USAID is on Trump and Musk’s cost-cutting list. Here’s where the foreign aid agency spends its money.
USAID is under fire, and Donald Trump and Elon Musk are working to cut or restructure it. Proposed cuts to the US Agency for International Development could reduce assistance to Ukraine, Jordan, and Ethiopia. Data for fiscal year 2024 shows that USAID distributed nearly $32.5 billion in aid that year, much of it to Africa…
We moved our family from California to Texas. Our income is lower, but we spend less and love the lifestyle.
The Ruiz family. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gerardo Ruiz, 29, and Tomi Ruiz, 26, native Californians who moved from San Bernardino, California, to San Antonio in 2024. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Gerardo: My wife, Tomi, and I are from San Bernardino, California. We met at…
Starbucks’ CEO says letting people order coffee via mobile ‘chipped away’ at the brand’s ‘soul’
Brian Niccol said mobile ordering “took a lot of the soul” out of Starbucks. Brian Niccol, Starbucks’ CEO, said mobile ordering “chipped away” at the brand’s soul. In a Tuesday podcast interview with Bob Safian, the host of “Rapid Response,” Niccol said, “I think one of the things that veered Starbucks a little bit off…
I’ve been sober for 2 years. My face is less puffy and I get compliments on my glowy skin all the time.
Megan Zuckerman, 30, noticed a change in her skin and face shape after going sober. When I wanted to cut down on drinking in 2023, I never thought I could go fully sober. I opted to try Damp January instead of Dry January, wanting to give myself the option of imbibing if I wanted to.…
I took on almost $200K in debt to attend an Ivy League school. I have no regrets but wouldn’t recommend it to everyone.
Lyndon Low said graduating from Columbia University’s graduate school has opened doors, but the emotional and mental weight of the debt is enormous. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lyndon Low, a product manager in San Francisco, California. It’s been edited for length and clarity. Since high school, I’ve wanted to attend…
I attended the Beacon School, one of New York City’s most competitive public high schools. The experience was both stressful and inspiring.
The author attended the Beacon High School in New York City. In many ways, the Beacon School is a New York City public high school like any other: fluorescent lighting, student competition, and bathrooms that smell suspiciously of bubblegum. But one thing stood out when I first toured Beacon in middle school. It wasn’t the…
North Korea’s forces appear to be the latest ‘expendable’ army chewed up fighting Russia’s war against Ukraine
The North Korean troops fighting in Russia are said to be part of Pyongyang’s elite “Storm Corps.” North Korean forces sent to fight Russia’s war appear to be the latest in a growing line of disposable troops that have been torn apart in its fight against Ukraine. The troops sent to fight in Kursk are…
Ukraine says it’s far along in developing laser weapons to take out Russian drones
A worker removes a fragment of a Russian drone after an attack on Kyiv in 2023. Ukraine is testing laser weapons to target Russian drones and other aircraft, a Ukrainian military official said this week. Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Ukraine was developing several…
I lost my identity after I became a mom. I regret not focusing more on myself, especially now that my kids are teens.
The author (not pictured) says she lost her identity to motherhood. When my kids were young, I kept hearing the same things. “Enjoy them while they are little. You will miss these days when they are gone. The days are long, but the years are short,” seemed to echo from every corner. I jumped into…
