News from the South - Texas News Feed
Trump’s Climate Funding Freeze Has Left Tribes and Community Groups in Limbo
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.
When the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe landed a $19.9 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in early January, Robert Byrnes was elated. As a grant writer for the tribe, he and a few other employees had pulled 60-hour weeks during the holidays to ensure the agency had all the paperwork it needed to award the funds. The much-needed money would be put to use on the tribe’s reservation in South Dakota, repairing a historic bridge that had been razed a few years ago due to safety concerns, replacing asphalt roofs, and establishing resilience hubs to help tribal members during extreme weather. The grant was, as Byrnes put it, the “hugest” the tribe ever received for environmental work.
Once the agreement was inked on January 10, the tribe got access to the money through the Automated Standard Application for Payments, an online portal that grant recipients use to submit reimbursements and draw down their funds. In the weeks that followed, the tribe made a call for bids, hired contractors, and bought roofing materials, construction supplies, safety equipment, and freeze-dried food to stock the resilience hub.
Work proceeded quickly until the Trump administration issued a memo on January 27 directing federal agencies to freeze all funding. Suddenly, the tribe was shut out of its funding. Its $7 million grant to install solar panels through the EPA’s Solar for All program also is in limbo. Byrnes remains unsure about the future of a $300,000 grant for resilient infrastructure from the Department of Energy and $600,000 for food distribution from the Department of Agriculture.
“We’ve got a lot of hours invested,” said Byrnes. “It’s demoralizing especially after a signed contract. And you would think at that point, you got a contract with the federal government that should be pretty secure.” He said the tribe hasn’t been reimbursed for roughly half a million dollars.
Over the last two weeks, community groups, environmental organizations, and tribes that had been awarded billions in funding for climate and equity work have been scrambling to assess what the federal funding freeze means for them. One nonprofit with a $2.2 million Community Change grant from the EPA has accrued half a million dollars in unreimbursed expenses and has decided to stop hiring people. Others have pulled out of partnerships funded by the federal government, paused work with contractors, and are considering laying off or furloughing employees.
“It’s insane,” said the leader of one nonprofit. “The last three weeks have been lost work.” (Several grant recipients requested anonymity because they did not want to jeopardize federal funding, but a review of publicly available government spending data confirmed that they received grants.)
These groups have been unable to access their money despite at least two court orders requiring that the federal government release it. On January 31, a Rhode Island court issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration. Then, on Monday, the same court ruled that the government continued withholding funds in defiance of that order. It ordered the government to “immediately restore frozen funding” and “immediately end any federal funding pause.” (On Tuesday, a federal appeals court rejected the Justice Department’s request to lift the restraining order.)
But as of Tuesday, many of the nonprofits and others awaiting disbursements still don’t have access to them. Meanwhile, they continue incurring costs. Because grant payments are made through reimbursements, recipients are expected to front the money for any expenses, then submit receipts electronically for reimbursement. In some cases, this happens instantaneously. Since many of the grants cover payroll, labor costs, and supplies, those relying on them tend to submit this paperwork on a rolling basis. Some groups are seeking bridge loans and ways to cover the shortfall.
“There are all kinds of ways that folks are trying to mitigate harm, but they’re not going to be able to avoid harm,” said Hana Vizcarra, a senior attorney with the environmental law firm Earthjustice. “There’s harm to the communities they’re working in because if they’re unable to move forward with projects or have stalled those projects, that has an impact on the communities.”
On President Trump’s first day in office, he signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to pause all funding appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law, both of which Congress passed to infuse the economy with billions of dollars for climate and environmental projects. The government appeared to release at least some funding following last month’s court order.
On February 4, the EPA sent an internal memo notifying employees that it is unfreezing funds, including those from the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law, to comply with that order. The letter noted that the agency’s Office of Budget would provide a “detailed list” of programs that will continue receiving funds. But a follow-up list reviewed by Grist included just one Inflation Reduction Act program for “consumer education.”
Then on Thursday, Chad McIntosh, the agency’s acting deputy administrator, instructed his staff to review all grant programs. Grist reviewed that directive which said that was needed to root out fraud and abuse.
“Congress has been clear on the need for oversight of funds provided to the agency for the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and other funding programs that may be improperly utilized,” the memo noted.
The following day, the agency’s budget office sent an internal email announcing a funding pause for more than two dozen air pollution, environmental justice, and clean vehicle programs.
“This list includes a number of climate and equity grants,” said Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, an environmental nonprofit that helps local groups navigate EPA’s grantmaking process. “And grantees are being told that EPA is releasing funding in tranches.” Read Next
In a statement, an EPA spokesperson told Grist the agency had begun disbursing funds tied to the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law. It has over the last week worked to ensure access was restored “by Friday afternoon,” according to an email. However, it also has identified several programs “as having potential inconsistencies with necessary financial and oversight procedural requirements or grant conditions of awards or programs.” The spokesperson also said the agency received “numerous concerning responses” to EPA administrator Lee Zeldin’s call for tips about theft of funds and misuse of grant money.
Some groups saw their funding restored on Friday only to lose it again. The Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, along with its partners, secured nearly $20 million from the EPA in early January in part to build climate resilience hubs in Spokane, Washington. When the institute lost access to that money last week, it grappled with what that might mean for its work. The group had already hired a program coordinator and debated whether it could continue to employ them. Brian Hennings, the organization’s director, felt relief when the freeze was lifted Friday. The hammer fell again on Tuesday, but Hennings said the institute remains committed to its work.
“We’re a Jesuit Catholic humanist university committed to social and environmental justice and see part of the reason for our existence as wanting to serve those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of a rapidly changing climate,” said Hennings. “We have a legal obligation under this contract, but we also have a moral responsibility to see this work through.”
News from the South - Texas News Feed
AMBER Alert: One of the founders believes changes should be made to system | FOX 7 Austin
SUMMARY: The Amber Alert, created in 1996 by Diana Simone and Tarant County Sheriff D. Anderson, was designed for high-threat child abduction cases. Simone now believes the system is oversaturated and misused, with alerts issued for less critical situations, diluting its impact. Some law enforcement uses it as a scare tactic in custody disputes, straying from the original intent of warning imminent danger. Both founders advocate for revising Amber Alert criteria and updating its notification system, emphasizing that routine alerts reduce public attention. Simone suggests modernizing the technology to deliver alerts less disruptively and to restore the system’s effectiveness.

For nearly 30 years, the AMBER Alert has helped locate hundreds of children, but one of its founders believes changes should be made to make the emergency alert system more effective
FOX 7 Austin brings you breaking news, weather, and local stories out of Central #Texas as well as fun segments from Good Day Austin, the best from our video vault archives, and exclusive shows like the Good Day Austin Round-Up and CrimeWatch.
News from the South - Texas News Feed
Seagoville neighborhood shootout leaves one dead
SUMMARY: A Sunday morning shootout in a Seagoville neighborhood left a 19-year-old dead and 51-year-old Larry Robertson charged with murder. The shooting, captured on a neighbor’s surveillance camera, occurred near homes with parents and children present. Robertson, living in the area, claimed he was defending himself after the younger man, seen loitering with another, allegedly pointed a pistol at him. Both exchanged gunfire, though police did not find a weapon on the 19-year-old. A bullet entered a nearby home, terrifying residents like Tanisha Ortega, who tried to help the wounded youth. The fatal violence has shaken the community, highlighting ongoing concerns about neighborhood safety.

A shootout in the middle of a Seagoville neighborhood on Sunday morning left a 19-year-old man dead. 51-year-old Larry Robertson is now charged with murder because of a surveillance video shared with police.
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News from the South - Texas News Feed
Border encounters down 94% in Trump’s first two months
SUMMARY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 11,709 and 11,017 border encounters in February and March respectively, reflecting individuals apprehended or deemed inadmissible. From October 2021 to December 2024, encounters averaged 186,825 monthly, 94% higher than early Trump administration numbers. Retired Sheriff Clint McDonald emphasized the immigration issue requires congressional and executive action. At the Southwest Border Sheriff’s Coalition (SWBSC) meeting in Austin, Sheriff Eusevio Salinas Jr. noted improved border patrol activity since Trump’s term but fears resource cuts with facility closures, including a booking center in Jim Hogg County. He highlighted jail space shortages and concerns over Texas legislative proposals demanding longer inmate stays without bond for undocumented felony suspects. Governor Greg Abbott’s emergency bail reform agenda aligns with these challenges.
The post Border encounters down 94% in Trump's first two months appeared first on www.kxan.com
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