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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Thompson, DeFazio, Payne, Titus Urge
Trump to Eliminate Cost Share for States Under Coronavirus Disaster
Declarations
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March 24, 2020 (WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G.
Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Peter
A. DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, and Rep. Dina
Titus (D-NV), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public
Buildings, and Emergency Management, sent
a letter to President Trump urging him to, during the coronavirus
pandemic, eliminate the 25 percent cost share that states typically are
required to bear under emergency and major disaster declarations.
“Given the unprecedented nature of this pandemic, SLTT
[state, local, tribal and territorial] governments will not be able to
shoulder the 25 percent cost share under the PA [Public Assistance] program,”
the Members wrote. “We urge you to increase the Federal support and
eliminate the non-Federal cost entirely. Such a cost share adjustment will
enable SLTT partners to dedicate essential resources to outbreak response efforts.
An increase in the Federal cost share is warranted given the magnitude of the
threat facing the nation…”
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Media contact:
(Homeland Security) Adam Comis
(Transportation and Infrastructure) Sandy Bayley
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Tuesday, March 24, 2020
House Committee on Homeland Security. Thompson, DeFazio, Payne, Titus Urge Trump to Eliminate Cost Share for States Under Coronavirus Disaster Declarations
House Committee on Homeland Security. Thompson, Rose Write DHS on Reports of Extremists Seeking to Exploit Coronavirus Pandemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Thompson, Rose Write DHS on Reports of
Extremists Seeking to Exploit Coronavirus Pandemic
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March 24, 2020 (WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G.
Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Max Rose (D-NY), Chairman of the Subcommittee on
Intelligence and Counterterrorism, sent a letter to
Elizabeth Neumann, Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security
Policy, at the Department of Homeland Security regarding the Federal
government’s efforts to counter potential homeland security threats from
violent extremists who may seek to take advantage of the current coronavirus
health crisis. Recent reports
have highlighted how white supremacist extremists across the world are
discussing ways to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to advance violent
ends and spread chaos.
“As the
COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend American life in new and unpredictable
ways, we seek an understanding of how DHS is preparing for and mitigating
potential homeland security threats from bad actors, such as violent
extremists in the United States and abroad, who may seek to exploit
vulnerabilities stemming from this metastasizing crisis,” wrote the
Members. “To that end, we would like to know how the Office of Threat
Prevention and Security Policy is coordinating DHS prevention efforts to
account for the evolving threat landscape under the specter of COVID-19.”
# # #
Media contact:
(Thompson) Adam Comis at 202-225-9978
(Rose) Jonas Edwards-Jenks at 202-225-3371
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Non-Traditional Authorities in COVID-19 Response. March 25, 2020
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Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8597468851455378189 |
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Fear in these confusing times. COVID-19 and FEAR. March 19, 2020
FEAR
Whenever I think of
a personal fear my thoughts shift to some visual impression of coping with that
fear. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fear of snakes. Now I
think of one movie that summarizes it all, ‘After Earth’ starring Will
Smith as he explains fear to his son to complete tasks for their rescue after
crashing on an isolated planet, Earth. That was once inhabited by humans
but exited due to environmental and climate change impacts.
“Fear is not real. The only
place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a
product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present
and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand
me danger is very real but fear is a choice.” (Another Earth)
This
gets me by in fearful situations. Many of us have been in life and death
struggles, and fear has lifted its’ head to complicate the situation.
Develop your coping mechanism during this period.
Coping with
Fear and COVID-19
Anxiety
is understandably high as we are learning more about the spread of this
disease. There can be fear even if you live in an area where the
disease hasn’t occurred.
The information below may be helpful in
managing the fear you may feel. Resources for up-to-date medical
information and advice about coronavirus are at the end of this message.
Managing Fears
A good way to manage any kind of fear is to become educated about it.
The more
we know about the real dangers, the more we can take effective steps to avoid
or minimize them, thereby putting some fears to rest. Accurate
information is an effective antidote to unrealistic fears.
Monitor your exposure to the news. Media news coverage can arouse emotion
and increase fear. It’s important to get the facts, but it may not
be helpful to hear reports over and over. Be aware of how you and
family members respond to news stories. Limit television or online
coverage if it becomes distressing.
Put your risk into perspective. The risk of contracting coronavirus in
the U.S. is low at this time. It’s important to stay aware and
informed, but try to make sure your level of fear does not exceed your risk
factors. If you have specific concerns, contact your health care
professional
Put this disease in context. The term “pandemic” can
be very scary. It means cases of a new disease are showing up around
the world and may spread rapidly because people don’t have immunity.
However, this term doesn’t indicate how dangerous it’s likely to be.
We’re exposed to health risks every day. The good health habits you use
to reduce the risk of communicable diseases, such as washing hands
frequently, are some of the same precautions recommended for coronavirus.
Focus on what you have control over. News stories and images about the spread
of a disease can make us feel anxious and helpless. Knowing how to
minimize your risk can reduce anxiety. The World Health Organization
(WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have
information about how to reduce your risk of contracting the virus.
They offer advice and directions in the event you must travel to a place
where the virus has been identified. A link to travel information is
included at the end of this article.
Be always aware, but not always fearful. Awareness means paying attention to news
that is specific to where you live and where you may travel. Awareness
is not the same as being fearful. Constant fear that isn’t
reality-based can create stress and be counter-productive. It can be
harder to deal with a true risk when everything seems like a danger. We
want to focus on what is happening, rather than getting caught up in
thoughts of what could happen.
Notice if fear begins to become panic. Ask yourself if unreasonable fear is
changing your behaviors, for example, being afraid to leave your home or
letting children attend school. You might find yourself avoiding places
or people of a certain ethnicity. These may be signs that you could
benefit from additional support.
Take a break from the fears. Try to shift your focus
away from stressful thoughts. Spend time doing things you enjoy that
help you feel calm and balanced.
If children have fears, give them honest information at a level
they can understand. You don’t need to explain everything about the
virus and risk. Give them only as much information as they
request. Encourage your children to talk to you about their thoughts
and feelings. Listen to their concerns, and then reassure them.
For example, point out that the risk in the U.S. and Canada is very
low. Explain that there are steps that everyone can take to protect
themselves. Limit your child’s exposure to news reports. Seeing
repeated coverage can be disturbing. It can be helpful to watch the
news with your child and discuss it afterwards.
If you have no reason to believe you have been
exposed to the virus, you can go about your normal daily activities.
Understand that national and international health organizations are working
diligently to understand the risks, treatment, and keep the public safe.
Resources
for more information
World
Health Organization (WHO):
WHO
travel information:
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
CDC
travel information:
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Take care of both
your physical and mental health. Not only for yourself, but those nearest
to you. Your loved ones.
CDS
Charles D. Sharp
Cornell
University Climate Fellow
Chairman
Emeritus\CEO
Black Emergency
Managers Association
International
1231-B Good Hope
Road. S.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20020
Office:
202-618-9097
bEMA International
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Helping rural areas get connected. March 2020
Amid the mad dash to
develop fifth-generation (5G) wireless technologies, Shirley Bloomfield likes
to remind people that vast swaths of America have other hurdles to clear
first. “As everybody ...
thehill.com
|
Helping rural areas get
connected
© Greg Nash
Amid the mad dash to
develop fifth-generation (5G) wireless technologies, Shirley Bloomfield likes
to remind people that vast swaths of America have other hurdles to clear first.
“As everybody gets super
excited about 5G ... we just tell them in rural America we’re still waiting for
1G in some areas,” the CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association told The
Hill in a recent interview.
Throughout her time at
the trade association, where she represents more than 850 community-based
telecommunications companies across the country, Bloomfield has only seen the
interest in getting rural areas connected grow.
“It’s so funny to me
because I’ve been doing this for so long, it’s like when you’re the ugly
stepchild and then suddenly you’re the belle of the ball and people actually
want to talk about this stuff, which is really cool and gratifying,” she said.
Bloomfield was driven to
move to Washington, D.C., after working in the private sector briefly
post-college by a passion for policy.
That passion landed her
a staff job on the House Budget Committee, where she got exposure to a broad
slate of issues.
She was eventually hired
by NTCA to be a part of its policy shop.
After roughly 20 years
of representing carriers, she took another stint in the private sector but
found herself raring to come back to NTCA.
When the top job at the
association opened in 2010, she called the headhunter charged with finding a
successor immediately.
“I said, ‘That is my
job, I’m coming back.’ She of course thought I was probably a lunatic,”
Bloomfield told The Hill.
“I missed these guys,”
she said. “The carriers I represent are so committed to what they do. Because
they’re small, they’re really innovative, they try stuff ... their spirit of
service really resonated with me.”
Larger
telecommunications companies service approximately 130 customers per square
mile, while NTCA member companies’ customer density is only around seven per
square mile.
In her nearly 10 years
as CEO of NTCA, Bloomfield has worked tirelessly to help position member
companies to improve and grow their coverage.
Much of that work
involves facilitating a given company’s access to the handful of government
grants and repayment programs set up for rural broadband.
“It’s kind of my job —
connector,” Bloomfield said.
One of those programs is
the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.
The program, approved
earlier this year, creates a fund of more than $20 billion for cooperatives,
satellite operators and other telecom companies to compete for in order to
connect unserved areas across the country. Many of the companies that NTCA
represents could get significant windfall from the fund, which is set to have
its first auction in October.
“I think this program
really has the capability to come in and start filling in those gaps,”
Bloomfield said.
Another key program for
expanding rural connectivity is the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect
Program, which was authorized by Congress in 2018.
The program allocates
funds for internet providers in low population density programs but has come
under criticism for not doling out enough.
“My biggest frustration
with these programs is I think we’re aiming really low,” Bloomfield said.
Some of her concerns are
shared by lawmakers. Last month, nine senators led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
wrote a letter to the USDA demanding it extend more funding to rural
communities. The lawmakers criticized a restriction where companies that have
received funding from the FCC are not eligible for ReConnect.
“This USDA-imposed
restriction — which is not required by law — prevents rural communities across
the country from receiving their share of over $500 million in federal funding
for high-speed broadband, which is vital to reducing the digital divide and
harnessing important opportunities in telemedicine and online education, and
the high-paying jobs that come with them,” they wrote.
On the other side of the
equation, Bloomfield also tries to increase awareness with key officials of the
nature of the problems holding back rural America from getting connected. She
connects FCC commissioners, lawmakers and other relevant parties with rural
providers to get a better sense of what they’re doing.
“It’s pretty sobering to
have people realize what distance really means in terms of providing
broadband,” Bloomfield said.
One of the myths that
Bloomfield tries to dispel by bringing officials out to her providers is that
there is a stark divide between service penetration and quality between rural
and urban areas, when the truth is that some rural regions lag far behind
others.
“One of the things that
people immediately default to is this whole sense of that there is a
rural-urban divide,” she explained. “But what we really find in our experience
is that it’s a rural-rural divide.”
Bloomfield’s argument is
that large providers focus their energy on urban areas because they’re more
competitive, a strategy she acknowledges is fair, but it means less densely
populated areas covered by the biggest suppliers suffer.
By contrast, the
companies that NTCA works with are “providing service to their neighbors.”
Telecom cooperatives in
particular, which are owned by the communities they operate in, “are not there
to make money.”
“They are there to
provide this service,” Bloomfield said. According to NTCA, telecom cooperatives
serve less than 5 percent of the country’s subscribers, but cover 40 percent of
the nation’s landmass.
Bloomfield said
lawmakers and agency officials are receptive to her arguments about the
rural-urban coverage divide “when they see it.”
“I think in this town
you’ve just got to have a passion for what you do,” she said, sharing a story
about a company that provided a Veteran Affairs clinic in Vermont with
telemedicine services.
“I have the luxury of
being able to see those things happen, which then comes back and makes me more
motivated.”
Tags Ron Wyden
National Latino
Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
1029 Vermont
Avenue, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC
20005
Office: (202)
628-8833
Fax No.: (202)
393-1816
Email: latinofarmers@live.com
Twitter: @NLFRTA
Website: www.NLFRTA.org