they're sneaking ground up bug poison into many types of food
people won't even know why they're getting sick
Before Trump purge at USAID, memo warned agency it created 'vulnerabilities' doling out foreign aid
The internal watchdog warned the agency that it was not sufficiently vetting for terrorists or getting the U.N. to comply with transparency requirements.
Just days before Elon Musk began a purge at USAID, the foreign aid agency was warned in a stinging memo from its internal watchdog that it lacked significant transparency into how its grants were being spent and it faced stiff resistance from foreign entities when trying to investigate potential fraud or corruption.
The memo, which was published by the Inspector General of the U.S. Agency for International Development in late January, details some long-standing concerns about how safeguards against misuse of funds and the proper authorities to hold violators accountable are missing from the Office of Inspector General’s toolbox.
"Incredibly politicized"
This memorandum "identifies vulnerabilities and challenges which we believe hinder accountability and transparency within Agency programs,” Inspector General Paul Martin wrote to the acting administrator of the agency.
Fred Fleitz, a former Trump National Security Council official, told Just the News that a key concern of the administration is ensuring the money is being spent wisely and on causes benefitting U.S. interests.
“[USAID] has been incredibly politicized for leftist political goals by the Democrats. It's become a politicized boondoggle, and we saw that over the last 48–72 hours. We know that USAID officials were trying to subvert Trump's effort, or his order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days, so we can see what our tax dollars are being paid for, and is it in the interest of the United States? Is it America First?” Fleitz told the John Solomon Reports podcast on Monday.
Inspector General Martin identified three main areas of vulnerability: “Resistance from United Nations (UN) agencies and foreign-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to sharing information with OIG about potential misconduct;” “Limitations on vetting of aid organizations for ties to designated terrorist organizations and known corrupt actors;” and “Limitations in obtaining data about USAID-funded sub-awardees.”
You can read the report below:
File
USAID Inspector General Memorandum Challenges to Accountability and Transparency Within USAID-Funded Programs-2.pdf
The Trump administration’s efforts to shutter the agency following these ongoing transparency issues also bring criticism that its leadership has failed to respond to explicit policy directives from the State Department and the wider executive branch to align its programs with Trump policies and the U.S. national interest.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has now been designated the acting director of USAID, shared these concerns while visiting El Salvador on Monday.
“Well, look, my frustration with USAID goes back to my time in Congress,” Rubio told reporters on Monday while visiting El Salvador. “It’s a completely unresponsive agency. It’s supposed to respond to policy directives from the State Department and it refuses to do so.”
Rubio also said that the agency’s repeated failures to respond to questions about how funds were being spent in certain programs precipitated the actions from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is operating in close coordination with the White House.
Mike Benz, the founder of the Foundation for Freedom Online, chronicled how USAID spent funds encouraging censorship across the globe. He said the agency’s record of funding controversial or freedom-damaging projects had eroded its trust across the globe.
“USAID has systematically corrupted the American and world trust in the institutions that keep society going,” he said.
UN resistance to oversight
According to the inspector general’s report, a quarter of USAID’s programming —around $8 billion — goes through “public international organizations,” which include United Nations agencies and development banks. Because these programs often occur in “emergency environments,” the OIG relies on these organizations to self-report any potential fraudulent activities.
But, despite contractual obligations for awardees to report potential fraud or mismanagement, the OIG says UN agencies delay notifications or entirely fail to report instances of potential misconduct to the watchdog.
more…
https://justthenews.com/accountability/watchdogs/trump-purge-usaid-memo-warned-agency-its-vulnerabilities-doling-out
State Farm, CA’s largest property insurer, demanding 22% rate hike after fires and huge losses
State Farm says that as a result of Prop. 103, it has lost $5 billion over the last 9 years and had no option but to stop underwriting new policies in 2023.
State Farm, California’s largest property insurer, is demanding a 22% emergency rate hike after the Southern California fires, saying that over the last years it has paid out $1.26 in claims for every dollar in premiums it has collected.
Since the passage of Prop. 103 in 1988, state regulators have had to approve any rate hikes, which has led to rates not keeping up with rising claims and risks.
State Farm says that as a result, it has lost $5 billion over the last nine years in California, and that it had no option but to stop underwriting new policies in 2023.
“With further capital deterioration as a result of the wildfires, additional downgrades could follow. If that were to happen, customers with a mortgage might not be able to use State Farm General insurance on the collateral backing for their mortgage,” wrote State Farm. “Even before the January wildfires, at year-end 2024, State Farm General’s Policyholder Protection Fund – or capital available to pay future claims – was approximately a quarter of what it was in 2016.”
State Farm also did not renew policies for 30,000 homeowners in March 2024 in an “ongoing” non-renewal process, but said that “homeowner policies which had pending non-renewals in Los Angeles County that were on the books on January 7th will have an option to renew.”
For homeowners without any available standard market insurance, the state-regulated FAIR Plan of last resort has been an option, albeit with higher rates and low coverage maximums. With the FAIR Plan holding $6 billion of liability in the now-devastated Pacific Palisades alone — a figure boosted by recent State Farm non-renewals in the area — the plan could have no choice but to pass major assessments on to customers. It could take out new bonds if a new state bill authorizing them to do so passes — which would likely result in the passing of these new costs on to customers — or require the authorization of a state or even federal bailout.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/cas-largest-property-insurer-demanding-22-rate-hike-after-wildfires
DHS Sec. Noem assures exhaustive security and federal assistance for Super Bowl LIX
"We've seen failures across the country of agencies not talking well and not working well, and it's just not going to happen anymore, not on my watch," Noem said.
(The Center Square) − U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell assured the public that Super Bowl LIX is being provided the most exhaustive security measures.
Scores of armed military personnel and police officers, armored vehicles, enhanced security zones, X-ray machines and training for identifying suspicious activity have all been promised by state and federal officials.
On Monday, Noem outlined the federal government's commitment to ensuring effective interagency communication.
"We've seen failures across the country of agencies not talking well and not working well, and it's just not going to happen anymore, not on my watch," Noem said.
Landry highlighted the state's evolving response since a recent security incident.
"We went from an investigation to a recovery to taking care of victims' families and then putting on an event being the Sugar Bowl, and then here we are, many weeks later, having to put on… the biggest sporting event in the history of the world," Landry said.
As New Orleans police struggle with record low staffing, the assistance from the Federal government may provide more comfort to attendees, visitors and residents.
Super Bowl LIX has been granted federal status as a Special Event Assessment Rating 1 event, which in past events has included "explosive detection canine teams, cyber risk assessments, venue screening and field intelligence teams, and air security and tactical operations support."
Much of the security measures will remain through Mardi Gras season, though Landry said last week that for now the focus will remain on the Super Bowl.
Cantrell commended the impact of the SEAR 1 security rating, saying that "you get incredible resources and partnerships for this city, for those events that just aren't available at all with a lower rating."
Landry continued to encourage the public to remain observant and alert. "If you see something, say something," Landry said.
Officials confirmed that certain items, from backpacks to coolers will be restricted in designated security zones and every person entering is subject to search and seizure.
"You are free to refuse the search, but you are not free to enter," Landry said last week.
Security operations will begin on Wednesday and extend through Feb. 10, covering Super Bowl weekend, with continued measures for Mardi Gras. With heightened security classifications, additional federal support and emergency measures will remain in effect through the end of the month.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/noem-assures-public-safety-and-federal-assistance-super-bowl-lix