frozen

The Trump administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants since the president took office for his second term, according to a tracking tool released Wednesday by a pro-democracy nonprofit and a group of researchers and scientists.

The cuts affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with health, nutrition, the environment and disaster relief making up the largest share of cuts, the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness organization found.

Among the grants that were eliminated, frozen or delayed were ones related to maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi and assistance to minority farmers in Iowa, the researchers found. California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina saw the highest amounts of interrupted grant money. The tracking tool is called Lost Funds.

“By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display,” Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness, said in a statement.

The $177 billion finding represents nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, the groups said.

The tracker’s organizers said the disrupted grants were beyond the kind of cuts that typically happen when administrations change.

“Lost Funds shows the extraordinary scale and real human impact of these disruptions, and how states are once again on the front lines protecting their residents,” said Kelly Rader, States United Democracy Center’s research director.

In some cases, courts have ruled against the administration’s grant funding cuts.

The new tool, which is being made available for public use, relies on data from USASpending.gov, an open data source of federal spending information, according to the groups’ methodology. They said the tracker would be updated regularly as the administration takes new action and lawsuits move through the courts.

States United bills itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to the rule of law and free, fair, secure elections. It was co-founded by Norm Eisen, an attorney who has been involved in prominent lawsuits against the Trump administration, including over the Kennedy Center. Eisen left States United in 2021.

Grant Witness is a group of scientists, researchers and attorneys who document how funding is changing under President Trump’s administration.

A message seeking comment on the analysis was sent to the White House.

Catalini writes for the Associated Press.

L.A.’s annual summer heat wave is upon us, with triple-digit temperatures breaking records across the region. During this time of year, ovens and stoves go dormant as Southern Californians seek to sate their thirst and hunger with chilled and frozen options, from refreshing poke bowls and ceviches to shaved ice and soft serve.

Our restaurant scene is responding in kind by adding a slew of frozen beverages to their menus. That means you can get your daily coffee or matcha blended for a cool start to the day, or venture outside of your usual and perk up with a Thai tea slushie or hojicha blockshake. And for kids or those avoiding caffeine, a zesty ginger lemonade and nostalgic Dole Whip are at the ready.

Prefer a more adult take? Some of the city’s best bars are reimagining classic cocktails in blended form, from frozen negronis to piña coladas and margaritas. Far from basic, these frozen concoctions are layered and intentional, featuring small-batch mezcal, locally made cider and Belizean rum. Some are served in popsicle or snow cone form, and you can even enjoy your Dole Whip spiked.

Here are 25 of our favorite frozen cocktails and non-alcoholic slushies to cool off with in L.A.:

This is one of the country’s best-preserved medieval towns.

The UK has no shortage of amazing historical towns and villages. One in particular is famous for looking frozen in time after its primary industry collapsed, leaving the homes preserved as they looked in the 16th century.

Lavenham in Suffolk is one of the most important wool towns, and back in the 15th century, it was one of the wealthiest settlements in England thanks to the booming wool trade. Wealthy merchants built large, opulent homes in the town and used their cash to fund the late-Gothic Church of St Peter and St Paul.

However, in the late 16th century, the wool industry was decimated by cheap foreign imports and heavy taxation.

The formerly wealthy people of Lavenham saw their money disappear overnight, and people could no longer afford to rebuild or modernise their homes.

These same timber-framed Tudor homes have stood in place for centuries, untouched and now are an iconic sight on the town’s high street.

More than 300 of them are listed as historic structures, and hundreds lean at odd angles due to the warping of the timber over the years.

On Instagram, a visitor said: “This 1,000 year old village feels frozen in time!”

One of the must-sees of the village, aside from its history-lined streets, is the spectacular Lavenham Guildhall.

This 16th-century building is now managed and maintained by the National Trust.

Throughout the building there are displays you can read and admire which tell the story of the village through the centuries as well as the people who called it home.

As you wander through the town, keep an eye out for the famous Crooked House, thought to be the inspiration behind the nursery rhyme “There was a crooked man, who lived in a crooked house”.

Keen-eyed tourists might recognise the De Vere House on Water Street, which was used as a shooting location for the Harry Potter franchise.

Now, the house is a luxury accommodation where tourists can spend the night in four-poster beds, admiring the wooden beams that are an emblem of the style of architecture.