- Squared Take
- Posts
- š¬Abstinence on the rise
š¬Abstinence on the rise
Good morning. If youāre in the business of making a wish after seeing a shooting star pass, you may want to double-check.
This week, astronomers had to walk back their discovery of a new asteroid orbiting Earth, after realizing it wasnāt an asteroid at all, but a car. To be specific, Elon Muskās Tesla Roadster which he sent into orbit in 2018.
ā Benyin Ogar, Obafemi Ayomide, Edna Akanni.
CURRENCIES
Currency exchange rates against the US dollar as of market close. Hereās what these numbers mean
HEALTH
Trump puts PEPFAR on ice
Jules Desmarches/NBC
Trumpās āAmerica firstā policy is gradually turning to āAmerica onlyā following a freeze on foreign aid. After last weekās rump of executive orders in the United States, President Trumpās acting budget director issued a memo late Monday telling government agencies to temporarily freeze federal grants and loans, which translates to cutting off foreign aid to developing countries, exempting only Israel and Egypt.
The attempted freeze joins other legally questionable orders made by Trump in his first days back in office, including;
A halt on funding for the World Health Organization.
Suspending funding for non-governmental organizations like the PEPFAR (US Presidentās Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)
What does this mean? PEPFAR, The U.S. funded program has seen four presidential governments across U.S. history, alongside bilateral support, make it the largest-ever commitment to a disease, with an investiture worth over $100 billion. The withdrawal of US funding would mean that beneficiary governments would have to step up to shoulder the costs, for now.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria, with over 190k infections per year, ranks second globally in new HIV infections and is at risk of potentially losing the $6 billion committed to combating the virus.
Clinics across South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and other African countries have also reported to have paused vial distribution, following the executive order.
Stocks of Indian pharma companies supplying anti-retroviral medicines used to treat HIV tumbled on Monday.
Is this legal? In 1974, the US Congress passed a law saying the Executive branch couldnāt withhold funds that it already allocated. But the current administration claims it isnāt breaking any laws because the pause is temporary.
Though temporary, the freeze is yet to be implemented. A district judge in the US placed a pause on the order, at least till Feb. 3rd. -OA.
TRENDING
Selective viewership
Scripps News
Google Maps says it will change Gulf of Mexico to āGulf of Americaā for US users. The gulf best known for oil spills and spring break debauchery will soon have a new name in your Google Maps app(depending of course on your location). Google said yesterday it is complying with President Trumpās executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. US users will see the new Americentric name, while users in Mexico will still see the original name (and users everywhere else will see both).
SHOWER THOUGHTS
āSilence feels loud because we're used to noise.ā
NEWS
Round the continent
I. Heywood/Rhodes/SARAO
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger all formally left ECOWAS yesterday. Their citizens however are still permitted free movement within member states.
A South African telescope discovered a giant radio galaxy more than 32 times the size of the Milky Way. Itās been nicknamed āInkathazoā meaning trouble.
South Sudan has lifted its ban on Facebook and TikTok, imposed last week after graphic videos showing Sudanese people being killed went viral.
The US has mandated the UN to take āsanctionary measuresā against Rwanda for its involvement in the rebel crisis in Goma, DR Congo.
Reply