USAID, America’s lead aid agency, could also be nearing its end, after US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to foreign aid. Trump said the agency was run by "lunatics", while billionaire Elon Musk called it "criminal".The US provides $72bn to 180 countries – but that aid has come under criticism in the past. So, what would it mean to pull the plug on USAID?

In this episode:
Anuradha Mittal (@Mittaloak), executive director, Oakland Institute

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, and Sarí el-Khalili, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hagir Saleh, Khaled Soltan, Melanie Marich, Hanah Shokeir, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

USAID, America&rsquo;s lead aid agency, could also be nearing its end, after US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to foreign aid. Trump said the agency was run by "lunatics", while billionaire Elon Musk called it "criminal".The US provides $72bn to 180 countries &ndash; but that aid has come under criticism in the past. So, what would it mean to pull the plug on USAID?
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>Anuradha Mittal (<a href="https://x.com/mittaloak">@Mittaloak</a>), executive director, Oakland Institute</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, and Sar&iacute; el-Khalili, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hagir Saleh, Khaled Soltan, Melanie Marich, Hanah Shokeir, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz.&nbsp;
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera&rsquo;s head of audio.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram,&nbsp;</a><a href="https://x.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.threads.net/@ajepodcasts">Threads</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.