Tag Archives : Build House

Fauci says Biden's health 'continues to improve' following COVID-19 diagnosis

Chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci said on Saturday that President Joe Biden’s health “continues to improve” after he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.

“The president continues to improve. He’s putting in a full day of work virtually, and as each day goes by he’s doing fine,” Fauci told “CBS Saturday Morning.”

He continued: “And so as we’ve said before, given the fact that he’s been vaccinated, doubly boosted and is receiving Paxlovid, a drug that clearly goes a long way to preventing progression of disease, we fully expect that he’s going to be doing very well.”

White House physician Kevin O’Connor confirmed that Biden has a normal pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation, according to CBS.

Responding to concerns about Biden occasionally appearing without a mask since he tested positive for COVID Thursday morning, Fauci said, “When you see him without a mask then he’s following the CDC recommendations.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that those who have tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate for five days and wear a mask if they must be around others at home, and that they should continue to wear masks around others for 10 days after symptoms start or, if they are asymptomatic, after diagnosis.

Fauci also discussed the state of the virus in the U.S., saying that “we’re going to have to learn to live with it.”

“You know, I believe ultimately we’re not going to eliminate or eradicate this virus, we’re going to have to live with it, because it’s the virus that has such a degree of transmissibility that it’s not going to just disappear,” he said.

However, Fauci said that “it’s premature to think we don’t have a problem to deal with” while 40,000 people are in the hospital and hundreds of thousands of people continue to be infected.

“So although we’d all like to be free of the virus, we’re not free of it yet,” he said. “We’re going to have to learn to live with it, but we’ve got to do better than we’re doing right now.”

Source: TEST FEED1

WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency after the virus reached more than 70 countries around the world. 

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Saturday that he decided the outbreak represents a “public health emergency of international concern.” 

“WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where we assess the risk as high,” he said.

This is a developing report.

Source: TEST FEED1

3 charged in connection to emergency dispatcher who allegedly refused to send medical services to woman

Three men were charged in Greene County, Penn., with hiding relevant evidence in the probe of an emergency dispatcher who allegedly refused to send medical assistance to a woman.

Gregory Clay Leathers, Richard Paul Policz and Robert Jeffrey Rhodes are charged with tampering with public records or information, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and obstruction, according to CNN.

The men are accused of concealing policy memo binders subpoenaed by investigators in the case of the dispatcher, Leon Price, and the woman, Diania Kronk, who died the day after she was allegedly refused care.

Diania Kronk’s daughter, Kelly Tichenell, called 911 in July 2020 and told Price that Kronk needed to go to the hospital.

Price said that he believed Kronk might refuse to go to the hospital if emergency personnel arrived and asked Tichenell to call back to ensure that Kronk would accept help.

Price has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Kronk’s case and is accused of acting outside the scope of his training and procedure standards.

A former emergency dispatcher later told investigators of the existence of the binders, which had been given to all dispatchers to sign. The binders contained information on dispatcher training, and operation procedures.

“She advised that these memos were related to the policies and procedures regarding Dispatcher training and the operation of the 911 Center. These statements were corroborated by several others claiming whistleblower status,” read an affidavit obtained by CNN discussing the former dispatcher’s comments.

Leathers, Policz and Rhodes “attempted to defraud or injure Leon Price and/or Diania Kronk by excluding potential evidence used to determine the culpability of criminal charges,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators received the policy memo binders this month after ordering another search warrant for the relevant information.

Source: TEST FEED1

Congress is 35 years overdue on its promise to end homelessness

Thirty-five years ago this month, the first major federal law addressing homelessness was enacted. Now known as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, it was an emergency response to what was then a new, fast-growing national crisis.  

Funding primarily emergency shelters, it was supposed to be a first step, to be followed by longer-term solutions in the form of permanent housing. 

Decades later, those next steps have yet to come. Meanwhile, encampments dot communities across the country. Many Americans, having lost their own homes, are sleeping on the floors or couches of friends and relatives, living in their cars, or in makeshift tents.  

When millions lost their homes during the Great Depression — the last time homelessness was a large-scale crisis — then-President Roosevelt responded with the New Deal, including the creation of federal housing programs. Meant to correct the gaps left by the private market to ensure access to a safe, affordable home for all Americans, these programs funded hundreds of thousands of new housing units each year.  

But in 1981, the Reagan administration came into office vowing to shrink the federal government, leading to massive cuts to the social safety net. Federal low-income housing programs took an enormous hit: In 1979, the federal government funded 347,600 new units of low-income housing; by 1983, that number was 2,630. And while funding has since increased, these massive cuts have never been restored. Today, only 1 in 4 of those poor enough to qualify for low-income housing assistance receives it.  

In the private housing market, the long-standing affordable housing crisis is deepening, made worse by the pandemic and affecting more and more Americans. New construction favors luxury units that are out of reach to many, and the gap in available affordable units is now estimated at 7 million. And as private equity firms increasingly enter the housing market, housing is becoming an investment vehicle for global capital, squeezing out ordinary Americans.  

But housing is a basic human right, not just a commodity for investors, and it must be treated as such. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the world community with U.S. leadership after WWII, protects basic economic and social rights, including housing, as well as civil and political rights, making clear that these rights are interdependent and that basic economic rights — like housing — are essential to a functioning democracy. As President Roosevelt also warned, “necessitous men are not free men.” 

While the New Deal has been rightly criticized for its deliberate exclusion of Black Americans, Roosevelt nonetheless articulated a vision of solidarity and interdependence, emphasizing in a 1944 speech that “we cannot be content, no matter how high [the] general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people….is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.” That vision of solidarity — dealt a body blow by Reagan’s cuts to social spending and accompanying “blame the victim” narrative — has long since eroded. 

Today, many Americans are not only deprived of basic economic rights — like housing — but they also struggle to exercise their civil and political rights — such as the most basic right to vote. Adding insult to injury, they also are increasingly subject to criminal penalties simply for being poor. In just one recent example, earlier this month Tennessee made it a felony to sleep on public property, even though the state has a shortage of over 125,000 units of housing affordable to extremely poor people. 

Some countries include a right to housing in their constitutions; ours does not expressly do so. But after decades of advocacy, the right to housing is increasingly entering the mainstream, drawing support from the Biden White House, which has declared that “housing should be a right — not a privilege,” from U.S. senators, state legislators in Connecticut and California and from popular cultural figures such as HBO’s John Oliver. 

Bills now pending in Congress would help make that right real. The Ending Homelessness Act would expand housing vouchers so that all who are eligible receive them, the Housing is a Human Right Act would increase funds to house homeless people, stop their criminalization and protect their voting rights, and the just-introduced Rent Relief Act would create a refundable tax credit to help renters afford housing. Each would go a long way to finally ending homelessness in America. 

The explosion of homelessness in the early 1980s was an early warning of the larger housing crisis that is now still unfolding. With the McKinney-Vento Act’s 35-year-old promise still unfulfilled, the need is crystal clear — and visible on streets across the country. It’s time to recognize the human right to housing here in the U.S. 

Maria Foscarinis is a lawyer and founder and former executive director of the National Homelessness Law Center, and a lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School. 

Source: TEST FEED1

Suspect in Shinzo Abe assassination to undergo medical evaluation: Japanese media

The suspected assassin of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental state at the time of the shooting, according to Japanese media reports. 

The Japan Times reported that the Nara District Court approved a request from the district’s Public Prosecutors Office for the evaluation of 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, the accused shooter. 

Abe was shot and killed earlier this month as he was campaigning for a candidate from his Liberal Democratic Party ahead of elections in the country. Investigators have said that Yamagami told them he shot Abe because of ties between the former prime minister and a religious group that he blamed for bankrupting his mother.

Yamagami will be transferred to a medical facility for the evaluation, where he will stay until Nov. 29, sources told the Times. 

Investigators will pause questioning Yamagami while he is at the facility, and prosecutors will decide on whether to indict him based on the results of the evaluation, the outlet reported.

Yamagami reportedly used a handmade gun to kill Abe and made several others out of steel pipes and tape. 

Gun violence and gun ownership rates are low in Japan relative to other countries, and the country has some of the world’s strictest gun laws. 

Japanese civilians are only allowed to purchase shotguns and air rifles if they undergo a licensing process that includes a mental health evaluation, background check, a written test and an accuracy test at a shooting range. They must go through that process every three years to renew their license. 

Licensed owners must also register their firearms with police, who inspect them annually. 

Abe is reportedly set to receive a state funeral on Sept. 27, Nikkei reported on Wednesday.

Source: TEST FEED1

President Biden can (still) diffuse the climate bomb in America’s Arctic

Although President Biden’s larger climate agenda teeters on the razor’s edge of congressional negotiations, he faces an enormous climate opportunity in America’s Arctic.

All eyes are on the president to deliver on his climate promises, now that the chance at climate legislation seems to be slipping away yet again. The resident finds himself in an increasingly hot seat to address the climate crisis on all fronts — and the ticking climate bomb that only the White House can diffuse is a development proposal so massive it would equal the annual output of nearly one-third of U.S. coal power plants.

ConocoPhillips Willow oil and gas development project would be the largest in the nation, proposed on some of America’s most biodiverse and sensitive public lands. The administration recently initiated a process to consider the project’s environmental impact, giving the public and local communities just 45 days to weigh in, the shortest period legally allowable. A project of this magnitude deserves longer, as no single oil and gas proposal has more potential to impact this administration’s climate and public lands legacy. Furthermore, the enormous proposal is just the tip of the iceberg, laying a foundation for expensive oil and gas infrastructure for decades to come. Our climate would pay the price, and yet — as the project wouldn’t come online for years — it would have zero impact on current gas prices.

Most Americans may not ever get to experience firsthand the rich ecosystem and biodiversity at risk under the proposal, but for decades people from around the country and world have raised their voices to protect the unique and unspoiled lands of our American Arctic. On a recent visit to the Utukok River (southwest of the proposed drilling area), I had the remarkable experience of seeing what’s at stake: caribou roaming, grizzly bears feeding and mating, and endless carpets of wildflowers blooming across the expansive landscape. We discovered a mammoth tusk near camp, which made us think about how rich of an ecosystem this area has been for thousands of years. It was a stark reminder of these critical wilderness areas, and how sensitive and pristine Arctic ecosystems would be pushed past tipping points by industrial development, potentially risking extinction of keystone species such as caribou and polar bears.

As the single biggest oil and gas proposal on federal lands — by far — Willow represents an existential climate threat. It would further accelerate climate change effects in a region already being ravaged by climate change (warming 3-4 times the global average). If President Biden is serious about honoring the climate and public lands protection commitments that helped elect him, this is the real litmus test.

The proposed project to drill America’s Arctic is a huge mistake: It would lock in new oil extraction in globally important habitats for 30+ years. Irreplaceable resources in the crosshairs include the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd’s migration — which provides subsistence and cultural value to Indigenous peoples — and Teshekpuk Lake, one of the Arctic’s largest wetlands, a lifeblood for waterfowl and many birds that nest and raise their young in the far north, migrating to the lower 48 states and around the world.  

The aftermath will be severe, including long-term and harmful outcomes to food security, traditional activities, sociocultural systems, and public health in Arctic communities in and around the area. The proposal would include up to 250 new wells on up to five drilling sites, new processing facilities, nearly 1,000 miles of ice roads, a new airstrip, permanent gravel roads, new bridges across rivers, and 300+ miles of pipelines.

The decision — and climate accountability — rests solely with the White House. Willow is the penultimate climate mistake America cannot afford to make. 

Dr. Peter Winsor lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, and is the executive director of The Alaska Wilderness League.

Source: TEST FEED1

FBI found Huawei equipment in midwest could disrupt US nuclear communications: CNN

The FBI found that equipment from the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei placed on cell towers in the midwest is capable of disrupting Department of Defense communications, including those from the force that oversees U.S. nuclear weapons, multiple sources told CNN.

Over a dozen sources told the media outlet that during an FBI investigation, Huawei’s technology, which sits on top of cell towers near military bases in the midwestern U.S., has the capability of disrupting communications from U.S. Strategic Command.

CNN interviewed both former and current FBI officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity for the report.

“This gets into some of the most sensitive things we do,” a former FBI official told CNN. “It would impact our ability for essentially command and control with the nuclear triad.”

He added: “If it is possible for that to be disrupted, then that is a very bad day”

Sources said that it is difficult to gather proof that any particular data has been intercepted and sent to another country, so it is unsure whether China gathered findings from its equipment.

According to the news source, the Chinese government has denied efforts to spy on the United States. In addition, when reached for comment by CNN, Huawei rejected that its products are able to operate in the communications spectrum allocated to the Department of Defense.

The FBI probe into Huawei’s equipment reported by CNN spans back to the Obama administration.

On Thursday, Reuters reported citing two people familiar with the matter that the Biden administration was investigating Huawei over concerns that it poses a threat to national security via its equipment fitted to cell towers near military bases.

The probe had been opened by the Department of Commerce shortly after President Biden took office, according to the newswire. The outlet reported that it could not determine if Huawei’s equipment was capable of collecting sensitive information regarding U.S. national security.

The Hill has reached out to the FBI for comment on investigations of Huawei technology.

Source: TEST FEED1

Climate setbacks aren’t the end of climate action

Climate activists have faced significant setbacks in recent weeks: the Supreme Court’s recent decision to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulatory authority, Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) firm refusal to support climate provisions in a reconciliation package, and the Biden administration’s almost declaration of a climate emergency. While many view these events as devastating delays in the fight against climate change, it is in fact an important reminder that bipartisan congressional action is still the best pathway for effective climate policy.

The Supreme Court’s decision in the West Virginia vs. EPA case came as particularly bad news for activists who had hoped regulation would be the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In a 6-to-3 decision, the court curtailed certain authorities granted to the EPA under the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. Specifically, the majority struck down the agency’s ability to issue sweeping regulations to compel power plants to transition toward cleaner energy sources. Nevertheless, the EPA will continue to be able to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power generation through different means, as well as emissions from other sectors. And that is an opportunity.

Electricity generation is a major source of pollution in the United States, producing 25 percent of overall greenhouse gas emissions. While renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, have become cheaper and more widespread, fossil fuels continue to generate the majority of America’s electricity. As the Biden administration attempts to set the U.S. on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030, there is no question that the West Virginia vs. EPAdecision removes a powerful tool from the federal government’s toolbelt.

But relying on the executive authority of the president, let alone Supreme Court rulings, to deliver transformative climate policy is an unsustainable strategy. In the coming years, control of the White House — and as a result, authority over agencies like the EPA —will shift between Republican and Democratic administrations. The only way to ensure effective and durable climate policy is by passing bipartisan legislation in Congress. 

Some activists will say that our approach and determination to stand on common ground is hopeless, that Congress is too dysfunctional and Republicans are unwilling to take climate change seriously. They are wrong.

In the last few years, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have united to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which became law and directed billions of dollars toward climate resilience and clean energy, as well as the Energy Act of 2020, which significantly reformed the United States’ energy policy with a focus on efficiency and scaling clean energy technologies. While these bills may not have garnered as much attention as the court’s EPA decision, they provide a roadmap for successful climate action.

Passing bipartisan climate legislation promptly will require finding areas of common ground, rather than arguing over policies that divide Democrats and Republicans. Supporting clean energy development, increasing the climate resilience of communities, and improving energy efficiency are already areas of common ground that can be built upon.

Other policy areas could be fruitful as well: implementing natural climate solutions, such as planting trees; making American manufacturing cleaner and more competitive globally; and reducing barriers to building clean energy facilities and infrastructure. It is likely that the next Congress will be divided, yet these types of policies could unite red and blue to create a greener future for America.

Even if Congress does rise above the partisan divide and pass common-ground climate legislation, we must also remember that government action alone is not enough to address the climate crisis. Meeting the needs of the communities most threatened by climate change and spurring innovation to rapidly decrease emissions will require collaborating with the private sector, non-profit advocacy organizations and everyday citizens.

Now, more than ever, we must recognize that climate change is not a political issue — it is an incredibly complex global challenge that threatens our quality of life both today and in the future. With the right combination of courage and creativity, we can solve this problem.

This is our call to action. We cannot wait for the nine justices or one person in the White House to turn the tide on climate change; instead, we need to hold our elected representatives in Congress accountable and demand they work together to pass common-sense climate legislation.

Jessie Buendia is the national director of Green for All at Dream.org.

Quill Robinson is the vice president of government affairs at the American Conservation Coalition (ACC).

Source: TEST FEED1

Russia attacks Ukrainian port of Odessa following deal to export grain: officials

Russia attacked the Black Sea trade port in Odessa, Ukraine, on Saturday, less than one day after the two countries came to an agreement — mediated by Turkey — to export tons of grain out of Ukrainian sea ports.

Four Kalibr cruise missiles jetted toward the port, two of which were shot down before hitting the port, the city of Odessa announced.

The grain deal, which was also mediated by the United Nations, attempted to improve global food shortages by allowing ports in Ukraine, including the Black Sea trade port, to operate and ship grain worldwide.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has lead to a de facto blockage of Black Sea ports, keeping key agricultural goods from leaving the area.

“It took less than 24 hours for Russia to launch a missile attack on Odessa’s port, breaking its promises and undermining its commitments before the UN and Türkiye under the Istanbul agreement,” Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Oleg Nikolenko tweeted. “In case of non-fulfillment, Russia will bear full responsibility for global food crisis.”

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy told Ukraine’s Suspilne News that there were plans to ship grain out from the Odessa before it was hit by missiles.

“This is not an attack on Odesa port. This is a blow to the whole world,” said Odessa Regional Military Administration spokesman Bratchuk Sergey of the incident.

Sergey called for other nations to supply Ukraine with “modern air defense and missile defense system.”

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, criticized Russia for the “diplomatic dichotomy,” alleging that the country had not complied with the grain agreement.

He added: “The Russians are systematically creating a food crisis doing everything to make people suffer. Famine terror continues. The world must act. The best food safety guarantees are twofold: effective sanctions against Russia and more weapons for Ukraine.”

U.S. officials also weighed in on the reported attack, admonishing Russia for its actions and voicing their support for Ukraine.

“Outrageous,” U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink tweeted. “Russia strikes the port city of Odesa less than 24 hours after signing an agreement to allow shipments of agricultural exports. The Kremlin continues to weaponize food.”

She continued: “Russia must be held to account.”

It is unclear at this point how the missile attack will impact the grain supply.

The Hill has reached out to the UN, Ukrainian Embassy in the U.S. and the State Department for further comment.

Source: TEST FEED1

It’s time to double the Pell Grant

Katrina is a Pell Grant recipient at Michigan State University. If she had gone to college in the mid-1970s in the early years of this federal program, her grant would have covered around 80 percent of her educational costs. Such financial support had the power to remove barriers and transform lives, putting low-income students on a path to graduate without significant debt.

But Katrina is a student today, when the maximum Pell Grant covers less than a third of a four-year institution’s costs. That’s not to say the grant no longer makes a difference. In fact, Katrina can afford college only thanks to the Pell Grant. But she will also begin post-college life digging herself out of a $30,000 financial hole.

Introduced 50 years ago last month, the Pell Grant’s legacy of extending opportunity is diminishing. As the costs of educating students continue to rise and federal and state government grant aid fails to keep pace, we’re faced with the stark reality that many who want to go to college may no longer find it within reach.

Public colleges and universities were founded on the Jeffersonian ideal of accessible and affordable education for all, not just the elite. How can the federal government and higher education work together to ensure we stay true to our democratic ideals and lift up people from all backgrounds and experiences?

The House Appropriations Committee recently approved raising the maximum Pell Grant to $7,395, a $500 increase. This is a positive step forward but still falls far short of what is needed to alter the financial landscape of higher education.

Instead, Congress should double the maximum annual Pell Grant to $13,000, which on average would cut student debt at least in half for eligible recipients, helping an estimated 25.2 million students per year. As numerous studies suggest, increased aid would lead to higher attendance and graduation rates for these students.

With stronger graduation rates would come many other benefits. Individually, these students could expect a more prosperous future, with the average return on investment of a public college degree being an estimated $765,000, according to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.

Producing more college graduates would be good not only for individuals but our entire society. According to the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), bachelor’s degree holders pay significantly more in taxes, use fewer government benefits and engage in more civic activity than high school graduates.     

Moreover, the majority of Pell recipients are students of color. That means we could expect doubling the Pell to lead to a deeper, more diverse talent pool for businesses and the careers of today and tomorrow.

Yet, the median six-year graduation rate for Pell students is low at 44 percent. That’s not far off from the overall graduation rate of 48 percent, but it underscores that higher education must do more to foster inclusive and equitable learning environments in which students of all backgrounds can thrive.

Put differently, it’s on us in higher education to demonstrate to lawmakers and taxpayers that an investment in doubling the Pell would pay dividends.  

Across higher education, there are universities undergoing a paradigm shift in this work, recognizing the challenge before us is not “fixing students” but rather reforming ourselves and ensuring students have the academic, social, wellness and financial support to learn, persist and graduate in a timely manner.

The University Innovation Alliance (UIA), of which my institution, Michigan State University, is a founding member, has showcased important work in this space. For example, universities have traditionally offered reactive advising, stepping in only after students find themselves in trouble. As a remedy, UIA members launched a predictive analytics initiative in 2014 to provide proactive advising to students showing early signs of problems. At the University of Texas at Austin, this approach helped lead to a 21 percent increase in Pell graduates.

Likewise, the UIA has addressed the limits of traditional financial aid focused on access. Such aid is undoubtedly important, opening our doors to more underserved students. But as former APLU vice president Shari Garmise reminds us, “Students who discontinue their education for financial reasons often do so when conventional financial aid reaches its limits.” Indeed, we know that even a debt as little as $41 can derail students from graduating.

That’s why the UIA launched a three-year completion grant initiative in 2017 to assist students needing modest financial aid near the end of their studies. With an average grant of just $741, UIA members were able to retain and graduate 83 percent of these students.   

We in higher education are working hard to better support and graduate our students. It’s time for the federal government to step up and do its part, doubling the Pell Grant and investing in the next generation of citizens and leaders.

Samuel L. Stanley Jr. is president of Michigan State University.

Source: TEST FEED1