By 2026, the agency was a shell of its former self. Most of its contracts were terminated and thousands of employees fired as the administration moved to wind down the agency's operations. A recent study published in The Lancet medical journal predicts that the USAID cuts, in concert with reductions from other western nations, could result in the deaths of 9.4 million people around the world by 2030 and increase the spread of malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang wrote that there was "no alternative" to the depositions, citing plaintiffs' inability to obtain information through documents or lower-ranking officials, whose deposition requests went unanswered. Chuang also pointed to earlier rulings finding that Musk made decisions to dismantle USAID despite lacking formal authority or official approval. Zoom in: USAID's former workforce of 10,000 managed some $43 billion in appropriations and assisted approximately 130 countries with disaster relief and economic development in fiscal year 2023.
We cannot compete globally while navigating a vulnerable, 1970s-era overhead grid. Reliability is a shared responsibility; as neighbors, we are committed to trimming private trees and providing maintenance access. However, we need a matching commitment to modernization. We plead for PG&E and the city to invoke Rule 20A credits to underground our lines. Moving the grid beneath the surface is a public safety necessity for our families and students.