May 20 WATCH: Rubio testifies on State Department budget request, defending dramatic cuts By Matthew Lee, Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Democratic senators sparred Tuesday over the Trump administration’s foreign policies, ranging from Ukraine and Russia to the Middle East, Latin America, the slashing of the U.S. foreign assistance budget and refugee admissions. Continue reading
May 12 WATCH: White Afrikaners from South Africa arrive at Dulles airport to seek U.S. resettlement By Gerald Imray, Associated Press Many in South Africa are puzzled by claims that Afrikaners are persecuted and meet the requirements to be relocated as refugees. Continue reading
Apr 22 State Department unveils massive overhaul of agency, 15 percent staff reduction By Farnoush Amiri, Matthew Lee, Associated Press Plans include consolidating 734 bureaus and offices to 602 as well as transitioning 137 offices "to another location within the Department to increase efficiency."… Continue reading
Apr 15 WATCH: State Department holds news briefing as DOGE staffer made head of foreign assistance By Matthew Lee, Farnoush Amiri, Associated Press A senior U.S. official said Tuesday the Republican administration has appointed Musk lieutenant Jeremy Lewin as acting head of all foreign assistance at the State Department. Lewin is an associate of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team. Continue reading
Apr 08 WATCH: State Department says funding to some life-saving UN food programs was cut by mistake By Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Lee, Associated Press “There were a few programs that were cut in other countries that were not meant to be cut, that have been rolled back and put into place,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. Continue reading
Mar 10 What protections do green card holders and foreign students have in the U.S.? By Rebecca Santana, Associated Press Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a message posted Sunday on X that the administration will be “revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”… Continue reading
Mar 10 Secretary of State Rubio says purge of USAID programs complete, with more than 80% of agency's programs gone By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press Rubio made the announcement in a post on X marking one of his relatively few public comments on what has been a historic shift away from U.S. foreign aid and development. Continue reading
Mar 06 Trump administration must pay nearly $2B in USAID and State Department debts, judge rules By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press A federal judge on Thursday gave the Trump administration until Monday to pay nearly $2 billion in debts to partners of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, thawing the administration’s six-week funding freeze on all foreign… Continue reading
Mar 01 Trump cut lifesaving foreign aid as State Department planned to buy expensive art for embassies By Laura Barrón-López The intended purchases, which total nearly $2 million, were described by a U.S. government official with information about the State Department’s spending plans. Continue reading
Feb 03 WATCH: USAID 'attitude' not aligned with U.S. national interest, Rubio says By Associated Press Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke for the first time about thousands of USAID employees who have been laid off and programs that have been shut down. Continue reading