A White House directive to pause federal grants and loans has raised uncertainty for many universities, states and nonprofit organizations.

George Floyd Square is shown on Feb. 8, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS – During a group's recent meeting at the now-vacant Speedway gas station near where George Floyd died, children roasted marshmallows on a fire pit while adults discussed topics ranging from activism to snow removal. Such is life at George Floyd Square, the place where former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. The residents and activists who serve as unofficial leaders and organizers of George Floyd Square say they won't step aside unless the city meets their list of 24 demands. AdSince the city asserted it would reopen the square after Chauvin's trial, the caretakers of the space have declined to talk in detail about negotiations to reopen it.