logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2025
47m 33s

The DOGE Alum Asking if Foreign Aid Is A...

NEW YORK TIMES OPINION
About this episode
Does America have a moral obligation to the world? The former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Jeremy Lewin, now deputy administrator for the United States Agency for International Development, explains how he is implementing President Trump’s foreign aid philosophy and what it means for humanitarian assistance going forward. 
Up next
Yesterday
No, Young Men Are Not Returning to Church
Something surprising is happening to religious belief in America: It’s no longer trending downward. Are Americans becoming more religious? On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross sits down with the demographer and former pastor Ryan Burge to discuss the myths and realities o ... Show More
1 h
Jan 16
Minneapolis Feels ‘Like Being in a Civil War’
Can cellphone cameras and whistles impede President Trump’s immigration policy? On this week’s episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross speaks with Francisco Segovia, the executive director of a Minneapolis-based nonprofit on the front lines of anti-ICE activism, about how his organi ... Show More
47m 4s
Jan 7
A Defense of U.S. Intervention in Venezuela
What should the U.S. do next in Venezuela? President Trump’s former Venezuela envoy Elliott Abrams wants the Trump administration to push harder for full regime change. But, he and Ross debate if a democratic transition is even possible based on the administration’s interests and ... Show More
53m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
The Demise of U.S.A.I.D. — and American Soft Power
<p><i>Warning: This episode contains strong language.</i><br /><br />As President Trump demolishes the government’s biggest provider of foreign aid, the United States Agency for International Development, he is ending a 60-year bipartisan consensus about the best way to keep Amer ... Show More
33m 52s
Feb 2025
Can America Handle The Truth? Trump USAID Cuts With Eric Weinstein
Now that President Donald Trump is back in America’s driving seat, his plan to slash spending, particularly to foreign countries, is moving ahead practically unencumbered. The United States Agency for International Development aka USAID now sits squarely in the crosshairs of MAGA ... Show More
52m 54s
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
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
Navigating Trump's Foreign Policy
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promoted an "America First" approach. How does that translate to how the U.S. works with other countries? This episode: White House correspondents Asma Khalid and Franco Ordoñez, and State Department correspondent Michele Kelemen. The podcast i ... Show More
16m 52s
Feb 2025
Elon Musk's DOGE Takes Control Of Federal Spending
Elon Musk is keeping his campaign promise of trying to cut $2 trillion of federal spending through his unit, DOGE. After some questions about his role, the White House announced that he is now a "special government employee." What has Musk been able to accomplish thus far? This e ... Show More
15m 3s
Feb 2025
Can philanthropy fill the hole left by USAID?
Development programmes across the world are still reeling from the swingeing cuts to USAID, whilst other western nations such as the UK and Germany have announced plans to scale back their own aid commitments.With Mike Bloomberg agreeing to fill the gap in climate funding left by ... Show More
42m 26s
Feb 2025
What future for aid and development? With Minouche Shafik
<p>US President Donald Trump has frozen all foreign aid payments, while Elon Musk is putting America’s biggest development agency, USAID, “through the woodchipper”. Meanwhile, the UK government has just announced it will slash its aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP. So are the d ... Show More
32m 31s
Feb 2025
Trump Wants To Turn Gaza Into The 'Riviera Of The Middle East'
At a Tuesday press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump said he wanted the U.S. to own Gaza and he would transform it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." What has been the reaction to those statements? <br/><br/>This episode: White House c ... Show More
13m 28s
Jun 2025
Will The U.S. Get Involved In Military Action With Iran?
As Israel and Iran continue to launch aerial assaults against each other, there are growing questions as to whether the U.S. will get involved in the offensive, too. President Trump said he'd make a decision within the next two weeks. Then, a look at the spending package currentl ... Show More
22m 36s