to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid, minutes before it was due to take effect. At least seven people have died after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in northern India. Trump's top homeland ... Show More
12m 46s
Feb 2023
Elon Musk SLAMS Globalists agenda, as WHO announces next virus outbreak | Redacted w Clayton Morris
Elon Musk slammed the globalists agenda right to their faces as the World Health Organization announces our next pandemic. The WHO convened an emergency meeting to discuss a virus outbreak in Africa. Get ready! The White House now says the UFO flap is probably not China related. ... Show More
1h 38m
Jun 12
UPDATE: India plane crash, protests flare, US diplomats withdrawn & more
We begin with breaking news of a passenger plane crashing in India shortly after take-off. Police have been working through the night to break up crowds as ICE raid protests spread across the country. Rising tensions in the Middle East have led the US to withdraw some of its dipl ... Show More
7 m
Mar 2025
USAID: What happened when the funding stopped?
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping USAID projects worldwide, saying he wants overseas spending decisions to align with his election policy to "put America first". USAID is the US government's main overseas aid agency and it admin ... Show More
17m 28s