- Editorials: The Fake Voter Fraud Epidemic and the 2012 Election | TPM
- Editorials: Judicial Elections and the Bottom Line | NYTimes.com
- Florida: Rick Scott, Democrats fight over Florida early voting | MiamiHerald.com
- Blogs: The Effects of Florida’s HB1355 Early Voting Law on Turnout | electionsmith
- Hawaii: Office of Elections cites ‘poor planning, implementation, and leadership’ | Hawaii 24/7
- Iowa: Secretary of State clarifies ineligible voter rules | The Des Moines Register
- Kentucky: Kentucky special election for Congress leaves questions over ballots | cincinnati.com
- Missouri: What Happens If Todd Akin Drops Out | Roll Call
- New York: New York Voters Crash Online Registration System | GovTech
- Ohio: Protesters defend voting rights and embattled Ohio election officials | Examiner.com
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania answers federal request for information on voter ID law | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Virginia: Justice Department upholds Virginia voter ID law | The Washington Post
Of all the developments in The Voting Wars since 2000, the lead story has to be the successful Republican effort to create an illusion of a voter fraud epidemic used to justify a host of laws, especially tough new state voter identification requirements, with the aim to suppress Democratic turnout and to excite the Republican base about “stolen” elections. Democrats sometimes have exaggerated the likely effects of such laws on turnout—we won’t see millions of voters disenfranchised by state voter id laws, for example. But in a very close presidential election, as we are likely to see in November, new voter id rules, voter purges in places like Colorado and Florida, cutbacks in early voting in Ohio, and other technical changes have the potential to suppress Democratic turnout enough to swing the election from Obama to Romney. How did we get here? Our story begins with what Josh has aptly referred to as “bamboozlement” by a group of political operatives, “The Fraudulent Fraud Squad.” Read MoreThis year, 32 states will be holding contested elections or retention votes for judges on their highest courts. An ideological battle inFlorida, an expensive and partisan one in North Carolina and others are providing uncomfortable lessons about why judges on the highest courts should be appointed rather than elected. Elections turn judges into politicians, and the need to raise money to finance ever more expensive campaigns makes the judiciary more vulnerable to improper influence by donors.Special interests, like the casino, energy and hospital industries and others, have been heavily involved and sometimes find their ways around disclosure rules and exert their influence through independent expenditures, reducing race after race into a contest of slogans. In six states where spending has been especially heavy — Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas — the harm to justice is well documented. Read MoreThe fight over early voting is escalating in Florida as Gov. Rick Scott seeks agreement among counties for eight days and Democrats demand 12 days. At issue is whether all 67 counties will operate under one early voting schedule, or five counties — including Monroe — will offer more days than all the others. Days after a federal court ruled that eight days of early voting could depress African-American turnout, Scott’s chief elections advisor tried to get five counties to agree to eight days of early voting anyway — for 12 hours a day. Court approval is critical. Because of past evidence of discrimination, election law changes need clearance from the federal government or federal courts before they taking effect in Monroe, Hillsborough, Collier, Hardee and Hendry counties. Because the judges rejected the shorter early voting schedule in those counties last week, the counties must provide up to 14 days of early voting under the old law. Read MoreAs was reported widely in the press, if not entirely accurately, last Thursday night a Washington, DC, panel of federal judges handed down a unanimous ruling that restrictions placed on early voting in Florida should continue not to be implemented in the five counties covered by Section 5 of the 1975 amendments to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Florida, said the judges, “has failed to satisfy its burden of proving that those changes will not have a retrogressive effect on minority voters.” With respect to early voting, House Bill 1355–which was passed on party line votes by the Florida legislature and signed into law by Republican Governor Rick Scott in May 2011–is likely to have a differential impact it is likely to have on racial and ethnic minority voters in the 2012 general election. In addition to my testimony before the US Senate on the topic, I’ve co-authored with Professor Michael Herron of Dartmouth College a soon-to-be published article in Election Law Journal that reveals the heavy reliance of early voting by minorities in the 2008 general election. We found that in the 10 Florida counties that offered voting on the final Sunday of early voting in 2008, there was a surge in turnout among minority voters, especially African Americans. That final Sunday of voting was eliminated under HB1355. Since then, Florida voters have participated in two statewide primary elections in 2012 under a dual system of elections, which very well may violate state law. Read MoreThe state Office of Elections issued its report Thursday concerning how the County of Hawaii handled the Primary Election. In a six-page report, Scott Nago, head of the state election’s office, ripped into Jamae Kawauchi, who as County Clerk also serves as the Hawaii County election chief. Nago said he sent a state staff member to observe the election at the Hilo county building and found ” poor planning, implementation, and leadership by the County Clerk.” Nago, however, praised county staff and volunteers who “did their best under the circumstances and were able to get through the election.” He said while the public’s confidence had been undermine, but the problems did not meet the standards used to determine whether final results might have been impacted.Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz on Friday provided the fullest explanation yet of his office’s search for ineligible voters and picked up bipartisan support for the effort. Schultz, a Republican, was joined by Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller at a news conference to announce the state’s formal response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and a Latino group challenging new administrative rules related to voter registration. Miller backed up Schultz’s actions and said the state would oppose the ACLU’s request to prevent the rules from taking effect.The special election spurred by U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis’ resignation in July has left questions for election officials about how the ballots will be handled. Gov. Steve Beshear has set the special election to fill the vacancy for Geoff Davis’ Fourth Congressional District seat on the same day as the general election on Nov. 6. Some, however, fear the two elections–one for the general election and the other special election to fill out the final months of Davis’ term that expires at the end of the year–will cause confusion. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and county clerks await on a Franklin Circuit Court judge’s decision on how to proceed with absentee ballots. Grimes filed suit to move the Oct. 9 deadline for candidates to file for the special election up to Sept. 10, when the state certifies the names on the general election ballot. Grimes has said it must send out ballots 45 days prior to an election for people overseas, such as the military, to have time to fill out and send back the ballots. An Oct. 9 deadline only leaves 28 days. Read MoreIf Rep. Todd Akin (R) does drop his Missouri Senate bid within the next 24 hours, as the GOP establishment is pressuring him to do, at least his timing will be impeccable. Missouri state law allows a nominated candidate to withdraw his or her bid for office by 5 p.m. on the 11th Tuesday before the election which, as it turns out, is tomorrow. If Akin does drop his bid before tomorrow’s deadline, the state’s GOP central committee would pick his replacement. This statutory fact alone is why Republicans — from National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) to presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) — are coalescing around a 24-hour ultimatum. Read MoreWhen New York added the ability for voters to register online earlier this month, officials hoped it would add a lot of citizens to the state’s voter rolls. According to the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, fewer than 64 percent of eligible New York residents are currently registered to vote, which ranks the state 47th in the country in voter registration. The addition of the new online registration capability was especially timely, given the Aug. 19 deadline for those wishing to participate in the state’s primary election, scheduled for Sept. 13. “At the DMV, or in their own homes, New Yorkers will now have a convenient and secure way to ensure they are able to register and exercise their right to vote,” said Cuomo in a statement. And New Yorkers seem to have gotten the message. Twitter activity on Friday suggested that an influx of would-be voters brought the new system to its knees. Read More"Our vote is our passport to democracy and freedom," said Charles Holmes, a retired pastor from the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dayton, Ohio. He was speaking this morning to a group of 180 protesters in front of the offices of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted in downtown Columbus. "In Ohio and all across the nation, there is an effort to take away your vote, by tricks like photo ID and reducing the number of early voting hours," Reverend Holmes said. "This is reprehensible." As the November election nears, the controversy over voting rights and voter suppression has been heating up in Ohio and other key battleground states. On Friday, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted suspended two Democrats on the Montgomery County Board of Elections for refusing to back down on a proposal to allow weekend early voting. Husted had issued a directive on Wednesday that all 88 Ohio counties would allow some weekday evening early voting hours, but no early voting on weekends. "Secretary Husted is wrong to punish Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie for voting to extend weekend voting hours," Reverend Holmes said. "We owe these two men the debt of our gratitude for standing up for all voters, not just some. Jon Husted is supposed to be an impartial referee. But he's working in partisan ways to reduce the total vote count, just as his mentor, Ken Blackwell, did in 2004." Read MoreThe Corbett administration has responded to a federal review of the new voter ID requirement in a letter suggesting the U.S. Department of Justice has overstepped its authority because of political opposition to the law. The Department of Justice last month notified the state that it is examining whether the voter ID law discriminates against minorities. It requested extensive documentation, including databases of voters and driver licenses, to aid in that inquiry. In a letter Friday to the Justice Department's top civil rights lawyer, General Counsel James Schultz said the state would be willing to provide the federal agency with the same information it shared with the groups who challenged the law in state court, provided the department signs a confidentiality agreement. Read MoreThe Justice Department has signed off on Virginia’s new voter ID law, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) said Monday night, in a decision that clears the way for the bitterly contested measure to take effect in time for Election Day. “The legislation I signed into law is a practical and reasonable step to make our elections more secure while also ensuring access to the ballot box for all qualified voters,” McDonnell said. “It is welcome news that DOJ has recognized the compliance of this legislation with the Voting Rights Act.” The Justice Department review was needed because Virginia has a history of voter discrimination. It is one of 16 states that must receive federal approval before changing voting laws. The states must prove to the federal government that any new statutes would not discriminate against minorities. Read More
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Voting News for Aug 21, 2012
States Performance from The Council of State Governments
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Saturday, August 18, 2012
Grant Opportunity: Kenya Arid Lands
Kenya Arid Lands Disaster Risk Reduction-WASH Program |  |
| http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=0hBKQvGNvQLjBPMqhJKhrQH1CpcDYvs3YlyK1Ry8hqq3ZNgH3ygJ!1460891328?oppId=185653&mode=VIEW |
The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below, following this paragraph. This synopsis contains all of the updates to this document that have been posted as of 07/20/2012 . If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis.
If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity click send me change notification emails . The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested.
Any inconsistency between the original printed document and the disk or electronic document shall be resolved by giving precedence to the printed document.
Document Type: Grants Notice Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-623-12-000005 Opportunity Category: Discretionary Posted Date: Jul 20, 2012 Creation Date: Jul 20, 2012 Original Closing Date for Applications: Aug 31, 2012 Current Closing Date for Applications: Aug 31, 2012 Archive Date: Sep 30, 2012 Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Category of Funding Activity: Agriculture
Disaster Prevention and Relief
Natural ResourcesCategory Explanation: Expected Number of Awards: 3 Estimated Total Program Funding: $8,000,000 Award Ceiling: $8,000,000 Award Floor: $4,000,000 CFDA Number(s): 98.001 -- USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
Eligible Applicants
- Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
Additional Information on Eligibility:
Agency Name
- Kenya USAID-Nairobi
Description
- The core objective of the program is to assist the Kenyan government and communities through cooperative agreements to a consortium, or consortiums of, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are not for profit and/or Public International Organizations (PIOs) to increase resilience to drought and flash floods while simultaneously increasing access to improved water supply and sanitation services, and improving hygiene behaviors, for poor and vulnerable populations in the arid counties of Turkana, Marsabit (including Moyale District), Garissa, Isiolo, and Wajir in Kenya. Through its investments, USAID proposes the following objectives: 1. Increase water storage capacity in arid lands, through improving natural and artificial storage. 2. Improve WASH conditions at health facilities and nutrition centers frequently utilized during emergency response. 3. Improve access to safe drinking water sources, improve access to and usage of point of use water treatment products, promote good hygiene behaviors and use of sanitation facilities as a means of reducing diarrheal disease in areas with recurrent emergency levels of malnutrition and around areas of improved water storage.
Link to Additional Information
If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
- Charity Igweta
Procurement Administrative Assistant
Phone +254208622408 Charity Igweta
Synopsis Modification History
There are currently no modifications for this opportunity.
Grant Opportunity: DOS. U.S. Mission to Tunisia
DOS
Department of State
U.S. Mission to Tunisia
University Partnership
Modification 3
University Partnership
The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below, following this paragraph. This synopsis contains all of the updates to this document that have been posted as of 08/15/2012 . If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis.
If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity click send me change notification emails . The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested.
Any inconsistency between the original printed document and the disk or electronic document shall be resolved by giving precedence to the printed document.
Description of Modification |
Document Type: Modification to Previous Grants Notice Funding Opportunity Number: TPA20120815 Opportunity Category: Discretionary Posted Date: Aug 15, 2012 Creation Date: Aug 17, 2012 Original Closing Date for Applications: Sep 17, 2012 Closing Date: Monday, September 17, 2012 Current Closing Date for Applications: Sep 17, 2012 Closing Date: Monday, September 17, 2012 Archive Date: Oct 17, 2012 Funding Instrument Type: Grant Category of Funding Activity: Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification) Category Explanation: Setting up a comprehensive approach to training Diplomacy and World Affairs for the Tunisian “Diplomatic Institute for Training and Studies-IDFE” Expected Number of Awards: Estimated Total Program Funding: Award Ceiling: $350,000 Award Floor: $250,000 CFDA Number(s): 19.040 -- Public Diplomacy Programs Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes
Eligible Applicants
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Additional Information on Eligibility:
- The United States Embassy/Tunis is planning to support the Tunisian Diplomatic Institute in the development of a special curriculum to support on-going reforms in matter of capacity building to the benefit of Tunisian diplomats, in light of new trends and practices in diplomacy and skills required by the diplomatic profession, in fields such as Public Diplomacy, PR & Media Relations, Economic Diplomacy, Analysis and Prospective of Current International Affairs, Crisis Management, and interpersonal development. This partnership would also include the setting up of a Studies & Research Unit to investigate topics such as international relations, international law, the global economy, international conflict, terrorism and post-conflict nation building. The Tunisian Diplomatic institute reports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and offers two study tracks: The first is one-year long and designed for young university graduates. Student attend classes on basic diplomacy techniques, international law, international economy and relations, etc.. At completion of the first year of study, students follow internships in various departments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before their actual assignment. The second track is aimed for in-service and mid-career professionals and offers short term training programs on various diplomacy matters. For more information about the institute, please send email to idfe.takwin@gmail.com or call the Director for Training +216 71 784 510
Agency Name
- U.S. Mission to Tunisia
Description
- This RFA is designed to support U.S. academic institutions that seek to engage with the Tunisian Diplomatic institute. (Eligible Applicants: All members of the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), and other regionally accredited, degree-granting, U.S. higher education institutions). Applicant institutions with previous project or exchange experience in Tunisia and/or in North Africa are preferred.Selected recipients will be responsible for ensuring achievement of program objectives that enhance mutual, fully collaborative relationships between Tunisian and U.S. education/diplomatic institutions and their public and private sector partners in both countries. It is USG policy not to award profit under assistance instruments. However, all reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, which are related to the program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (22 CFR 226, OMB Circular A-21 for universities, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 31 for for-profit organizations), may be paid under the award.Subject to the availability of funds, US Embassy Tunis plans to provide up to $350,000 in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for the partnership stated above not to exceed two years, but with the possibility of no-cost limited extensions. The US Embassy reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. For the purposes of this program, this RFA is being issued and consists of this cover letter and the Full Application including following: 1. Section A - Application Format; 2. Section B - Selection Criteria; 3. Section C - Program Description; 4. Section D - Certifications, Assurances, and Other Statements of Applicant/Recipient 5. Section E - Attachments to Program Description (attachments 1, 2, and 3)To be eligible for an award, the applicant must provide all required information in its application, including the requirements found in any attachments. Applicants must submit the full application package in compliance with the method indicated in this cover letter and in Section A of this RFA.For the purposes of this RFA, the term "Grant" is synonymous with "Cooperative Agreement"; "Grantee" is synonymous with "Recipient"; and "Grant Officer" is synonymous with "Agreement Officer".Any questions concerning this RFA should be submitted in writing via email to Kaouthar Ben Mohamed benmohamedk@state.gov . Applications must be received by the closing date and time indicated at the top of this cover letter. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Applicants should submit their applications by e-mail attachment formatted in Microsoft Word (up to 2MB limit per email. PDF files are acceptable). Applicants will be informed that their electronic submissions (via email) were successfully received by the required due date. Awards will be made to that responsible applicant(s) whose application(s) best meets the requirements of this RFA and the selection criteria contained herein.Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of US Embassy Tunis, nor does it commit the Embassy to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Further, US Embassy Tunis reserves the right to reject any or all applications received. In addition, final award of any resultant cooperative agreement(s) cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense. Applicants should retain for their records one copy of all enclosures which accompany their application.
Link to Additional Information
If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
- Kaouthar Ben Mohamed
Grants Management Assistant
Phone 0021671107266 benmohamedk@state.gov
Synopsis Modification History
The following files represent the modifications to this synopsis with the changes noted within the documents. The list of files is arranged from newest to oldest with the newest file representing the current synopsis. Changed sections from the previous document are shown in a light grey background.
| File Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Modification #2 | Aug 17, 2012 |
| Modification #1 | Aug 16, 2012 |
| Original Synopsis | Aug 15, 2012 |
=================================================================
US –Tunisian University collaboration in the field of Journalism
April 24, 2012
Issuance Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Closing Date: Friday May 25, 2012
Closing Time: 16:00 local Tunis time (11 AM EST)
Closing Date: Friday May 25, 2012
Closing Time: 16:00 local Tunis time (11 AM EST)
The United States Embassy/Tunis is planning to support the implementation of a one-year long master’s degree program on Investigative Journalism at the Tunis Journalism and Press Sciences Institute (IPSI). This program will focus on teaching the basic skills of investigative journalism to both entry-level journalists and mid-career professionals, with an emphasis on information sourcing, investigative techniques, and law. The program must include designing a curriculum, developing materials, virtual exchanges, faculty training and mentoring. The program should lead to the creation of a Center for Investigative Reporting in Tunisia Subject to the availability of funds, US Embassy Tunis plans to provide up to $250,000 in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for this partnership not to exceed two years, but with the possibility of no-cost limited extensions. The US Embassy reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.
A higher education partnership would include but is not limited to:
- Exchanges of faculty and experts
- Creation of knowledge centers
- Building a library of relevant materials
- Joint market research by collaborating faculty
- Support for student innovation projects
Eligible Applicants:
This RFA is designed to support U.S. academic institutions that seek to engage with higher education institutions in Tunisia. (Eligible Applicants: All members of the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), and other regionally accredited, degree-granting, U.S. higher education institutions). Applicant institutions with previous project or exchange experience in Tunisia and/or in North Africa are preferred.
Selected recipients will be responsible for ensuring achievement of program objectives that enhance mutual, fully collaborative relationships between Tunisian and U.S. higher education institutions and their public and private sector partners in both countries.
It is USG policy not to award profit under assistance instruments. However, all reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, which are related to the program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (22 CFR 226, OMB Circular A-21 for universities, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 31 for for-profit organizations), may be paid under the award.
Subject to the availability of funds, US Embassy Tunis plans to provide up to $250,000 in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for each partnership stated above not to exceed two years, but with the possibility of no-cost limited extensions. The US Embassy reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.
For the purposes of this program, this RFA is being issued and consists of this cover letter and the Full Application (PDF 322KB) including following:
1. Section A - Application Format;
2. Section B - Selection Criteria;
3. Section C - Program Description;
4. Section D - Certifications, Assurances, and Other Statements of Applicant/Recipient
5. Section E - Attachments to Program Description (attachments 1, 2, and 3)
2. Section B - Selection Criteria;
3. Section C - Program Description;
4. Section D - Certifications, Assurances, and Other Statements of Applicant/Recipient
5. Section E - Attachments to Program Description (attachments 1, 2, and 3)
To be eligible for an award, the applicant must provide all required information in its application, including the requirements found in any attachments. Applicants must submit the full application package in compliance with the method indicated in this cover letter and in Section A of this RFA.
For the purposes of this RFA, the term "Grant" is synonymous with "Cooperative Agreement"; "Grantee" is synonymous with "Recipient"; and "Grant Officer" is synonymous with "Agreement Officer".
Any questions concerning this RFA should be submitted in writing to John Berry, via email to berryJF@state.gov ccing Jason KhilekhileJB@state.gov Faouzi Chaouch chaouchf@state.gov . Applications must be received by the closing date and time indicated at the top of this cover letter.
Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Applicants should submit their applications by e-mail attachment formatted in Microsoft Word (up to 2MB limit per email. PDF files are acceptable).
Applicants will be informed that their electronic submissions (via email) were successfully received by the required due date.
Awards will be made to that responsible applicant(s) whose application(s) best meets the requirements of this RFA and the selection criteria contained herein.
Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of US Embassy Tunis, nor does it commit the Embassy to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Further, US Embassy Tunis reserves the right to reject any or all applications received. In addition, final award of any resultant cooperative agreement(s) cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense. Applicants should retain for their records one copy of all enclosures which accompany their application.
Pest Control: HantaVirus Exposure
Two may have contracted hantavirus while visiting Yosemite
updated 7:25 PM EDT, Fri August 17, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Park said it disinfected 400 cabins
- Man, woman in June visited camping area in Yosemite National Park
- They may have been exposed to deadly hantavirus
- Deer mice might be to blame
The visitors contracted
hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a rare but often fatal lung disease.
The two had stayed at the popular
Curry Village in mid-June, according to the California Department of Public
Health.
An unidentified 37-year-old man
from the San Francisco Bay area died in late July, said Dr. Vicki Kramer, chief
of the department's vector-borne disease section.
A Southern California woman in
her 40s survived and is recovering, Kramer told CNN.
The two stayed in separate
locations at the village, which contains about 400 canvas tent and wooden
cabins.
"They are very sparse but
comfortable," Yosemite ranger and spokesman Scott Gediman said of the tent
cabins where the man and woman stayed.
Officials have focused on deer
mice, common in the high-elevation eastern Sierra Nevada region. The mice are
gray or brown on top, with white bellies. Their ears have no fur.
"Rodents can infest a whole range
of these structures," Kramer said. "Deer mice can get in a hole one-quarter inch
in diameter."
In the United States, the
carriers of hantavirus are deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and white-footed
mice, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The
virus can be present in the rodents' urine, droppings and saliva, and is spread
to people when they breathe in air contaminated with the virus, the CDC
says.
The virus is not communicable
from person to person.
Rodent control is the primary
strategy for preventing the hantavirus syndrome, according to the CDC.
California's health department
has worked with Yosemite National Park for years to reduce the risks to
visitors, Kramer said. The agency and park public health officers routinely
conduct rodent surveillance, and the park inspects buildings and facilities, it
said.
The battle begins with workers
routinely disinfecting floors and removing mouse droppings.
Once park officials learned of
the two cases, all 400 camp structures were thoroughly cleaned, Gediman said
Thursday.
Yosemite National Park has
increased routine measures to reduce the hantavirus risk, according to
officials.
"You cannot eliminate all the
mice," Kramer said. "There are a lot of people and snacks that people bring into
their tents or cabins."
Gediman said officials consider
Curry Village safe and guests have not canceled lodging reservations in the
busiest month of the year at Yosemite.
Officials urge people to clean
areas of rodent infestation with caution.
It's best not to vacuum or
sweep, because that can push hantavirus particles into the air, where they can
enter the lungs.
Rather, people should wear
gloves and use bleach where they see mouse droppings. They should let the bleach
sit for 15 minutes before using a mop or sponge to clean up.
Opening shuttered areas to air
and sunlight also is suggested.
The two recent hantavirus cases
bring the 2012 total in California to four. About one-third of the 60 cases
reported in the state since 1993 have been fatal, the department said. Yosemite
National Park saw one hantavirus case each in 2000 and 2010.
There is no specific treatment
for hantavirus infection, according to the CDC, but the earlier the patient is
brought to intensive care, the better.
Diagnosis is difficult, because
early symptoms of fever, muscle aches and fatigue often are confused with the
flu.
"However, if the individual is
experiencing fever and fatigue, and has a history of potential rural rodent
exposure, together with shortness of breath, (that) would be strongly suggestive
of HPS," the CDC says.