Daily Archives: March 26, 2020

The spread of the Chinesecoronavirus will strain Americas health care system to the breaking point.Primary care physicians already are overbooked, medical products are in shortsupply, and those who become symptomatic are afraid to visit clinics for fearof putting other, more vulnerable patients at risk.

Fortunately, many of ourconversations on Capitol Hill have turned toward boosting telehealth servicesas a way of easing the burden on health care providers. Various experts andpolicymakers finally have realized that the benefits of telehealth transcendconvenience.

The first time that members of the U.S. Senate met with Trump administration officials to discuss coronavirus response, I asked officials with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to push for temporary relief of regulations preventing Medicare patients from taking advantage of telehealth services.

President Donald Trump lastweek gave the green light for CMS to lift those regulations. Now its time forstate Medicaid officials and private insurers to get on board.

All Americans, not just the medically complex or vulnerable patients, should have access to these services.

Coverage of our efforts toloosen these restrictions has made telemedicine feel like a novel concept. Butwe started building the foundation to support health care technology yearsbefore COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, spread beyondChinas borders.

Asrecently as 2015, the same level of regulatory scrutiny applied to medicaldevices controlled the Food and Drug Administrations approval ofhealth-focused apps and software packages. This false equivalency created aregulatory nightmare that discouraged innovators from bringing new products tomarket.

The only answer was toeliminate unnecessary red tape. In 2015, I introduced legislation that directedthe FDA to come up with a more efficient way of approving health care softwarethat wouldnt discourage innovation.

Oncemy bill, the SOFTWARE Act, was integrated into legislation called the 21st CenturyCures Act, its provisions made it possible for regulators and the privatesector to work together and give us todays popular health and fitness apps andvirtual appointment software.

Asour love of tech grew, so did our focus on health care innovation and buildinga strong network to support it. Efforts to create the high-speed internetconnections required by telehealth software, including my Internet ExchangeAct, are targeted directly at communities that were left behind by previousefforts to roll out broadband.

Thiscontinued focus on underserved communities was an intentional effort toshowcase how innovation and lighter regulation can work together to help entirecommunities.

Lastyear, as part of my rural health agenda, I introduced the Telehealth AcrossState Lines Act to guide creation of uniform, national best practices for theprovision of telemedicine across state lines, set up a grant program to expandexisting telehealth programs, and incentivize permanent adoption of telehealthby Medicare and Medicaid.

Thesepolicies, though focused on rural America, can be adapted to encourage the useof telemedicine in all communities, and we must implement them as part of ourefforts to combat COVID-19.

Technology that can spare people from the threat of community spread should not be seen as a luxury. It is a necessary tool that we must use as often as we can if we want to flatten the curve and eventually suppress transmission of COVID-19 in the United States.

Although adopting telehealthservices originally might have been seen as a convenience, now it is anecessary path to making access to health care safer for vulnerablepopulations.

Read more:

Nurturing and Improving Telehealth in the Time of Coronavirus - Daily Signal

The coronavirus has taken our country by surprise. We were not prepared and equipped to deal with the amount of testing that is needed. If the threat were not dismissed months ago, so much time would not have been lost understanding the problem and setting up systems to address it. Having a vaccine remains a work in progress, and the supply chain to provide preventative care is fragile. This pandemic has disrupted our daily routines, societal problems have intensified, and some are profiting off people's fears. This crisis will pass and the aftermath should not shift our behaviors like the Department of Homeland Security has and how airport security has changed over the past 20 years.

Despite this not being an intentional attack on our nation and countries around the world, a vulnerability has been exposed and we cannot afford for it to be exploited. We've seen what happens when that is done. As we say in the military, the enemy has a vote. It will take true national leadership, decisive action, shared resources, and collaboration to ensure our enemies don't act to exploit this situation with an intentional act.

I'm not paranoid, this is not a conspiracy theory, and this is not a partisan topic. It doesn't take perfect vision to see that the initial response to this situation was slow and insufficient. After the market took a sharp decline, massive cancellations, pictures of Americans stuck on cruise ships, and action from Democratic and Republican governors took place, only then is when this administration attempted to provide a clear message, allowed health care experts to speak, and worked with House leaders to pass legislation.

An unclear strategy to coordinate efforts, speed up responses, and be proactive to prepare for and prevent any global or national health pandemic is unacceptable. An office to do just that was actually created under the National Security Council after the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Our enemies are always plotting against us, and our allies always rely on us. It comes with being a superpower and having a democracy. We cannot afford to lose confidence in our government, and our elected leaders must act swiftly and responsibly during a crisis. When bad management is mistaken for good leadership, it exacerbates other vulnerabilities.

Even without the corvonvirus, regular needs are not being met. Too many children are without balanced meals on the weekends, during the summer, and holiday seasons. The racial wealth gap remains wider than the Mississippi River. Lack of broadband infrastructure hinders rural communities from being connected to the world. Seniors still fall into the health care donut hole. A segment of small business owners are still less than one season away from losing their business. In this economy, the middle class is often considered to be working poor. For most people, working from home is not feasible. Those who rely on tips and make minimum wage struggle to make ends meet. When you factor in COVID-19, even more people are overstretched, the hardship is deepened, and the recovery will be longer.

This is not about protecting our borders, cutting taxes, less government, another bailout, or providing every American with $1,000 checks. This is about using the instruments of power and our collective sensibility to prevent our critical vulnerabilities from being exploited. If we don't, we'll find ourselves worse off than before.

The coronavirus wasn't preventable, but it was predictable. We must acknowledge what went wrong, what should have happened, and implement the corrective actions immediately. Too much is at stake if we don't get this right to prevent another pandemic and further burden those that have to sacrifice the most.

Clay Middleton, of Charleston, has held various senior-level positions in government and politics.

Continued here:

Middleton: Our leaders must learn from this outbreak, and we should expect more - Charleston City Paper

As our community demographics are shifting, what are companies doing to keep up with the change and to better serve their customers with a workforce reflective of the communities they serve? In an industry lacking diversity, we need to do something different with our past employment processes, if we are wanting a more inclusive outcome.

At Veterans United, we identified the gap of our diverse borrower population and the candidate pipeline in the financial industry. We strategized and created a customized opportunity for students of color and student veterans to immerse themselves in the mortgage industry, our home office community in Columbia, Mo., and the values of the organization: Be passionate and have fun; Deliver results with integrity; and Enhance lives every day.

What we describe as a backwards means of recruitment, meaning instead of hiring students for open internships, we identify students before we identify the positions to place them in. At our headquartered location in Columbia, we have every component of a business needed for a company to function. This includes accounting, technology, operations, sales, human resources, marketing, etc. Through our internships, we are able to provide real work experience, with an opportunity for full-time employment upon graduation. Placement of interns is based off their education, experience, interests and aptitude.

To limit opportunities for individuals to enter your company based off their work history, companies unintentionally end up perpetuating the hiring practices and demographics of other organizations in their industry. These hiring practices include carrying over these companies biases. Just as natural as your current practices are, the more difficult it is and the more intentional you have to be to create change. Dont continue allowing other organizations in our industry to dictate the diversity at your company. Change the system in which you operate, and impact the trajectory of students you bring onboard.

To further add to their growth, interns participate in leadership development trainings specific to professionals of color (Hot Button Issues, Cultural Competence, Communication & Code Switching, etc.) and are provided real work experience and a better understanding of how they can fit into the financial industry, and our values driven company as well.

In any program created for underrepresented populations, there are many considerations that have to be addressed:

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The Immersion Internship Program: Veterans United Home Loans Looks to the Future of a Diverse American Workforce - National Mortgage Professional...

Ed Talk is a biweekly opinion column. The views expressed are solelythe authors.

People assert social engineering to oppose ideas to increase the socioeconomic diversity within our schools or neighborhoods. Where has this indignant outcry been as Arlington County policies socially engineered us into the segregated neighborhoods and schools we have today?

Social engineering is always applied as though it is necessarily bad. The fact is, all public policies and practices socially shape our communities. Is it social engineering per se that people object to? Or the intended results that potentially threaten their status quo?

Arlington Countys development and zoning regulations and housing policies reinforce and perpetuate the same impacts of redlining from decades past. Concentrating affordable housing for the lowest income levels in a few specific areas of the county has created segregated neighborhoods and, by consequence, segregated schools.

We have socially engineered ourselves into a situation whereby some schools require a broad range of supportive services not traditionally provided by a public school. To support families, Community in Schools programs are implemented in high-needs, high-poverty schools. Arlington has done so at Carlin Springs Elementary School, and there is support for expanding that model to others.

Some argue it is more efficient to bring services and resources to the schools near where many people in need live and where their children are enrolled. This is not necessarily a bad idea. But even if this is the preferred model, what about children and families in need at more affluent schools where a Community in Schools program is unlikely to be implemented?

A more equitable approach would be to ensure that all services and supports are accessible by any student in need at any school in the district. Intentional segregation should not be implemented for the sake of efficiency. People should not have to live in low-income neighborhoods zoned to a specific school offering the unique services they need. Affordable housing should be sufficiently available throughout the County. Disadvantaged families should be able to send their children to any school and receive the same assistance in accessing the services and programs they need.

Instead, APS has introduced this Community in Schools approach and is likely to implement it in only select schools in the future. The problem is that this along with the Countys continuation of its historical housing policies and practices creates a self-perpetuating cycle. The County continues to concentrate on affordable housing in the same few areas and then special efforts by APS and community resources must be diverted accordingly. Families must live in certain neighborhoods and send their children to specific schools because that is where the housing and services they need are most accessible and where there is help to connect them to the programs and opportunities they rely upon. The more this cycle is reinforced, the more difficult and unlikely it is that steps will ever be taken to break it.

This also creates extra considerations and costs when school redistricting is necessary. Families do not want to lose the supports at their current school by being reassigned to one that does not offer them. Boundary changes can result in significant differences in a schools demographics that change the schools instructional needs in ways it is not prepared to meet, unnecessarily limiting redistricting and administrative options in efficiently managing the overall system.

Over the years, there has been much discussion about increasing diversity in our schools, ultimately ending with the assertion that nothing can be done until the County changes its housing policies. Even if the policies change, the impacts will be long in coming. High proportions of Arlingtons most disadvantaged children will remain on the west end of the Pike concentrated in the three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school those neighborhoods are districted to. In the meantime, APS and Arlington County should:

APS, County leaders, and community members give a lot of lip service to equity for all students and all residents. The most expedient and effective way to true equity is through integrated communities. Thats going to take a lot of social engineering or rather, re-engineering.

Maura McMahon is the mother of two children in Arlington Public Schools. An Arlington resident since 2001, McMahon has been active in a range of County and school issues. She has served on the ThomasJefferson, South Arlington, and Career Center working groups and currently serves as president of the Arlington County Council of PTAs.

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Ed Talk: Social Engineering Was Not Always a Bad Thing - ARLnow

CHATHAM, NJ - Chatham High School senior Naila Ismail has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President's Volunteer Service Award.

The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Chatham High School nominated Ismail for national honors this fall in recognition of her volunteer service.

Ismail is a National Honor Society President and member, President and co-founder of Green Team Sustainability Club, Gold Award recipient through the Girl Scouts, and Captain of the CHS and Club Volleyball teams. In the summer preceding 11th grade, she interned at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in the area of drug resistance and infectious diseases, and, last summer, Ismail attended an eight week long Mini Med program at Rutgers in the spring of her junior year, while maintaining excellent grades in high school, and graduated from the program with honors. Ismail also designed the curriculum and taught an engineering enrichment class at the elementary school called "Make It or Break It" over the past two years, which has been a huge success. She is also the finalist for the PEO Stars Scholarship.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Ismail chose to tackle the issue of single-use plastics within the Chatham community. In her application for the President's Volunteer Service Award, Ismail said, "Recognizing the need for greater awareness of the detrimental effects of single-use plastic bags, I decided to tackle this issue within the Chatham community for my Girl Scout Gold Award. The support from the community far surpassed my expectations; I was able to collect over 1,000 pounds of plastic film, equivalent to more than 80,000 bags, in just over the course of six months."

Ismail explained the main purpose of my project was to raise awareness within the community.

"I achieved this goal by providing easily-accessible plastic bag recycling bins and sharing my initiative through the local newspaper, posters, and social media, which helped me to share my message to a wider audience," Ismail said. "I worked with my town's councilmembers, Environmental Commission and high school Green Team, which I founded two years ago, to advocate for and help pass the single-use plastic bag ban ordinance."

Chatham High School Principal Darren Groh said Ismail's Gold Award project is a great representation of how Ismail's concern for a change in the community can have a more global effect beyond Chatham.

"Her efforts are creating awareness within Chatham as similar changes are being made all around the country," he said.

Ismail's counselor at CHS, Andrea Murphy said, Ismail's strengths and accomplishments are many but thoughtful nature and social responsibility stand out.

"I have been inspired and equally impressed with Naila's initiative and her intentional approach to raising awareness, education, and increasing sustainability programs within both her school and surrounding community." she said. "Naila's passion and perseverance are clearly evidenced through her hard work and collaboration with the Chatham Borough Environmental Commission and council members in passing the 'Ban the Bag' ordinance."

In its 25th year, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.

"Across the United States, young volunteers are doing remarkable things to contribute to the well-being of the people and communities around them," said Prudential Chairman and CEO Charles Lowrey. "Prudential is honored to celebrate the contributions of these students, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer, too."

Prudential Spirit of Community Award application details were distributed nationwide last September through middle level and high schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Points of Light Global Network members. These schools and officially-designated local organizations nominated Local Honorees, whose applications were advanced for state-level judging. In addition to granting President's Volunteer Service Awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificate of Excellence recipients. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

"Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life," said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. "These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate."

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Chatham Senior Honored By The President - Chatham, NJ Patch

COVID-19, the coronavirus.

The global pandemic has dominated the news for the last few months, with coverage increasing each day as cases continue to emerge in the U.S., and while these are definitely unprecedented times that we are currently facing, the resilience and creativity of communities across America is uplifting to experience.

There are so many acts of kindness taking place, as well as an outpouring of concern for neighbors, friends and family that really reinforces the love that we all have for our communities and country.

Here in the small town of Shippensburg, a lot of people were eager to share their thoughts about the new norm we are all experiencing.

In a time like this, people are seeing and realizing the importance of financial stability and having saved an emergency fund, Derek Herb said. No one can predict a pandemic or an illness or injury that may force one to be laid off or lose their job. Having an emergency fund and budgeting for emergencies is a very important practice.

Bev Kabula, who works for Orrstown Bank in Shippensburg, said, I am very thankful for an employer that has done everything possible to keep their employees (of an essential business) safe and healthy, while still serving our clients and meeting their needs. It has really shown me (and all of us) that they truly do care about everyones well being.

On a personal note, she said she thinks the parents who are working from home and are able to spend time with their children in this way is time they will treasure for years to come!

I dont know if there is a positive directly related to the virus itself, Pam Herb noted. But I do think that with the restrictions in place with public gatherings and encouraging people to stay at home, families are spending more time together and doing more activities and just having quality time together, something they may not always have the luxury of doing in everyday life. With the hustle and bustle of every day, and everyone doing their own thing, families dont have often have the opportunity to even sit down and eat supper together.

She said hopefully families will take this time to really realize how important it is to spend time together, and then continue to do so once this is all over.

My heart breaks for those falling victim to this virus and for those who are losing family members because of it, Shelly Varner said. I am also sad for our kiddos losing their routine of school and being with their friends, BUT, I am very grateful for the time that I get to spend with my son, Cam, and my entire family!

In addition, she shared, Religious or not, I feel the message is loud and clear to take this time and enjoy/appreciate your family! Life is way too short, and the future is uncertain, not to mention, unknown, so I really hope that people are taking this time to count your blessings and be thankful for what you have here and now!

In uncertain times such as these, its not uncommon for people, faith-based or not, to turn to a higher power for guidance and understanding. Local pastors are certainly doing their part to calm peoples fears and bring a different perspective to these uncertain times. Of those I spoke with, they were also happy to share their thoughts and reflections.

Pastor Steve Livermore of Messiah United Methodist Church said the coronavirus has taught him that connections with people are not hampered by social distancing.

Going through difficult times together with a mindset to not let those difficulties overwhelm you makes human bonds stronger. Intentionality to stay close to people when they cant be in physical proximity has brought out creativity in people.

He said he has learned more about new forms of social media in the last two weeks than he has learned in the last 10 years of his ministry because he has needed to in order to maintain and strengthen his pastoral relationship with his congregation.

He added, People are being very intentional about helpingwhere they can in this crisis. They are stepping up so they can contribute something to ease the burdens that others are carrying.

He believes as Christians, I think this is a time where we are learning in a new way the value of our faith in Christ. We are relying on our relationship with the Lord in a different way, perhaps, and are finding the value of His presence with us is far greater than we may have experienced before.

Pastor Dale Detweiler of the Shippensburg Church of the Nazarene said he wasnt sure this pandemic has caused him to look at life any differently, but it has reminded him to stay focused.

This is really concerning and a very scary situation, he said. For many people life is changing, and normal has been disrupted. We can panic in times like this, but I am reminded to stay focused. As a pastor, I say this life is not about you and I, it is about God and what God is calling you and I to be. I am reminded in this time of uncertainty to focus on what has called me to be, and I echo that thought to all who believe in Him.

He said he is echoing this same thought to his parishioners. I know that God is with us at this time, and He wants to help us. We can put our faith and trust in Him during all of this, but we also have a responsibility to do our part and use our common sense by following guidelines and rules set forth for us, and so on. He said God is definitely with us, but we also have a part to play in getting through this pandemic. He said we have to be a non-anxious presence to our people.

Detweiler said there are two things he is doing intentionally to help ease peoples minds and be a calming factor in all of this.

I am calling people on the phone and talking with them, and if possible, I use FaceTime to connect with people so we can actually see one another. I also make sure and ask to pray with them, he said. He said he also tries to share Scripture verses of encouragement on social media and via text message.

In closing, he wished to share a bit of Scripture to encourage others during this uncertain time.

Because of the Lords Great LOVE, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. -- Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV.

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Sharing positive reflections during these very uncertain times - The Shippensburg News-Chronicle

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Rosa Escareno today announced guidance for Chicagos residents to be aware of and avoid consumer fraud related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, including false advertising, phishing and price gouging. Following an increase in reports offraudulent practices, BACP is reminding consumers to report suspicious consumer fraud activity to the City by calling 3-1-1 or through the Citys CHI311

While a reasonable price escalation due to increased demand or decreased supply may occur in the current environment, price gouging on things like medicine and other essential items will not be tolerated by the City of Chicago, said Mayor Lightfoot. Today we are reminding residents to report activity immediately, so the City can take action immediately. We are sending a clear message that those who prey on the fears and vulnerabilities of our residents to profit during this time of crisis will be penalized to the fullest extent possible.

Price gouging is an intentional price increase that goes beyond what would be considered fair or reasonable. In the month of March, BACP has received 190 complaints of price gouging, compared to only two in all of 2019. The majority of complaints are for household or health items such as toilet paper, tissues and hand sanitizerwith some complaints related to food and beverage products, as well. BACP evaluates each complaint based on relevant factors, such as prices prior to the Illinois Disaster Declaration and prices at nearby stores, and will impose fines of up to $10,000 per offense.

Now is the time for all of Chicago to come together for the health of our community, said BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareno. We will not tolerate bad actors that think of their bottom line instead of their fellow Chicagoan during times like this. I will not hesitate to hold these businesses accountable.

To ensure Chicagos residents are protected from fraudulent practices, BACP recommends the following tips to keep scammers at bay:

During this unprecedented crisis, we have to take every action possible to ensure Chicagos residents are not exploited through misinformation on fake vaccines or price gouging for essential resources our communities need, said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Arwady. For the most-up-to-date information on how to prevent COVID-19 and keep yourself safe, residents should adhere to the advice of public health experts, not the scammers seeking profit from fear.

In addition to BACP, consumers can also submit complaints to the Illinois Attorney Generals Offices website or by calling the Consumer Fraud Hotline (1-800-386-5438).

To learn more about COVID-19, including how to stay healthy during the outbreak, please visit http://www.chicago.gov/coronavirus.

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MAYOR LIGHTFOOT AND BACP ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO BE CAUTIOUS OF CONSUMER FRAUD AMID COVID-19 OUTBREAK - Chicago Defender

During this troubling time, its easy to panic, its easy to go stir crazy with cabin fever, and its easy to feel like youve lost your sense of community.Thats what Docs owner Tony Brown was hoping to avoid.Now is the time when the community needs a safe spot, a place they can go they know is clean, and a place they can enjoy the company of others.That place, he said, is Docs Casino Sports Bar Grill.We dont have the disease here, Brown said. We sanitize and sterilize the tables, the chairs, all flat surfaces anything that comes to the table was cleaned by the service staff.Brown told this to the News-Argus on Thursday morning. On Friday, however, Governor Steve Bullock announced measures to close all dine-in food services, alcoholic beverage businesses and other activities that pose enhanced health risks.Both young and older Montanans, in urban and rural communities, have tested positive for coronavirus, making it even more clear that this virus impacts us all and that these actions are imperative to protecting our friends and neighbors, Bullock said in his directive, which officially went into effect Friday, March 20, at 8 p.m.Brown was aware of the concerns. He checked updates on the virus several times a day. He was also aware of the restrictions to prevent groups of 10 people or more from gathering. Hed shut down Bingo and other upcoming events Nevertheless, Bullocks announcement caught him off-guard.I understand the government needs its money, but this is going to hurt us all, Brown said. This is tough. We dont have any cases here. If we did Id understand, you know? Our plan was going to workand they crapped all over it.Brown believed in keeping his place open for the sake of social solidarity.

This community is a family, Brown said Thursday, and now is the time to be around family. By supporting local businesses, people stay united and comforted, and they also avoid picking up the virus out of town.The new rule from Bullock may close the doors for Docs, but there are still opportunities for people to support small businesses, and Brown suggests they do so.If people go to Billings or Great Falls to shop, there is potential they could pick up the virus and put the community at risk. There have been cases, Brown said. Hopefully if people stay here, it wont come here.Despite the surprising news, Brown said a lot can be learned from this experience, adding that he hopes Docs can be an example people in the community will be more intentional when it comes to cleanliness and heightened awareness of their surroundings.It takes 28 days to change a pattern, he said. This is our opportunity to stay clean.As of press time, Brown said he was undecided about staying open for take-out orders.

Brooks MarketIn order to ensure the health and safety of her customers, Brooks Market owner Debbie Rankin has closed the dining room.Were doing take-out orders only, she said. We have one person up front and one person making the food.Rankin said no one told her to shut down, but she shares the communitys concern and wants to do her part to slow down the potential spread of the coronavirus.Rankin said she knows these are the right moves to make at this time, but she wonders how long this will be the case. How long is shutdown sustainable?Im hearing there is a possibility kids wont get to go to school this year, she said. If thats the case, this is going to get worse. Without schools and daycare, how can my employees work?Despite a looming outbreak and a closed dining room, Rankin said business has still been good.Weve been getting a fair amount of takeout orders, she said. We can keep afloat.

Eagles ClubNew Eagles manager Teresa Lamphier is looking out for her customers and employees during this trying time.The health and safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority, she said. We continue to monitor the coronavirus situation closely, and we are following the prevention guidelines offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.A former co-owner of the Bar 19 and the Montana Tavern, Lamphier said she has high standards of cleanliness, maintenance and sanitation. She hoped to keep the bar open longer, but when word came from Bullock to shut down on Friday, she had no qualms about cooperating.Spend one-on-one time with the people you love, Lamphier said. Be productive and tackle that project youve been meaning to do. Read a good book. Check on your elderly neighbors. Be kind to others and have fun.Lamphier said she has also canceled all scheduled gatherings of 10 or more until Wednesday, April 1. Taco Tuesday is not open to the public, but cook Randy Berry will provide curbside service while the closure is in effect.Well give it a try and see how it goes, said Berry. I dont know how long the closing is going to go on for but it could be a while.We want to do our part to be socially responsible, added Lamphier.This is nothing to mess around with.Lamphier encourages the public to take care.Its a strange world right now, she said, but not without hope.

McDonaldsAs of Tuesday, McDonalds nationwide moved to drive-thru and walk-in take-out only.Through this unprecedented and challenging time for families and individuals, McDonalds will do our part to continue to be a place people can count on to deliver a familiar, comforting and delicious experience, no matter where they are, McDonalds USA President Joe Erlinger said in a news release Tuesday.According to Erlinger, ensuring the health and safety of the people and their respective communities is the companys highest priority as the United States quickly mobilizes to slow the spread of COVID-19.Erlinger added that McDonalds has some of the highest standards of cleanliness and are closely working with national and local government and health authorities to ensure they are taking all the right steps.Local McDonalds owner Pete Peterson said he believes in the organization and will abide by their recommendations. Other fast-food restaurants are taking similar precautions.

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Restaurants trying to adapt during early stages of pandemic - Lewistown News-Argus

NEW YORK (NEWS10) State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner, Basil Seggos, is reminding New Yorkers to take proactive measures to help reduce conflicts with bears as the weather begins to warm.

After a relatively mild winter, bears are emerging from their dens and have begun seeking out food sources,Commissioner Seggos said.Unfortunately, people sometimes make it easy for bears to find food near their homes. Fish and Wildlife staff at DEC have received reports of bears getting into garbage and pulling down bird feeders to eat the seed. Its important that homeowners take measures to prevent bears from easily accessing these unnatural food sources.

The DEC is reminding people it is illegal to feed bears whether intentional or unintentional due to careless practices around peoples homes which can have negative consequences for entire communities.

The DEC advises people who live in areas with bear habitats, which includes much of Upstate New York, to remove items that attract bears such as bird feeders, loose garbage, and pet food by April 1.

The DEC says taking these steps helps to live responsibly with black bears, protect people, property, and the bears themselves. Allowing bears to naturally find food keeps them safe and out of harms way which reduces negative interactions with people and their property.

For additional information about how to reduce human/bear conflicts, visit the DECs website here.

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DEC reminding people to help reduce human/bear conflicts by taking proactive measures - NEWS10 ABC

This article is the third in a series of articles published by NPQ, in partnership with the First Nations Development Institute (First Nations), that lift up Native American voices to highlight issues concerning environmental justice in Indian Country and identify ways that philanthropy might more effectively support this work.

When a South Dakota court gave a green light to the Keystone XL pipeline last January, it also opened the door to further abuse, rape, trafficking, disappearances, and murdering of American Indian women. Often philanthropy likes to create defined categories such as environmental justice or gender justice. But the real world of American Indians is not so neatly arranged.

In December 2019, I testified against TC Energy (formerly known as TransCanada) in South Dakota water board hearings on permits for the companys use of water to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Although I do identify as a water protector, environmentalist, and land defender, I was testifying as something elseas an Indigenous survivor of trafficking.

Why? Because the pipelines temporary work camps (also known as man camps) are certain to bring a rise in violent crime, and gender and sexual violence, to the neighboring areas, which include several American Indian communities throughout South Dakota and Montana. While the water board sought to make decisions about water use, ultimately, they were making decisions about human livesand whether or not a pipeline was worth widespread abuse, rape, trafficking, disappearances, and routine deaths of Indigenous women and children. In January 2020, they decided it was.

While it has long been acknowledged by Indigenous peoples that violence against our lands is deeply tied to violence against Indigenous people (especially women and girls), the world outside our communities still largely sees the fight to protect the environment and the fight to protect women and girls as two separate battles.

But this siloed approach does not reflect our realities. Philanthropy, if it wishes to support us, must understand how land-based gender and sexual violence affects Indigenous peoples and why the struggles to preserve our land and our bodies are two faces of the same struggle.

One of the most commonly understood ways in which environmental issues intersect with gender and sexual violence is in the rape, sex trafficking, and high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) prevalent in areas where extractive industries are concentrated. A well-known example is the Bakken oil field of North Dakota and Montana, where rates of sexual violence dramatically increased after oil booms struck rural communities.

Our organization, Sovereign Bodies Institute (SBI), jointly published a report with Brave Heart Society on this issue and the potential social impact of the Keystone XL pipeline in late 2019, titled Zuya Wicayuonihan: Honoring Native Women. Among its findings: across the Dakotas, Montana, and Nebraska (where the pipeline is to be built), four-in-five MMIWG cases in counties impacted by Keystone are unsolved, 92 percent of unsolved cases were outside tribal jurisdiction, and one-in-five cases occurred in counties where the pipeline is to be built or where other pipelines already exist. Even more disturbing, the report states that across the region, Indigenous men who kill an Indigenous woman are 150 percent more likely to be arrested and convicted than white men who have committed the same crime, and only one in two white men who are suspected of killing an Indigenous woman are held accountable by the justice system.

As I shared in my testimony against the Keystone XL pipeline, these impacts are far-reaching and create a toxic social form of pollution that takes generations to clean up. Man camps associated with extractive industries can also bring an increase in drug trafficking and use, which can create even more violence.

One of the survivors who shared her story with us is part of a broader ripple effect of an oil boom she never witnessed. Her trafficker grew up seeing his mother sold to oil workers. From a very early age, he was exposed to the sex trade, drugs, extreme poverty, and systemic neglect from educational, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems. A great distance away, and over 20 years later, he was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), struggled with substance abuse, had been incarcerated several times, and was perpetuating violence himself. The social impacts of extractive industries cannot be understated. It is a violence that is nearly impossible to contain and takes lifetimes to heal.

Environmental degradation also has a disproportionate impact on reproductive health in Indigenous communities. For example, Mavis McCovey recalled in her autobiography, Medicine Trails: A Life in Many Worlds, that herbicides the Forest Service sprayed on federal lands adjacent to tribal communities led to widespread miscarriages, and the communities did not have any births for years. As an elder and medicine woman, when she reported this violence to the Forest Service, she was told the miscarriages were probably due to meth use, not the herbicide. This herbicide was similar in composition to Agent Orange, and when its use was discontinued, women were able to carry babies to term again. Navajo women have raised similar concerns due to the impact of uranium mining on their territory, and Din No Nukes, through their radiation monitoring project, mapped the health impacts of such pollution on Navajo womens bodies in a powerful infographic.

Environmental degradation also has a powerful impact on community mental and emotional health, especially among Indigenous youth. It should not be a surprise that the destruction of sacred sites, customary gathering sites, and homelands has a negative mental health impact on Indigenous peoplesand yet this impact largely goes unacknowledged in discussions on social impact of environmental degradation. For youth, this is compounded by high rates of youth suicide and self-harm, victimization, lack of opportunity, and criminalization.

Simply put, the ongoing effects of colonization create a world that many Indigenous youth just dont want to live in anymore. These effects include a lack of clean drinking water, surroundings riddled with toxic waste or extraction sites, extreme distance from resources for help, high rates of health problems like cancer due to pollution, and high rates of food insecurity. Centers for Disease Control data demonstrate that American Indian and Alaskan Native youth commit suicide at rates more than 3.5 times higher than those among racial/ethnic groups with the lowest rates.

To many, what American Indian youth face may sound like post-apocalyptic conditions, but they are the realities of many Indigenous communities, and our youth pay a disproportionate cost by growing up in a world where these conditions are made to feel inevitable. It stands to reason that kids are healthier mentally and emotionally when their surroundings are healthy, and yet environmental justice remains compartmentalized from efforts to protect and care for Indigenous youth.

All of these issues come together to create what may be the worst impact of environmental violencean erosion of our land-based practices and identities as Indigenous peoples that creates a loss of what grounds us in who we are. These practices and traditions have teachings that work to prevent violence, and they are lost when we no longer engage with them in the ways we used to.

Many Indigenous organizationsin their violence prevention, youth empowerment, and healing programsoffer land-based programming as a critical resource for the communities they serve. These groups recognize the intersections between environmental and community health. Its time for many in philanthropy to catch up. Land-based gender and sexual violence against Indigenous people is an environmental justice issue. Land-based violence and suicide prevention is front-line environmental justice work. Any environmental justice efforts that fail to account for the social impacts of environmental violence will be incomplete.

So how can philanthropy recognize this? First, funders must understand that efforts to address these issues are often crisis driven and urgent in nature. This means that Indigenous organizations doing this work need access to rapid-response funding and grant application processes that honor the time commitments and constraints of those who have the boots on the ground. Grant applications should not be overly laborious; those of us doing this work are serving communities in crisis with acute needs and are frequently put in the position of running constant triage.

For the same reason, flexible or general funding is most useful. Work addressing land-based gender violence is often fluid and shifts as community needs and priorities shift, and as the violence occurs over time. The funding supporting these efforts must also be able to shift with it. General funding allows us to make quick decisions while on the ground, respond to crises as they emerge, and cover costs of critical items that may not otherwise be covered by project-specific funding. For example, some of the MMIWG families we serve have acute needs that persist for years beyond the initial incident of violence. These needs have included emergency financial assistance in caring for children of missing or murdered parents, rapid response community support spaces after instances of violence, assistance in accessing emotional and mental health supports, and safety planning for runaway youth.

Situations like these have an additional teaching for fundersmuch of the work in this field is inherently confidential. The vast majority of our day-to-day workings as an organization are never shared on social media or in our promotional materials. This is because we are protecting survivor and client confidentiality. And this is done for many sound reasons. Among these are the fact that we are working to address violence that has ongoing criminal investigations, because in many instances the perpetrators are still in the community; because we are targeted for retaliation and harassment; because Indigenous communities have a right to keep their data and information on the violence they experience to themselves; and because our work is saturated in graphic stories and experiences of trauma, and it would be irresponsible to share that vicarious trauma with those not equipped to process it in a good way.

The majority of our work are things that could never be in a brochure or public report. Funders need to understand this and be willing to support our work without expectation of violating the confidentiality our work needs.

This brings me to my last point: this work is built entirely on relationships. Funders have to be discerning in which organizations they invest in and support, make an effort to build relationships with Indigenous organizations and communities, and uplift organizations that are led by those most directly impacted by the violence. In the case of work on MMIWG, for example, the issue has become a hot topic and hundreds of projects have emerged among nonprofits, grassroots organizing circles, tribes, universities and colleges, and research centers. While this topic understandably has a sense of urgency to it, funders must be willing to be intentional and deliberate in selecting which projects and organizations to work with, and support work led by survivors of violence and MMIWG families. The work that needs the most support is grassroots, boots on the ground, led by those directly impacted.

As survivors, we have critical expertise. And as community members, we have crucial relationships in place that make the work effective. We know better than anyone what the needs are and how to meet them, because they are our needs too.

Read more here:

Our Bodies Are the Front Lines: Responding to Land-Based Gender Violence - Nonprofit Quarterly