South Africa says its budget can't cover for the deep US cuts in foreign aid

South Africa says its budget can't cover for the deep US cuts in foreign aid

JOHANNESBURG (AP) —South Africadoesn't have the funds to cover the over $430 million shortfall caused by the Trump administration's cuts in foreign aid, the country's finance minister said Wednesday. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana spoke to Parliament while presenting an updated budget — one without thevalue-added tax increasesthat had sparked public outcry and fierce disagreement among parties in the ruling coalition. Without that tax revenue, he said, South Africa doesn't have enough money to make up for the cuts that have threatened the vast network of support for one of the world's largest HIV-positive populations. The country runs the largest treatment network in the world. The finance minister spoke shortly before President Cyril Ramaphosa's much-anticipatedmeeting with U.S. President Donald Trumpat the White House. Earlier this year, thedismantling of USAIDby the Trump administration saw around $436 million in annual funding for HIV treatment and prevention in South Africa evaporate, putting the program andthousands of health care jobson the line. Godongwana said the updated budget prioritizes financial resources to support what is currently feasible, and defers other programs until "our resources allow." More pain might be coming, he warned. "The spending pressures that may require funding later this year include, among others, the withdrawal of the presidential emergency plan for AIDS relief called PEPFAR funding, particularly which was through the USA," he said. "We've not made provision for the allocation for that now." Globally, PEPFAR is credited with saving at least 26 million lives since it began in 2003, according to the U.N. AIDS agency. South Africa's previous budget presentation allocated 28.9 billion rand ($1.6 billion) for health. The current one allocates a significantly lower 20.7 billion rand ($1.1 billion) instead. The money is earmarked to protect around 4,700 health positions, hire 800 doctors who have finished their community service and address shortages in medical supplies, services, and accruals.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 21, 2025

South Africa says its budget can't cover for the deep US cuts in foreign aid

South Africa says its budget can't cover for the deep US cuts in foreign aid JOHANNESBURG (AP) —South Africadoesn't have the funds t...

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New analysis shows GOP tax bill would decrease resources for poorest Americans

New analysis shows GOP tax bill would decrease resources for poorest Americans

WASHINGTON - Republicans' massive bill to enact PresidentDonald Trump's agenda would help the wealthiest Americans while diminishing resources for the poorest, according to a preliminary analysis from thenonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. On average, the bill to enact sweeping tax cuts, fund Trump's deportation plans and increase defense spending would increase resources for the average U.S. household, the CBO found. But resources would decrease by about 2% by 2027 for people in the lowest tenth (decible) of the income distribution and increase for people in the highest tenth of the income distribution due to cuts in Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That loss would grow to 4% by 2033, CBO estimated. In comparison, household resources for Americans in the top ten percent would increase by about 4% by 2027 and 2% in 2033, mainly due to tax cuts. Accordingto a 2022 CBO report, the baseline household income for Americans in the lowest tenth of the distribution is $32,200, after taxes and transfers. That figure increases to $444,600 for Americans in the highest tenth of the distribution. The analysis was requested by Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "This is what Republicans are fighting for—lining the pockets of their billionaire donors while children go hungry and families get kicked off their health care," Boyle said in a statement. The report comes as House Republicans are gearing up to pass a sweeping policy bill geared at advancing Trump's legislative priorities. The bill wouldmake the 2017 tax cutspermanent, boost border security funding and implement stricter requirements for SNAP, among other things. Republicans have argued that average Americans would benefit from the bill's proposals, which would prevent a tax increase on all income brackets and, they contend, eliminate "waste, fraud and abuse" from benefit systems like Medicaid and SNAP. They point to policies like a temporary end to tax on tips and overtime, a new tax deduction for seniors and a boosted child tax credit, as indications they are fighting for working-class families. "Everything (Trump) does – and every policy he fights for – is rooted in what Americans have told us over the past two years," House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri,wrote in a Fox News opinion pieceon May 21. "These are communities that have long been overlooked, who have struggled to gain a foothold in an economy rigged against them." House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, is expected to hold a vote on the bill Wednesday. Trump visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday to rally support around the bill, andtold his allies not to"f--- around" with Medicaid. Anotheranalysis from the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, in mid-May found that low-income families stand to lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars in income while wealthy ones will gain even more. The analysis is based on the assumption that the tax cuts are extended while there are $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid and $230 billion in cuts to SNAP. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:CBO: GOP tax bill would decrease resources for poorest Americans

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 21, 2025

New analysis shows GOP tax bill would decrease resources for poorest Americans

New analysis shows GOP tax bill would decrease resources for poorest Americans WASHINGTON - Republicans' massive bill to enact President...

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White House asks US Supreme Court to block access to DOGE records

White House asks US Supreme Court to block access to DOGE records

(Reuters) -The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to set aside a judge's order requiring Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to answer questions and disclose documents about its operations. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C. ordered DOGE to turn over some records to the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), after finding that DOGE was likely a government agency covered by the federal Freedom of Information Act. Cooper also said CREW was entitled to question DOGE's Acting Administrator Amy Gleason at a deposition. A federal appeals court declined on May 14 to put Cooper's order on hold. President Donald Trump created DOGE in an executive order on January 20, the day he began his second White House term. In seeking an emergency stay from the Supreme Court, Solicitor General John Sauer said Cooper's "extraordinarily overbroad and intrusive" order would distract DOGE from its mission to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in the federal government. He also called the order "an untenable affront to separation of powers," and said the government would likely succeed in showing that DOGE is a White House body exempt from FOIA, which lets the public review government records. "This Court has rejected similar fishing expeditions into sensitive executive-branch functions, and it should not allow this one to proceed," Sauer wrote. The case is In re US DOGE Service et al, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 24A1122. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New YorkEditing by Bill Berkrot)

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 21, 2025

White House asks US Supreme Court to block access to DOGE records

White House asks US Supreme Court to block access to DOGE records (Reuters) -The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Co...

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Over boos, Columbia University president notes Mahmoud Khalil's absence at graduation

Over boos, Columbia University president notes Mahmoud Khalil's absence at graduation

NEW YORK (AP) — The head of Columbia University gave a commencement speech Wednesday acknowledging the absence ofstudent activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was due to receive his diploma this week but is instead in a Louisiana jail facing deportation for his role in pro-Palestinian campus protests. The brief address drew loud boos and chants of "free Palestine" from some graduating students. Acting president Claire Shipman also alluded to the crackdown on foreign students by the Trump administration that has roiled the Ivy League school in recent months. "We firmly believe that our international students have the same rights to freedom of speech as everyone else and they should not be targeted by the government for exercising this right," Shipman said, adding: "I know many in our community are mourning the absence of our graduate Mahmoud Khalil." Khalil, a graduate student in Columbia's international affairs program, has remained detained since March 8 when immigration agents took him into custody at his off-campus apartment in Manhattan. While in custody, he missed the birth of hisfirst child. As Shipman spoke, some students walked out while others booed and jeered. The acting president, who took over in late March, received asimilarly icy receptionduring a smaller graduation ceremony Tuesday. Some students and faculty have accused Columbia's leadership of capitulating to theTrump administration's demandsat the expense of protecting foreign students. Federal authorities have not accused Khalil of a crime, but have sought to deport him on the basis that his prominent role in protests againstIsrael's war in Gazamay have undermined U.S. foreign policy interests.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 21, 2025

Over boos, Columbia University president notes Mahmoud Khalil's absence at graduation

Over boos, Columbia University president notes Mahmoud Khalil's absence at graduation NEW YORK (AP) — The head of Columbia University ga...

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$7M worth of fake Apple chargers seized by Texas Customs and Border Protection agents

$7M worth of fake Apple chargers seized by Texas Customs and Border Protection agents

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's agents in Texas seized over $7 million worth of counterfeit Apple chargers this week. Customs and Border Protection's Houston Seaport Trade Enforcement Team found the chargers or lightning cables, according to the announcement. Agents at the Area Port of Houston and Galveston found 373,000 counterfeit USB phone chargers, or 7,460 cartons containing the Apple trademark. Both border protection agents and Apple representatives confirmed that they were fake. Customs and Border Protection Acting Area Port Director John Landry said in the announcement that criminal networks have been using e-commerce to ship their items to "unsuspecting consumers and exploit the high volume of cargo processed by CBP." Landry, from Customs and Border Protection, said counterfeiters don't pay taxes and their actions have a negative impact on legitimate jobs. "The counterfeits are often produced under unsanitary labor exploitation conditions," he said. "They hurt innovation by stealing intellectual property from registered trademarks and the counterfeits are often produced under unsanitary labor exploitation conditions." According to the department, buying counterfeit goods supports criminal activities like forced labor or human trafficking. Most of these items have come from China and Hong Kong, the department said, adding that during fiscal year 2024, seizures from China and Hong Kong accounted for 90% of seized items. More news:More than 10,000 chicks were left in a USPS truck for days. Now they need a home. According to Customs and Border Protection, customers who want to protect themselves can do the following: Buy directly from the trademark holder or from authorized retailers. Know the market value of the items they are purchasing. If the items are priced much lower, they could be fake. Look for legitimate websites that offer customer service contact information and have return policies. The department said consumers should only buy from legitimate sources and pay attention to pricing. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, the department said. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia–the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Fake Apple charges seized by Customs and Border Protection in Texas

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 21, 2025

$7M worth of fake Apple chargers seized by Texas Customs and Border Protection agents

$7M worth of fake Apple chargers seized by Texas Customs and Border Protection agents U.S. Customs and Border Protection's agents in Tex...

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