skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

HIV Support on the Chopping Block - Because It Works Too Well?

play audio
Play

Monday, February 19, 2007   

Sometimes, it doesn't pay to be successful. Long Island HIV support programs are showing such good results that they're getting a budget cut from Congress.

Michael Engrassia runs HIV and AIDS services for Catholic Charities of Long Island. He explains that federal funding is based on the number of people with AIDS and, in this area, many people infected with HIV are staying healthy. Since not "enough" are developing AIDS symptoms, the Long Island programs are slated to lose federal support.

"We're being penalized for doing a good job in the sense that, if you base it on how many people have progressed to AIDS, we don't meet that criteria. That's basically as a result of the good work we have been doing with the services and money that has been offered previously."

The new funding formula is a cruel irony that means immediate cuts to more than a dozen programs that provide such services as transportation to doctors' visits, help with home heating bills, and home-delivered meals for people living with HIV and AIDS on Long Island. New York City is not impacted by the change, but parts of New Jersey and New Haven Connecticut also are affected.

Engrassia says the new funding formula doesn't match the Long Island program needs, which could trigger even more problems next year, if they once again fail to use the money allocated.

"If they're unable to spend it, then the following year the money that's was not spent returns to the government, and in addition, your award could be decreased again, based on the fact that you did not spend all your money."

The Long Island region has been informed of the change this week, which gives them less than two weeks to inform some staff members that their jobs will be cut along with the federal dollars.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021