DOGE cuts impact mid-Michigan nonprofits
Rebecca Kasen, Executive Director of The Women's Center of Greater Lansing, says their AmeriCorps volunteer was terminated on Friday. Her organization learned the news on Monday.
'The whole office was in tears yesterday,' said Kasen. 'So, Hollie was making it so that we can serve so many more people this year, and without Hollie, I really wonder how many people will not get the services they need.'
AmeriCorps is a federal agency that provides services to millions of Americans. Now, nonprofits that rely on AmeriCorps are scrambling to ensure they can serve local communities.
'Rough estimates, the number of volunteers Hollie was on track to bring in would be roughly $250,000 worth of services,' said Kasen. 'We don't have an extra $250,000 worth of services. That's more than half of our annual budget.'
Kasen says that position was used to find skilled volunteers like lawyers, plumbers, and therapists.
Now, she says those services could be impacted.
'We have two counseling centers here. One of them accepts insurance. One of them doesn't. The one for the uninsured is only entirely staffed by volunteers,' said Kasen. 'So, that was a major service that AmeriCorps was making sure that we can continue to provide. Will we still have these services? Yes. Will they be as streamlined? No.'
Joe Enerson, Executive Director at the Allen Neighborhood Center, says four of his AmeriCorps volunteers were also terminated on Monday.
'So, that impacts our gardening programming, our food pantry, and our farmers market, and our veggie box program,' said Enerson. 'One of our Americorps members helped every Monday at our food pantry. Where we give away about two thousand pounds of produces to our neighbors.'
Enerson says without the volunteers, they'll still have their services, but they'll need an extra pair of hands.
'We will need to find volunteers. You know, maybe have to do some adjustments to our staffing to make sure that the programs continue,' said Enerson. 'So, it's just really disappointing to see a program that has been so transformative go away.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Medicare and hospice scams are on the rise
Medicare and hospice scams are on the rise. In a rare show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Senior Security Act - a bill aimed squarely at protecting older Americans from financial scams. Championed by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), the bill would establish a Senior Investor Task Force within the Securities and Exchange Commission. Its job? Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE daily newsletter To identify and address the risks older investors face - from outright fraud and financial exploitation to the more subtle threats tied to cognitive decline. Image source: Chaozzy Lin on Unsplash The Senior Investor Task Force is long overdue. For years, advocates have called for stronger investor protections for seniors, and this legislation delivers. Here's what it would do: Identify challenges that senior investors face navigating the financial systemRecommend changes to SEC rules or those of self-regulatory organizations to better protect seniorsCoordinate efforts with other SEC offices, the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, and other relevant agenciesCollaborate with state securities regulators, law enforcement, and insurance departments Related: Retired workers to see frustrating change to Medicare in 2026 The task force would also deliver a biennial report to Congress, summarizing: Trends and innovations reshaping the investing landscape for older AmericansRegulatory and industry practices that impact senior investorsKey observations from enforcement actions and investor education effortsThe most serious issues confronting senior investorsRecommendations for changes in regulation, guidance or legislation For retirees trying to safeguard their nest eggs - and for the advisers who help them - this is an important step toward turning concern into real protection. In 2024, Americans reported a record-shattering $16.6 billion in losses to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center - a 33% increase over 2023. According to the 2024 IC3 Annual Report, IC3 received 859,532 complaints - more than 2,000 a day. A staggering 83% of those losses were tied to cyber-enabled fraud. Older adults were hit especially hard. Those aged 60 and older reported $4.9 billion in losses - a 43% jump from the previous year. They filed 147,127 complaints, up 46%. Among seniors who lost more than $100,000, the average loss was $83,000 - a life-altering amount for most. That's why efforts like the Senior Security Act - and public education campaigns about scams - are more important than ever. Speaking of public education campaigns, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) just issued a warning to beneficiaries about a disturbing new scam: fraudsters posing as salespeople offering "free" services or gifts in order to enroll unsuspecting seniors in hospice care - without their knowledge or need. In a July 16 fraud alert, CMS outlined how the scam works: Scammers contact you via text, phone, email, fake ads - or even knock on your offer "free" perks like cooking, cleaning, groceries, or medical return, they ask for your Medicare number and a use that information to enroll you in hospice care, allowing them to bill Medicare fraudulently. Related: Millions of Medicare beneficiaries could see major price shock Hospice care, CMS noted, is for individuals who are terminally ill and should only be considered after discussions with a person's doctor. Enrolling without medical necessity could jeopardize their future Medicare coverage. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz issued a video message warning Medicare beneficiaries to stay alert for such scams and to guard their Medicare numbers carefully. The Federal Trade Commission is also sounding the alarm. In a recent post, FTC consumer education specialist Kira Krown also warned that scammers are luring older adults into fraudulent hospice enrollment by offering free services like housekeeping or gift cards. "What they likely won't tell you is how," Krown wrote. "They want to commit fraud by signing you up for Medicare hospice - that's right, hospice - care. Then, they can bill Medicare for all kinds of services in your name. If you're signed up and don't need it, this could affect your Medicare coverage in the future. Anyone who tells you differently is a scammer." To protect yourself, the FTC recommends: Never share your Medicare number with anyone offering "free" sign up for hospice in exchange for perks like groceries, gift cards, or that Medicare will never send someone to your home to enroll you in services. If you suspect hospice fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or file a report at You can also reach out to your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for assistance. What to do with Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Elon Musk has a simple solution for Tesla's problems in Europe
Elon Musk's time in Washington, D.C., leading the Department of Government Efficiency may have been short, but he seems to have learned a lot from the experience. As an unofficial member of President Donald Trump's cabinet, Musk was only allowed to serve in government for 130 days. Once his time was up, his relationship with Trump disintegrated, leading to a war of words and online threats that have continued to this week. Related: Tesla is set to deliver dismal sales, but here's why investors don't care While Musk promised investors he would spend more time at Tesla HQ in Austin once his time in D.C. ended, he has flirted with starting his own political party and spends much of his social media bandwidth commenting on government concerns. But his political interests aren't just confined to the U.S.; Musk has also commented on the nonexistent white genocide he believes is happening in South Africa. Musk has also publicly endorsed the AfD, a German right-wing party that some view as extremist, and he was accused of doing a Nazi salute on stage. Coincidentally, Germany is also one of the many European countries where Tesla sales have fallen sharply since Musk embarked on his far-right political journey. Just a couple of years after it spent billions to build a European hub in Germany, Tesla's future on the mainland appears to be worse than ever. Tesla sales in Europe were down nearly 40% from January to April compared to the previous year. In June, sales dropped another 39%. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Tesla's first-half sales were down 44% in Europe. Image source: Leong/Washington Post via Getty Images Months ago, Musk seemingly acknowledged that his political activities have played a part in his company's decline. After sales in Germany reportedly fell 62%, and numbers in Norway, the UK, and France weren't much better, Musk said that any politically left-leaning buyers who abandoned the company have been replaced by people who align better with his politics. Perhaps his time in Washington has made him more diplomatic, because he wasn't so flippant when talking to investors this week. During his second-quarter earnings call, he detailed how Tesla would win back customers. "It's worth noting that we do not actually yet have approval for supervised FSD in Europe. So our sales in Europe, we think, will improve significantly once we are able to give customers the same experience that they have in the U.S.," Musk said. Related: Tesla driver gives damning testimony in fatal Autopilot crash trial "[FSD] really is the single biggest demand driver." But that doesn't explain why the company reported six months of falling market share. January YouGov polls showing 71% unfavorability ratings in Germany and the UK may explain the decline a bit more. One reason investors may have trouble swallowing Musk's assertion that a lack of FSD is the reason for falling European sales is the company's recent C-suite shakeup. Tesla reportedly fired Omead Afshar, its head of North American and European operations, in June following a massive drop in European EV deliveries. Afshar, who joined Tesla in 2017, was just promoted to the position in November. The Wall Street Journal described Afshar as one of Musk's closest confidants at the company. Tesla shares closed the week down about 4%, rallying sharply after the steep decline immediately following its earnings release. Related: Tesla fires longtime insider as Europe slump deepens The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
It's a year of rapid change, except when it comes to Trump's approval numbers, AP-NORC polling finds
WASHINGTON — Eric Hildenbrand has noticed prices continue to rise this year, even with President Donald Trump in the White House. He doesn't blame Trump, his choice for president in 2024, but says Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats who control his home state, California, are at fault. 'You can't compare California with the rest of the country,' said Hildenbrand, who is 76 and lives in San Diego. 'I don't know what's going on in the rest of the country. It seems like prices are dropping. Things are getting better, but I don't necessarily see it here.' Voters like Hildenbrand, whose support of the Republican president is unwavering, help explain Trump's polling numbers and how they have differed from other presidents' polling trajectory in significant ways. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in March found that 42% of U.S. adults approved of Trump's job performance. That is a lower rating than those of other recent presidents at the beginning of their second terms, including Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush. The most recent AP-NORC poll, from July, puts Trump at 40% approval. While that is not a meaningful change from March, there is some evidence that Trump's support may be softening, at least on the margins. The July poll showed a slight decrease in approval of his handling of immigration since earlier in the year. Some other pollsters, such as Gallup, show a downward slide in overall approval since slightly earlier in his term, in January. But even those shifts are within a relatively narrow range, which is typical for Trump. The new AP-NORC polling tracker shows that Trump's favorability rating has remained largely steady since the end of his first term, with between 33% and 43% of U.S. adults saying they viewed him favorably across more than five years. Those long-term trends underscore that Trump has many steadfast opponents. But loyal supporters also help explain why views of the president are hard to change even as he pursues policies that most Americans do not support, using an approach that many find abrasive. Trump has not had a traditional honeymoon period in his second term. He did not in his first, either. An AP-NORC poll conducted in March 2017, two months into his first term, showed that 42% of Americans 'somewhat' or 'strongly' approved of his performance. That is largely where his approval rating stayed over the course of the next four years. The recent slippage on immigration is particularly significant because that issue was a major strength for Trump in the 2024 election. Earlier in his second term, it was also one of the few areas where he was outperforming his overall approval. In March, about half of U.S. adults approved of his handling of immigration. But the July AP-NORC poll found his approval on immigration at 43%, in line with his overall approval rating. Other recent polls show growing discontent with Trump's approach on immigration. A CNN/SSRS poll found that 55% of U.S. adults say the president has gone too far when it comes to deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally, an increase of 10 percentage points since February. 'I understand wanting to get rid of illegal immigrants, but the way that's being done is very aggressive,' said Donovan Baldwin, 18, of Asheboro, North Carolina, who did not vote in the 2024 election. 'And that's why people are protesting because it comes off as aggression. It's not right.' Ratings of Trump's handling of the economy, which were more positive during his first term, have been persistently negative in his second term. The July poll found that few Americans think Trump's policies have benefited them so far. Even if he is not a fan of everything Trump has done so far, Brian Nichols, 58, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is giving him the benefit of the doubt. Nichols, who voted for Trump in 2024, likes what he is seeing from the president overall, though he has his concerns both on style and substance, particularly Trump's social media presence and his on-again, off-again tariffs. Nichols also does not like the push to eliminate federal agencies such as the Education Department. Despite his occasional disagreements with Trump, though, Nichols said he wants to give the president space to do his job, and he trusts the House and Senate, now run by Republicans, to act as a safeguard. 'We put him into office for a reason, and we should be trusting that he's doing the job for the best of America,' Nichols said. Trump has spent the past six months pushing far-reaching and often unpopular policies. Earlier this year, Americans were bracing themselves for higher prices as a result of his approach to tariffs. The July poll found that most people think Trump's tax and spending bill will benefit the wealthy, while few think it will pay dividends for the middle class or people like them. Discomfort with individual policies may not translate into wholesale changes in views of Trump, though. Those have largely been constant through years of turmoil, with his favorability rating staying within a 10-percentage point range through the COVID-19 pandemic, a felony conviction and attempted assassination. To some of his supporters, the benefits of his presidency far outweigh the costs. Kim Schultz, 62, of Springhill, Florida said she is thrilled with just about everything Trump is doing as president, particularly his aggressive moves to deport anyone living in the country illegally. Even if Trump's tariffs eventually take effect and push prices up, she said she will not be alarmed. 'I've always had the opinion that if the tariffs are going to cost me a little bit more here and there, I don't have a problem with that,' she said. Across the country, Hildenbrand dislikes Trump's personality and his penchant for insults, including those directed at foreign leaders. But he thinks Trump is making things happen. 'More or less, to me, he's showing that he's on the right track,' he said. 'I'm not in favor of Trump's personality, but I am in favor of what he's getting done.'
