Maine

Why Dean Karlan, chief economist of USAID, resigned on Tuesday

Published

1 year ago

February 26, 2025

Why Dean Karlan, chief economist of USAID, resigned on Tuesday

In November 2022, Dean Karlan was hired to be the first Chief Economist at USAID. His role and that of his 30-plus staff was to help design more cost-effective programs and to help the agency produce more evidence to guide future policies.

As he puts it: “I came to help choose effective programs to get more bang for our buck.”

After more than two years on the job, Karlan resigned yesterday. “I literally just emailed USAID and told them, ‘I hereby cancel the contract,’” he explained to NPR. “And that was it. No fanfare.”

Karlan, a professor of economics at Northwestern and the founder of Innovations for Poverty Action, spoke with NPR about his tenure at the embattled agency and his decision to leave. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ve held a variety of other roles in the development space. Why did you take on this position at USAID?

Two reasons.

I worked in development in the early ’90s and I found myself asking again and again: Is this working? Why are we doing it this way and not that way? How can we make this better?

And I was struck by the lack of evidence, frankly, in the way development was done. And this very much inspired me to get a Ph.D. in economics and do research on understanding what works and what doesn’t, all with the mindset of trying to influence policy.

So I would have been the world’s biggest hypocrite if USAID knocked on my door and said, “Would you like to come help improve the way we use evidence to guide our decision making?” And I said, “Yeah, no thanks.”

The second answer is just the basic math. When I think about my time and what I do professionally, sure, I’ve produced less research for the past two and a half years. But what is the impact of that research relative to the number of dollars that we could move toward more effective programs?

There’s no way my individual research papers have that much influence.

Did USAID evaluate its programs before hiring you?

Yes, historically, USAID has evaluated its programs based on accountability. That is, did the thousand people intended to receive a program actually get it? That’s a very different question than: Did the program work? Did it actually change lives? That’s more complicated. But that’s what we were trying to champion because that’s ultimately what we care about.

What was it like when you took on this new kind of job for USAID?

I was greeted by many talented people who were enthusiastic about the kinds of changes that I was hoping to help lead. And there’s no way we would have accomplished what we did without their collaboration and support.

For a long while, the field of foreign aid and development didn’t have the evidence it needed to understand how to inform programs and make them more cost effective. But the world has changed a lot in the past 20 years and we’ve seen a huge increase in the quantity of careful program evaluations.

Now we have a great deal more evidence to know what works and what doesn’t to fight poverty. And while USAID was using that evidence when I arrived, there’s a lot of areas where it could improve its program design by doing a better job at synthesizing what’s out there. That was my job.

And when we took that approach, we had already begun moving the needle in how programs were designed to follow more tightly the evidence and produce more evidence on cost effectiveness.

For instance, we were working on a set of resilience awards for rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa where households are particularly prone to the vulnerabilities of drought or flood. The awards, totaling about half a billion dollars, help these individuals develop their own income-generating activity, which contributes to local economic development. This program has been evaluated repeatedly by me and others with very strong results in terms of household income, food security, and it actually reduces the need for future humanitarian support. Our office had been working with Uganda and Ethiopia to help build out these programs and take them to new places.

The second thing I came to do was to help build a discipline of transparency and documentation of impact so that USAID could learn how to improve over time by learning from its own programs — both its successes and failures — to understand more about what’s working and what’s not.

In your view, what makes for a healthy USAID?

The dream way it gets organized is that you are rewarded for carefully learning, sharing that learning, not repeating bad things, scaling up the good and helping others learn from you. And there was a lot of movement and effort to do that.

But that might be just too large of an ask of an aid program that is inevitably baked into a political process.

Once the new administration took over, when did you start to get a sinking feeling about the fate of USAID?

It became clear to me that something big was happening a week after the inauguration when a large swath of 58 senior people at USAID, including me, were all put on administrative leave. Initially, there was no reason given. But even when a reason did surface the next day, it made no sense. No one I knew was doing anything in violation of the executive order. So there was a lot of bewilderment that the stated reason for the administrative leave was likely false.

How were you feeling during this period?

I recognized that we were likely witnessing a blueprint for how to dismantle an agency — and USAID was the first to go. Why USAID? One argument is that the advantages of USAID aren’t seen by most of America.

The benefits are there, of course. But it is true there’s a lot of people in America who don’t see that benefit day to day. And so that makes it easier pickings to test the waters. And that was our first thinking — this is DOGE figuring out how to dismantle an agency, and they’re using USAID as the guinea pig to figure that out.

My feeling of puzzlement then turned into devastation and horror.

Can you unpack those words?

We’re watching psychological warfare against a workforce that has been committed to furthering the lives of other people. This was a career choice they made to help others even if they disagreed about how to improve USAID.

If you want to reform foreign aid, this isn’t the way to do it. This approach is going to radically increase the cost of all future foreign aid. That’s because if you want to work with anybody in the future and you tell them, “No, no, no, this time we’re here. We’re not going to fold on you,” how are you going to convince them of that? When you can’t trust someone, it makes you reluctant to make agreements with them. And that means doing less good with more money to have the same positive impact as we were having before.

There’s a lot of good that USAID has done across the board in terms of health, education, helping farmers, and helping people in crisis.

Now, there are people who are going to be radically worse off and sick and not educated in the same way because of what’s happened. Literally taking people who are in hospitals and stopping treatments because the money is not there.

And not just that — people are going to die. A lot of people.

So we now have a million million tragedies that could have been avoided.

How did you arrive at the decision to resign?

When I first heard that Senator Rubio was nominated to be Secretary of State, I saw that as really good news. He has a long track record of recognizing the value of foreign aid, both for the sake of the humanitarian benefits but also for furthering foreign policy in the United States.

In fact, Rubio has a tweet from a few years ago that says, “Foreign Aid is not charity. We must make sure it is well spent, but it is less than 1% of budget & critical to our national security.”

And so that’s where I was upon his nomination, waiting to see who he would bring in to help put in place actual changes at USAID and hoping that it would align with what he had been saying for the past ten years.

I know that there was a disconnect with the process that was actually undertaken, including a complete stoppage of work and payments. Categorically getting rid of thousands and thousands of people without thinking about their function — just mass layoffs across the entire agency. I was sad and frustrated for the thousands of people who have been stripped of a career dedicated to serving others. How they were demonized. All of it was harming our ability to use foreign aid as a tool for foreign policy. My hope was that maybe there would be a point where Rubio recognized this is too far and stops the carnage.

And you thought you might be able to help somehow?

I’m not saying that I saw great signs of hope based on what was happening on the human resources side in terms of dismantling the workforce. But one of the stated criteria in the executive order is to select programs that are cost effective. That’s why I joined. So I made several overtures to say, “Hey, I’m here to help.”

I was ready to rebuild from wherever we ended up to identify the most effective programs, figure out how to get them back in place, and to recommend new awards.

But I received no response. Zero engagement.

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Maine

Maine man accused of lighting bed on fire after fight with girlfriend

Published

22 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Maine man accused of lighting bed on fire after fight with girlfriend

WISCASSET, Maine (WMTW) – A Maine man has been arrested after police say he intentionally set a bed on fire after a dispute with his girlfriend, while they were still in it.

Police responded Monday, March 9, to a report of a fire that had been intentionally set inside a home on Beechnut Hill Road, according to the Wiscasset Police Department.

Investigators say the homeowner, Terry Couture, 41, set the bed on fire following an argument while both he and his girlfriend were in it. Authorities said the fire was extinguished and no serious injuries were reported.

Couture was arrested and charged with attempted murder, arson, aggravated criminal mischief, and domestic violence criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Maine

Celebrate Maine Maple Weekend at Williams Family Farm

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Celebrate Maine Maple Weekend at Williams Family Farm

CLIFTON, Maine (WABI) – Maine Maple Sunday is less than two weeks away, and the Williams Family Farm in Clifton is gearing up for one of the sweetest seasons yet.

A long stretch of frost and snow meant a late start this year, but the first boil of sap has finally run through the evaporator, and maple season is officially underway.

At Williams Family Farm, everything is done by hand:

Fresh maple syrup, bottled on-site
Maple sugar, carefully extracted in small batches
Baked candied pecans, cashews, and more

The Williams family has spent years working with whatever weather sends their way.

Long winters, surprise warmups, and everything in between—they’ve learned how to adapt so community members can enjoy their products.

As co-owner John Williams explains, the key is in the temperature.

“You need to have it warm during the day and still freezing at night, so typically that’s the middle of February,” said Williams. “We have a lot of trees, so we have to start tapping them before the conditions are ideal, so we start tapping way before it’s time for it to run just so we can get them all tapped. If you have ten trees in your backyard, you want to wait until roughly now, the middle of February to now, and when it’s actually running and put them in then because you can put all your taps in, in one day.”

They’re excited to welcome the community during Maine Maple Weekend on March 21 and 22.

They will be boiling up sap, hosting demonstrations, and providing free samples.

Locals can also join them for their third annual pancake breakfast where all proceeds are donated to Holbrook Recreation.

Follow the link to find out their hours for March and more.

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Maine

AI comes with dangers and opportunities. How is Maine responding?

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

AI comes with dangers and opportunities. How is Maine responding?

People watch from the gallery during a 2026 House of Representatives session at the Maine State House in Augusta. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

The ad begins with a woman standing in a department store who sort of looks like Gov. Janet Mills, but not quite.

“Introducing the Janet Mills collection, featuring a confusing choice that forces girls to compete against biological males,” the female narrator says over banal instrumental music as the video cuts to “Mills” holding a stopwatch by an outdoor track.

The Mills collection comes “with a no-parent-permission-required estrogen kit,” the narrator continues, as the imposter holds a kit of syringes while patting a boy’s hair, which seems suspiciously stiff. The commercial ends with a real picture of the governor.

As far as ads generated by artificial intelligence go, the one from the National Republican Senatorial Committee is not very convincing. But the commercial serves as a reminder about how the emerging technology is being integrated into political campaigns and other areas of life in Maine.

If state Democratic leaders get their way, AI-generated ads like this won’t be allowed in Maine without a disclaimer.

As AI technology rapidly improves, state policymakers are weighing a variety of measures that could affect how Mainers interact with it. They are taking a two-pronged approach to protect people, especially children, from potential harms — while also preparing for the possible benefits.

Gov. Janet Mills acknowledges the Maine State Legislature as she begins her final State of the State Address in the House Chamber in Augusta on Jan. 27 (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)

The technology comes in the form of virtual personal assistants, internet search results and targeted advertising by businesses. It’s being used by governments for things ranging from traffic signals to budgets and policymaking to facial recognition to surveillance.

Mills said in a written statement that AI could help improve lives, drive economic growth and solve complex problems, but that it must be used in a “prudent, responsible, and ethical manner.”

“As AI becomes more prevalent in our society, its considerable promise must be balanced against harms — known and unforeseen — that can emerge from its widespread use,” she said. “It’s clear we’re only at the beginning of AI’s evolution.”

The governor has proposed $6.7 million in her supplemental budget to begin implementing some of the recommendations of a 21-member task force she created last year to study the issue.

Her proposal, which is being reviewed by lawmakers, would create a statewide AI literacy campaign; fund local and state partnerships to help municipalities use the technology and offer grants to support job training programs to keep Maine’s workforce competitive and productive in AI-enabled workplaces, among other things.

Lawmakers, meanwhile, are considering bills to address potential harms. In a rare bipartisan move, Republicans and Democrats voted unanimously last month in support of a bill (LD 524) making AI-generated child sex abuse material illegal. But that bill must receive about $55,000 before it can be sent to the governor.

They are also considering bills:

To require political ads in state and local elections to include a disclosure when AI-generated or altered material is used (LD 517).
To stop human-like chatbots or social AI companions from interacting with children (LD 2162).
And to regulate how the technology is used in mental health settings (LD 2082).

Last year, lawmakers passed a measure including AI-generated images in the state’s ban on so-called “revenge porn,” and one requiring companies to inform consumers when they’re interacting with an AI assistant. Mills signed both into law.

Other proposals regulating AI use in medical and dental insurance claims and in setting rents died in committees. So did one prohibiting the use of AI in “dynamic pricing,” in which businesses use the technology to offer different real-time prices to different consumers.

Over 1,000 measures focusing on artificial intelligence were debated in state capitols last year, the National Conference of State Legislatures said.

Some states, such as Colorado and California, are taking steps to enact a broad regulatory framework for AI. California has provisions preventing discrimination in the workplace and requiring watermarks on AI content and transparency around data used to produce reports.

But Maine lawmakers are seeking to address potential harms on a case-by-case basis — at least for now.

Rep. Amy Kuhn. D-Falmouth, is leading House Democratic efforts to regulate artificial intelligence. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

“I think of it as almost a whack-a-mole type of approach where we are developing legislation that very narrowly addresses specific harms of AI,” said Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, who is taking the lead for House Democrats.

“That sort of overarching regulatory framework just feels a little premature for Maine to me right now. I want to see that work its way through the states and let some other states take a swing before we get in there.”

Republicans, however, are worried about overregulation.

Rep. Jennifer Poirier, R-Skowhegan, supports protecting children from artificial intelligence caused by AI, but thinks adults need to use common sense. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)

Rep. Jennifer Poirier, R-Skowhegan, said her caucus is focused on protecting children from potential harms associated with AI, but she worries that regulation will never keep up with AI’s evolution.

“You can’t always legislate your way out of everything,” Poirier said. “If you have a minor that has access to AI, and it can be used to harm them in any way, it’s our responsibility as adults to keep them safe. … But we are adults, and we need to use our own common sense.”

A recent poll from Pan Atlantic Research showed widespread concern about AI, with 66% of the 810 Mainers surveyed saying they’re mostly concerned about the potential problems of AI, while 25% were mostly optimistic.

More advanced programs can generate text, analyze reports and create increasingly lifelike images and videos. A recent AI video purporting to show Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt throwing down over the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein raised alarm bells in Hollywood over its realism.

Other programs have been used by businesses in ways critics say can be exploitative. Consumer Reports recently published a story about how the online grocery shopping service Instacart used AI to charge certain customers higher prices — up to 23% more — if they were flagged as having higher incomes. Instacart reportedly stopped offering stores this option for “surveillance pricing” after the story was published in December.

A lobbying effort is underway to promote AI regulation in Maine. The “Protect What’s Human” campaign launched a website earlier this year, and a spokesperson said they have invested about $210,000 in ads supporting AI regulations. The commercials are targeting Republicans voters in the Bangor and Portland regions. The group is planning to spend another $110,000 on TV, streaming services, social media and podcasts.

Other proposals passed by the Legislature reflect lawmakers’ attempts to get ahead of the AI issue in indirect ways.

The House and Senate have each recently passed a strict data privacy law that would greatly restrict the amount of data — a person’s location, browsing and shopping histories and biometric information, for example— that companies can collect, store and sell. One of the main arguments was that such data can be used to train AI models. However, the chambers will have to iron out the differences between their two versions of the measure, LD 1822, if it is to become law.

And local residents are beginning to grapple with proposed data centers, which have been controversial in other parts of the county because they consume large amounts of water. This is especially true for centers powering AI.

Lawmakers are considering a bill, LD 307, to create a moratorium on such centers and establish a state council to study and review the impact of building them in Maine.

Construction is underway on a data center in Aroostook County, while another is being proposed in Sanford. Others have been proposed in Wiscasset and Lewiston, but did not move forward.

“This whole world is shifting to computer everything,” Poirier said, “and it’s important that we keep up with the times on that.”

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