Soon after the Trump administration froze funding for the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, work stopped on a major Agent Orange cleanup site at the Bien Hoa air base in Vietnam. The toxic herbicide was sprayed across Vietnam during the war that ended 50 years ago. For over 20 years the US government has paid for cleanup of Agent Orange dump sites, and funded health care for Agent Orange victims.
(“Trump Halted Agent Orange Cleanup—That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Poisoning,” ProPublica, March 17, 2025)
Donald Trump’s nominee to lead US Customs and Border Enforcement, CPB, Rodney Scott, has been accused of orchestrating a “cover-up” of the death of a man detained by border agents while trying to enter the country from Mexico. James Wong, a former deputy assistant commissioner of CBP’s office of internal affairs, wrote to the Senate finance committee, that will consider Scott’s nomination with “concern” about Scott’s handling of the investigation into the 2010 death of Anastasio Hernández Rojas in San Diego. There Hernández was beaten and tased by CBP agents who were preparing to deport him.
(“Trump Border Pick Accused of ‘Coverup’ in Death of Man Beaten by US Agents,” Guardian, April 29, 2025; “Trump’s CBP Nominee Questioned on Immigrant’s Death at Confirmation Hearing,” Washington Post, April 30, 2025)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is eliminating its popular disaster adaptation program which allocated several billion dollars to local governments to harden infrastructure in preparation for extreme weather events that are becoming more intense and common as the climate crisis worsens. Projects funded include burying power lines, building culverts and protecting storm and wastewater facilities.
(“FEMA Moved to End One of Its Biggest Climate Adaption Programs,” Grist, April 3, 2025; “Loss of FEMA program Spells Disaster for Hundreds of Communities,” Associated Press, April 28, 2025)
