Michelle Kellerman
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Rather than focusing on trans rights, the State Department will report on what it calls the chemical or surgical mutilation of children in operations that attempt to modify their sex.
Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
Rubio's State Department rewrote the Biden administration's country reports on human rights, and now embassies have been given instructions on how to keep this year's report brief and focused.
A senior State Department official says the department will focus on what the administration describes as natural rights of individuals rather than on marginalized groups.
The new instructions encourage embassies to write about affirmative action policies, which the Trump administration opposes.
Rather than focusing on trans rights, the State Department will report on what it calls the chemical or surgical mutilation of children in operations that attempt to modify their sex.
Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
Under a Biden administration role, State Department promotion boards had to consider a staffer's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott calls that an ideological litmus test that penalized competent and deserving government officials.
And he says the Trump administration rewards excellence.
According to a cable seen by NPR, close to 300 State Department employees will be receiving pay increases and retroactive promotions, having been denied that under the Biden-era DEI rules.
Rubio State Department replaced DEI with Fidelity in its list of what to consider for promotions.
Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
Wrapping up his two-day visit to Canada, Secretary Rubio brushed off reports that the U.K.
is withholding certain intelligence from the U.S.
because of concerns about deadly strikes on alleged drug boats from Venezuela.
has plenty of military assets in the region that can collect intelligence for what he calls a counter-narcotics campaign, and he says this issue never came up during his meetings with other G7 foreign ministers.