Pushing back: U.S. Reps. Garret Graves and Cedric Richmond penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, requesting a one-year deadline extension for the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination program to use $1.6 million in federal grants set to expire at the end of this summer. BRAVE, which calls for partnerships between law enforcement, faith-based organizations and the community, has been credited with reducing crime throughout the Baton Rouge, but grants financing the program are set to expire in September. Graves and Richmond are seeking to extend the current deadline by one year. They say homicides, juvenile and other violent crimes have dropped 25% as a result of the program. Read the full letter.
Settled: Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and BMW have reached a proposed settlement that would compensate owners of 15.8 million vehicles for money they lost due to the massive recall of Takata air bags. The Associated Press reports that in documents filed today with a federal court in Miami, the automakers agreed to pay $553 million to compensate owners and widen their efforts to make sure vehicles are being repaired. The court must still approve the settlement. Takata’s air bag inflators can explode with too much force, hurling shrapnel into drivers and passengers. The inflators are blamed for at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide. Read more.
Another look: The Trump administration today formally notified Congress of its intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, The Washington Post reports. The move is a step forward on a campaign promise that was widely popular among voters but has unsettled U.S. companies that have built their industries around the trade deal’s provisions. The notification starts the clock on a 90-day period in which Congress will consult with the administration about its goals. Negotiations with Canada and Mexico will begin as soon as Aug. 16, the administration says. U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer stressed that the administration hopes to renegotiate the deal rather than scrap it altogether. Read more.
