Savannah Pursglove

The sudden dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in February 2025 eliminated the leading US institution used to administer foreign aid assistance, redirecting approximately $34 billion in annual humanitarian and development funding to try and reduce the national deficit.[1] This action shows the fundamental shifts occurring in US foreign policy priorities due to the current administration; which stops new grants and contracts that helps establish global health, emergency relief, and economic development programs.[2]

Far-right political movements in England have grown in recent years as the social, security, and economic landscape has moved toward anxiety and polarization. Large-scale rallies are no longer rare events, but have become more and more common in England’s largest cities; coming to a head most recently in the “Unite the Kingdom” march, where 110,000 people met in Whitehall, London, to oppose both immigration and what they view as an abandonment of the common man [1]. Digital mobilization, the surge of misinformation, and the involvement of controversial figures like Tommy Robinson (head of the English Defence League, a far-right, anti-jihadi group) and Elon Musk have given previously small, fringe groups an unimaginable reach, allowing them to spread their message through mainstream and alternative channels [2].