Latest news with #Ame
Mint
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Andy Mukherjee: Are highway tolls driving India's middle class to ‘road rage'?
The American way of life in the second half of the 20th century came to be synonymous with big cars, bigger trucks and sprawling freeways on which they scurried about like purposeful ants. Cheerleaders point to productivity growth and the 24 cents saved by private industry for every dollar invested in the US highway network; critics talk about communities gutted by asphalt and the weakening of social ties. Decades later, the car economy, with all its promises and pitfalls, has latched on to a new host half a world away. At 6 million-plus kilometres, India's road network is the world's second largest now after the US, according to official data from New Delhi. Leave aside the vast differences in their quality, the most-populous nation has more than twice as many kilometres of roads per sq-km of land as the US, a much bigger country by size. China, which has built a lot of highways but chosen high-speed trains as the focal point of transport, has a much lower density. Also Read: Double trouble: Road mobility in India is both unsustainable and unjust For inter-city travel, India's template ought to have been 21st-century China, not 20th-century America. The fastest train journey between Chennai and Bengaluru, big hubs of activity, takes over four hours. In that time, one could go from Beijing to Shanghai, a distance nearly four times longer. Whoosh, the Jakarta-Bandung line that Indonesia built with Beijing's help, is a good model. India, however, doesn't want a new dependence on China, even though its own first high-speed line, being built with Japan's Shinkansen technology, is running years late. Roads hog the limelight in India. Much of its national highway system was built in the past 25 years. It has been the country's single-largest infrastructure development, ahead of railways and power, with nearly $30 billion invested last year. But since the network has been expanded with costly debt, road fees tend to be high. India's car-owning middle class (fewer than one in 10 households) feels squeezed by the $7 billion it pays in tolls every year. The National Highway Authority, which racked up more than $40 billion in debt, is deleveraging. It's selling assets to private operators and investment trusts; it's also securitizing a part of its portfolio. But no matter who owns them, debt financing means roads still have to generate revenue. The burden on motorists will only swell as new highways get constructed. Also Read: Rage spills over on roads; reels only fan the fire The US confronted the debt-financing problem well before President Dwight Eisenhower started its interstate highway programme in 1956. Toll Roads and Free Roads, a 1939 report prepared for the US Congress, rejected the usage-fee option as revenue from traffic in many places would not be enough to retire the bonds needed to back them. So the funding came from the government, which taxes motorists on petrol and diesel. However, Indian motorists pay 30% more for fuel than the average American. Then there is the vehicle itself. The auto industry complains that hefty taxes have put cars in the same category as drugs or alcohol. Half the cost of a new SUV is tax. It isn't hard to see why consumers are unhappy. The logistics industry is thrilled, though. The share of roads usage for freight transport has grown to 65%. Some of it has come at the expense of the British-built railways, once the cornerstone of the subcontinent's urbanization. Blue-collar migrant workers have no other choice. Trains moving slowly at 35-50kmph connect their homes in villages to their workplaces in cities. For the middle class, however, the romance of the Great Indian Railway Journeys has faded. Just like in the US, they're being pushed towards highways for relatively shorter distances and air travel for the rest. This is when a dozen small airports haven't had a single passenger in months, according to Bloomberg News. Within cities, subways are coming up even in places where they aren't a practical option. Meanwhile, between cities, 'range anxiety' on highways means slow adoption of electric vehicles. Also Read: Mint Quick Edit | Road pricing is an idea whose time has come No wonder roads account for 93% of carbon emissions from Indian transport, compared with 84% in the US and 81% in China. 'Our malfunctioning toll plazas, with their long queues, cause waste of fuel, underutilization of the vehicle fleet, loss of productivity, and contribute to intense pollution," says Anil K. Sood, a Hyderabad-based public policy analyst. In a deeply unequal society like India's, the cost of a car-centric economy is felt disproportionately by buyers of entry-level cars; they have practically gone on strike. It is serious enough for the government to consider proposals like an annual highway pass to ease the burden. But those will be temporary relief at best. Better public transport is what will make the middle class breathe easy. Not cars. ©Bloomberg The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia.
The Advertiser
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Pope affirms family is based on traditional marriage
Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that the family is founded on the "stable union between a man and a woman", and the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God's creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate. Leo, the first American pope, also called for reviving multilateral diplomacy and promoting dialogue between religions in the search for peace, in his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps. The audience on Friday was private, but the Vatican released Leo's prepared text and that of the dean of the diplomatic corps. The encounter is one of the protocol requirements after a conclave, allowing a new pope to greet representatives of world governments before his formal installation mass on this Sunday. The Holy See is a sovereign state under international law, has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries and enjoys observer status at the United Nations. Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, has emphasised peace as a priority of his pontificate, from the first words he uttered on the loggia of St Peter's Basilica after his May 8 election, "Peace be with you all." In his remarks, he said the search for peace was one of the pillars of the papacy. He insisted that peace is not just the absence of conflict but a "gift" that requires work, from an end to the production of weapons to choosing words carefully. "For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill." He said it was up to governments to build peaceful societies "above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman". "In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike," he said. Pope Francis strongly reaffirmed core Catholic teaching opposing abortion and euthanasia, saying they were evidence of today's "throwaway culture". But he also made reaching out to LGBTQI Catholics a hallmark, insisting they are welcome in the church. He never changed church doctrine defining marriage as a union between man and woman and homosexual acts as "intrinsically disordered". As the then-head of the Augustinian order, the Reverend Robert Prevost in 2012 criticised the "homosexual lifestyle" and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine. A decade later, during Francis's pontificate, he acknowledged Francis's call for a more inclusive church, and said he did not want people excluded just on the basis of their lifestyle. Lifeline 13 11 14 Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578 Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that the family is founded on the "stable union between a man and a woman", and the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God's creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate. Leo, the first American pope, also called for reviving multilateral diplomacy and promoting dialogue between religions in the search for peace, in his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps. The audience on Friday was private, but the Vatican released Leo's prepared text and that of the dean of the diplomatic corps. The encounter is one of the protocol requirements after a conclave, allowing a new pope to greet representatives of world governments before his formal installation mass on this Sunday. The Holy See is a sovereign state under international law, has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries and enjoys observer status at the United Nations. Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, has emphasised peace as a priority of his pontificate, from the first words he uttered on the loggia of St Peter's Basilica after his May 8 election, "Peace be with you all." In his remarks, he said the search for peace was one of the pillars of the papacy. He insisted that peace is not just the absence of conflict but a "gift" that requires work, from an end to the production of weapons to choosing words carefully. "For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill." He said it was up to governments to build peaceful societies "above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman". "In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike," he said. Pope Francis strongly reaffirmed core Catholic teaching opposing abortion and euthanasia, saying they were evidence of today's "throwaway culture". But he also made reaching out to LGBTQI Catholics a hallmark, insisting they are welcome in the church. He never changed church doctrine defining marriage as a union between man and woman and homosexual acts as "intrinsically disordered". As the then-head of the Augustinian order, the Reverend Robert Prevost in 2012 criticised the "homosexual lifestyle" and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine. A decade later, during Francis's pontificate, he acknowledged Francis's call for a more inclusive church, and said he did not want people excluded just on the basis of their lifestyle. Lifeline 13 11 14 Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578 Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that the family is founded on the "stable union between a man and a woman", and the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God's creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate. Leo, the first American pope, also called for reviving multilateral diplomacy and promoting dialogue between religions in the search for peace, in his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps. The audience on Friday was private, but the Vatican released Leo's prepared text and that of the dean of the diplomatic corps. The encounter is one of the protocol requirements after a conclave, allowing a new pope to greet representatives of world governments before his formal installation mass on this Sunday. The Holy See is a sovereign state under international law, has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries and enjoys observer status at the United Nations. Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, has emphasised peace as a priority of his pontificate, from the first words he uttered on the loggia of St Peter's Basilica after his May 8 election, "Peace be with you all." In his remarks, he said the search for peace was one of the pillars of the papacy. He insisted that peace is not just the absence of conflict but a "gift" that requires work, from an end to the production of weapons to choosing words carefully. "For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill." He said it was up to governments to build peaceful societies "above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman". "In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike," he said. Pope Francis strongly reaffirmed core Catholic teaching opposing abortion and euthanasia, saying they were evidence of today's "throwaway culture". But he also made reaching out to LGBTQI Catholics a hallmark, insisting they are welcome in the church. He never changed church doctrine defining marriage as a union between man and woman and homosexual acts as "intrinsically disordered". As the then-head of the Augustinian order, the Reverend Robert Prevost in 2012 criticised the "homosexual lifestyle" and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine. A decade later, during Francis's pontificate, he acknowledged Francis's call for a more inclusive church, and said he did not want people excluded just on the basis of their lifestyle. Lifeline 13 11 14 Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578 Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that the family is founded on the "stable union between a man and a woman", and the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God's creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate. Leo, the first American pope, also called for reviving multilateral diplomacy and promoting dialogue between religions in the search for peace, in his first meeting with the Vatican diplomatic corps. The audience on Friday was private, but the Vatican released Leo's prepared text and that of the dean of the diplomatic corps. The encounter is one of the protocol requirements after a conclave, allowing a new pope to greet representatives of world governments before his formal installation mass on this Sunday. The Holy See is a sovereign state under international law, has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries and enjoys observer status at the United Nations. Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, has emphasised peace as a priority of his pontificate, from the first words he uttered on the loggia of St Peter's Basilica after his May 8 election, "Peace be with you all." In his remarks, he said the search for peace was one of the pillars of the papacy. He insisted that peace is not just the absence of conflict but a "gift" that requires work, from an end to the production of weapons to choosing words carefully. "For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill." He said it was up to governments to build peaceful societies "above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman". "In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike," he said. Pope Francis strongly reaffirmed core Catholic teaching opposing abortion and euthanasia, saying they were evidence of today's "throwaway culture". But he also made reaching out to LGBTQI Catholics a hallmark, insisting they are welcome in the church. He never changed church doctrine defining marriage as a union between man and woman and homosexual acts as "intrinsically disordered". As the then-head of the Augustinian order, the Reverend Robert Prevost in 2012 criticised the "homosexual lifestyle" and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine. A decade later, during Francis's pontificate, he acknowledged Francis's call for a more inclusive church, and said he did not want people excluded just on the basis of their lifestyle. Lifeline 13 11 14 Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Layoffs, closures and gaps in oversight expected after hundreds of DOJ grants are canceled
A deaf mother trying to escape her abusive husband came to a domestic violence shelter seeking help, but she couldn't communicate fluently with American Sign Language. Shelter workers contacted Activating Change, a group that can provide sign language interpreters who are trained to help people experiencing trauma. Over the course of the year in the shelter, the woman worked with the interpreter to file for divorce, gain custody of her children, heal with therapy, and find a job and housing. 'Our superpower is adaptability, and having access to services like Activating Change allows us to have that,' said Marjie George, developmental director at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services shelter. Activating Change, which helps people with disabilities navigate the criminal justice system, was one of hundreds of organizations that received a notice on April 22 that the Department of Justice was canceling grants they had received through the Office of Justice Programs. More than 350 grants initially worth more than $800 million were ended midstream, sparking layoffs and program closures. The disabilities nonprofit had to lay off nearly half its 26 workers after the government canceled $3 million in direct grants, about $1 million of which had already been spent, and ended pass-through grants from other organizations. Amy Solomon, former assistant attorney general who oversaw the Office of Justice Programs and now a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, called said the cuts touched on every aspect of the department's portfolio. 'This is highly unusual,' Solomon said. 'You expect any administration to have their own priorities, and to implement that in future budget years and with future awards. You would not expect it to be grants that have already been granted, obligated or awarded to be pulled back.' The Office of Justice Programs typically awards nearly $4 billion in grants annually. It was unclear how much money it would take back since some of the rescinded grants were initially awarded as far back as 2021. Grantees were locked out of the financial system a few days before they were due to be reimbursed for already completed work. How the Justice Department planned to reallocate whatever money is returned was also unclear. Some came from dedicated pots of funding, including from the Victims of Crime Act, which collects fines and penalties in federal cases for programs serving crime victims. A department spokesperson did not respond to questions about the cuts. The cancellation notices noted that grant holders had 30 days to appeal. As of Friday, the department had reversed course on a handful of grants, restoring some funding. Law enforcement priorities The cancellation letters obtained by The Associated Press explained the cuts by saying the department had changed its priorities to focus on 'more directly supporting certain law enforcement operations, combatting violent crime, protecting American children, and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault.' But advocates, researchers and leaders in criminal justice said many grants served those purposes. Some cuts seemed to target programs that were started by or were a priority under the Biden administration, such as grants for violence intervention programs. But others appeared to target priorities under Trump's first administration, including elder abuse and financial exploitation. While cities and law enforcement agencies largely escaped direct cuts, many are feeling the impacts of cancellations to partner programs. In a scathing briefing Wednesday, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin noted nearly $13 million in ongoing program funding to the state was canceled. 'To say, 'We're going to cut programs that protect people from bias, that help people with opioid addiction, that keep guns off our streets' — it's irresponsible, it's reckless, it's dangerous, and it's going to get people killed,' Platkin said. The cancellations included funding for research organizations that create standards for training or data collection and provide resources for smaller law enforcement agencies. Three grants to the Police Executive Research Forum were cut, including a study of police plans and responses to protests to develop practices for preventing civil disturbances. And the National Policing Institute lost grants that provided technical assistance to rural police departments and support for improving relationships between police and communities of color. Mandated functions A handful of the canceled grants paid for services intertwined with government functions mandated by law, including required audits under the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Impact Justice, which lost millions, had created and managed the PREA Resource Center for more than a decade. The center has had a hand in nearly every aspect of the implementation and management of the federal regulations from the online audit platform, auditor certification, and developing trainings for auditors, prison officials and others. 'It's a collaborative relationship, but we are the ones that execute the work and have the systems and maintain the systems,' said Michela Bowman, Vice President of Impact Justice and senior advisor to the PREA Resource Center. She explained that the center designed and owns the audit software and data collection systems. 'I can't tell you what the DOJ plans to do in the alternate,' said Alex Busansky, president and founder of Impact Justice. Safety and victim services Nonprofits that provide services to crime victims also lost grants. Advocates say many cuts will impact public safety, like the elimination of funding for the national crime victims hotline or the loss of a grant to the International Association of Forensic Nurses to provide technical assistance and training to SANE— Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners— in underserved areas. 'It's very important for a survivor to be able to access a rape exam done by a SANE nurse. It's vital,' said Ilse Knecht, director of policy and advocacy at The Joyful Heart Foundation, and who oversees the agency's efforts to track and combat a national backlog in untested forensic rape kits. Grants that directly address the backlog seemed to be safe for now, but she said services offered to survivors are essential. 'When we don't keep this system that has been set up to keep victims safe and make them want to participate in the criminal justice system … we are really doing a disservice,' she added. 'How is this helping public safety?' For Activating Change, the cuts meant an immediate reduction in services. Its leaders rejected the idea their services don't align with federal priorities. 'It is a catastrophic blow to our organization,' said Nancy Smith, the organization's executive director. 'But also to the safety net for people with disabilities and deaf people who've experienced violent crime in our country.' Originally Published: April 29, 2025 at 7:26 AM CDT
San Francisco Chronicle
29-04-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Layoffs, closures and gaps in oversight expected after hundreds of DOJ grants are canceled
A deaf mother trying to escape her abusive husband came to a domestic violence shelter seeking help, but she couldn't communicate fluently with American Sign Language. Shelter workers contacted Activating Change, a group that can provide sign language interpreters who are trained to help people experiencing trauma. Over the course of the year in the shelter, the woman worked with the interpreter to file for divorce, gain custody of her children, heal with therapy, and find a job and housing. 'Our superpower is adaptability, and having access to services like Activating Change allows us to have that,' said Marjie George, developmental director at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services shelter. Activating Change, which helps people with disabilities navigate the criminal justice system, was one of hundreds of organizations that received a notice on April 22 that the Department of Justice was canceling grants they had received through the Office of Justice Programs. More than 350 grants initially worth more than $800 million were ended midstream, sparking layoffs and program closures. The disabilities nonprofit had to lay off nearly half its 26 workers after the government canceled $3 million in direct grants, about $1 million of which had already been spent, and ended pass-through grants from other organizations. Amy Solomon, former assistant attorney general who oversaw the Office of Justice Programs and now a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, called said the cuts touched on every aspect of the department's portfolio. 'This is highly unusual,' Solomon said. 'You expect any administration to have their own priorities, and to implement that in future budget years and with future awards. You would not expect it to be grants that have already been granted, obligated or awarded to be pulled back.' The Office of Justice Programs typically awards nearly $4 billion in grants annually. It was unclear how much money it would take back since some of the rescinded grants were initially awarded as far back as 2021. Grantees were locked out of the financial system a few days before they were due to be reimbursed for already completed work. How the Justice Department planned to reallocate whatever money is returned was also unclear. Some came from dedicated pots of funding, including from the Victims of Crime Act, which collects fines and penalties in federal cases for programs serving crime victims. A department spokesperson did not respond to questions about the cuts. The cancellation notices noted that grant holders had 30 days to appeal. As of Friday, the department had reversed course on a handful of grants, restoring some funding. Law enforcement priorities The cancellation letters obtained by The Associated Press explained the cuts by saying the department had changed its priorities to focus on 'more directly supporting certain law enforcement operations, combatting violent crime, protecting American children, and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault." But advocates, researchers and leaders in criminal justice said many grants served those purposes. Some cuts seemed to target programs that were started by or were a priority under the Biden administration, such as grants for violence intervention programs. But others appeared to target priorities under Trump's first administration, including elder abuse and financial exploitation. While cities and law enforcement agencies largely escaped direct cuts, many are feeling the impacts of cancellations to partner programs. In a scathing briefing Wednesday, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin noted nearly $13 million in ongoing program funding to the state was canceled. 'To say, 'We're going to cut programs that protect people from bias, that help people with opioid addiction, that keep guns off our streets' — it's irresponsible, it's reckless, it's dangerous, and it's going to get people killed,' Platkin said. The cancellations included funding for research organizations that create standards for training or data collection and provide resources for smaller law enforcement agencies. Three grants to the Police Executive Research Forum were cut, including a study of police plans and responses to protests to develop practices for preventing civil disturbances. And the National Policing Institute lost grants that provided technical assistance to rural police departments and support for improving relationships between police and communities of color. Mandated functions A handful of the canceled grants paid for services intertwined with government functions mandated by law, including required audits under the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Impact Justice, which lost millions, had created and managed the PREA Resource Center for more than a decade. The center has had a hand in nearly every aspect of the implementation and management of the federal regulations from the online audit platform, auditor certification, and developing trainings for auditors, prison officials and others. 'It's a collaborative relationship, but we are the ones that execute the work and have the systems and maintain the systems,' said Michela Bowman, Vice President of Impact Justice and senior advisor to the PREA Resource Center. She explained that the center designed and owns the audit software and data collection systems. 'I can't tell you what the DOJ plans to do in the alternate,' said Alex Busansky, president and founder of Impact Justice. Safety and victim services Nonprofits that provide services to crime victims also lost grants. Advocates say many cuts will impact public safety, like the elimination of funding for the national crime victims hotline or the loss of a grant to the International Association of Forensic Nurses to provide technical assistance and training to SANE— Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners— in underserved areas. 'It's very important for a survivor to be able to access a rape exam done by a SANE nurse. It's vital,' said Ilse Knecht, director of policy and advocacy at The Joyful Heart Foundation, and who oversees the agency's efforts to track and combat a national backlog in untested forensic rape kits. Grants that directly address the backlog seemed to be safe for now, but she said services offered to survivors are essential. 'When we don't keep this system that has been set up to keep victims safe and make them want to participate in the criminal justice system ... we are really doing a disservice," she added. "How is this helping public safety?' For Activating Change, the cuts meant an immediate reduction in services. Its leaders rejected the idea their services don't align with federal priorities. 'It is a catastrophic blow to our organization," said Nancy Smith, the organization's executive director. "But also to the safety net for people with disabilities and deaf people who've experienced violent crime in our country.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Layoffs, closures and gaps in oversight expected after hundreds of DOJ grants are canceled
A deaf mother trying to escape her abusive husband came to a domestic violence shelter seeking help, but she couldn't communicate fluently with American Sign Language. Shelter workers contacted Activating Change, a group that can provide sign language interpreters who are trained to help people experiencing trauma. Over the course of the year in the shelter, the woman worked with the interpreter to file for divorce, gain custody of her children, heal with therapy, and find a job and housing. 'Our superpower is adaptability, and having access to services like Activating Change allows us to have that,' said Marjie George, developmental director at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services shelter. Activating Change, which helps people with disabilities navigate the criminal justice system, was one of hundreds of organizations that received a notice on April 22 that the Department of Justice was canceling grants they had received through the Office of Justice Programs. More than 350 grants initially worth more than $800 million were ended midstream, sparking layoffs and program closures. The disabilities nonprofit had to lay off nearly half its 26 workers after the government canceled $3 million in direct grants, about $1 million of which had already been spent, and ended pass-through grants from other organizations. Amy Solomon, former assistant attorney general who oversaw the Office of Justice Programs and now a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, called said the cuts touched on every aspect of the department's portfolio. 'This is highly unusual,' Solomon said. 'You expect any administration to have their own priorities, and to implement that in future budget years and with future awards. You would not expect it to be grants that have already been granted, obligated or awarded to be pulled back.' The Office of Justice Programs typically awards nearly $4 billion in grants annually. It was unclear how much money it would take back since some of the rescinded grants were initially awarded as far back as 2021. Grantees were locked out of the financial system a few days before they were due to be reimbursed for already completed work. How the Justice Department planned to reallocate whatever money is returned was also unclear. Some came from dedicated pots of funding, including from the Victims of Crime Act, which collects fines and penalties in federal cases for programs serving crime victims. A department spokesperson did not respond to questions about the cuts. The cancellation notices noted that grant holders had 30 days to appeal. As of Friday, the department had reversed course on a handful of grants, restoring some funding. Law enforcement priorities The cancellation letters obtained by The Associated Press explained the cuts by saying the department had changed its priorities to focus on 'more directly supporting certain law enforcement operations, combatting violent crime, protecting American children, and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault." But advocates, researchers and leaders in criminal justice said many grants served those purposes. Some cuts seemed to target programs that were started by or were a priority under the Biden administration, such as grants for violence intervention programs. But others appeared to target priorities under Trump's first administration, including elder abuse and financial exploitation. While cities and law enforcement agencies largely escaped direct cuts, many are feeling the impacts of cancellations to partner programs. In a scathing briefing Wednesday, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin noted nearly $13 million in ongoing program funding to the state was canceled. 'To say, 'We're going to cut programs that protect people from bias, that help people with opioid addiction, that keep guns off our streets' — it's irresponsible, it's reckless, it's dangerous, and it's going to get people killed,' Platkin said. The cancellations included funding for research organizations that create standards for training or data collection and provide resources for smaller law enforcement agencies. Three grants to the Police Executive Research Forum were cut, including a study of police plans and responses to protests to develop practices for preventing civil disturbances. And the National Policing Institute lost grants that provided technical assistance to rural police departments and support for improving relationships between police and communities of color. Mandated functions A handful of the canceled grants paid for services intertwined with government functions mandated by law, including required audits under the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Impact Justice, which lost millions, had created and managed the PREA Resource Center for more than a decade. The center has had a hand in nearly every aspect of the implementation and management of the federal regulations from the online audit platform, auditor certification, and developing trainings for auditors, prison officials and others. 'It's a collaborative relationship, but we are the ones that execute the work and have the systems and maintain the systems,' said Michela Bowman, Vice President of Impact Justice and senior advisor to the PREA Resource Center. She explained that the center designed and owns the audit software and data collection systems. 'I can't tell you what the DOJ plans to do in the alternate,' said Alex Busansky, president and founder of Impact Justice. Safety and victim services Nonprofits that provide services to crime victims also lost grants. Advocates say many cuts will impact public safety, like the elimination of funding for the national crime victims hotline or the loss of a grant to the International Association of Forensic Nurses to provide technical assistance and training to SANE— Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners— in underserved areas. 'It's very important for a survivor to be able to access a rape exam done by a SANE nurse. It's vital,' said Ilse Knecht, director of policy and advocacy at The Joyful Heart Foundation, and who oversees the agency's efforts to track and combat a national backlog in untested forensic rape kits. Grants that directly address the backlog seemed to be safe for now, but she said services offered to survivors are essential. 'When we don't keep this system that has been set up to keep victims safe and make them want to participate in the criminal justice system ... we are really doing a disservice," she added. "How is this helping public safety?' For Activating Change, the cuts meant an immediate reduction in services. Its leaders rejected the idea their services don't align with federal priorities. 'It is a catastrophic blow to our organization," said Nancy Smith, the organization's executive director. "But also to the safety net for people with disabilities and deaf people who've experienced violent crime in our country.'
