Latest news with #policychange
CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
Rubio hails end of USAID as study says its elimination could contribute to 14 million deaths in next 5 years
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the end of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Tuesday as a new analysis found that its demolition could contribute to 14 million deaths in the next five years. 'This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end. Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests,' Rubio said in a post on Substack Tuesday. 'As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies—and which advance American interests — will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency,' he said. The rapid destruction of USAID, led by the Elon-Musk backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has seen thousands of foreign assistance programs slashed, including many focused on lifesaving work. A study published Monday in The Lancet estimates that the USAID funding cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030. Nearly a third of those deaths – more than 4.5 million – are estimated to be among children younger than 5. Authors of the study said that the effects of the funding cuts 'would be similar in scale to a global pandemic or a major armed conflict.' 'Unlike those events, however, this crisis would stem from a conscious and avoidable policy choice—one whose burden would fall disproportionately on children and younger populations, and whose consequences could reverberate for decades,' they wrote. USAID funding was most likely to reduce mortality related to HIV/AIDS, followed by malaria, according to the Lancet study. Strong associations were also found with tropical diseases, diarrhoeal disease, nutritional deficiencies, lower respiratory infections, maternal mortality and tuberculosis. A senior State Department official downplayed the Lancet's findings, saying Tuesday, 'a lot of these sort of studies are based on incorrect assumptions about what Secretary Rubio intends to and has done before.' 'I think he's been very clear that a lot of the life-saving work that we do will continue and will be made more efficient,' the official said. However, aid groups have said that USAID's swift dismantlement, coupled with a sudden and sweeping freeze on foreign assistance in January, has already had devastating consequences. The official was largely dismissive of criticism of the administration's moves. 'You can go back and relitigate all these little decisions. That's not our focus. That's not the secretary's focus. We are excited about what sort of the America first foreign assistance agenda is going to look like and how much impact we can have moving forward,' they said. The official said the administration is looking at new metrics to gauge the success of US assistance work. 'We want to see sort of more bilateral engagement. We want to see more investment from our partners, co-investment. We want to see trade deals, compacts, agreements, to work together on stuff,' they said. 'Those are a big indicator of success for us.' 'What we want to do with this is build bridges bilaterally consistent with the president's sort of mission and diplomatic agenda more broadly,' they said.
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Grattan Institute pitches blueprint to 'save' NDIS as foundational supports rollout stalls
A new report has recommended four policy changes to "save" the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as federal and state governments continue to negotiate a funding deal for a new tier of services to be set up outside the scheme. That new system — called foundational supports — was agreed to in 2023 and initially slated to begin by July 2025, but those services are still a long way off and yet to be properly defined. The Grattan Institute's report, released on Sunday evening, posited that a "rebalancing" of current NDIS spending could help save tens of billions of dollars while also making sure more people outside the scheme could get support. The NDIS has been projected to cost $48 billion this financial year, before overtaking spending on defence by 2026-27 and reaching $63 billion by 2028-29. However, most Australians with disability are not supported by the scheme. The NDIS' 717,000 participants account for about 13 per cent of the estimated 5.5 million Australians with disability. The Grattan report has called for "firmer boundaries" clarifying who the NDIS was for, changes to how claims were managed to make outcomes more consistent, and a new National Disability Agreement to define the responsibilities of different levels of government. But the biggest saving would come from a "modest" redirection of funds from the pool of money set aside for individual plans, into a new tier of foundational supports specifically for kids with developmental delay and people with psychosocial disability. Overall, the thinktank estimated its blueprint could save $12 billion over 10 years and then a further $34 billion over the same period by not requiring new money to fund foundational supports. Do you have a story to share? Email Grattan senior fellow Alistair McEwin, a former disability discrimination commissioner, said the institute was in "no way" proposing anyone be kicked off the scheme unnecessarily. "What we're saying is that supports for some children with developmental delay and people with psychosocial disability can be provided more effectively, more quickly and more fairly in other state or territory-based schemes," he said. In a statement, NDIS Minister Mark Butler said the government would consider the report. "[This is a] really important piece of work focusing on securing the sustainability and original intent of the NDIS so it works for participants and their families," he said. Alongside foundational supports, the Albanese government has been making other changes to the NDIS in pursuit of the 8 per cent annual growth target it set two years ago. The scheme is now growing at around 10 per cent, down from more than 20 per cent when Labor was elected in 2022. Source: National Disability Insurance Agency This year's budget projections had the scheme on track to meet the 8 per cent target by 2026-27. However, they assumed foundational supports and the shifting of services back to the states (which ceased most disability services when the NDIS began) would have started by this financial year. Mr Butler said this week that funding negotiations with the states and territories were ongoing, and the Commonwealth was working to finalise them as soon as possible. Before the states sign up, they want the federal government to scrap its 6.5 per cent annual growth cap on hospital funding. One of the main drivers behind the NDIS's growth is the larger than expected numbers of kids — many of whom are autistic or have developmental delays — joining and then not leaving the scheme due to the lack of services elsewhere. Melbourne University associate professor Sue Olney, who has been researching the NDIS for more than a decade, said the scheme was never designed to support all people with disability. She said too many previous changes to the scheme's rules happened before alternative supports were put in place, and it was crucial that was not repeated going forward. Muriel Cummins of advocacy group Every Australian Counts said the disability community was diverse and what foundational supports eventually offered needed to reflect that. The NDIS has transformed the lives of its participants, enabling many to live more independently, gain employment, and give back to the economy through taxes. A 2021 report from thinktank Per Capita found that for every dollar spent on the scheme, $2.25 was returned to the economy.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City of St. John's changes policy on naming new streets to avoid 'problematic legacies'
The City of St. John's is changing its street naming policy to no longer allow new streets in the city to be named after people. It's an effort to protect itself from potential problems in the future, according to Coun. Ron Ellsworth. "Naming streets after people carries a number of risks," Ellsworth said during Tuesday's council meeting. "[There could be] problematic legacies, political polarization, disparity in representation and cultural marginalization." To reduce those risks, Ellsworth continued, the city's policy has been updated to remove the option to submit a person's name to the city's reserve street names inventory. On Friday, Ellsworth told CBC News that applications that were already under review ahead of the policy change — of which there are four — will continue moving through the process. Current streets also won't be renamed, Ellsworth said, and the city will still allow the use of surnames because they aren't directly tied to a person. For example, a road could be named Breen Street, but not Danny Breen Street in honour of the current mayor. Ellsworth said there wasn't a single issue that prompted the change, but noted other municipalities have faced challenges in recent years. "If you don't pay attention to your history, you're doomed to repeat your history and repeat the same mistakes. So this is a clarity issue, an identity piece that will, hopefully as we move forward, will create less issues for future councils and the public," he said. "This is not about renaming anything, this is just about as we move forward. New streets, new subdivisions, this is the process we will be using." Coun. Tom Davis said he sees the change as a harm reduction measure. "People can have, you know, history that comes out after the fact. So in particular, I brought up the point about child abuse.… A lot of times, we don't know these people's history because a lot of times they never get brought to justice," Davis said Friday. "There was also, you know, the reflection upon, you know, colonialism and potentially the use of some names. But the main driver was new names that might be brought forward that could end up having criminal or some sort of negative connotation that would end up being a mistake." Ellsworth said there's nothing stopping the city from reviewing street names in the future, should the need arise. Coun. Ophelia Ravencroft also voiced support for the change during Tuesday's meeting. Ravencroft encouraged finding new street names with an Indigenous-first lens. Download our to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our . Click .
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Education Secretary McMahon Says Harvard May See Grants Restored
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that Harvard and other universities could get some of the federal funding cut by the Trump administration restored if they change their policies. 'It would be my goal that if colleges and universities are abiding by the laws of the United States and doing what we expect of them, that they can expect taxpayer funded programs,' the secretary said at a Bloomberg News event on Tuesday.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'It will make a lot of difference': Reactions to winter fuel payment U-turn
More than three-quarters of pensioners will receive the winter fuel payment this year after a major policy decision from Chancellor Rachel Reeves means nine million pensioners in England and Wales with an annual income of £35,000 or less will now be have spoken to us or contacted the BBC through Your Voice, Your BBC News about how the change of plan will affect them. 'Payment was taken away without warning' Bob Pritchard, 78, from Bath, told the BBC he earns £19,500 a year and believes he will now have his allowance reinstated."It will make a lot of difference. I've got various health issues and have to travel to hospital by taxi. I can't really afford to do it. The winter fuel payment was more or less taken away without warning," he said,Despite being happy about the government's U-turn, Bob believes he should be compensated for how he struggled when his winter fuel payment was taken away last year."The least they could do is offer some small compensation for all the grief and heartache that the initial decision to stop winter fuel payments has caused," he said. 'I give my winter fuel payment to charity' Alice George, 71, from Watford says she is "appalled" by Reeves' decision and gives her own winter fuel payment to charity."I know people who put the money towards a holiday," she said."I constantly meet pensioners who live very comfortably. I go to the cinema and the theatre regularly and they are packed with my ilk, most of whom don't need this money."Alice thinks its unfair that some young people earning less than £30,000 are expected to pay what she calls "extortionate rent and travel expenses".She thinks the winter fuel payment money should be put towards the NHS or tackling the housing crisis. 'I'm more than happy not to receive the payment' Ian Bryant, from Nailsworth in Gloucestershire, is pleased with the government's earns more than £35,000 as a pensioner so will not be receiving the payment himself but is happy for the others who will."It wasn't ideal when the payment was removed last year, as it impacted on many of those on the lowest income although I understand why it was done. A more considered approach would have been better," he said."I'm 68 and still have a mortgage. I go away a couple of times a year - nothing five star - have an old car, but manage fine. I'm more than happy not to receive the payment." 'Last year I turned off all the heating' Gail Impey, 71, a finance manager from Buckinghamshire, will miss out on the payment as her income is just over £35, said she struggled last year when her winter fuel payment was taken away."I turned off all the heating and used all my saved up logs in my log burner," she husband died in 2021, which meant she could no longer retire as she said she could not afford to stop working."Luckily at 71 I am fit enough to work but I do not have a good quality of life. It's just me and the dog. Everything is so expensive, I have to make every penny count," she added: "I earn just over the threshold but I'm taxed on that. I have paid in all my life and it seems I am missing out again. This is not fair and being on my own I have to work harder than ever." 'I didn't miss the winter fuel payment' Mike Hodges, 72, says he did not miss the winter fuel payment when he stopped receiving says his income is above the £35,000 threshold but below £40,000."The threshold could be a lot lower so money can be spent on much more pressing priorities."He thinks the money spent on the fuel payments should go to initiatives for younger people instead. Additional reporting by Kris Bramwell and Alex Emery Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.
