The NPR Politics Podcast U.S. foreign aid changed in 2025 – and it was felt around the world
28 snips
Jan 2, 2026 
Gabriela Emanuel, an NPR reporter known for her impactful storytelling, dives deep into the transformative changes to U.S. foreign aid since 2025. She discusses the immediate global repercussions of aid cuts, including collapsing health services and increasing child mortality rates. Emanuel shares personal accounts, like a mother struggling to access HIV medications for her daughter. The conversation explores the shift towards funding direct partnerships over traditional aid, raising questions about America's role in global humanitarian efforts.
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Rapid Overhaul Of U.S. Aid Policy
- The Trump administration froze almost all international assistance and dismantled USAID within weeks of inauguration.
- That abrupt policy shift reshaped U.S. foreign assistance and how the world perceives American power.
Aid Framed As Misaligned With U.S. Interest
- The administration framed foreign aid as misaligned with national interests and wasteful despite its small budget share.
- Critics said USAID could improve but argued destroying it was arbitrary and harmful.
HIV Clinics Closed Overnight
- Clinics funded by long-running U.S. HIV programs suddenly closed and patients lost access to daily medications.
- Gabriela Emanuel met people whose neighborhoods saw doors locked and treatment interrupted overnight.