Latest news with #andUrbanDevelopment
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mexican President Reacts to Fatal Accident at AXE Ceremonia Festival: ‘There Should Be No Impunity'
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on Monday (April 7) over the deaths of two photographers on Saturday (April 5) during the AXE Ceremonia music festival in Mexico City. The president said her government would review the license granted to the venue at Parque Bicentenario. 'We regret and send our solidarity to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,' Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. 'Beyond the fact that it was an accident, we need to look into how the equipment that fell was set up. An investigation needs to be carried out. There should be no impunity in this case.' More from Billboard AXE Ceremonia Festival in Mexico Suspended After Crane Collapse Leaves Two Dead Dave Allen, Former Gang of Four Bassist, Dies at 69 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' Documentary Set for 2025 Tribeca Festival Premiere Photographers Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández and Citlali Berenice Giles Rivera died over the weekend when a crane carrying a decorative metal object collapsed during the festival. The accident prompted city authorities to cancel the second day of the event on Sunday (April 6). The attorney general's office of Mexico City announced the start of an investigation.. Sheinbaum noted that the mayor's office of Miguel Hidalgo, the borough where Parque Bicentenario is located, is responsible for authorizing such events, regardless of the federal ownership of the property. As a result, she instructed the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) to review the venue's license, assess the conditions under which it was granted, and determine whether it is feasible to revoke their license. Earlier on Monday, the AXE Ceremonia festival released a statement on the fatal accident, extending its condolences to the victims' loved ones. 'From the very first moment, we have been by the families' side, providing them with all the support and assistance we can,' it reads. British band Massive Attack, who, along with rapper Tyler, the Creator, headlined the festival on Sunday, joined in expressing their condolences on social media over the deaths of the photographers. 'We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and avoidable deaths of Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernández. Our thoughts are with their families and friends during this difficult time,' the band said in their Instagram Stories. On Sunday (April 6), friends of the two victims, photographers, journalists, content creators, and members of the public held a protest outside Parque Bicentenario to honor them and demand that there be no impunity in the investigation. 'There wasn't any clarity about what had happened until we left the event. It's absolutely devastating,' Mexican artist Luisa Almaguer, who performed as part of Saturday's lineup at AXE Ceremonia, told Billboard Español. 'The show definitely should not have continued.' On Monday, the funerals for Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles were held in Mexico City, according to reports from the N+ Foro news channel. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How will federal funding freeze affect the $89.5M in flood relief for St. Clair County?
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, said Tuesday that she is trying to get information from the Trump administration about how its plan to freeze federal aid will affect the $89.5 million in federal grant money promised to St. Clair County to help in disaster recovery from the flooding caused when 8 inches of rain fell on July 16. A federal judge on Tuesday put a temporary hold on part of Trump's plan until Monday, according to CNN. 'We've been trying to get answers out of the administration,' said Budzinski, whose district goes from the metro-east to central Illinois. 'They had a press conference earlier today that created more questions than answered anything.' Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that St. Clair County would get $89.5 million in grant money. The agency said in a news release the money could be used to rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, help small businesses, repair roads and support projects to reduce the risks of damage from future storms. When asked if the Trump plan to freeze federal aid included the disaster relief promised to St. Clair County, Budzinski said, 'I would assume that it is.' 'Part of the problem with this executive order is its vagueness, let alone the fact I think there are legal challenges to it,' she said. 'We have to all operate, I think, under the assumption that federal dollars are all being frozen until otherwise we're notified.' The Housing and Urban Development aid is classified as 'community development block grant disaster recovery.' Budzinski said St. Clair County officials are working on the details of how the money would be spent. She will attend a previously scheduled meeting with St. Clair County officials on Wednesday regarding the grant money. This Housing and Urban Development grant is separate from $30.5 million in assistance already provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for 7,340 households in St. Clair and Washington counties. The deadline to apply for aid from FEMA was last month. Budzinski said she got calls from mayors across her district Tuesday about the federal funding freeze announced by the Trump administration in a memo Monday. The local leaders are concerned about how the freeze would affect groups that rely on federal funds and need the money to stay afloat. 'This is going to have very large ramifications,' Budzinski said. 'It's deeply disturbing. To say people are scared and panicked is an understatement.'
