Extra, Extra

Power on Soft Power: “Like all government agencies, it could be more efficient, and making it so was an effort I spearheaded during my tenure. Yet for much of the world population, the investments and work of U.S.A.I.D. make up the primary (and often only) contact with the United States.” Samantha Power in NYT (Gift Article): I Ran U.S.A.I.D. Killing It Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere. For more from Power, check out her memoir: The Education of an Idealist. Meanwhile, one more example of the impact of cutting off the organization. Abandoned in the Middle of Clinical Trials, Because of a Trump Order.

+ ICC Span: Dozens of countries back International Criminal Court after Trump sanctions.

+ Still Standing: “Amid piles of debris and toxic ash, some buildings are still standing. Whether by design or accident, some homes had structural advantages that helped them survive.” WaPo: What the homes that survived the L.A. fires reveal.

+ Gun Fight: “There are certain types of weapons that are so dangerous that they should only be possessed for civilian purposes as an exception.” Sweden plans tighter gun laws after deadly school shooting. (What a concept.)

+ Error Port: “A highway meant to whisk travelers to the $2 billion terminal has yet to be built, even though flights are supposed to begin operating in just seven weeks. A bridge to get across a river that runs along the grounds was never constructed. There’s a subway stop labeled “Airport” planned for Lima’s new metro system, but that station is set to be built (three years from now) much closer to the old airport that’s being decommissioned.” Peru’s new airport is not going well. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Nice Airport, If You Can Get to It: No Subway, No Highway, No Bridge.