
Miami gun violence prevention nonprofit protests federal funding cuts: "People over politics"
Last week, CBS News Miami reported that the U.S. Department of Justice notified the Circle that it was ending a $2 million grant program.
The Circle has a group of workers called "peacemakers," who interact with children in local schools to prevent conflict. They serve as a neighborhood patrol, with boots on the ground to stop crime, gun violence and offering alternatives.
Lyle Muhammad, the Circle's executive director, told CBS News Miami he was barely able to pay his 50 employees and would be running out of money.
Moms Demand Action spoke out against the cuts, while other supporters called on the federal government to restore the funding.
"They are not just numbers — they are saving lives," said one speaker at the podium. "We demand people over politics."
"The school board was invited to be here and nobody showed," added Holly Zwerling, the president and CEO of Fatherhood Task Force South Florida, a nonprofit that increases the role of fathers in children's lives.
In an email from the Justice Department, the Circle was told their funding was ending "because it no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities. Instead, they would focus on law enforcement protecting children and victims of trafficking and sexual assault.
Speakers called on church groups and others to step up and raise money to keep the Circle work going.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why does the White House want to redesign gas cans? Explaining the situation
The White House says it wants to 'Make Gas Cans Great Again.' Under a plan announced July 24 by President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency, the federal government is encouraging manufacturers to add vents to portable fuel containers, also known as gas cans. It would effectively reverse a 2009-rule by federal environmental officials at the time that required portable gas cans - used for lawnmowers, chainsaws, ATVS and stranded vehicles - to have special vents that stop the vapors from escaping. Proponents of that rule - which was finalized in 2007 - said the vapors that escape contributed to ozone pollution. But the 2009 rule created an online market for pre-ban gas cans among buyers dissatisfied with the new cans. Why does Trump want to redesign gas cans? 'Gas cans used to pour gas,' Trump's head of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, said on X, formerly Twitter. 'Now they just dribble like a child's sippy cup.' But many modern designs are often infuriatingly ineffective at actually filling tanks because the vents work so poorly, critics argue. Instead of stopping vapors from flowing out the complicated spouts and relief valves, the new designs often cause gasoline spills, which some critics say are far worse than a tiny amount of vapor escaping from an older design. Some rules for gas cans will still remain in place Other rules for gas cans have to remain in place under federal law, like making sure they're child-resistant and limiting the risk of flash fires. What happens next for gas cans? The EPA's announcement is non-binding for manufacturers and doesn't prohibit the vents. Rather, the EPA is asking manufacturers to redesign the gas cans to have vents 'to facilitate fast and smooth fuel flow.' This article contains material from USA TODAY Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for and The Record. Email: munozd@ Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook This article originally appeared on Gas can redesign considered by Trump White House. Here's why
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boy dies after being ‘left in hot car by child services driver shopping for tobacco'
A three-year-old foster child has died in Alabama after a driver employed by local children's services left him alone in a hot car for around five hours. The boy has been named by Jefferson County Coroner's Office as Kettorius 'KJ' Starks Jnr of Bessemer. He was found in the vehicle parked on a driveway with its windows rolled up, on Tuesday, July 22, reports. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates stated the boy is believed to have been left alone in the car from 12.30pm until around 5.30pm when he was discovered. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at 6.03pm. Local temperatures reached around 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35C) on Tuesday afternoon, but the National Weather Service states it would have felt as high as 103 degrees (39.4C) by 1pm, taking into account the high humidity. The boy's aunt Brittney Debruce said he was living in a foster home and was under the care of Alabama's Department of Human Resources at the time of his death. Ms Debruce stated that a transport driver working as a contractor for the children's services department has picked the boy up from daycare and took him for a planned visit with his father in Bessner. After the visit, the driver is said to have alleged to purchase groceries and tobacco before parking the vehicle on the driveway of his home. The alarm was raised when Kettorius' foster carer went to pick him up from the daycare facility and found he wasn't there. Ms Debruce stated that she and Birmingham Police later found the child inside the car. The boy's mother was informed of the tragedy and the family are said to have been left devastated. "We don't know what's going on," Debruce added. Kettorius's parents issued a statement and described the situation as their "worst nightmare," adding: "Our baby should be alive." Birmingham police are investigating the child's death. In a statement, Alabama's Department of Human Resources said: "A child in DHR custody was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred. The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances." The driver that picked up Kettorius worked for a company called The Covenant Services, that was contracted to carry out transport services. The Debruce family attorney Courtney French said: "This is a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy."


Washington Post
7 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Michigan led on safe water after Flint, but mobile home parks are stubborn rough spot
After the Flint water crisis, Michigan became a national leader on safe drinking water, requiring the removal of lead pipes and the reduction of harmful 'forever chemicals' years before the federal government acted. But the state has a blind spot when it comes to the hundreds of thousands of people who live in its mobile home parks .