March 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

In other news: Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face a surge in crime as hunger and malnutrition intensify following U.N. warnings of imminent food ration cuts due to funding shortfalls. [DW]
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

In other news The World Health Organization is providing essential equipment worth *$750,000 to the Democratic Republic of Congo to improve vaccination coverage* in remote communities where preventable diseases persist. [UN News <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBstJUs37D2G3J9n2JU6gv0pkgVa_033E…> ] *Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face a surge in crime* as hunger and malnutrition intensify following U.N. warnings of imminent food ration cuts due to funding shortfalls. [DW <… [View More]

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Status: Pending That means, she says, that CSW must evolve — a stronger platform for feminists, real accountability for states, and urgent policy shifts.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

*Status: Pending* From the U.S. DEI rollbacks <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKKctC9f51B…> and U.K. aid cuts <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnb…> to rising violence in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, *challenges to women’s rights are mounting*, writes Baishali Chatterjee, global gender justice adviser at Christian Aid, in an opinion piece for Devex. As the Commission on the Status of Women marks 30 years since … [View More]

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The UN's glass ceiling: The numbers are stark. Since 1945, just 208 of 2,800 UN ambassadors have been women. Some countries — China, France, Russia — have never appointed one. Boardrooms aren’t much better: Women held just 29% of governing board positions in 2024.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

The UN's glass ceiling <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlMtQCOqxGRuVFKc_yMZ-3khkft3QdVY…>*U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres delivers remarks on the occasion of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women program. Photo by: UN Photo / Mark Garten* With International Women’s Day behind us, it’s worth asking: How much has really changed for women in global leadership? A new GWL Voices report <https://t.devex.com/… [View More]

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Vought early and often: Yesterday, Trump nominated Project 2025 architect Russell Vought — current head of the White House’s budget office — to the boards of both USADF and IAF.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

*Vought early and often* Despite how relatively tiny these aid agencies are, the Trump administration has clearly set the U.S. African Development Foundation <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBstetkfgc9FfyeGazNY2D5dt-1OC7PWo…> and the Inter-American Foundation <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZKQHBspAH7m7JsCKXBUjXYOtc_uTeOJR40lU…> in its crosshairs. Yesterday, Trump nominated Project 2025 <https://t.devex.com/dc/… [View More]kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkrZ218GcgnHX2hd2Dfy8uAL3qKlMogN…> architect *Russell Vought* — current head of the White House’s budget office — to the boards of both USADF and IAF <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvcdUV6s-ATH…> . Vought’s name surfaced on the Senate’s calendar on Monday, along with the nominations of two other political appointees: *Kenneth Jackson*, who is now serving as USAID’s assistant to the administrator for management and resources; and *Laken Rapier*, who is noted as a “senior FO advisor,” or front office adviser, in internal USAID documents. For decades, IAF has provided small grants to civil society organizations in Latin America, while USADF has funded small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs, businesses, and groups in Africa. Trump appointed Peter Marocco, the acting deputy administrator of USAID, as president and board chair of both organizations. IAF has now virtually disappeared <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvf-tQPk7a-w…>, while USADF President and CEO Ward Brehm temporarily blocked Marocco’s appointment <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkBQh3h_iqvAUwrNHENibFNcS2mF3YSQ…> by taking him to court. The initial results of that court case weren’t promising <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNkuR2m5WNE8J…>, though they weren’t definitive either, my colleague Elissa Miolene reports. While a federal judge yesterday cleared the way for the Trump administration to *shift the leadership of USADF and significantly downsize its operations*, Judge Richard Leon asked both legal teams to file a proposed briefing schedule for a preliminary injunction by March 12. It’s a route Brehm’s team had already said they would be taking. It’s not yet clear what will happen between now and a possible preliminary injunction, and whether Brehm will lead USADF until then. That being said, *the judge did not deny Brehm was the president*, and in his court order, Leon stated that he had found no existing statutes that would permit temporary appointments — such as Trump’s appointment of Marocco — to USADF’s board. *Read:* Trump taps Project 2025's Russell Vought to USADF, IAF boards <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvcdUV6s-ATH…> *Read more:* Judge rejects USADF chief’s bid to block Trump’s leadership shakeup <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgHnU0AEd8M6o_YcsV5JNkuR2m5WNE8J…> [View Less]

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Finance, bros: And with China ramping up global investments, Rep. Sheri Biggs underscored DFC’s role in countering China’s Belt and Road Initiative, calling it “America’s primary vehicle for soft power abroad.”
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Finance, bros The U.S. Congress kicked off the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation reauthorization talks with a rare show of bipartisanship <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POoCHqzIMxFmx3uh1aeA9isGdJh4J2dpV…>, as the agency nears its $60 billion lending cap and faces an Oct. 1 deadline to have its mandate reupped. *Lawmakers are pushing to double its cap to $120 billion or more*, with Republican Rep. Young Kim calling the process “urgent” and stressing the need to … [View More]

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Shred alert: “Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” wrote Erica Y. Carr, acting executive secretary at USAID, in an email obtained by Devex. Staff members were told to label burn bags “SECRET” and “USAID/B/IO” in Sharpie markers.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Shred alert USAID staff members were told to shred and burn classified and personnel documents <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvqRZlTOTo-c…> at the agency’s former headquarters in Washington, D.C. yesterday — an order raising legal red flags. The American Foreign Service Association warns *this could violate federal records laws*, especially amid lawsuits over USAID’s dismantling. “*Shred as many documents first*, and reserve the burn bags for when the … [View More]

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Weapons Check Co. Sued In Del. After Hyped Reports, Probes
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Weapons Check Co. Sued In Del. After Hyped Reports, Probes <https://www.law360.com/delaware/articles/2308960?nl_pk=9f0ef0c6-df48-47ce-8…> By Jeff Montgomery A shareholder of weapons screening system developer Evolv Technologies fired off a derivative suit on the company's behalf in Delaware's Court of Chancery late Monday, seeking recovery of damages arising from allegedly hyped marketing of flawed, artificial intelligence-enabled systems that failed to meet threat detection claims. … [View More]

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Yale-Tied Doc Dies Amid Ongoing Insemination Fraud Cases
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Yale-Tied Doc Dies Amid Ongoing Insemination Fraud Cases <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2309122?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…> By P.J. D'Annunzio A Connecticut doctor who worked at a Yale School of Medicine clinic who was sued for allegedly using his own sperm to impregnate unsuspecting patients has died during the pendency of the two cases against him, according to a court filing. 1 document attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2309122?… [View More]

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Alaska's RICO Claims Advance Against PBM In Opioid Suit
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Alaska's RICO Claims Advance Against PBM In Opioid Suit <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2308616?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…> By Mark Payne An Alaska federal judge has allowed most of the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act claims to move forward against pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts for its alleged role in the opioid epidemic. Order attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2308616?nl_pk=a981d81f-1a94-4659-8…… [View More]

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Northrop Grumman Mishandled Benefits Plan, Ex-Workers Say
by Gunnar Larson 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Northrop Grumman Mishandled Benefits Plan, Ex-Workers Say <https://www.law360.com/governmentcontracts/articles/2309171?nl_pk=0fbf612f-…> By Rae Ann Varona Former Northrop Grumman employees on Tuesday lodged a proposed class action accusing the aerospace and defense giant of mishandling an employee retirement plan's assets, telling a Virginia federal court that the company failed to act in the best interest of the plan's beneficiaries by repeatedly prioritizing offsetting employer … [View More]

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