Trump’s Name Appears on U.S. Institute of Peace Ahead of Rwanda–Congo Deal Signing 
Honduras Election Turmoil Intensifies as Nasralla Blames Trump for Shift in Results 
California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents 
Maduro Confirms “Respectful” Call With Trump, Signals Openness to Diplomatic Dialogue 
U.S. Justice Department Orders Intensified Probe Into Antifa and Domestic Extremist Groups 
UN General Assembly Demands Russia Return Ukrainian Children Amid Ongoing Conflict 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race 
UN Chief Says Gaza Operation “Fundamentally Wrong” as Concerns Over War Crimes Grow 
Pentagon Probe Finds Hegseth’s Use of Signal Risked Exposing Sensitive Yemen Strike Details 
Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
Trump Administration Halts Immigration, Green Card, and Citizenship Processing for 19 Countries 
Israel Receives Body of Deceased Hostage as Rafah Crossing Reopening Hinges on Final Returns 
U.S.-Russia Talks Leave Ukraine Peace Efforts Uncertain 
Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean 
Barack Obama has been accused of being apolitical since he got out of the office and now that the country is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the ex-POTUS posted about author Shea Serrano and Roxanne Gay’s efforts to provide support to people in need amid the outbreak.
Serrano asked people who posted screenshots of their student-loan statements and past-due medical bills to tag him if they need financial support.
“Who has bill coming up that they’re not sure if they’re gonna be able to pay?” he tweeted. Serrano vowed to send direct payment amounting to a total of $10,000 to those in need.
Gay also gave 20 people $100 each to help with their bills.
“People need immediate relief. They need food. They need water. They need health care. They need prescriptions,” she said.
Shortly after learning about their efforts, Obama tweeted about Serrano and Gay. However, the ex-POTUS was criticized for only celebrating the initiatives of private individuals and not the government.
Vice journalist Laura Wagner claimed that focusing exclusively on these kinds of good works is a way of avoiding the obvious.
“Donations and volunteering from private citizens and organizations alone will not and cannot avert a national crisis. It will take drastic, unprecedented government intervention in order to avoid mass unemployment, another Great Depression, and thousands of preventable deaths,” she said.
Wagner went on to say that Obama is known to famously loathe to say or do anything political.
“The refusal to engage in politics is, of course, a political act. So too is a decision to focus solely on individual responsibility—a huge part of what got the country into this mess in the first place – rather than that of the collective,” she said.
Despite the criticism he received, Michelle Obama’s husband continues to inspire and comfort Americans. The dad of two said that netizens should continue to stay hopeful amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“Stay healthy, stay hopeful,” he tweeted.
