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Deep Cuts

Deep Cuts

By: Eric Smith
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Deep Cuts is a podcast about the deep, sudden cuts made by the U.S. Federal Government in 2025 told by the people most affected by them.

The first series will feature interviews with people who worked with or for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sharing stories about their work, career paths, and what inspired them to undertake a career of public service and humanitarian aid.

Learn more about the programs that helped millions of people around the world on behalf of the American people for decades and the dedicated people who made them happen.

Special thanks to Open Gov Hub for providing studio recording space in downtown Washington, DC!

Eric Smith Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Public Health and a Lost Future with Siham Ahmed (Payne Fellowship)

    Public Health and a Lost Future with Siham Ahmed (Payne Fellowship)
    12 Aug 2025

    When a Federal Agency disappears, so do the futures it was trying to build.

    This episode features Siham Ahmed, a 2024 Payne Fellow who was halfway through her graduate program on public health - funded by USAID - when her scholarship and future as a Foreign Service Officer was cut short. Join me as I speak with Siham about the importance of representation, community, public health, and her hopes for a bright future.
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    40 min
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Food Aid with Luis Figueroa (USAID)

    Humanitarian Assistance and Food Aid with Luis Figueroa (USAID)
    5 Aug 2025

    Humanitarian Aid expert Luis Figueroa tells us about coordinating the fight against hunger on the world stage, his journey working for vulnerable communities in several countries, and what the future of aid looks like.

    Tune in the learn more about what makes humanitarian assistance work and how USAID was the leader in global food aid.
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    45 min
  • LGBTQI+ Rights Around the World with Jessica Morrison (USAID)

    LGBTQI+ Rights Around the World with Jessica Morrison (USAID)
    29 Jul 2025

    Learn about the ways USAID Foreign Service Officer Jessica Morrison and the LGBTQI+ team at USAID supported queer communities around the globe and represented the United States as a beacon of hope in a world of uncertainty for marginalized populations.

    This episode delves into the story of one of the many members of the Foreign Service who dedicate their lives to fostering understanding between peoples and how America's place in and impact on the world should not be taken for granted.

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    42 min
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