Elon Musk said he would preserve lifesaving aid to foreign children. Then the Trump administration quietly canceled it.
—
AfterElonMuskmadeapublicshowofremedyinganapparenterrorinDOGE’smassivecutstoforeignaid,theTrumpadministrationhasquietlydoubleddownonitsdecisiontostopsendingemergencyfoodtomillionsofchildrenwhoarestarvinginBangladesh,Somalia,andothercountries.Withouturgentintervention,manyofthesechildrenarelikelytodiewithinmonths,expertstoldme.
AsDOGEwasguttingUSAIDinFebruary,italarmedtheglobal-healthcommunitybyissuingstop-workorderstothetwoAmericancompaniesthatmakealifesavingpeanutpastewidelyrecognizedasthebesttreatmentformalnutrition.Thecompanies—EdesiaandManaNutrition—subsequentlyreceivedUSAID’sgo-aheadtocontinuetheirwork.Butsoonafterthat,theircontractswereofficiallycanceled.Whennewsofthecancellationwasmadepublic,ElonMuskvowedtoinvestigatetheissueand“fixit.”Hourslater,Muskannouncedthatonecontracthadbeenrestoreddaysearlier;thatnight,thesecondcompanyreceivednoticethatitscontracthadbee
