Latest news with #2025RepublicanIssuesConference
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program in mid-Missouri to close after 14 years
President Donald Trump addresses the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on Jan. 27 in Doral, Florida (). The Central and Northern Missouri chapter of Catholic Charities will end its refugee resettlement program March 31. In an email to supporters, Executive Director Litz Main said the nonprofit had to end the program due to the lack of federal funding. 'We deeply appreciate your partnership and shared commitment to serving those in need,' Main said in the email. 'As we navigate this transition, we welcome opportunities to collaborate in new ways to continue supporting refugee families in our region.' The cuts come from a federal level, after President Donald Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and halted all funding for agencies that support refugees. Although the executive order was blocked by a federal judge in February, local resettlement programs still face a lack of federal funds. There is no indication when the program will resume, and the case is expected to face an appeal from the Trump administration. Catholic Charities has provided food assistance, disaster relief and family services for refugees for 14 years through the program. The program stopped accepting new refugees earlier this year because of uncertainty about the future, according to an emailed statement. The organization has worked with partner agencies to have those groups take over providing support to refugees. That transition will be complete by March 31, according to the statement. 'We are proud to have welcomed and walked alongside so many who now call Missouri home, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting these families through our partner agencies,' Main said in the statement Wednesday. She was not available for additional questions. Catholic Charities said in the statement it will continue to focus on its mission to support those in need in the Diocese of Jefferson City. City of Refuge, a refugee-focused nonprofit in Columbia, said in an email to its supporters Tuesday that one of the largest federal grants it receives will no longer be given to nonprofits. The funding will end Sept. 30. City of Refuge was not available for comment. This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump wants states to handle disasters without FEMA. They say they can't
President Donald Trump addresses the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on Jan. 27 in Doral, Florida. (). State and local emergency managers are facing a serious question in the wake of President Donald Trump's first few weeks in office: When disaster strikes, will they be able to count on the federal government? Trump has called the Federal Emergency Management Agency a 'disaster' and suggested it might 'go away.' He said states would best take care of hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires on their own, with the federal government reimbursing some of the costs. He convened a council to review FEMA and recommend 'improvements or structural changes.' But leaders in states that have been hit by disasters say they need more than the promise of an eventual federal check to manage catastrophic events. They say they're not equipped to handle the roles FEMA currently plays — such as marshaling emergency resources from multiple federal agencies, providing flood insurance, conducting damage assessments and distributing billions of dollars in recovery funds. 'FEMA has been an absolute lifesaver for people,' said Vermont state Sen. Anne Watson, a Democrat who has been involved in the state's recovery from devastating 2023 floods. 'I don't see [states and municipalities] as being able to replicate what FEMA does. The possibility of it going away leaves millions and millions of Americans in a very vulnerable position.' Meanwhile, Trump said last month that he wanted to make federal wildfire recovery aid to Los Angeles conditional on California enacting new laws requiring voter identification, adding further uncertainty about whether states can expect help from the feds. Trump and his allies also targeted the agency in the wake of Hurricane Helene, spreading lies that FEMA, under President Joe Biden, was diverting disaster money to immigrants without legal status; failing to provide helicopters; limiting aid to $750 per person; and cutting off support for Republican areas. State officials say that while there's room for a conversation about state and federal roles in disaster response, eliminating FEMA altogether would be shortsighted. 'I don't think it makes sense to get rid of FEMA,' Lynn Budd, director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, said in an interview with Stateline. 'There are economies of scale [that a nationwide agency provides]. States don't have that capability built to handle a disaster every single year.' Budd said she doesn't believe Trump intends to terminate FEMA, calling such a move 'not realistic.' She also serves as president of the National Emergency Management Association, a nonprofit comprising state and territorial emergency officials. Budd called on Trump to include state emergency managers on the council that will consider FEMA's future. Emergency management experts say that Trump cannot unilaterally dissolve FEMA, which would require congressional action. However, Trump already has taken actions that appear to exceed his executive authority, including an attempt to freeze trillions of dollars in federal funding that had already been approved by Congress. FEMA does have some support from Trump's Republican allies, especially given that red states have needed more aid in recent years. Since 2015, residents in Florida, Louisiana and Texas have received the highest amounts of individual assistance payments from FEMA, exceeding $2 billion in each state. But experts see much to fear in cost-cutting efforts by Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, which so far have focused on slashing the federal workforce and forcing out officials with decades of experience. Such actions could cripple FEMA, even if it's not officially 'abolished.' 'Senior people who don't want to put up with this nonsense are going to walk away,' said Craig Fugate, who served as FEMA's administrator under President Barack Obama. 'It's one thing to talk tough, it's another to govern and provide services.' Over the past decade, FEMA has responded to nearly 1,400 disasters, including wildfires, severe storms, hurricanes, floods and tornadoes. The agency coordinates the federal response during emergency situations, such as calling the Pentagon to get rescue helicopters in the air or trucking in generators in the aftermath of a storm. But the agency's larger purpose is focused on recovery, assessing the damage to communities and distributing funding to help them rebuild. Over the last four years, FEMA has provided more than $12 billion to individuals and $133 billion to state and local governments, tribal nations, territories and some nonprofits to help in recovery efforts. FEMA also provides much of the nation's flood insurance coverage, as the private market has largely pulled back from flood policies. Some governors, including Democrat Andy Beshear of Kentucky, have said Trump's threats to dismantle FEMA are dangerous. '[I]t would be disastrous in and of itself for the FEMA organization to be dissolved,' he said, according to the Kentucky Lantern. Beshear noted that replicating FEMA's administrative functions in each state would be far more costly than a single national agency. FEMA, which was established in the 1950s, has taken on a larger role as Congress has added to its recovery mission, populations have grown in disaster-prone areas, and climate change has increased the frequency and severity of disasters. The agency has faced criticism at times — most famously after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — for an overly bureaucratic system that has gotten bogged down in red tape. Some conservative groups have long argued that states should shoulder more of the burden of responding to disasters. Project 2025, a hard-right blueprint that Trump distanced himself from during the campaign but which appears to have guided many of his actions since he took office, aims to limit states' eligibility for disaster assistance or set a deductible that states must meet before the feds step in. Such cutbacks would incentivize states to 'take a more proactive role in their own preparedness and response capabilities,' it said. The document also calls for states to take on much more financial responsibility for recovery efforts. Emergency managers say that there are opportunities to make FEMA more efficient. Fugate, the former FEMA chief, said the underlying problem is that the agency was not designed to replace insurance coverage, but is increasingly taking on that role as private insurers abandon disaster-prone areas. And increasing the pace of payouts also increases the risk of misspent funds, he said. 'Nobody is saying we shouldn't look at these programs and figure out how we move this money through faster,' he said. 'But you've got that dual tension of, 'I want to be fast but I'm a steward of the taxpayer's dollars.'' Amid that discussion, experts say that rushing to dismantle the federal agency would be catastrophic. 'The consequences [of dissolving FEMA] would be life-threatening,' said Juliette Kayyem, faculty chair of the Homeland Security Project at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a former Obama administration official. 'The states are not built for that right now.' Local leaders who have experienced disasters say FEMA is essential. After an EF5 tornado swept through Moore, Oklahoma, in May 2013, the federal agency provided recovery support. 'Sometimes I think people have a misconception of the purpose of FEMA. And it's not to provide lots of equipment or manpower — they can do a little bit of that, but that's not their primary function,' said Moore Mayor Mark Hamm, whose office is nonpartisan. Hamm was on the city council when the mile-wide tornado killed 24 people, including seven students at an elementary school. Moore said FEMA provided crucial financial resources, reimbursing the city's exorbitant overtime costs for police and fire crews. Moore is a bedroom community of about 63,000 people situated between Oklahoma City and Norman. The city's annual budget is about $133 million. The National Weather Service calculated the 2013 storm's damage across the region at $2 billion. The city has been hit by two F5 tornadoes since 1999. 'When you have a natural disaster like the couple of F5 tornadoes that have come to our city — that would bankrupt our city, our budget,' he said. 'That is a huge burden that this city just could not afford.' Hamm said he would be open to Trump's talk of realigning FEMA, particularly if it allowed more funds to stay directly with states like his. But he said federal disaster funding must remain intact in some way. 'When you need a lifeline, it's reassuring to know that one is there and you can grab onto that rope, and there's somebody on the other end pulling you to safety,' he said. 'And the federal government was a lifeline, not so much in the recovery, but in providing the finances. I can't emphasize that enough.' Eaton County, Michigan, was hit hard in August 2023, as tornadoes, severe storms and flooding struck the mid-Michigan region. FEMA's response helped the community navigate aid and recovery programs and apply for federal assistance. 'That federal support piece is critical to us to be able to respond and recover from disasters,' said Ryan Wilkinson, the county's emergency manager. 'Yes, we need reform for emergency management nationwide — at all levels — but shifting complete responsibility to the states would do greater harm in the long term.' Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Will Trump dismantle the new EPA rule limiting a Cancer Alley pollutant?
President Donald Trump addresses the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on Jan. 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by) Kaitlyn Joshua is ready to move out of Geismar. The community organizer has lived in the Ascension Parish community for the past four years, but her and her children's asthma, along with the high levels of toxic air pollutants in the area, have pushed her to the brink. 'I'm pretty staunch in my decision to put my family first to make sure their health comes first and put them in an area that doesn't necessarily have such inundation of industry and such polluted air,' she said. Located in 'Cancer Alley,' an industrial corridor that spans from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and is known for its high rates of cancer and air pollution, Geismar is home to 42 industrial facilities listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory because they emit harmful chemicals above a certain threshold. At least three emit ethylene oxide, a small molecule that can cause cancer at low concentrations in people who are exposed to it over their lifetimes, Johns Hopkins University environmental health and engineering professor Peter DeCarlo told Verite News. Last June, DeCarlo and his team released a study showing that ethylene oxide levels in Cancer Alley are above limits that are safe for long-term exposure. Some of the highest levels of exposure were found in Ascension Parish, where Joshua lives. Most hazards that come from air pollutants can be attributed to ethylene oxide, according to the paper. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The EPA started to tighten rules to limit community and worker exposure to ethylene oxide last year by requiring fenceline monitoring in some plants and strengthening emissions standards. In its most recent decision, released earlier this month, the agency is requiring facilities to lower the amount of ethylene oxide workers are exposed to from 1 part per million (ppm) to 0.5 ppm by 2028 and to 0.1 ppm by 2035. The new rule also calls for continuous monitoring of ethylene oxide in facilities that use and store it. But environmental researchers and advocates like Joshua and DeCarlo don't think the new rules will eliminate the hazard of ethylene oxide exposure. It's unclear, too, whether the Trump administration will keep the rules or roll them back. During Trump's first term, he rolled back more than 100 environmental rules, most of them dealing with air pollution and emissions. 'Even though the rules are there — [I'm] hoping that scales down some of the pollution — it would take years to pull back the amount of pollution that is currently being emitted into the environment,' Joshua said. The EPA requires industries to self-monitor their toxic air releases, which could also lead to the use of measurement techniques that may not be fully accurate, DeCarlo said. In the rules created last year, the EPA required industries to share their fenceline monitoring with communities. Verite News contacted to the EPA to ask about how chemicals will be continuously monitored and whether the new rules may change under the Trump administration, but no one from the agency responded in time for publication. DeCarlo said the laws are well-intended, but he is hesitant to say they will bring about actual change in ethylene oxide levels in the area, given that monitoring and emission control may not be as effective at bringing down levels as regulators hope. 'I think that rules that we write and specifications on paper are often more optimistic than the situation in the real world,' DeCarlo said. Joshua said she doesn't believe that the rules go far enough. But Joshua said it is important stricter rules still exist at the federal level, even if they don't change her mind about staying in Geismar. 'Under Louisiana's political infrastructure, we do not have lawmakers that push back or advocate for these rules,' Joshua said. 'And so that would have to be something that the industry themselves are looking to do.' The EPA's decision also includes increased protections for workers who may be exposed to ethylene oxide, including required use of respirators in areas with high levels of ethylene oxide and separate HVAC systems in areas where the chemical is used. Gov. Landry accuses EPA of trying to close Denka plant in LaPlace Shamell Lavigne, the chief operating officer of environmental advocacy group Rise St. James and a resident of Ascension Parish, said she is thankful that the rules target worker exposure. Lavigne, too, believes that rules limiting pollution should go further and said that ethylene oxide is a chemical that Rise St. James is 'always concerned about.' 'In addition to lowering standards for existing plants, we need to make sure that new plants are not built that will further increase the emissions,' Lavigne said. Environmental advocates in Cancer Alley are keeping a close eye on existing and upcoming plants. Petrochemical manufacturing accounts for the majority of ethylene oxide emissions. Lavigne said she is concerned about ethylene oxide pollution from a proposed Formosa plastics plant in St. James that could emit up to 7.7 tons of the chemical every year. Formosa has already begun construction after being locked in legal battles over air permits with environmental activist groups, including Lavigne's. In a written statement to Verite News, Formosa said it does not expect actual emissions to reach the levels specified in the permits. The company said the project will not produce or store ethylene oxide as a product and will work to vent any leftover chemical through emission control equipment. Even though rules surrounding emissions have gotten stricter, Sharon Lavigne, the founder of Rise St. James and Shamell Lavigne's mother, said she thinks the polluting industries will violate the rules. Last October, the DuPont chemical plant in Reserve was fined $480,000 for emitting levels of cancer-causing benzene higher than federal rules allowed. 'I don't care if they put it on paper, these industries are going to go over the limit,' Sharon Lavigne said. 'Industries don't care, as long as they make that money.' Shamell Lavigne said she is worried about how new regulations may hold up now that Trump is in office. Trump has already pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time and reversed Biden-era orders that were aimed at improving the environment in low-income communities and communities of color. These rules were meant to target decades of discriminatory permitting practices that have placed polluting industries in minority communities. Now, officials will not be required to consider how new facilities will impact historically overburdened and disadvantaged residents already living alongside polluters. 'These are serious concerns for us living here in Cancer Alley,' Shamell Lavigne said. 'There were some things that were put in place, and there are some things that are being dismantled, and our overall protections are at risk.' Sharon Lavigne said she is also worried about rules being rolled back, but thinks that Congress should do more to protect communities. 'The Democrats and the Republicans need to get together and try to work on these issues,' Sharon Lavigne said, 'and not let Trump do whatever he wants to do.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This article first appeared on Verite News New Orleans and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncertainty and confusion in Alaska as Trump attempts to freeze federal spending
President Donald Trump addresses the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on Jan. 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by) President Donald Trump's order to pause the spending of billions of dollars in federal grants triggered a wave of anxiety, fear and uncertainty on Tuesday in Alaska, a state dependent more than any other on federal spending. 'For me, it was pandemic-level chaotic,' said Nils Andreassen, director of the Alaska Municipal League, which works with cities and boroughs statewide. A federal judge's ruling late Tuesday temporarily blocked the presidential order, but that only defers an act with broad consequences. 'We're waiting for the other shoe to drop,' said Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak. Federal money pays for more than 40% of Alaska's state budget. The federal government directly employs about 5% of Alaskans. On a per-capita basis, Alaska received more money than any other state from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Federal grants support most of Alaska's nonprofits, which employ tens of thousands of people here. 'Alaskans should be deeply concerned,' said Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage. 'Even though this has been communicated as a pause and an opportunity to evaluate federal spending priorities, the consequences of even this brief moment could be catastrophic across our state.' Our phones have been ringing off the hook all morning, wondering what it means, how long it's going to last. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska Much of Tuesday's uncertainty came from the way that the freeze was announced with few details on Monday. At the start of Tuesday, it wasn't clear how the order would affect hundreds of millions of dollars in public school funding or more than $2 billion in Medicaid funding that comes to the state each year. Clarifying memos released throughout the day reduced but failed to eliminate the anxiety. 'I can tell you, my constituents back home certainly have thoughts about it. Our phones have been ringing off the hook all morning, wondering what it means, how long it's going to last,' said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, as she spoke to reporters at the U.S. Capitol. With firm information in short supply, rumors spread on social media, including one post incorrectly claiming that food stamp benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would be paused at 1 p.m. Alaska time, the official start of the freeze. 'SNAP is not affected by this temporary pause. Anyone who currently has SNAP benefits will continue to receive them. Anyone who is approved during the funding freeze will also receive their approved benefits in that time,' said Alex Huseman, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Health. The University of Alaska, which has already directed some federally funded scientists to stop work under a separate spending freeze, said that for now, 'we've advised employees to continue with their business and operations as usual.' The university doesn't believe GI Bill benefits or federally funded student loans will be affected, a spokesperson said. The U.S. Department of Education issued a statement saying that the freeze will not affect formula-funded programs that pay for a large part of public school education in Alaska, but that still leaves some programs vulnerable, such as those that support teacher training or aid homeless students. By the end of Tuesday, it still wasn't clear what spending would be paused and what would continue. Lon Garrison of the Association of Alaska School Boards said his organization is seeing 'a lot of consternation about this from our members and certainly within our staff, because we implement so many grant programs that are designed really to focus on the conditions for learning for students within each school district. So we're pretty worried about it, and obviously it would have a big impact in our ability to work with districts on those things.' In the state Capitol, where lawmakers are debating the size of next year's state budget, senators spent the morning considering Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed budget, which would spend from savings in order to increase the size of the 2025 Permanent Fund dividend. The governor's budget proposal would leave about $500 million in the Constitutional Budget Reserve, the state's principal savings account. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Pausing federal Medicaid reimbursements for just a month would require the state to front several hundred million dollars to maintain cashflow until federal payments resume, said Alexei Painter, the Legislature's chief budget analyst. 'That's why we need to keep some money in reserve, not just for that regular cash flow, but when events like that happen,' he said. Painter's comments came early Tuesday, when it was uncertain whether Medicaid would be affected by the freeze. Later in the day, federal budget officials issued a memo stating that they don't intend to affect that program, but legislators said they remain cautious — they don't know what will come next. Will federally funded highway construction projects be affected? 'Possibly,' Transportation Commissioner Ryan Anderson said between meetings on Tuesday in the state Capitol. 'There are a lot of questions right now.' The office of Gov. Mike Dunleavy released a general statement in response to questions, saying that his office is communicating with the White House Office of Management and Budget. 'It is our understanding (that) programs providing direct benefits to individuals are not subject to the pause and that federal OMB is working quickly with their agency partners to evaluate programs. We are awaiting further guidance from federal OMB and continuing to assess potential impacts as further information is released.' Even with a court ruling that temporarily pauses the freeze, Andreassen of the Alaska Municipal League said he expects nonprofits statewide to hit the brakes. Many operate with limited financial reserves, and he expects many to halt work if there's a risk that the federal government will not reimburse them via grants that were promised. 'I think that everybody's probably risk-averse during this period,' he said. 'It's like, just lay down your pencils, time's up until we hear more, and then you've got to figure out, what do you do in the meantime?' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CNN
27-01-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Trump immigration crackdown underway as Colombia backs down over tariff threat
• International feud: Colombia avoided a trade war with the US by agreeing to accept deported migrants being returned on military planes after President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs. • Immigration blitz: The administration launched an immigration enforcement blitz nationwide Sunday that included multiple federal agencies and resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,000 people, according to authorities. • On Middle East: Trump suggested Saturday relocating more than 1 million Palestinians from Gaza and 'clean out the whole thing,' breaking with decades of US policy. • GOP conference: Trump will address House Republicans at his National Doral resort in Miami today for their 2025 Republican Issues Conference.
