Simon Kent

Simon Kent

Articles by Simon Kent

Shutdown: Marco Rubio Cancels 83% of USAID Programs

Eighty-three percent of the programs directly funded and administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were canceled Monday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Downloaded 2/22/2025

Trump Effect: E.U. Leaders Agree to Massive Defence Spending Boost

European Union (E.U.) leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels agreed Thursday to begin a massive increase in defence spending in the wake of President Donald Trump’s demands for less reliance on U.S. taxpayer largesse in hardware, funding, and intelligence sharing.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 06: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Europ

Report: Democratic Donor Platform ActBlue in Chaos as Workers Flee

The Democratic National Committee’s donor platform, ActBlue, is in trouble. Republican lawmakers have targeted the organization as a money-laundering operation while it faces internal chaos after at least seven senior officials departed, a report claims.

Somerville, MA, 11/13/2018 -- at ActBlue in Somerville. (Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff) Topi

RFK Jr. Supports Measles Vaccine as Texas Outbreak Builds

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday expressed his “deep concern” about the Texas measles outbreak and cautioned that parents should consult with health-care providers “to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine” for their children.

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - MARCH 01: One year-old River Jacobs is held by his mother, Caitlin Fuller

Stormy Weather for NOAA as Efficiency Cuts Claim Hundreds of Jobs

Hundreds of staffers on probationary status at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were laid off Thursday as the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to slash the federal workforce.

Workers in front of monitors at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Trump Promises Trade Deal with UK That Sidelines Tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly affirmed Thursday he is working on a trade deal with the UK and suggested Britain could be exempt from tariffs if one is agreed, setting the country on its own post-Brexit path as the European Union braces for punitive imposts.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 27: (L-R) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Dona

Music Mogul Irv Gotti Cause of Death Revealed

The cause of death for Irv Gotti, the music mogul who crafted hits for Ja Rule, Ashanti, DMX and Jennifer Lopez all while founding the record label Murder Inc., has been revealed.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 28: Irv Gotti attends the 2022 MTV VMAs at Prudential Center o