— A reporter explains why this random French talk show has attracted so many big-name celebs. Both shallow and relatable.
US News
The Federal Funds That Never Arrived
What’s going on: One domestic violence advocacy center in rural Washington used to have five full-time advocates — now it has two. And one spends up to six hours a day driving survivors to find a nurse trained to perform sexual assault exams. They’re not alone. Thousands of centers like this are stretched thin because more than $200 million in federal grants meant for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking still haven’t gone out, according to The 19th. Congress had set aside $713 million for the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women, which distributes that money under a decades-old law. The holdup? A new executive order requires every grant to clear an extra layer of political sign-off first. Because, of course, what this process needed was more red tape.
What it means: For many of these organizations, this is their main funding stream — the money that keeps the lights on, the phones answered, and, in some cases, saves lives. The stakes aren’t abstract: About half of women homicide victims are killed by a current or former partner.The money also supports programs for older survivors and services tailored to specific communities. Over the past year, organizations have been forced to lay off therapists and advocates, cut children’s programs, and turn away survivors from shelters. For a lot of women, this means fewer places to go or no help at all. Anonymous domestic violence hotlines remain available 24/7 via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
