Spiritual well-being provides a sense of purpose, connection, and inner peace. Whether through religious beliefs, personal values, or a connection with something greater than oneself, spiritual well-being allows individuals to align their actions with their core beliefs, fostering balance and contentment. It provides the emotional resilience needed to face life’s challenges. Key Topics The Role of Purpose, Meaning, and Values:  How having a clear sense of purpose and aligning with core values can provide fulfillment and direction. Spiritual Practices for Resilience:  Practices like meditation, prayer, and self-reflection that nurture spiritual health. Community and Belonging:  Engaging with like-minded communities and connecting with others for a shared sense of spiritual growth. Ways to Cultivate Spiritual Well-Being Meditation and Self-Reflection:  Practices that connect us to our deeper sense of purpose and inner peace. Community Service and Acts of Kindness:  Finding fulfillment by giving back and engaging in activities that align with personal values. Creative Expression:  Exploring spiritual practices through art, music, or writing. Resources Touro University Spiritual Wellness Resources Core Yoga Practice and Refinement : Himalayan Institute   Action for Happiness: A community focused on promoting happiness through spiritual growth 13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises and Activities Art & Spirit in Maine : Melissa Harris .   Example of a retreat linking art and spirituality.

Financial wellbeing encompasses the ability to manage your finances effectively, reducing stress and creating a sense of security. Financial stability supports emotional well-being by alleviating anxiety related to financial uncertainty. Understanding financial planning, budgeting, and saving can empower you to make informed decisions and align your financial choices with your values. Key Topics in Financial Wellbeing Financial Health and Stress:  Understanding how financial instability can affect mental health and stress levels. Financial Literacy:  Learning about budgeting, saving, and investing to achieve long-term financial stability. Financial Planning for Future Goals:  Planning for emergencies, retirement, and investments to secure financial independence. Ways to Improve Financial Well-Being Creating a Budget:  Setting clear financial goals and tracking expenses to maintain financial discipline. Debt Management:  Understanding credit and managing debt to improve financial security. Investing for the Future:  Learning about basic investment strategies and retirement planning to build long-term financial security. General Resources YNAB (You Need A Budget) : While YNAB has a paid subscription for full access, it offers a free trial and has top-notch budgeting and financial planning features.  Investor.gov : Free financial calculators and planning tools.  Dave Ramsey's Financial Calculators : Tools for budgeting, debt management, and planning. MoneyByLisa : Resources on debt, credit, investing, and more. Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund : Information on loans, educational assistance, and more.  Retirefederal.com  -  Tammy Flanagan & Associates: A wealth of information and resources on federal retirement, and individual advisory services for a fee. Foundation for Financial Planning  - Pro-bono financial planning services. Cost of Living Information by State  - Missouri Economic Research and Information Center AFSA List of Financial Planners, Tax Help and Estate Planners   Solidarity Funds The Solidarity Fund  - Application  for USAID community members (all hiring mechanisms) The Solidarity Fund  - Make a donation to the Fund Federal Worker Solidarity Fund  - Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO For information on unemployment insurance requirements by state, check out Help4Feds.org .

Note: For information on health insurance, Medicaid, SNAP and other assistance programs, please visit the Holistic Wellbeing Resources page. General Guidance General Guidance: How to File for Unemployment Insurance   - Dept of Labor Unemployment Insurance Benefits Locator (search by State) - Dept of Labor, CareerOneStop Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA)   - Department of Labor website with guidance and links for signing up for COBRA. DMV Resources District of Columbia Dept. of Employment Services   - Information on job fairs, unemployment insurance, health insurance, foreclosure resources, student loan help, mental health support, and more… Virginia Employment Commission   - Information on unemployment insurance and job search support. Maryland Department of Labor   - Information on unemployment insurance, job search support, and job fairs.

Mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial well-being are interconnected, influencing and supporting each other to create a fulfilling life. By recognizing this, we can integrate strategies that balance all areas and promote overall well-being. Whether it’s setting financial goals that align with personal values, practicing mindfulness to support mental clarity, or engaging in spiritual practices for resilience, nurturing these areas together creates a holistic approach to well-being. Practical Tips for Integration Balance and Alignment:  Set clear goals for each aspect of your life, ensuring they align with your values and purpose. Holistic Support:  Utilize resources for personal growth, including financial coaching, therapy, and spiritual guidance, to address multiple areas of well-being simultaneously. Community  Engagement:  Connect with others who are on similar journeys, and seek support from communities and professional services. Give Yourself Grace: Remember this is a very challenging time. Make an effort to listen to your inner voice, go slow, and try to focus on what serves you. There are no "shoulds" and nothing has to be perfect.

Be an informed consumer when reviewing your options for healthcare coverage. The Affordable Care Act established guidelines for what constitutes Minimum Essential Coverage. Plans that advertise “gap” coverage are most often very limited. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always review the Explanation of Benefits to understand the features of any plan. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia operate their own healthcare marketplaces through the authority of the Affordable Care Act. If you are or will be a resident of any of these, you must apply for insurance coverage through your state’s marketplace. Plans offered outside of the Marketplaces are not required to provide Minimum Essential Coverage and cannot offer subsidized coverage or cost-sharing reductions. Be wary of any offer of enrollment outside of the Federal (Healthcare.gov) or State Marketplaces. Many of these contacts collect and sell your Personally Identifiable Information. For guidance on choosing between Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace, you can utilize resources like the HealthCare.gov website, local help resources, and the Marketplace Call Center, which offer free, impartial assistance with understanding your options and enrolling in a plan. Here's a breakdown of where to find advice and assistance: HealthCare.gov : Provides an overview of Medicaid and CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) coverage.  Local Help: Use the "Find Local Help" tool on HealthCare.gov  to find trained and certified assisters in your community who can provide free, impartial assistance.  Marketplace Call Center: Call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325) for personalized assistance with applications, plan comparisons, and enrollment.  Healthcare.gov - 10 printed resources : Information on losing job-based coverage, how to apply for insurance and Medicaid, drug plans, and more State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) : Provides insurance counseling and assistance to Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers. State Medicaid Agencies : Each state has its own Medicaid agency and you must contact them directly for information on eligibility and application materials.  The Center for Health Care Strategies : A nonprofit with resources and information about Medicaid and health insurance.  What Are Your Options for Health Insurance With No or Low Income?   - by Nicole Pajer   on Good Rx  (updated on July 1, 2024) How FEHB and Medicare Work in Retirement  - My Federal Retirement

RESOURCES FOR FIRED FEDERAL WORKERS As of March 30, 2025 Solidarity Fund Helmed by a group of ousted USAID staffers, The Solidarity Fund gives one-time financial assistance to recently-terminated USAID staff (any hiring mechanism) experiencing undue financial hardship. Use these links to APPLY or DONATE .   Help4Feds A not-for-profit site providing connections to resources for terminated United States federal employees   Fed Exit Network A site to help impacted Federal Workers find their next job.   SpoonFederal A site dedicated to providing local community resources and mutual aid group to support federal workers and contractors in the DMV area.   Fed Layoffs A community resource created to support federal employees affected by workforce reductions.   HelpFeds HELPFEDS is a nonprofit that supports current and former government employees and contractors by providing AI-enabled tools for reskilling, job matching, training, and short-term consulting opportunities.   Civic Action Hub A clearinghouse of resources for the people by the people to support our community and spur civic engagement   Mutual Aid DMV A space for collecting and sharing mutual aid resources, initiatives, & groups from all over the DC metro area

March 25, 2025 A Note from OneAID Community Organizers: Looking Ahead Over the last two months, OneAID Community, our partners, and hundreds of others did everything we could to stop the dismantling of USAID and the U.S. foreign assistance architecture. We brought together over 250 volunteers working on press and congressional engagement, information management, staff support, community coordination, social media, and legal issues; supported the establishment of 34 state groups now partnered with us; and shared consistent, accurate information through our three broadcast channels with over 2,300 Signal users and counting. Following the passage of the continuing resolution on March 15, we recognized the need for a pause and a rethink on the next phase of our efforts. The pace and intensity of the advocacy during the first two months of the Trump administration was critical, but this work must be sustainable over time. To ensure the longer-term viability of this movement, we took a strategic pause between March 15 and 23, and believe that the OneAID Community is most effective as an advocacy hub that serves as a network convener, and provides consistent, accurate information via our website and messaging through our community updates,  as well as serving as a platform for those providing resources for impacted staff from USAID and partners . Two shifts happening now are that OneAID will: Convene a weekly, invitation only Community Network virtual call on Monday evenings. Members of the OneAID Community and groups across the broader international assistance and democracy network are invited to participate. If you are managing a group and would like to connect,  let us know ! We held our inaugural Community Network Call last night with 27 participants representing 20 groups, who shared the current status of their efforts and had the opportunity to make connections to increase collaboration. Issue Community Updates once a week on Tuesday mornings, which will continue to include important messaging to convey in the week ahead, updates from the Monday Network Call, and information from technical experts tied to the OneAID Community. All updates will continue to be published on the  OneAID website , and we will continue to publish Flash Updates regarding urgent or late-breaking developments as well. Thank you to everyone who has followed our efforts these last two ( long ) months, and to all who completed our feedback survey last week. We appreciate your trust and your readership!

General Federal Employee 2025 playlist  - Spotify   Federal Employees Motivation Playlist  - Spotify  Restaurants/Theaters/Service Providers in DC Offering Discounts Washingtonian Article (Fed 19, 2025)  The 51st  (Feb 2025)  DC Theater Arts (Feb 28, 2025)  Opportunities to give back  Volunteer Match Createthegood  - AARP

Caring Citizens Network : Hub for information on various networks supporting recently fired federal workers with support ranging from job search support to information on loans, housing, and legal aid. USAID Resource Hub   (not vetted): A volunteer effort focused on supporting USAID staff and contractors who recently lost their jobs with information about webinars, career coaches, career pivot resources, legal support providers and resources. Comprehensive List of Coaches, Therapists, Job Boards and Events   (not vetted): A crowdsourced document; anyone can add and/or remove information. Links are not checked. AAFSW Resource Hub : A gateway to Foreign Service community support resources.

March 14, 2025 Key Updates The Senate is likely to advance a continuing resolution on Friday that undermines international assistance and gives away much of Congress’s "power of the purse" to the executive branch. The Trump Administration and DOGE continue to gut the government and obfuscate: After DOGE illegally dismantled U.S. foreign assistance agencies, this model is now being applied to other agencies. Documents the government provided in the Does v. Musk case raise as many questions about who ordered what as they answer. Courts provide some checks to overreach with latest orders to reinstate probationary federal employees , while other requests for payment and relief are still pending. AFSA and AFGE, now with Oxfam, are renewing efforts to block the Trump administration from dismantling USAID itself. Most USAID staff remain in limbo, with recent evacuees from overseas posts owed thousands of dollars. Keep calling your senators and representatives. Use the  OneAID call script  to  demand your representatives vote NO on the Continuing Resolution that not only undermines international assistance, but doesn't even guarantee how the money will be spent.  Directly contradicting Article 1 of the Constitution, this unprecedented measure would give away Congress’s "power of the purse" to defer to the executive branch. More details below… Senate to Advance Continuing Resolution on Friday, with Requisite Number of Democrats   Planning to Vote for Cloture Today, March 14, the Senate plans to take up a House-passed bill to fund the government through September, avoiding a government shutdown with funding expiring at 11:59 pm. Republicans need 60 votes to invoke cloture (definition: limiting debate on a measure of a matter) and advance the measure and allow a final vote on passage. Senator Schumer said on Thursday night that he would vote for cloture and had reportedly lined up enough other Democratic votes to allow the Republican bill to pass ( New York Times ). On Monday, Democrats had introduced an alternative, shorter-term resolution, criticizing “Speaker Johnson’s slush fund continuing resolution” as “empower[ing] President Trump and Elon Musk to pick winners and losers with taxpayer dollars”, as it “shortchanges families and includes painful funding cuts for bipartisan domestic priorities like cancer research, Army Corps projects, and much more.” ( House ) Constituents are urging their elected leaders to vote against cloture and against the current budget resolution, which fails to put into place safeguards to hold the Trump administration accountable in the wake of its major violations of Congress’s power of the purse as it was drafted without Democratic input and fails to protect foreign aid funding that benefits their states . ( NPR ) The bill also cuts almost $1B of the District of Columbia’s budget, which is funded by D.C.’s own taxpayer dollars. ( The Hill ) The Trump Administration and DOGE Continue to Gut the Government After DOGE illegally dismantled U.S. foreign assistance agencies, this model is now being applied to other agencies. The Department of Education and IRS seem to be next on the list after objectives for USAID were achieved (see: Project 2025 Tracker ), with DOGE proposing to downsize the IRS by 20 percent in the middle of tax season. ( CNN , WaPo ) On March 13, the Government defendants in the Does v. Musk case produced a number of redacted emails and other documents in response to Plaintiff’s request for documents explaining the authority under which a number of recent decisions were taken, including several rounds of placing staff on administrative leave, the shutdown of USAID headquarters, and the termination of nearly 800 personal services contractors. The responses were widely noted as being problematic, both in terms of their timing–as some documents purported to explain who authorized decisions were dated after the decision occurred–and in terms of whether they were actually responsive to the Judge’s information requests, as some only showed that a decision had been implemented, not who ordered it. ( Anna Bower, Lawfare) The Trump administration continues to misrepresent their dismantling of USAID as a sincere effort to consider and retain valuable programs. In reality: Only after the Trump administration’s February 26 court filing claiming Rubio had “individually reviewed” each program and determined whether terminating it was in the country’s “national interest” did the government instruct USAID staff and implementing partners to complete a “foreign assistance review” survey assessing their programs against the administration’s priorities. Before the survey’s March 11 deadline, Secretary Rubio tweeted that the review was officially over and that USAID was retaining 1,000 programs while cutting 5,200. Since then, the USAID staff assigned to review awards, including those already canceled, were instructed to make sure the number of awards they cancel match Rubio’s tweet . Per a USAID staff member involved in the review: “After going through this exercise to really demonstrate why a lot of this stuff contributes to saving lives, and have it dismissed as saying: ‘Well, we’ve got a target that was determined by a tweet, and we have to hit that benchmark?’ It’s not a good look.” ( Devex ) Courts Provide Some Checks to Overreach with Latest Orders to Reinstate Probationary Staff,   Other Relief Still Pending Employees from several agencies have received additional relief from the courts, including in a lawsuit brought by federal employee unions. On March 13, U.S. District Judge Alsup ordered the Trump administration to “immediately” reinstate all fired probationary employees in the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and Agriculture. ( New Republic ) Later on March 13, in a lawsuit brought by Democratic state attorneys general, a second federal judge ordered the mass reinstatement of probationary federal workers fired by the Trump administration from 18 agencies. ( NPR ) On March 13, Judge Nichols issued an order setting up a schedule for AFSA and AFGE’s motion for summary judgment that stretches into early May, with the Government’s brief in support of their motion to dismiss the case due on May 5. AFSA and AFGE have now added Oxfam to their suit and this week argued that the effort to decimate USAID violates Constitutional separation of powers as well as the statute establishing USAID and appropriations law, which requires Congressional approval before initiating any reorganization. ( GovExec ) However, most USAID staff remain stuck in limbo. For example, the U.S. government reportedly still owes a cumulative $400,000 in payments to a group of USAID employees evacuated from the Congo. One USAID official describes escaping violence in an emergency evacuation and the difficult return to the United States amid leadership turmoil and limited support from their government employer. Responding to Trump administration criticisms that USAID workers are anti-American, this worker said, “We love America more than anybody. We love it so much we’re trying to export the ideas of America to the Congo, which is a difficult assignment even by USAID standards.” ( ABC ) 4 Happening Next Week Wednesday, March 19 Atlantic Council Event : Director of Foreign Assistance, and key architect of USAID’s dismantling, Pete Marocco, speaks to “The Future of U.S. Foreign Aid and Global Development” in a fireside chat moderated by Atlantic Council president Fred Kempe. Consistent Topline Messages (Talking Points) Preserving Foreign Assistance as a U.S. Foreign Policy Tool An effort from the Trump administration and Congress to reform and streamline U.S. foreign assistance is welcome, however, the current approach is not a serious reform effort : it is an ineffective, sloppy power grab that is—unintentionally or not—destroying U.S foreign assistance apparatus and depriving the U.S. of a critical soft-power tool. Foreign assistance keeps us safer here at home while demonstrating American generosity and saving millions of lives worldwide. This flawed power grab is evident in the  broken waiver process, which lacked clear procedures and failed to operate effectively, as well as the cancellation of over 10,000 State and USAID contracts,  some of which had already been granted waivers. Despite the Administration’s claims, even life-saving and critical national security projects approved for waivers by Secretary Rubio have not received funding. This stems from rushed, careless efforts to alter USAID’s financial system (Phoenix), rendering it non-operational and incapable of processing payments. This includes efforts to stem an Ebola outbreak that could infect Americans, HIV prevention and treatment, and sensitive work in conflict zones. The Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID has left the U.S. without the systems, experienced personnel, or partners necessary to responsibly and strategically implement foreign assistance. Americans agree: foreign assistance is a powerful U.S. soft-power tool, and  89 percent   of Americans support spending at least 1 percent of our federal budget on foreign aid. For this reason,  Congress must halt these illegal actions by DOGE and instead implement a more strategic, sensible reform effort that restores the legislative branch’s important oversight function. USAID: The first, but not the last USAID is the playbook for President Trump and Elon Musk’s plan for a rapid and potentially illegal overhaul of the U.S. Government without required Congressional approval and oversight for agencies codified by statute. Reform is welcome, but what DOGE is doing is not reform, it is taking a sledgehammer to destroy a vital tool of U.S. national security. Rep. Bacon (R-NE) underscored this in his comments to the Wall Street Journal:  “[USAID was] funding a lot of stupid stuff — that’s a fact. But they’re also doing a lot of good stuff too. So you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead of taking a sledgehammer, let’s get out the scalpel.” Some Republican Senators have joined their Democratic colleagues in expressing alarm  over the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze and gutting of USAID.  Lindsey   Graham (R-SC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Susan Collins (R-ME) wrote   to Secretary Rubio stating they believe the State Department is acting unlawfully by failing to notify and consult Congress during the process. Instead of undertaking a reform effort—working closely with Congress as is required by law—DOGE has taken a “burn it all down” approach, including mass firings and major infringements on Congress’s power of the purse. This may work for tech firms, but it is a dangerous approach for government institutions that must remain accountable to taxpayers, enforce and follow laws, and deliver public goods. Additional Resources for Information and Messaging USAIDStopWork website   and USAIDStopWork Bluesky https://www.foreignaidfreeze.org/ Friends of USAID:  Instagram ,  X/Twitter ,  YouTube 6

March 14, 2025 A Note from OneAID Community Organizers The last seven weeks have felt like seven lifetimes for those of us working in the international assistance space. We have watched a rapid dismantling of an architecture that may have been ready for reform but did not need to be destroyed with a sledgehammer. We have witnessed devastating impacts on the communities we have committed our lives to serving as the United States abandoned its commitments abroad, and we have watched dedicated colleagues from around the world begin to walk into the unknown as we lose the mission-driven careers we loved. As a cadre of doers, and fixers, and people who just generally want to make the world a better place, sitting idly by in this moment just wasn’t an option. Instead, the community came together. USAID staff, implementing partners, friends, family, supporters, and others rallied together trying to find some hope and trying to stop the unraveling of an agency that was not perfect, but did so much good in its 63 year history. OneAID Community came into being as two USAID colleagues met on February 1 and decided to use their skills from careers across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus  [there’s some USAID wonk for you all!]  to bring people together and try to do the right thing. We found the other doers and the helpers, hopped on Signal calls, and figured out where the gaps were that needed to be filled in this rapid response advocacy movement. We sought out the trailblazing team behind USAIDStopWork.com  whose Stop-Work Order (SWO) groups were already leveraging the expertise of USAID’s implementing partners, and we built out a network of networks focused on factual, consistent messaging that could resonate with all Americans, and help them understand why fighting for USAID and international assistance was not only the important thing to do but the right thing to do. Dedicated OneAID volunteers and collaborators built this community from there and have since accomplished incredible things, from pounding the pavement on Capitol Hill and in their districts and bringing constituents together for meetings with their representatives, to making sure the press and legal teams in the various court cases got their facts right by sharing the knowledge and expertise from decades of experience, to providing support and care for fellow USAID staff and partners impacted by this tremendous loss. In just seven short (but long) weeks, the OneAID Community has: Built a grassroots effort, coordinated by 30 lead organizers working with over 250 volunteers on press and congressional engagement, information management, staff support, community coordination, social media, and legal issues. Supported the establishment of  36  state groups now partnered with OneAID. Shared information through our three broadcast channels with over 2,200 Signal users. Launched a public-facing website   to ensure you have the consistent and reliable information and support you need. Published 15 editions of the Community Updates   tracking key developments and impacts of the dismantling of USAID and the dramatic changes in international assistance as we knew it, that has become a resource for hill staff, policymakers, and others. Facilitated over 30 meetings with Congressional offices in a rapidly changing landscape where the judicial and congressional branches of government were our only means to change the course of events. Within the first 48 hours of being furloughed, a group of more than 25 USAID-contracted staff (ISCs) met with the staff of 8 House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee members, both Democratic and Republican, some of whom USAID staff continue to follow up with. On March 12 alone, more than 80 foreign aid supporters delivered over 250 constituent letters to over 100 Senate and House offices. In addition, constituent-led groups of current and former USAID and implementing partner staff attended scheduled meetings throughout this week (in addition to meetings and letters delivered during previous weeks) with Members and/or staffers in 33 Congressional offices to share their experiences and how foreign aid makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Next week the  OneAID Community is taking a strategic pause  to regroup and refocus for the marathon ahead. During this period we will not publish our regular updates but will remain ready to issue flash updates if the ever-changing context requires. Today and always, the OneAID Community stands in solidarity with those who support continued international assistance and believe in upholding democracy— we remain committed to serving as a nonpartisan communication and coordination platform to facilitate our collective efforts. We would also like to acknowledge and express our sincere appreciation for those beyond this community that have welcomed the information we offer and have used our updates for advocacy. To ensure we are publishing Community Updates that support your efforts and keep you informed, please let us know what is most helpful for you by completing this survey   by Wednesday, March 19 at 5:00 pm EST .

March 12, 2025 Key Updates Judge Ali filed a preliminary injunction in the USAID Implementing Partners case , requiring the government to make payments and permit letter of credit drawdowns for work completed prior to February 13. AFSA/AFGE filed a motion for summary judgment asking the court to decide the case on the merits and rule that the dismantling of USAID is unlawful. A federal judge in Maryland ordered DOGE/Musk to produce a list of documents signed by the authorizing official for decisions related to USAID’s dismantling  including taking the agency website down, placing employees on administrative leave, terminating nearly 800 personal services contractors (PSCs), and shutting down USAID headquarters and removing signage. USAID was first, but not last :  The   Trump Administration decimates the Department of Education, issuing  reduction in Force (RIF) notices for 1,315 employees, leaving only 2,183 employed by the department. OneAID Community is supporting USGLC’s  #SaferStronger Week of Action for U.S.   International Assistance   inviting all to join in asking Congress to protect international programs that save lives and make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Visit their  Rapid Response Hub   for resources, information, and factsheets. More details below… Judge Ali Ruling: Preliminary Injunction Issued in Implementing Partners Case On Monday, Judge Amir Ali of the Federal District Court for D.C. blocked the Trump administration from “unlawfully impounding congressionally appropriated foreign aid funds” that the State Department and USAID owed to grant recipients and contractors, requiring it to pay for work completed before February 13. Judge Ali stopped short of ordering administration officials to reinstate thousands of terminated contracts, but made clear that they would have to spend $58 billion in previous congressionally appropriated funds at some point. ( NY Times ,  AP ,  Washington Post ,  Devex ,  Axios ) Judge Ali ruled that the Trump administration is likely violating the constitutional separation of powers by withholding funds and usurping Congress’s authority to dictate whether the funds should be spent in the first place. During a hearing on March 6, Judge Ali had given the agencies until March 10 at 18:00 to process old invoices and pay what was owed to groups suing for work completed before February 13. The order on Monday also required the government to file a report by the end of the week outlining how it would pay others that previously received federal funding before the review. While Judge Ali’s injunction could be seen as narrow in that he only addressed pre-February 13 obligations, the language he used in the opinion demonstrates his clear view that the executive branch is violating constitutional provisions assigning Congress authority to appropriate funds and congress’s shared authority over foreign assistance. Specifically, he stated that the plaintiffs’ Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional claims have a clear likelihood of success, given the documented executive disregard for the separation of powers. AFSA/AFGE: Motion for Summary Judgment Filed On Monday, March 10, the plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment asking Judge Carl Nichols of the District Court for D.C. to decide the case on the merits. The plaintiffs had sued alleging that the government shutdown of USAID was unlawful and asked the court to halt the terminations of personnel and foreign aid programs. ( Democracy   Forward ) On February 21, Judge Nichols denied plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction finding, among other findings, that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits, characterizing the case as essentially about changed employment conditions that could be addressed by administrative bodies and discounting the immediate relevance of the constitutional and statutory claims under the Administrative Procedure Act and separation of powers principles. The motion for summary judgment attempts to address the reasons Judge Nichols set forth for denying the preliminary injunction, arguing that the case is not “just” an employment law case and shoring up unions’ standing to sue by using language from the more successful CFPB case. The motion for summary judgment comes on the heels of Judge Nichols denying the plaintiff’s request for injunctive relief and essentially asks the judge to rule differently based on the same record and similar arguments, which given the circumstances is unlikely to succeed. J. Doe 1-26 v. Musk: Documents Authorizing Dismantling of USAID Requested On March 10, Judge Chuang of the District Court for Maryland ordered defendants Musk and DOGE to produce a trove of documents signed by authorizing officials directing the dismantling of USAID, including shuttering the USAID office space, placing staff on administrative leave, transferring office space to another agency, and taking down the USAID website ( Court Listener ). This evidence was requested by plaintiffs to support their request for preliminary injunction and bolster their claim that DOGE/Musk were behind the decision to dismantle USAID. The overall case was filed by anonymous USAID employees and contractors alleging that DOGE/Musk do not have the authority to control the agency or make personnel decisions. ( Just Security ) Department of Education Firings Show Project 2025 and DOGE Continue to Dismantle the   Federal Government The Department of Education’s union shared the list of cuts detailing “hundreds of layoffs at the Federal Student Aid office, Institute of Education Sciences and Office for Civil Rights, among other units.” The total cuts add up to around half of DOE Staff ( NPR) . The Institute of Education Sciences oversees monitoring and evaluation research on existing curriculum and education programs and collects data on students and staff such as for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. According to Department of Education staff, those impacted by this decision include employees with the General Counsel's Office, the Federal Student Aid oversight group, the office that supports Institutions of Higher Education, and the management office that pays the department's bills and oversees statutory functions. Although the Trump Administration asserts that the department's functions will continue and that these cuts make the department more efficient, a 50 percent cut beginning this Friday will certainly impact operations and disrupt essential education services that Americans rely on. Consistent Topline Messages (Talking Points) Preserving Foreign Assistance as a U.S. Foreign Policy Tool An effort from the Trump administration and Congress to reform and streamline U.S. foreign assistance is welcome, however, the current approach is not a serious reform effort : it is an ineffective, sloppy power grab that is—unintentionally or not—destroying U.S foreign assistance apparatus and depriving the U.S. of a critical soft-power tool. Foreign assistance keeps us safer here at home while demonstrating American generosity and saving millions of lives worldwide. This flawed power grab is evident in the  broken waiver process, which lacked clear procedures and failed to operate effectively, as well as the cancellation of over 10,000 State and USAID contracts,  some of which had already been granted waivers. Despite the Administration’s claims, even life-saving and critical national security projects approved for waivers by Secretary Rubio have not received funding. This stems from rushed, careless efforts to alter USAID’s financial system (Phoenix), rendering it non-operational and incapable of processing payments. This includes efforts to stem an Ebola outbreak that could infect Americans, HIV prevention and treatment, and sensitive work in conflict zones. The Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID has left the U.S. without the systems, experienced personnel, or partners necessary to responsibly and strategically implement foreign assistance. Americans agree: foreign assistance is a powerful U.S. soft-power tool, and  89 percent   of Americans support spending at least 1 percent of our federal budget on foreign aid. For this reason,  Congress must halt these illegal actions by DOGE and instead implement a more strategic, sensible reform effort that restores the legislative branch’s important oversight function. USAID: The first, but not the last USAID is the playbook for President Trump and Elon Musk’s plan for a rapid and potentially illegal overhaul of the U.S. Government without required Congressional approval and oversight for agencies codified by statute. Reform is welcome, but what DOGE is doing is not reform, it is taking a sledgehammer to destroy a vital tool of U.S. national security. Rep. Bacon (R-NE) underscored this in his comments to the Wall Street Journal: “[USAID was] funding a lot of stupid stuff — that’s a fact. But they’re also doing a lot of good stuff too. So you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead of taking a sledgehammer, let’s get out the scalpel.” Some Republican Senators have joined their Democratic colleagues in expressing alarm  over the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze and gutting of USAID.  Lindsey   Graham (R-SC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Susan Collins (R-ME) wrote   to Secretary Rubio stating they believe the State Department is acting unlawfully by failing to notify and consult Congress during the process. Instead of undertaking a reform effort—working closely with Congress as is required by law—DOGE has taken a “burn it all down” approach, including mass firings and major infringements on Congress’s power of the purse. This may work for tech firms, but it is a dangerous approach for government institutions that must remain accountable to taxpayers, enforce and follow laws, and deliver public goods. Current Impact American Economy and Jobs: Confirmed Job Losses   from our partners at USAIDStopWork: 14,173 Americans have lost their jobs, been furloughed, or placed on administrative leave. 59,634 jobs globally (non-American) have been lost as of March 6, 2025. Humanitarian Assistance In  Gaza , nearly all 1.1 million children face critical food insecurity. Due to aid cuts, Save the Children is faced with reducing treatment and services for malnourished children mid-recovery, and closing 10 mother-baby areas for pregnant women and newborns that provide critical nutrition assistance. ( ReliefWeb ) In Somalia , due to aid cuts, Save the Children is forced to close about 121 health and nutrition sites, cutting off support for more than 250,000 people. ( ReliefWeb ) In Afghanistan , 18 health facilities supported by Save the Children have closed. Only 14 Save the Children clinics have enough funding to remain open for one more month, and without new financial support, they will be forced to close. These 32 clinics supported over 134,000 children in January alone. ( ReliefWeb ) Humanitarian action is driven by interwoven data streams, which guide decisions on where, when, and how to respond to crises. As a result of funding cuts, the loss of key data streams are expected to create a chain reaction that will exacerbate future emergencies and hinder responses : loss of monitoring capacity, blind spots in early warning, disrupted funding pipelines, reduced humanitarian access and security failures, and vulnerable people will die. ( The New Humanitarian ) UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher outlines a new action plan to reform the international humanitarian community’s way of working in the face of massive funding cuts. ( ReliefWeb ) Health As a result of the Trump administration’s stop work order, a newborn and their mother have died due to the withdrawal of lifesaving medical services. Before the Trump administration began dismantling USAID, one USAID partner provided water, sanitation, and health services to refugee camps, remote areas, and health facilities in a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” travel advisory country. Their work supported pregnant women and hundreds of children under 5 years old suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. The U.S. government has not paid over $1 million due to this partner, which depends upon those reimbursements in order to resume life-saving care. Stopping this partner’s work has stopped payments to medical staff, including obstetricians and pediatricians at the local hospital, causing them to leave their posts. Remaining organizations are not able to expand their operations to compensate for USAID’s withdrawal, and remaining workers are overwhelmed with dozens of calls for urgent assistance each day. In  Kenya , the Trump administration has not authorized the release of funding required to distribute $34 million worth of medicine and equipment from a warehouse that supplies drugs to some 2,000 clinics nationwide. The commodities at the warehouse include 2.5 million bottles of antiretroviral drugs, 750,000 HIV test kits, and 500,000 malaria treatments. ( Reuters ) Democracy, Rights, and Governance U.S. funding cuts, alongside a growing global anti-rights movement, threaten to reverse hard-won advances in girls’ rights . At the current rates of progress in the efforts at achieving gender equality, the World Economic Forum estimates that it will take 134   years   for girls and women to achieve equality. ( ReliefWeb ) The potential loss of previous investment in gender equality on the part of the U.S. government alone—which was $2.6 billion in 2023— could mean more than 18 million fewer girls attending school each year. There will be 4.7 million fewer women each year accessing economic resources, and 4.2 million fewer individuals each year without psychosocial support, case management, and community-based prevention of gender violence, according to Plan International. ( ReliefWeb ) Education In Kenya and Uganda , Finn Church Aid programs were halted as a result of the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts, which will potentially result in 209,000 schoolchildren losing access to education and 206 teachers and school staff have lost or are at risk of losing their jobs. The termination of U.S. funding will also directly wipe out the gains in education access for girls and their transition to secondary school. ( ReliefWeb ) National/International Media Review Politico: How Americans May Feel the Slashing of USAID Reuters: US judge says Musk's DOGE must release records on operations run in 'secrecy' NPR: The government already knows a lot about you. DOGE is trying to access all of it The Hill:  Former USAID employees on cuts: ‘We are going to put lives in jeopardy’ KFF:  U.S. Foreign Aid Freeze & Dissolution of USAID: Timeline of Events The New Humanitarian:  Humanitarian aid’s extreme donor dependency problem in five   charts The Atlantic (Opinion): The Diseases Are Coming Local Media Review KARK: Arkansas-based Syrian aid group discusses humanitarian aid struggle as USAID   cuts continue Johns Hopkins News-Letter: Hopkins programs forced to close as Trump administration   ends USAID grants News5 Cleveland: Groups working with USAID say the government still has not paid   what it owes for their work Axios Raleigh: USAID cuts lead to more furloughs in the Triangle Florida Spectrum News: Central Florida woman raising awareness on impact of USAID   dismantling locally Additional Resources for Information and Messaging from Our Partners USAIDStopWork website   and USAIDStopWork Bluesky Friends of USAID:  Instagram ,  X/Twitter ,  YouTube 6