Did American farmers know?

This episode of The Friday Brief by Girl Friday covers the impacts of U.S. aid freezes and administration changes. In Thailand, a Burmese refugee died because a U.S.-funded clinic closed. In Ukraine, there are renewed concerns about the end of the war with Russia, as Trump met Putin without Zelensky. In Sudan, a network of communal kitchens might close because of a lack of U.S. funding. Meanwhile, the U.S. will also be impacted by USAID's illegal closure. American farmers are paid handsomely for crops (wheat, rice, soybeans, to name a few) USAID uses for humanitarian aid assistance abroad. Did those farmers know that voting for "small government" meant closing USAID and losing those contracts? What will happen to farms that rely on USAID's government contracts? 

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @DearGirlFriday and sign up for The Friday Brief newsletter on deargirlfriday.com.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome
• 0:21 A Burmese refugee died after being discharged from a U.S.-funded clinic in Thailand
• 0:45 A brief background on the Myanmar military coup
• 1:09 The horrific results, thus far, of the Myanmar military coup
• 1:39 Ukraine's end to the war may not be what Zelensky hoped for; and NATO is unlikely to offer membership
• 3:36 Sudan's communal kitchens are at risk because of a lack of U.S. funding
• 4:20 Did American farmers know that cuts to USAID would impact rural American communities?
• 5:10 Until next time!

Transcript

Welcome to The Friday Brief, a news podcast by Girl Friday. I’m Phoenix Ricks, the CEO of Girl Friday and your host. This is your brief for February 12, 2025. 

In Thailand, Reuters says that a Burmese refugee died after being discharged from a U.S.-funded clinic. The clinic had to close because the Trump administration froze foreign aid with no concern expressed for the repercussions. You may recall one of the reasons why the U.S. government was likely funding this clinic in Thailand that helps refugees from Myanmar, also called Burma. In 2021, the military in Myanmar initiated a coup and took control of the country. In addition to trying to squash any form of physical rebellion or dissent, the military almost immediately started controlling communications, too, from everyday chatter to journalism. While it may not be at the top of the news cycle in the U.S. anymore, the conflict has not stopped. In October of last year, TIME reported that over 50,000 people had been killed because of the violence, and three million people were displaced. Just yesterday, the Catholic News Agency reported that a newly designated Catholic cathedral was bombed by the military regime last week. Given this dire situation, you can see why it was so important for the U.S. government to fund support for refugees who fled to Thailand. 

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, there’s renewed uncertainty about the conclusion of the war with Russia and Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. The BBC says that President Zelensky of Ukraine has said there "can be no talks on Ukraine without Ukraine,” but today, Trump and Putin met by phone to discuss Ukraine. On his own social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the conversation was “lengthy and highly productive,” and they apparently agreed to start negotiations to end the war. Trump and Pete Hegseth said it was unlikely Ukraine would be able to join NATO. At present, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has 32 member countries that are collectively called NATO Allies. They make important decisions together, but one of the most crucial things about being granted membership is that if one ally is attacked, all allies are supposed to respond. Now, it starts getting a little bit more complicated when you dig into how or if that can or even should be enforced, but that’s certainly the spirit of Article 5. In response to the U.S.’s position, Reuters reported that Zelensky told The Economist about his “Plan B,” saying, “... If Ukraine is not in NATO, it means that Ukraine will build NATO on its territory. S,o we need an army as numerous as the Russians have today. And for all this, we need weapons and money. And we will ask the U.S. for this.” In this political climate, it is unclear if that request will be granted. 

Now, turning to Sudan, the top news is unfortunately not dissimilar. They’ve been at war for two years, and 30 million people, so more than half of their population, need humanitarian assistance. NBC reported that the U.S. aid freeze has impacted a vital network of communal kitchens because they don’t have funding. Seventy-five percent of their funding came from USAID. The coordinator of the communal kitchens in Darfur said within the next 10 to 20 days, people will start dying from hunger. It costs 10,000 dollars for a single kitchen to operate and feed 250 families for two weeks. 

The news feels extremely heavy, so it's important to listen in small bites and focus on things you can handle. If you’re able to give to an organization that is helping children in the U.S. and abroad, I’d recommend checking out Save the Children. Within the U.S., they’ve had a special focus on rural America. Believe it or not, the funding cuts to USAID may make poverty worse in our rural communities. The Washington Post says USAID buys billions of dollars worth of crops from American farmers for humanitarian aid abroad. Without those agricultural purchases, our farming neighbors in rural America may suffer just like our friends around the world who rely on their wheat, soybeans, and other crops.  

And that concludes your brief for today. Make sure you don’t miss an episode! Follow Dear Girl Friday on Instagram and TikTok. You can sign up for The Friday Brief newsletter and check out our policy trackers, like “This Week in DC” on deargirlfriday.com. Until next time, I’m Phoenix Ricks signing off from Washington, D.C. Let’s work together for a world of good.