Monday, August 24, 2020

USDA with FEMA: Disaster Resource Center August 2020

 

United States Department of Agriculture
USDA Office of Communications
press@oc.usda.gov

 

USDA Encourages Ag Producers, Residents to Prepare for Tropical Storms Marco and Laura

 

WASHINGTON, August 24, 2020 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses in the path of Tropical Storms Marco and Laura that USDA has programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices stand ready and are eager to help.

 

In a continuing effort to serve the American people, USDA partnered with FEMA and other disaster-focused organizations and created the Disaster Resource Center. This central source of information utilizes a searchable knowledge base of disaster-related resources powered by agents with subject matter expertise. The Disaster Resource Center website and web tool now provide an easy access point to find USDA disaster information and assistance.

 

USDA also developed a disaster assistance discovery tool specifically targeted to rural and agricultural issues. The tool walks producers through five questions that generate personalized results identifying which USDA disaster assistance programs can help them recover from a natural disaster.

 

USDA also encourages residents and small businesses in impact zones to contact USDA offices which meet their individual needs.

 

Severe weather forecasts often present the possibility of power outages that could compromise the safety of stored food. USDA encourages those in the path of the storms to take the following precautions:

 

  • Place appliance thermometers in both the refrigerator and the freezer to ensure temperatures remain food safe during a power outage. Safe temperatures are 40°F or below in the refrigerator, 0°F or below in the freezer.
  • Freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers prior to a storm. These containers are small enough to fit around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold.
  • Freeze refrigerated items, such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately—this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
  • Consider getting 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a lengthy power outage is possible. This amount of ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days
  • Group foods together in the freezer—this ‘igloo’ effect helps the food stay cold longer.
  • Keep a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling.

 

Owners of meat and poultry producing businesses who have questions or concerns may contact the FSIS Small Plant Help Desk by phone at 1-877-FSIS-HELP (1-877-374-7435), by email at infosource@fsis.usda.gov, or 24/7 online at www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulatory-compliance/svsp/sphelpdesk.

 

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is urging everyone in the potential path of the hurricane to prepare now – not just for yourselves, but also for your pets and your livestock.

 

Protecting livestock during a disaster:

 

  • Plan for evacuation – know how you will evacuate and where you will go. If it is not feasible to evacuate your livestock, be sure to provide adequate food and water that will last them until you can return, and a strong shelter.
  • If you are planning to move livestock out of state, make sure to contact the State Veterinarian’s Office in the receiving state before you move any animals. You also may contact APHIS Veterinary Services state offices for information and assistance about protecting and moving livestock.
  • Listen to emergency officials – evacuate if asked to do so.

 

When major disasters strike, USDA has an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. USDA’s emergency loan program is triggered when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the President under the Stafford Act. USDA also offers additional programs tailored to the needs of specific agricultural sectors to help producers weather the financial impacts of major disasters and rebuild their operations.

 

Helping producers weather financial impacts of disasters:

 

Livestock owners and contract growers who experience above normal livestock deaths due to specific weather events, as well as to disease or animal attacks, may qualify for assistance under USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program.

 

Livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers whose mechanically harvested or purchased livestock feed was physically damaged or destroyed; or who lost grazing acres or beehives due to an extreme weather event may qualify for assistance. Producers of non-insurable crops who suffer crop losses, lower yields or are prevented from planting agricultural commodities may be eligible for assistance under USDA's Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program if the losses were due to natural disasters and if a policy is in place for the current crop year.

 

Helping operations recover after disasters:

 

USDA also can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal morality disposal from natural disasters and other causes.

 

Farmers and ranchers needing to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters can apply for assistance through USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program. USDA also has assistance available for eligible private forest landowners who need to restore forestland damaged by natural disasters through the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (PDF, 257 KB). For declared natural disasters that lead to imminent threats to life and property, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can assist local government sponsors with the cost of implementing recovery efforts like debris removal and streambank stabilization to address natural resource concerns and hazards through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.

 

Orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for assistance through USDA’s Tree Assistance Program to help replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

 

Producers with insurance coverage administered Federal crop insurance program should contact their crop insurance agent for issues regarding filing claims. Those who purchased crop insurance will be paid for covered losses. Producers should report crop damage within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days. The Approved Insurance Providers (AIP), loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained in handling these types of events. As part of its commitment to delivering excellent customer service, RMA is working closely with AIPs that sell and service crop insurance policies to ensure enough loss adjusters will be available to process claims in the affected areas as quickly as possible.

 

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) remind producers to gather important crop and livestock records and keep them in a safe place as they will likely be needed when inquiring about disaster assistance program eligibility and reporting loss or damage to local USDA Service Centers. More disaster recovery information is available at farmers.gov/recover.

 

Helping individuals recover after disasters:

 

In the aftermath of a disaster, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works with state, local and nongovernmental organizations to provide emergency nutrition assistance – including food packages and infant formula – to households, shelters and mass feeding sites serving people in need. Upon request from states, the agency also provides emergency flexibilities in the administration of its nutrition assistance programs and, under certain circumstances, works with local authorities to provide Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits. Once the disaster recovery efforts begin, emergency nutrition assistance and flexibilities requested by states and approved by FNS will be posted to the FNS Disaster Assistance website.

 

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides support for disaster education through the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). EDEN is a collaborative, multi-state effort with land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension Services across the country, using research-based education and resources to improve the delivery of services to citizens affected by disasters. EDEN's goal is to improve the nation's ability to mitigate, prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disasters. EDEN equips county-based Extension educators to share research-based resources in local disaster management and recovery efforts. The EDEN website offers a searchable database of Extension professionals, resources, member universities, disaster agency websites and education materials to help people deal with a wide range of hazards, and also provides food and agricultural defense educational resources. Resources for disaster feeding partners as well as available FNS disaster nutrition assistance can be found on the FNS Disaster Assistance website.

 

Visit USDA's disaster resources website to learn more about USDA disaster preparedness and response. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, please contact your local USDA Service Center. To find your local USDA Service Center go to farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

 

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October 9-11, 2020. DHS National Faith and Blue (Law Enforcement) Weekend.

 

DHS Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives

Faith and Blue Weekend

Join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for National Faith and Blue Weekend!    

On October 9-11, 2020 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will join our colleagues in the U.S. Department of Justice and other private and public sector organizations during National Faith and Blue Weekend (NFBW) to further promote conversation and understanding between faith and law enforcement communities. NFBW is an extension of the One Congregation One Precinct initiative (OneCOP), a program of MovementForward, Inc., which is a bridge-building, solutions-focused, human and civil rights organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more about this initiative on their website and sign up to host an event

For questions please email info@faithandblue.org or call (404)-605-7000

 

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Live Event: All Aces on Air! - Livestream Broadcast "From Kneeling to Standing Together" Weds, 8/26/2020 2:30-4:30 PM ET

 

Image may contain: text that says 'Why is data-driven policing important? All Aces on Air! ivestream broadcast "From Kneeling to Standing Together" Wednesday, August 26 2:30 4:30 pm ET'

Dr. Tracie Keesee, Senior VP of Justice Initiatives and Co-Founder of the Center for Policing Equity, will join us on Wednesday, August 26th at 2:30 pm ET to discuss police reforms in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
Join us for this live discussion with a panel of experts in a special edition of All Aces on Air!: “From Kneeling to Standing Together.” Facebook event: https://bit.ly/3hlnkEX #IntentionallyAct

You are needed. Register, participate, and engage. Member Events for our communities. Aug 25, Aug 27, Sept 3.

 Looking forward to seeing each of you on these events.

Your support is needed for upcoming member events that focus on analysis, solutions to issue that have been prevalent in our communities from disasters to impacts of climate change. 

From the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Earthquake on Haiti, Hurricane effects on the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, and in 2020 the effects and ramifications of COVID-19 on Black, Latinx, vulnerable and all communities of color that have stressed critical infrastructure systems.

You are a part of the change for the future.  Participate.

Register, participate, and engage. 

 Support for:

·       Hurricane Katrina 15 years later, Are We Prepared?  Aug 25, 2020 07:00 PM ET.  Register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_73ot8e_rS1uXgQf76250mQ 

·       Community of Boston.  Summer of Extremes:  Racism, Health Inequity and Heat.  Three-Part Series Part 1, 2, and 3.  August 20 & 27, September 3rd.  Register here:   https://emerson.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAqf-qtrTkpGdHmO52V14eDSbamXbk003TH

CDS

                                                                      

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…….The search is on.

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2021 and Beyond. Who? Biden is already forming a government. Here's what his Cabinet

BEMA International is a nonpolitical organization, but policy of great concern.

               Who shall be the next DHS Secretary in 20201?

                Next FEMA Administrator?

                Depart of Agriculture Secretary?

                HUD?

                Environmental Protection Agency?

                These are our concerns?

BEMA International

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Biden is already forming a government. Here's what his Cabinet could look like.

 An array of officials, from progressives like Elizabeth Warren to establishment types like Susan Rice, are seen as likely for key posts.

 Joe Biden and Susan Rice

 Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who made Joe Biden's short list for vice president, is often mentioned as a potential pick for secretary of State. | Mike Theiler/Getty Images

 

By DAVID SIDERS

08/21/2020 04:30 AM EDT

 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/21/joe-biden-cabinet-picks-397905

 Sherrod Brown, the progressive senator from Ohio, says he’s talking with the Biden campaign about “where he needs to look and who he needs to look at” as he begins to form a potential administration.

 Other people in positions of power, both inside and outside government, are engaged in similar conversations.

 It’s part of an early, behind-the-scenes effort by the Biden campaign to shape the contours of a government he has pledged would be “the most progressive administration since FDR.”

 Biden’s White House and his Cabinet would likely lean on his connections from the Obama administration, including institutionalists who are palatable to centrist Democrats. But in the same way Biden shifted left on policy in recent months in response to the pandemic, he is also taking advice from the progressive wing of the party.

 Interviews with more than a dozen Democrats familiar with his transition process describe an effort by his campaign to assemble a center-left amalgamation of personnel designed to prioritize speed over ideology in responding to the coronavirus and the resulting economic ruin. Think Susan Rice, but also Elizabeth Warren. Pete Buttigieg, but also Karen Bass.

 “I think those [ideological] distinctions are going to be a little hard to draw in this administration,” said Matt Bennett, whose center-left group Third Way, like others, is developing lists of candidates to propose to Biden’s advisers for sub-Cabinet and other roles.

 One Democratic strategist familiar with Biden’s work to form a government said, “Does it mean that the chief of staff won’t be [longtime Biden advisers] Ron Klain or Steve Ricchetti or something? No, but it does mean you’re going to see some unusual suspects in the government, I think.”

 Among those advising Biden on the transition are centrist-minded establishment figures such as Tony Blinken, the former deputy national security adviser in the Obama-Biden White House, and Lawrence Summers, the ex-Treasury secretary and bane of progressives who said last week that he will not go into the administration. Ricchetti, Biden’s former chief of staff, is a former lobbyist.

 Elizabeth Warren

 Sen. Elizabeth Warren is widely viewed as a potential Treasury secretary in a Biden administration. | Samuel Corum/Getty Images

 But Biden is also taking economic advice from Warren, Democrats familiar with the campaign say. She is widely viewed as a potential Treasury secretary in a Biden administration. It did not go unnoticed when Biden in April called corporate America “greedy as hell.” He has also proposed raising the corporate tax rate.

 And progressives have been heartened by the composition of his transition team. Headed by former Sen. Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden adviser and Biden’s successor in the Senate, it includes Julie Siegel, who has been a top Warren adviser, and Gautam Raghavan, chief of staff to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

 "I think this is about getting seasoned people that are really qualified to do the job. People with experience, people that are smart as hell and people that reflect America," Kaufman said in an interview. “A lot of this isn’t about ideology or anything else. It’s totally about what do you do with the incredible hollowing out that Trump has done ... so many of the agencies just are empty, the career people have left.

 "You’re going to be walking into a very difficult situation, and a lot of it’s going to be blocking and tackling.”

 One name often mentioned as a potential secretary of State is Rice, who was Obama’s national security adviser and made Biden's short list for vice president. Blinken is often mentioned as a potential national security adviser.

 Tony Blinken is often mentioned as a potential pick for national security adviser. | Getty Images

 Warren’s potential selection for Treasury could depend in part on the balance of the Senate after the November election. If she steps down, her state’s Republican governor, Charlie Baker, would appoint her replacement — a Republican, presumably — until a special election. But there are workarounds.

 A veteran Democratic strategist close to Biden’s transition team said that if Warren wants a post, she is “definitely in the Cabinet.” And even if she isn’t, she's likely to influence Biden’s thinking.

 Elsewhere in the Cabinet, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who endorsed Biden in early January and served on his vice presidential selection committee, is a likely candidate for transportation or Housing and Urban Development, among other possible positions. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), another finalist for vice president, could be secretary of HUD or Health and Human Services.

 New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham “comes up a lot” in Cabinet talks, according to one former Biden adviser who remains in contact with Biden campaign officials. Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor and presidential contender, is seen as a likely choice for ambassador to the United Nations or secretary of Veterans Affairs. And Jared Bernstein, a longtime economic adviser to Biden, is frequently mentioned as a potential chair of Biden’s Council of Economic Advisors. Bernstein was among the administration veterans and academics who gave Biden and Harris an economic briefing last week.

 Pete Buttigieg

 Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is seen as a likely choice for ambassador to the United Nations or secretary of Veterans Affairs. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

 

Discussing the kind of leaders he wants to surround himself with at an event in April, Biden said his job is “to bring the Mayor Petes of the world into this administration … and even if they don't come in, their ideas come into this administration.”


He has left open the possibility of including a Republican in the Cabinet and is considering adding a climate-focused position.

 “I think he will govern like [Bill] Clinton in terms of consensus-building, but he will be surrounded by a lot of Obama people,” said former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in the Clinton administration as energy secretary and ambassador to the U.N. “I believe he will have a free reign for six months, and then if there isn’t major, positive change, you know, the fractures in the party will start showing.”

 The health and economic wreckage from the pandemic has changed Biden’s outlook on the presidency and his preparations for a potential administration. Seeing the immediate, post-Trump era in more transformational terms than he did before, he has adopted a more expansive legislative agenda, including more robust college affordability, bankruptcy and Social Security plans. He has significantly expanded his proposal to address climate change, proposing to spend $2 trillion over four years on a suite of programs.

 Biden’s advisers are preparing for the opening months of his administration almost as a rescue mission, with contingencies to address the coronavirus based on how severe it remains and on whether a vaccine is available.

 Karen Bass

 Rep. Karen Bass could be secretary of HUD or Health and Human Services. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

 “Between Covid-19, what Trump’s done and the economy, this is going to be a totally different transition because of that. It’s just going to be very, very difficult," Kaufman said.

 However, he added, “When [Biden] shows up on the first day, he’s not going to need to be told where the Situation Room is. He’s been in the Situation Room for hundreds of hours. So he’s going to come in as … the most experienced and qualified person in terms of federal experience of anybody in the history of the country.”

 The prospects of Biden’s legislative agenda would rest heavily on whether Democrats win the Senate. Just as Biden is preparing to populate the executive branch, he is laying groundwork to move legislation. Biden speaks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and their staffs are in regular contact.

 Last month, Biden signaled an openness to ending the 60-vote filibuster rule, a practice President Barack Obama recently called a “Jim Crow relic.”

 “The filibuster is gone,” said Harry Reid, the influential former Senate majority leader and a friend of Biden. “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when it’s going to go … Next year at this time, it will be gone.”

     “The filibuster is gone."

    Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

 When asked what changed Biden’s thinking about the filibuster, Reid said, “I don’t know. I talked to him and Ricchetti about it. Maybe that helped a little bit. I think, just basically, pragmatism — if he’s going to get anything done as president, [the filibuster] has got to go.”

 Biden campaign advisers say he considers his “Build Back Better” agenda a package that can get broad buy-in, not a legislative starting point. Jake Sullivan, a former top State Department official and a senior adviser to Biden, said that as he formulates his legislative agenda, Biden is “being attentive to how you construct a bold, integrated agenda that can also attract a big tent coalition of support.”

 And Stef Feldman, the Biden campaign’s policy director, said that in addition to Biden's legislative experience, he "also knows how to move the levers of government in the executive branch.”

 Brown, who would likely become chairman of the Senate banking committee if Democrats win the Senate, said it is not Biden "moving to the left," but "Biden, and all of us around him, recognizing this is going to be a very consequential presidency."

 The fear among some progressives is that Biden’s relationships and penchant for compromise may serve to water down the Democratic agenda. Larry Cohen, the former Communications Workers of America president who now chairs the Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution, said the inclusion of progressives on Biden’s transition team is “the reason I’m hopeful” about a Biden administration.

 Invoking Biden’s frequent references to FDR, Robert Reich, the Clinton-era Labor secretary, recalled that Roosevelt initially “was certainly not thought of as somebody on the left.” At first, he placed trust in the nation’s financial institutions, pursuing a working relationship with both populists and business interests early in his administration.

 It was only after businesses balked and the relationship deteriorated that Roosevelt changed course.


Then and now, Reich sad, “America was ready and willing and eager to try almost anything.”

 “The country will get behind Joe Biden, I think, in very powerful and important ways,” Reich said, adding that Biden has the opportunity to be “a transformative president … It’s almost entirely a function of the times.”

 Filed Under: Elizabeth Warren, Elizabeth Warren 2020, Joe Biden, Joe Biden 2020, Susan Rice, Tony Blinken,

 

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 



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Black Emergency Managers Association 

1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.

Washington, D.C.  20020

Office:   202-618-9097 

bEMA 

 

Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.   Tom Peters

…….The search is on.

Preparing the whole community, the whole nation, one world.

 

 


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