The drama of the 188 million that vanished
Ah, Washington DC, the city where politicians play “take away your neighbor’s budget” as if it were a reality show. This time, the Donald Trump administration decided to cancel $188 million in federal grants that were going to New York for, you know, trivial things like housing migrants. The reason? According to them, the money was “supporting illegal immigration.” Of course, because providing shelter and food to people in vulnerable situations is basically organized crime.
FEMA washes its hands (and takes the money)
In a letter worthy of a bureaucratic thriller (with a copy for The Associated Press, because the drama must be public), FEMA told New York that not only was it canceling aid, but it had already stabbed them by withdrawing 80 million from its account in February. And if that were not enough, they now demand that the city return another 106 million. The argument? That the subsidy program does not fit with the “priorities” of the Trump administration. Translation: “We don’t like helping people without papers”.
Mayor Eric Adams, who appears to be in an epic battle against the Capitol, vowed to fight for every penny. “This is illegal, and we are going to make sure that the money stays where it should be,” he said, while his legal team searched the criminal codes for something that would help stop this disaster.
New York: between hotels and Republican criticism
The city, obliged by law to provide shelter to anyone who requests it, turned empty hotels and buildings into temporary shelters. One of them, the iconic Roosevelt Hotel, became the center of controversy when Republicans accused it of being a “gang nest.” Spoiler: there was no evidence, but they still used gossip to justify defunding. Adams announced that they will close the Roosevelt and 50 other shelters in June because arrivals are down. Although, between us, it seems more like an attempt to calm political spirits.
And speaking of politics, Adams (a Democrat turned independent for re-election) has had to dance on a tightrope: he criticized some of Trump’s measures, but also threw flowers at him. Of course, he made it clear that “he will fight for every penny”. At least someone has clear priorities.
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