The war on the media
Top producer resigns after pressure from Donald Trump: "Not independent"
Bill Owens, executive producer of CBS News' legendary news program "60 Minutes", is resigning. The announcement comes in an internal letter to staff that the New York Times has seen.
Owens writes that in recent months it has become clear that he can no longer control the program as he did and make the decisions that are "right for '60 Minutes', and right for the audience".
Donald Trump has sued CBS for ten billion dollars, a lawsuit that according to legal experts is completely without foundation.
The parent company Paramount's largest owner is nevertheless said to be eager to reach a settlement with Trump, the newspaper writes.
Top producer resigns after pressure from Donald Trump: "Not independent"
Bill Owens, executive producer of CBS News' legendary news program "60 Minutes", is resigning. The announcement comes in an internal letter to staff that the New York Times has seen.
Owens writes that in recent months it has become clear that he can no longer control the program as he did and make the decisions that are "right for '60 Minutes', and right for the audience".
Donald Trump has sued CBS for ten billion dollars, a lawsuit that according to legal experts is completely without foundation.
The parent company Paramount's largest owner is nevertheless said to be eager to reach a settlement with Trump, the newspaper writes.
Trump's USA • The conflict with universities
Over a hundred universities and colleges condemn Trump
Over a hundred American colleges and universities condemn Donald Trump's "political interference" in the education system, reports AFP.
The statement came in a joint letter on Tuesday, where Ivy League universities such as Princeton and Brown are among the signatories.
"We speak out unitedly against the unprecedented government abuse and political interference that now endangers American higher education," the letter says.
It further states that they are open to constructive reforms and that the universities do not oppose legitimate government oversight but that they oppose undue government intrusion.
Trump vs Harvard
On April 14, 2025, the US government froze $2.2 billion in state funding to Harvard after the university refused to agree to demands for changed governance, hiring practices and admissions processes, which the White House said were required to combat anti-Semitism. Harvard was shocked by the far-reaching political demands. There is great outrage that politicians are now trying to fundamentally reshape a private university.
Harvard thus became the first elite university to formally oppose the demands, which has led to President Trump also threatening to withdraw the university's tax exemption.
At the same time, at least 60 other universities have been warned of the withdrawal of support, and several institutions have taken legal action against the government.
On April 14, 2025, the US government froze $2.2 billion in state funding to Harvard after the university refused to agree to demands for changed governance, hiring practices and admissions processes, which the White House said were required to combat anti-Semitism. Harvard was shocked by the far-reaching political demands. There is great outrage that politicians are now trying to fundamentally reshape a private university.
Harvard thus became the first elite university to formally oppose the demands, which has led to President Trump also threatening to withdraw the university's tax exemption.
At the same time, at least 60 other universities have been warned of the withdrawal of support, and several institutions have taken legal action against the government.
The cuts
The US stops documenting Russia's war crimes
The US State Department has become "bloated and bureaucratic" and more focused on "radical political ideology" than national interests. This is stated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a comment on the new reorganization.
In its current form, the department is not capable of carrying out its diplomatic mission in the "new era of great power struggle," Rubio writes in what according to AFP is a reference to the rivalry with China.
The reorganization and cuts appear to be less extensive than in the proposals that were previously leaked to the media. How large the cuts will be is not entirely clear, but one goal seems to be to reduce the workforce by 15 percent.
The department that handles war crimes, however, will be closed, writes the Washington Post. The department has documented Russian war crimes against Ukraine in recent years, notes AFP.
Rubio confirms: US to cut back on State Department
The US will implement major cuts to the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirms according to Reuters.
Among other things, what Rubio calls "redundant foreign offices" will be removed. Programs that “do not serve the core national interests of the United States will cease to exist,” Rubio also announced.
As recently as the day before yesterday, Rubio stated that reports from the New York Times about cuts were “fake news.”
The US stops documenting Russia's war crimes
The US State Department has become "bloated and bureaucratic" and more focused on "radical political ideology" than national interests. This is stated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a comment on the new reorganization.
In its current form, the department is not capable of carrying out its diplomatic mission in the "new era of great power struggle," Rubio writes in what according to AFP is a reference to the rivalry with China.
The reorganization and cuts appear to be less extensive than in the proposals that were previously leaked to the media. How large the cuts will be is not entirely clear, but one goal seems to be to reduce the workforce by 15 percent.
The department that handles war crimes, however, will be closed, writes the Washington Post. The department has documented Russian war crimes against Ukraine in recent years, notes AFP.
Rubio confirms: US to cut back on State Department
The US will implement major cuts to the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirms according to Reuters.
Among other things, what Rubio calls "redundant foreign offices" will be removed. Programs that “do not serve the core national interests of the United States will cease to exist,” Rubio also announced.
As recently as the day before yesterday, Rubio stated that reports from the New York Times about cuts were “fake news.”
American aid
650,000 women and children in Ethiopia will be without aid
The UN is suspending aid to 650,000 women and children suffering from malnutrition. The reason is a lack of funding, the UN agency World Food Programme writes in a statement according to AFP.
The organisation also warns that around 3.6 million people in Ethiopia will no longer have access to food aid in the coming weeks if no new funding is provided.
The World Food Programme has suffered cuts when US President Donald Trump froze all foreign aid shortly after he was sworn in in January.
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