INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A federal judge on Thursday ordered Trump administration officials to comply with his earlier order that they lift a freeze of nearly all
foreign aid, though he stopped short of holding them in contempt of court.The order from United States District Judge Amir Ali in
Washington came after the administration said in court filings earlier this week that it was keeping thousands of United States Agency for
International Development and State Department contracts and grants canceled or suspended despite a temporary restraining order that
payments be restored, Reuters reported.The administration argued that it was complying with the order, which they said left them room to
cancel or suspend contracts while they reviewed them one by one.Ali wrote on Thursday he &was not inviting defendants to continue the
suspension while they reviewed contracts and legal authorities to come up with a new, post-hoc rationalization for the en masse
suspension.Two non-profit groups, which are among numerous plaintiffs suing over the aid freeze, on Wednesday asked Ali to hold the
administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio in contempt for &brazen defiance& of his earlier order.Ali said that
contempt was ¬ warranted on the current record& because the administration in its court filings had recognized the need for &prompt
compliance.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.President Donald Trump, a Republican, ordered a 90-day pause
on all foreign aid on his first day in office.The order was followed by aggressive moves to dismantle USAID, the main United States foreign
aid agency, including by placing much of its staff on leave and halting most of its funding and operations, throwing global humanitarian
relief efforts into chaos and jeopardizing the delivery of critical food and medical aid.The post Judge again orders US to unfreeze foreign
aid, stops short of contempt first appeared on Ariana News.
