- The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) has been shut down by the White House and remnants of Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative, with staff being fired via email.
- This marks the second attempt to close the federally-funded nonprofit, whose mission involved peacebuilding work in global conflict zones like South Sudan, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
- The initial attempt in March was blocked by a federal judge but later overturned by an appeals court, paving the way for the latest mass firings.
- Critics, including a former spokeswoman, condemned the shutdown as constitutional overreach, noting USIP was authorised and funded by Congress, not the Executive Branch.
- The closure of USIP is part of a broader pattern where the administration has sought to dismantle or scale back agencies established by Congress, including attempts to target the Department of Education and FEMA.
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