Since Trump took command of the now three-year old US fight against ISIS, we’ve seen unprecedentedly high numbers of civilian casualties in Syria and Iraq. Last week, as all news-reading Americans know, Assad unleashed chemical weapons on Syrian civilians, and the US launched missiles against a Syrian airbase to retaliate against Assad’s regime. In light of these events, we are going to focus on Syria in today’s edition, contextualizing the missile strike and helping you take action.
April Fool’s: It’s Fake News
Over the last year, the phrase “fake news” has entered our lexicon, referring to stories that are completely fabricated and spread around the internet. Your workout today is to identify fake news and other disreputable sources of information. We’ll focus on two things: sensationalization and corroboration.
Trump’s foreign aid blockade
The “America First” White House has released its “skinny budget,” and the foreign policy priorities are clear: more war, less diplomacy and aid. The budget priorities paper calls for large increases at the Pentagon, and a 37% cut to the State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Since the annual $3 billion aid package to Israel apparently remains intact, that adds up close to a 50% cut to all other foreign aid and development budgets. But international aid is not only the right thing to do, it also helps keep America safe. Today we’re talking about foreign assistance.