NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA, the Federal Interagency, Private and Nonprofit Partners Continue to Support Hurricane Helene Response Efforts

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA, the Federal Interagency, Private and Nonprofit Partners Continue to Support Hurricane Helene Response Efforts

    FEMA, the Federal Interagency, Private and Nonprofit Partners Continue to Support Hurricane Helene Response Efforts

    President Biden approved South Carolina’s request for an emergency declaration yesterday, enabling FEMA to provide federal resources to the state for emergency protective measures like reimbursement to keep people safe and aid initial response and recovery efforts.

    WASHINGTON — FEMA is coordinating a whole of community response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene while preparing for additional impacts as the storm travels North. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida overnight as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, causing major damage and leaving more than 4 million homes without power. Tropical Storm Helene is now posing a significant flood threat in several states with heavy rain continuing. FEMA continues supporting immediate response efforts in the area as Administrator Deanne Criswell travels to Florida to survey damage alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other government officials. 

    As the storm continues inland, FEMA urges people in its path to heed the warnings of local officials, evacuate immediately if told to do so and check on neighbors if conditions allow. People further inland should also take immediate action to protect themselves as the storm approaches, bringing damaging winds over portions of Georgia and the Carolinas today. People in these areas should be prepared for the possibility of long-duration power outages. 

    Additionally, potentially life-threatening flash flooding is expected across portions of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Numerous significant landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians. The threat of tornadoes continues in the region.

    Storm Safety Tips 

    Residents in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina can find a list of state, tribal and local resources such as evacuation, shelter and important storm updates on FEMA.gov.

    Stay out of floodwater. Walking, swimming or driving through flood waters is extremely dangerous. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines or contain hazards such as wild or stray animals, human and livestock waste and chemicals that can lead to illness. Never drive through flood water. Turn Around. Don’t Drown™. 

    Have several ways to receive alerts. People in areas along Florida’s Panhandle, west coast and into Alabama and Georgia should follow the forecast carefully and instructions of state and local officials by monitoring local radio or television stations for updated emergency information. Sign up for community alerts in your area and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which require no sign up. You can also download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area.

    Power outage and generator safety. If you lose power, use only flashlights or battery-powered lanterns for emergency lighting. If using a generator, remember to always use them outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Additionally, make sure to keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. 

    Responding to Hurricane Helene is a Whole-of-Government and Community Effort

    The federal interagency response efforts remain focused on providing lifesaving and life-sustaining measures. More than a dozen federal agencies and departments have been mobilized to assist state, local, tribal, nonprofit and private sector partners to help people of the Southeast from the effects of Hurricane Helene.

    • FEMA is coordinating a federal force of more than 1,500 personnel including more than 300 deployed FEMA staff to support states affected by the hurricane. 
    • Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas activated the Surge Capacity Force (SCF). The SCF makes rostered federal employees available to support FEMA’s response and recovery missions. 
    • Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) has deployed a total of 14 teams (940 personnel) to affected states. In Florida, eight US&R teams with two Mission Ready Packages are positioned to respond, all are equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities. In Georgia, two Type 3 teams with water capability have been deployed to support rescue operations. In North Carolina, four teams all equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities are in place.  
    • U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crews will continue to respond with vessels and aircraft to assist search and rescue activities. Approximately 8,000 personnel are working Coast Guard response. They will continue to respond to urgent distress calls to save lives and assist those impacted by the storm. They have begun to conduct post-storm assessments to support rapid reopening of the impacted ports and provide support to interagency, state and local partners. 
    • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has two teams prepositioned to provide temporary emergency power, with additional personnel deployed and other are prepared to deploy if needed. In addition to temporary emergency power, personnel will assist the states with infrastructure assessments, debris management and temporary roofing assistance as needed. They have activated six emergency operation centers in the region to coordinate operations. 
    • Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a Public Health Emergency for Florida and Georgia to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. The declaration gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Their staff on the ground have begun initial assessments of the public health and health care infrastructure, working with federal and state partners to meet the needs on the ground. Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) prepositioned approximately 200 medical responders who can move to impacted communities in the region. These personnel include Health Care Situational Assessment teams and National Disaster Medical System’ (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams along with several tons of medical equipment and supplies to provide medical surge support.
    • Department of Energy (DOE) has activated the Energy Response Organization (ERO) and is closely monitoring for power, fuel and supply chain interruptions. The ERO and field responders are in contact with industry partners and local officials. DOE has responders deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center, Georgia Emergency Operations Center.
    • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working closely with federal, state, local and Tribal partners to help water systems, prepare for debris management and ensure facilities, including Superfund sites, maintain critical public health and environmental protections. The agency has personnel on the ground in regional and national operations centers who are offering technical assistance and guidance to those affected by Helene. 
    • American Red Cross (ARC) has more than 450 Red Cross responders deployed to affected areas, another 306 responders are traveling today. As of Friday morning, reporting indicates that at least 9,400 people are in approximately 130 evacuation shelters. These numbers expected to increase as the full impact of the storm is realized. There are more than 30 Emergency Response Vehicles active and ready to support this event. Red Cross focus today on the ground across Florida is impact assessment, sheltering and life-sustaining feeding. ARC is prepared to support mass fatality and reunification efforts as well as emergency feeding. Anyone who needs a safe place to go can find information on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).
    • Salvation Army has their Emergency Disaster Services Director/State Liaison deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center and a liaison at the Georgia Emergency Operations Center. An Incident Management Team (IMT) has been staged in Lakeland, Florida along with seven mobile feeding units and crews, with additional mobile feeding units ready to deploy. Florida IMT in Live Oak has ready-to-serve meal boxes for immediate service delivery. In Georgia, The Salvation Army is supplying food services to a Valdosta, Georgia Emergency Shelter in Lowndes County. Additionally, the Bainbridge Salvation Army will provide feeding for Decatur County Critical Workforce.
    • USA.gov published a one-stop-shop for hurricane information. 

    erika.suzuki

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greens stand in solidarity with Buller community

    Source: Green Party

    The Green Party stands in solidarity with the Buller community in its silent protest for better healthcare. 

    “Healthcare is a human right that we cannot afford to see our communities miss out on,” says the Green Party’s Health spokesperson, Hūhana Lyndon.

    “Our country has enough to ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need, whenever they need it, wherever they need it – it comes down to choices. This Government is choosing to underinvest in our health system at the expense of our communities. 

    “What the Buller community is experiencing is sadly something many communities are having to endure. This is a symptom of the complete and utter disregard this Government has for the health of our people.  

    “Needing to travel 100km to get to the nearest hospital is something that if left unaddressed will come with fatal consequences. 

    “Buller deserves better. It’s nothing short of a crisis when staffing shortages at the local hospital, which has barely been open a year, result in it having to be closed for a month. 

    “What’s more, emergency services are almost non-existent in Buller. The one ambulance in the West Coast region is focused more on transferring patients from Westport to Greymouth. To top it off, as of today, all urgent and after-hours clinics for the entire region will be closing. 

    “We stand with the Buller community in their call to action and support their demands on the Government. 

    “The Green Party will continue to fight for a health system that is resourced to cater to the needs of all,” says Hūhana Lyndon.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Employment – Nurses to join Buller march to fix the health system

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Concerns over patient safety on the West Coast have prompted the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa to join a march in Buller on Saturday to raise awareness of the dire state of the health system.
    West Coast urgent GPs clinics end this weekend. From 1 October Ka Ora Telehealth will be providing after hours primary care and patient will need their referral to see a doctor.
    NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the closure of the West Coast urgent care GP clinic will put more pressure on Buller Hospital, which is already stretched. 
    “Relying on telehealth services out of hours jeopardises patient safety.
    “Aotearoa’s health system is in crisis and the understaffing in our hospitals and health care settings continues unabated with this Government’s obsession with cutting costs.
    “There is a chronic shortage of thousands of nurses throughout the country which is contributing to increased wait times in Emergency Departments and compromising the quality of patient care.
    “That’s why NZNO will stand proudly alongside our fellow health care organisations on Saturday and urge the Government to better fund health care. Nursing care is an investment, not a cost,” Ms Nuku says.
    Ms Nuku will speak at the march which has been organised by Buller Health Action Group and Patient Voice Aotearoa. Other speakers include Malcolm Mulholland of Patient Voice Aotearoa, and Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
    Media are invited to attend Saturday’s march:
    When: Midday, Saturday 28 September
    Where: Victoria Square, Westport
    There will be a silent march from the grandstand via Brougham and Palmerston streets to the clock tower

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Recognizes Kimberly Lozada of Manchester as September’s Granite Stater of the Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Kimberly “Kym” Lozada as September’s Granite Stater of the Month. Kym offers free haircuts and other events to support adults and kids in the Manchester community.
    Kym, a mother of six, opened her barbershop “Get Faded” in February 2023. After her husband passed away six months later, she wanted to find a way to help other single parents who might be struggling with the busy back-to-school season. She started an annual event with free haircuts for local students, and this year the shop also gave out 150 backpacks filled with school supplies. Get Faded is also a certified sensory-safe barbershop and a place where every child can feel supported – and get the haircut they want to feel stylish and confident.
    Like many Granite State families, the Lozada family has also experienced the effects of the fentanyl crisis. Kym’s late husband dealt with addiction, and she is open about his experience in the hopes that she can inspire others to get treatment. Get Faded recently hosted free haircut events for adults at Hope for NH Recovery, a center that offers peer-based support for those dealing with addiction, and at AmeriHealth Caritas, an organization that works to bring health care to communities throughout the state.
    Kym’s dedication to helping those in need is a true example of the Granite State spirit of pitching in to help fellow citizens. Her family’s experience is one that is not unique in New Hampshire, but her perseverance and commitment to helping Granite Staters in her own way can inspire everyone.
    Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.
    To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.
    I am honored to recognize Kimberly “Kym” Lozada of Manchester as September’s Granite Stater of the Month. After her husband passed away, Kym felt a drive to find ways to support her community – and now through her barbershop, “Get Faded,” Kym offers free haircuts and other events to support adults and kids alike. 
    Kym, a mother of six, opened Get Faded in February 2023. When her husband passed away six months later, she wanted to find a way to help other single parents who might be struggling with the busy back-to-school season. She started an annual event with free haircuts for local students, and this year the shop also gave out 150 backpacks filled with school supplies. The business has also hosted trunk-or-treat for kids on Halloween. Get Faded prioritizes ensuring that all children feel comfortable; it is a certified sensory-safe barbershop, where the barbers are trained to give haircuts to children with autism or sensory processing sensitivities that can make it difficult to experience a traditional haircut. Overall, Kym makes Get Faded a place where every child can feel supported – and of course, get the haircut they want to feel stylish and confident.
    In addition, like many Granite State families, the Lozada family has experienced the effects of the fentanyl crisis. Kym’s late husband dealt with addiction, and she is open about his experience in the hopes that she can inspire others to get treatment. In Kym’s words, “I will keep telling my story in the hope that it can save someone’s life.” Get Faded recently hosted free haircut events for adults at Hope for NH Recovery, a center that offers peer-based support for those dealing with addiction, and at AmeriHealth Caritas, an organization that works to bring health care to communities throughout the state.
    Kym’s dedication to helping those in need is a true example of the Granite State spirit of pitching in to help our fellow citizens. Her family’s experience is one that is not unique in our state, but her perseverance and commitment to helping Granite Staters in her own way can inspire all of us.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Hungarian Presidency debriefs EP committees on priorities

    Source: European Parliament 3

    Ministers are holding a series of meetings in parliamentary committees to present the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council.

    Hungary holds the Presidency of the Council until December 2024 included. This text will be updated regularly as the hearings take place.

    Constitutional Affairs

    On 19 September, European Union Affairs Minister János Bóka highlighted the need to reform the EU for upcoming enlargement and told MEPs that the Presidency envisions two ministerial-level discussions on the future of Europe. He raised concerns about maintaining interinstitutional balance when reforming the Framework Agreement between the EP and the Commission and mentioned the transparency of interest representation, EU accession to the European Court of Human Rights, and the EU Ethics Body as other priorities.

    MEPs debated issues including the Hungarian government’s stance on EU values and its compliance with EU Court of Justice judgments. Many speakers raised concerns on the Prime Minister’s recent visits to Moscow and Beijing, while others advocated enhancing national authorities’ role in EU decision-making. Hungary’s announcement that it will seek an opt-out from migration rules and its national assembly’s position that European elections should be abolished were also discussed.

    Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

    On 23 September, Anikó Raisz, Secretary of State for Environmental Affairs and Circular Economy, said the Presidency would push for a more competitive Europe while addressing the triple challenge of reducing pollution, mitigating climate change, and preserving biodiversity. MEPs quizzed the Minister on the EU’s greenhouse gas reduction target for 2040, the Clean Industrial Deal, COP29, recent floods in Europe, the circular economy, pollution, new genomic techniques, chemicals, the role of forests and soil monitoring.

    Péter Takács, Secretary of State for Health, highlighted, as priorities, adopting Council conclusions on cardiovascular diseases and renewing EU cooperation on organ donation and transplants. The Presidency also intends to adopt the updated Council recommendation on smoke-free environments and advance on the pharmaceutical package. MEPs quizzed the Presidency on measures foreseen on rare diseases, equal access to medicines, shortages in the healthcare workforce, the competitiveness of the EU’s pharmaceutical industry as well as mRNA vaccines.

    Development

    On 26 September Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, said that the Presidency would pay particular attention to the humanitarian-peace-development nexus, especially in the Sahel region. Mr Azbej also mentioned as priorities the implementation of the EU’s Samoa Agreement with the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region, tacking the root causes of migration in partner countries, and supporting the Global Gateway initiative and the Team Europe approach to development.

    MEPs raised questions about the credibility of the Presidency’s claims to advocate for human rights and democracy, given the rule of law concerns around the government as well as its ties with China and Russia. They also raised the importance of addressing the global persecution of Christians, and plans for closer cooperation with partner countries and countries of origin on returns and readmissions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ron DeSantis Issues Updates on Response and Recovery Efforts to Hurricane Helene

    Source: US State of Florida

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie in Perry and Cedar Key to provide updates on recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene impacted Florida’s Big Bend region. As of this afternoon, approximately 828,548 Floridians are without power. The State of Florida has already restored 1,573,907 accounts.

    Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-209 on September 24, amending EO 24-208 and declaring a state of emergency for 61 counties.

    To learn more, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide. For updates on county resources available visit FloridaDisaster.org/Counties for a list of all 67 county emergency management contacts.

    State Preparedness Effort

    • The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 1 on Tuesday, September 24, and is leading coordination efforts for the State Emergency Response Team.
    • The State Emergency Response Team is engaged in over 1,500 missions to assist counties in their preparation efforts. These missions accomplish vital tasks like staging response resources, protecting critical infrastructure facilities like hospitals and utility stations, and coordinating personnel statewide.
    • Seven Urban search and rescue task forces are deployed.
    • The Florida National Guard (FLNG) has mobilized nearly 3,900 Soldiers and Airmen in preparation for Hurricane Helene.
    • The FLNG has rescued 30 residents throughout the impacted area. We have mobilized 15 route clearing teams and have 13 rotary wing aircraft prepared to provide SAR and/or damage assessment support. Mississippi is providing an additional 3 rotary wing aircraft later today.
    • The FLNG is providing logistics support, law enforcement support, route clearance, search and rescue, commodity distribution, flood mitigation, aviation and other support as needed by the state.
    • The Florida State Guard (FSG) is standing by with the following:
      • 250+ Soldiers ready to deploy.
      • 10 shallow water vessel boat teams
      • 7 flat-bottom-flood rescue skiffs
      • 2 amphibious rescue vehicles
      • 2 K-9 search and rescue teams
      • 12 UTV’s
      • 15 Cut and toss crews
      • 7 search and rescue teams
      • 2 UH-60 Blackhawk for daytime aerial assessment and logistics missions
    • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Mutual Aid team is coordinating law enforcement missions including search and rescue and fuel for first responders.
    • FDLE is conducting status calls with DMS to ensure State SLERS radio communications systems are operative for law enforcement.
    • FDLE’s Aviation Unit conducted an aerial survey of impacted counties in coordination with the Air Operations Branch. FDLE has flown seven missions with five aircraft.
    • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has more than 100 officers and support staff responding to areas of Florida impacted by Hurricane Helene.
    • Two Special Operations Group (SOG) teams, totaling 15 officers, from the NW Region responded to western coastal areas of the impacted area such as Franklin and Gulf counties, assisting residents in need and moved onto harder hit areas once areas were clear.
    • FWC officers are conducting welfare checks and search and rescues in coastal communities in Dixie, Levy and Taylor Counties with shallow draft vessels and specialized high-water vehicles.
    • A team of officers from the Southwest region assisted Pasco County law enforcement with high water evacuations due to storm surge conditions on Thursday night. Approximately seven people were rescued by FWC teams. Additionally, FWC officers rescued eleven people and six pets in Charlotte County due to high water conditions.
    • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has over 2,100 FDOT team members working directly on storm response.
    • Damage assessment teams are active in the field and are surveying impacts.
    • 61 Cut and Toss crews have worked since 3 a.m. and have completely cleared I-10.
    • Cut and Toss Operations
      • 577 crews are active in the field and have already cleared over 8,300 miles of roadway.
      • 129 Bridge Inspectors have inspected 1,200 bridges across the impacted areas.
      • FDOT is directly coordinating Cut & Toss Crews with Utility Response Crews to aid in swift utility restoration.
    • Westbound Gandy Bridge has reopened. One lane of eastbound Gandy Bridge has reopened.
    • Southbound Howard Frankland Bridge has reopened.
    • Sunshine Skyway Bridge is now open in both directions.
    • A 10-mile stretch of State Road 789 in Sarasota County and Manatee County has experienced extreme damage and the roadway is inaccessible. Crews are working to assess the entire corridor and have implemented an emergency contract to quickly perform repairs.
    • State Road 24 heading into Cedar Key was heavily damaged earlier this morning. Crews have completed repairs and reopened the roadway.
    • Crews are working to repair damage from erosion at Courtney Campbell Causeway.
    • Crews are working to clear sand and debris from the roadway on Gulf Blvd in Pinellas County.
    • Crews have reviewed over 7,000 traffic signals statewide. 255 signals across the impacted areas are not operational, however, crews are actively working to restore power to these locations.
    • Debris pick up has begun in South Florida- 42 crew members are FDOT has committed to perform debris pick up within fiscally constrained counties.
    • FDOT Secretary issued FDOT Emergency Order on September 23, 2024.
      • FDOT has lifted weight restrictions and is allowing bypass of weigh stations for emergency response vehicles, including utility vehicles staging for rapid response.
    • FDOT’s Post-Storm Statewide Response Efforts include:
    • Road Ranger service has been expanded to assist motorists along critical roadways.
    • Resources deployed in the field or available as needed:
      • Over 858 generators
      • Nearly 49 pumps
      • Over 70 pieces of heavy equipment and trucks are actively in the field for response efforts
      • 43 Drone team members staged to make assessments where needed
      • 5 ITS trailers
    • FDOT encourages drivers to download the FL511 app or visit FL511.com for road/bridge closures and potential detours that may be activated.
    • Remember to never drive through flooded areas. The area of the roadway beneath the water may be washed out or may conceal debris or even power lines. Turn Around; Don’t Drown.

    Transportation Modes
    Seaports

    • Port Panama City, Port of Port St. Joe, Port Tampa Bay, SeaPort Manatee, Port St. Pete, Port of Fernandina, and JAXPORT are closed waterside while awaiting Coast Guard Channel survey.

    Airports

    • All airports have reopened.
    • Please check with airlines directly on the specific status of flights.

    Rail

    • Passenger Rail:
      • Amtrak is operating. Please check with Amtrak directly for service impacts.
      • SunRail service has resumed with some service delays due to power outages.
    • Freight Rail:
      • Railroads in the impacted areas are assessing damage and conducting inspections.

    Transit

    • Transit agencies in the impacted areas are assessing conditions and resuming service where possible. Please check directly with local agency providers for service impacts.
    State-Owned Roads Closures (As of 2:30 p.m., 9/27/24) 
    State Road closures listed below. For real-time updates, Check FL511.com. 
    Bridge Closures
    • Closures
      • Northbound Howard Frankland
      • Courtney Campbell Causeway
      • One lane of eastbound Gandy Bridge
    • Alachua County
      • Debris on Roadway on NW 34th Blvd Northbound at NW 24th Ter. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-222 Both Directions from NE 27th Ave to NE 52nd St. All lanes closed.
      • Object on roadway on SR-26 / Newberry Rd East, at NW 66th St. 2 Right lanes blocked.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-121 Northbound at NW 24th Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-26 Both Directions at NE 27th Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on us-441 Northbound at NW 104th Ln. 1 Right Lane closed.
    • Baker County 
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Both Directions at Tiger Lake Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Eastbound at Arnold Rhoden Rd. All lanes closed.
    • Charlotte County  
      • Flooding on E Olympia Ave Eastbound at Nesbit St. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on E Marion Ave Westbound at Cooper St. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on US-41 North, before West Marion Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on US-17 East, at Nesbit St. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on US-17 West, at Cooper St. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on McCall Rd Northbound at Myakka River. All lanes closed.
      • High Winds on Tamiami Trl Southbound at Main St. All lanes closed.
      • High Winds on Tamiami Trl Northbound at Harborside Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on SR-776 North, before El Jobean Bridge. All lanes closed.
    • Columbia County 
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-247 Both Directions at Oyster Shell Lane. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-47 Both Directions at US-41. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-441 Both Directions at NE Sunny Brook St. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-441 Both Directions at NW Ernest Greene Gln. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-10A Westbound at US-41. All lanes closed
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-247 Both Directions at SW Tamarack Loop. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-47 Both Directions near CR-240. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-47 Both Directions at SW Marvin Burnett Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-441 Both Directions from I-10 Eastbound to Georgia State Line. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-100 Both Directions at SE Douglas Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-247 Both Directions at SW Norris Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-247 Both Directions at SW Dairy St. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-47 Both Directions at SW Watson Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on S US Highway 441 Northbound at CR-240. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Westbound at SW Koonville Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Object on roadway on US-90 / Lake City East, at Sisters Welcome Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Object on roadway on US-90 / Lake City West, at Sisters Welcome Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Object on roadway on I-75 North, before MM 416. Right shoulder blocked.
      • Debris on Roadway on S US Highway 441 Both Directions at CR-18. All lanes closed.
    • Dixie County 
      • Debris on Roadway on US-19 Southbound at NE 824th St. All lanes closed.
    • Duval County 
      • Debris on Roadway on Emerson St Westbound at Rosemary St. All lanes closed.
    • Gilchrist County 
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-26 Eastbound at TL Johnson Blvd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-47 Northbound at NE 40th Ct Rd. All lanes closed.
    • Hillsborough County 
      • Flooding on SR-618 West, ramp to 22nd St.
      • Flooding on SR-618 East, at 22nd St.
      • Bridge Closed in Hillsborough County on SR-60 West, at Ben T Davis Beach. All lanes closed.
    • Jackson County
      • Flooding on Caverns Rd Both Directions at Russell Rd. All lanes closed.
    • Jefferson County
      • Debris on Roadway on Still Rd Southbound near N Jefferson St.
      • Debris on Roadway on W Washington Hwy Both Directions near Creekside Ct. All lanes closed.
    • Lafayette County 
      • Debris on Roadway on E US 27 Northbound near CR-450. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on S SR-51 Both Directions at SW Van Buren Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on W US 27 Both Directions at CR-536. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on W US 27 Both Directions at NW Griffin Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on W US 27 Eastbound near SW Gary L Thomas Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on W US 27 Northbound at CR-350. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-27 Northbound at SW Truman Ln. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on E Main St Southbound at NE Willis Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-349 Northbound at SR-27. All lanes closed.
        Debris on Roadway on SR-349 Northbound at CR-500. All lanes closed.
    • Lee County  
      • Flooding on US-41 Business North, at Edison Bridge. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on Edison Bridge Northbound 0.48 Miles Beyond 2nd St. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on SR-80 / First St West, before Park Avenue. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding in Lee County on SR-865/ San Carlos Blvd North, at Matanzas Pass Bridge. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding in Lee County on SR-865/ San Carlos Blvd South, at Matanzas Pass Bridge. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on US-41 South, beyond N Key Dr.. All lanes closed.
    • Levy County 
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-345 Both Directions near NW 53rd Ln.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-345 Both Directions at SE 4th St. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on NE Highway 27 Alt Both Directions at CR-339. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-19 Northbound at NW 140th St. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-41 Southbound at NE 75th St. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-121 Northbound at NE 50th St. All lanes closed.
    • Madison County 
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-53 Both Directions near SR-14. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-53 Northbound at SR-10. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-221 Both Directions at I-10 Eastbound. All lanes closed.
    • Manatee County 
      • Flooding in on SR-684 / Cortez Rd W East, at Gulf Dr. N (SR-789).
      • Flooding on SR-684 / Cortez Rd W West, at Gulf Dr N (SR-789). All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on SR-64 / Manatee Ave East, at Gulf Dr.. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on SR-64 / Manatee Ave West, at Gulf Dr.. All lanes closed.
    • Pinellas County 
      • Emergency vehicles on I-275 North, at Roosevelt Blvd. All lanes closed.
      • Emergency vehicles on I-275 North, ramp from EB Ulmerton Rd. On-ramp closed.
      • Emergency vehicles on I-275 North, ramp from NB 4th St N. On-ramp closed.
      • Bridge Closed on SR-60 East, at Dr. Kiran C. Patel Blvd. All lanes blocked.
      • Bridge Closed on SR-600/Gandy Blvd East, beyond MM 3. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on I-275 South, ramp from EB Ulmerton Rd.
      • Flooding on N Pinellas Ave Both Directions at Anclote Rd.
      • Flooding on S Pinellas Ave Southbound at W Lime St.
      • Flooding on S Pinellas Ave Northbound at E MLK Dr.
      • Flooding on Bayshore Blvd Northbound at San Christopher Dr. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on Bayshore Blvd Southbound at Causeway Blvd. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on Pasadena Ave Southbound at Sunset Dr S. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on 75th Ave Northbound near Mangrove Ave. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on Edgewater Dr Southbound from President St to Locklie St. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on S Pinellas Ave Southbound at Meres Blvd. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on I-275 North, beyond 4th St N.
      • Flooding on I-275 South, ramp to 54th Ave S.
      • Flooding on SR-688 East, beyond Roosevelt Blvd N.
      • Flooding on SR-688 West, before Roosevelt Blvd N.
      • Debris on Roadway on Pinellas Bayway Southbound at Palma del Mar Blvd S. All lanes closed.
    • Sarasota County  
      • Flooding on SR-789 North, at Sunset Drive. All lanes closed.
      • Flooding on SR-789 South, at Sunset Drive. All lanes closed.
    • Suwannee County 
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Eastbound at 149th Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Both Directions at CR-137. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Westbound at 185th Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-90 Westbound at 63rd Dr. All lanes closed.
    • Taylor County 
      • Debris on Roadway on S Jefferson St Both Directions at S Byron Butler Pkwy. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on SR-51 Both Directions near US-19 Southbound. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-19 Both Directions at Kelly Grade. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-27 Westbound at Granger Rd. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-27 Eastbound at CR-296. All lanes closed.
      • Debris on Roadway on US-98 Westbound at Dice Rd. All lanes closed.
    • The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is operational 24/7/365 for virtual care and tele-emergency care and support to Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care in Florida. 1-877-741-3400. Visit https://department.va.gov/integrated-service-networks/visn-08 for more information.
    • Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Veterans’ Domiciliary Home in Lake City lost power and is currently on generator.
    • Volunteer Florida: Disaster Legal Hotline is open to assist and refer callers: 833-514-2940
    • Samaritan’s Purse hotline: 1-833-747-1234 free assistance for homeowners affected by the disaster. Volunteers may be able to assist with removal of personal property and furniture, flood cleanup, sanitizing with shockwave treatment, chainsaw work and Debris Clean-up, temporary roof tarping.
      • 2-1-1 is open and ready to receive calls. Individuals can call for up-to-the-
      • Red Cross Hotline is open to assist: 1-800-Red Cross
      • Florida Baptists Disaster Relief Public Assistance: 904-253-0502 or text Helene to 27123. Free Assistance for homeowners affected by the disaster. Volunteers may be able to assist with Storm Debris Cleanup, Temporary Roof Tarping, Chainsaw work, and muckouts.
      • Crisis Cleanup number: 844-965-1386

     

    Health and Human Services

    • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) has shifted to recovery efforts and has begun post storm calls and wellness checks with clients, providers, partners, and staff in affected areas verifying status and ask about immediate needs caused by the storm and develop plans to resolve.
    • APD operated facilities in Marianna and Chattahoochee maintained power through the storm, while the Gainesville facility is without power and operating on generators. All residents, clients, and staff have reported they are safe.
    • 14 evacuated APD licensed Group Homes have also reported they are safe, and APD will continue to work with providers to see about storm damage and potential needs.
    • APD is mapping Group Homes, clients in Supported Living Facilities, and clients living in family homes in affected areas for priority follow up and wellness checks by APD teams and provider staff.
    • APD is working with partners and the State Emergency Response Team to ensure the functional and access needs of disaster survivors are met.
    • APD Hope Florida Navigators and APD emergency recovery teams standby ready for deployment to affected areas to serve disaster distribution centers as needed.
    • The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) is deploying over 470 emergency response vehicles. Staging is currently in Leon, Liberty, Osceola, Pinellas, and Polk counties.
    • At this time, one Boil Water Notice has been reported for Marion County as a result of Hurricane Helene.
    • DOH has Special Needs Shelters available in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. A press release has been sent statewide for additional information on special needs shelters. To find a shelter near you, please visit the county emergency management page here.
    • DOH and the Agency for Health Care Administration initiated Patient Movement Mission to support medical transport and evacuations of health care facilities.
    • The State Surgeon General signed Emergency Order 24-002, which:
      • Waives competitive procurement requirements in order to procure commodities, goods, and services expeditiously in response to the emergency.
      • Permits emergency medical transportation services to operate across county lines.
      • Permits Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Medical Directors, as defined by Chapter 401, Florida Statutes, licensed in other U.S. states, territories, or districts to practice in Florida in response to the emergency without penalty.
      • Authorizes a reporting extension for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
      • Authorizes an extension of the upcoming licensure renewal deadlines for Nursing Home Administrators, Radiological Personnel, and Athletic Trainers until October 31, 2024.
    • DOH and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) sent information regarding early prescription refills permitted under Executive Order 24-209. This information was sent to the public, health insurers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacy chains, and health care providers.
    • The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has activated reporting in the Health Facility Reporting System (HFRS) and has requested that all health care providers report their census, available beds, evacuation status, and generator status information. This information allows AHCA to assist health care providers in transferring patients if needed and ensure that health care providers in impacted areas have the necessary resources and adequate power.
    • AHCA has made 40 phone calls to health care facilities in the impacted area, to check their status.
    • As of 3 p.m., 92 health care facilities have reported evacuations. This includes:
      • 46 assisted living facilities
      • 29 nursing homes
      • 6 hospitals
      • 1 hospital emergency department
      • 5 residential treatment facilities
      • 2 residential treatment centers for children and adolescents
      • 2 adult family care home, and 2 intermediate care facility for developmentally disabled
    • 100% of operating long-term care facilities have a generator on-site. The Generator Status Map for long-term care facilities is available here.
    • As 3 p.m., there are 158 health care facilities on generator power across the state. This includes:
      • 3 hospitals
      • 77 assisted living facilities
      • 43 nursing homes.
      • 5 adult family care home
      • 2 hospices
      • 5 hospital emergency department
      • 5 intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled
      • 10 residential treatment facilities
      • 1 residential treatment centers for children and adolescents
      • 7 crisis stabilization and short-term rtf
    • The Agency has waived all prior authorization requirements for critical Medicaid services until further notice.
    • AHCA has conducted 39 onsite post-incident assessment visits.

    Infrastructure, Roads and State Closures

    • The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) cut teams and FDOT road clearing teams are providing aid to areas impacted by the storm.
    • FHP continues to mobilize drone assets to help assess post-storm damage and assist with rescue and recovery efforts in areas impacted by the storm.
    • FHP Troopers are assisting with escorting critical restoration and recovery vehicles from around the state to areas impacted by the storm.
    • FHP is mobilizing Quick Response Force team members to deploy to affected areas of Florida to assist with recovery efforts.
    • FHP and FDOT cut teams cleared all trees and debris from Interstate 10 and Interstate 75 and traffic flow has been restored.
    • FHP drone assets and fixed-wing aircraft are actively assisting with search and rescue efforts and storm damage assessment.
    • FHP mobilized high-water vehicles to areas affected by the storm to assist with search and rescue efforts.
    • FHP is providing security at storm response fuel sites.
    • FLHSMV has 3 Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) mobiles on standby to provide mobile credentialing services in impacted areas and to those affected by the storm.
    • Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) issued Emergency Order 24-05, in support of Executive Order 24-209 which: waives specific requirements for commercial motor vehicles providing emergency relief; and waives the replacement fees for driver’s license and identification credentials, vehicle registrations and titles, vessel registrations and titles and temporary parking permits for impacted individuals.
    • The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has contacted over 2,000 families and group homes to ensure all children and families served are safe and to determine needs.
    • The HOPE LINE has been activated at 8 a.m. today to assist those in need of resources or other assistance after the storm. It is now available 24/7 for the next two-plus weeks at 833-GET-HOPE.
    • Activate Hope has been deployed to help connect Floridians impacted by the storm with needed resources like food, supplies, home repairs, and more. Serving as the emergency response component of the Hope Florida initiative, Activate Hope connects the private sector, nonprofits, and government to help Floridians get back on their feet following a natural disaster. Fill out the form here to get help.
    • DCF has contacted over 5,500 licensed providers in impacted areas to check for needs after the storm.
    • The State Mental Health Treatment Facilities are fully operational.
    • Through ESF 6, DCF provided staffing and emergency supplies to 32 shelters and meals to 1,000 first responders.
    • The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) continues to contact all Area Agencies on Aging partners to receive updates. Post storm call downs to clients are ongoing and there are currently no unmet needs.
    • The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has been contacting school districts and state colleges following Hurricane Helene and is addressing needs to reopen as quickly as possible. Districts, colleges, and universities are conducting damage assessments following the storm. Currently, 48 school districts, 19 state colleges, and 8 universities remain closed as of Friday, September 27, 2024.
    • The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is actively working to provide assistance to drinking water, wastewater and hazardous waste facilities. Outreach to these facilities to determine operational status is ongoing.
    • DEP’s online portal WaterTracker is now live for drinking and wastewater facilities to report their operational status.
    • DEP published a storm updates webpage to keep state park visitors updated: FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.
    • DEP is working with Florida’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN), the Florida Rural Water Association and other response agencies to dispatch generators, fuel and pump trucks and other resources to assist drinking and wastewater facilities.
    • DEP and response agencies are working 1-on-1 with partially- and non-operational drinking and wastewater facilities to get them back to operational status as quickly as possible to meet the immediate service needs of the communities they serve. Areas under boil water advisories can be found at https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/boil-water-notices/index.html.
    • DEP is working in conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard to identify oil spills and hazardous material releases in coastal and inland waterways.
    • 94 Disaster Debris Management Sites have been authorized to operate for Hurricane Helene. These sites are a critical component of expediting clean-up and reducing environmental and public health impacts post-storm and meeting federal reimbursement requirements.
    • 12 Florida State Parks strike teams have been assembled to assist with assessment and recovery efforts at impacted parks.
    • More than 60 state parks have reopened following Hurricane Helene. DEP published a storm updates webpage to keep state park visitors updated of closures: FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.

    Resources for Employees, Businesses and Consumers

    • The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has partnered with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association to encourage more than 71,000 Florida-licensed lodging establishments to relax pet policies and waive pet fees for evacuees.
    • DBPR has proactively communicated with more than 137,000 restaurant and lodging licensees to provide storm preparation and food safety resources.
    • DBPR has proactively contacted more than 2,300 prescription wholesale stakeholders to provide information on emergency provisions under Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 24-211 that will help mitigate supply chain difficulties with prescription drugs and medical gas.
    • The Florida Disaster Contractors Network has been activated to connect homeowners with licensed contractors and suppliers to perform emergency repairs.
    • DBPR encourages Florida’s licensed contractors who provide post-storm construction-related services to register with its Florida Disaster Contractors Network at DCNOnline.org.
    • DBPR has distributed FloridaCommerce’s Business Damage Assessment Survey to nearly 1,000,000 licensees in impacted counties and encouraged them to report damages using the survey.
    • DBPR’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants has begun disaster assessments in impacted areas. Emergency Response Teams across the state are completing outreach to impacted businesses to reinforce food safety protocols after the storm.
    • FloridaCommerce activated the private sector hotline at (850) 815-4925, open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
    • Updates on business closures and business resources are updated at FloridaDisaster.biz/CurrentDisasterUpdates.
    • FloridaCommerce and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey in response to Hurricane Helene. Business owners can self-report physical and economic damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Survey responses will allow the state to expedite Hurricane Helene recovery efforts by gathering data and assessing the needs of impacted businesses. Businesses can complete the survey online by visiting FloridaDisaster.biz and selecting “Hurricane Helene” from the dropdown menu.
    • FloridaCommerce is working with the Florida Chamber, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and other private sector partners to consistently update business open/close status on FloridaDisaster.biz. FloridaCommerce staff have made more than 300 calls to rural and small businesses to help with this effort.
    • Walmart has donated $500 gift cards to shelters in Hamilton, Madison and Suwannee Counties for the purchase of pet food.
    • Lowes has deployed their Tool Rental Truck to assist in recovery efforts providing a rental option for power tools from chainsaws and pressure washers, to fence post augers and compressors. The truck is also staffed with small engine mechanics to support local communities with power.
    • VISIT FLORIDA Emergency Accommodation Modules on Expedia, Priceline and Booking.com will remain available to provide real-time hotel availability and lodging resources for impacted Floridians and visitors.
    • Visit website for CareerSource openings: careersourceflorida.com
    • Comcast has opened more than 52,000 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Florida. The free and public hotspots are open for all, including non-Xfinity customers. For more information, click here.
    • CVS Health created pop-up pharmacies in impacted areas.
    • The Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, has contacted the United States Postal Service (USPS) about election information and vote-by-mail ballots. The Division of Elections recommended that Supervisors of Elections t contact their local district USPS to discuss a mitigation plan for ballot mailing, delivery, and return.
    • The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) worked with Florida’s ports and fuel industry partners to ensure adequate fuel supplies are available, and with Florida’s agricultural partners so producers have adequate resources. The Florida Forest Service staged equipment, like high-water vehicles.
    • The Commissioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, has approved an Emergency Order temporarily suspending the intrastate movement requirements for animal transportation. In addition, the following states have waived their interstate import requirements for Florida pets, horses, and livestock leaving the state: Alabama, Georgia (does not include livestock), Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
    • Commissioner Wilton Simpson has approved an emergency rule authorizing out-of-state licensed security guards to protect people and property in Florida and has approved an emergency rule to aid the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas to disaster response and recovery operations.
    • Fuel inspectors are responding to impacted areas to ensure retail fuel dispensers are working properly and testing the quality of fuel.
    • Floridians are encouraged to visit complaints.fdacs.gov or call 1-800-HELP-FLA to report water-contaminated fuel issues to the department.
    • Food safety inspectors are responding to impacted areas to conduct damage assessments and ensure the safe operation of over 12,000 potentially impacted food establishments.
    • Agricultural partners can request critical assistance for  livestock and animals in critical need, please complete this form then send it to DAIOPSAssessment@FDACS.gov, or call 863-993-5460.
    • UF/IFAS is studying the agricultural losses and damages resulting from Hurricane Helene. Producers can share information about impacts experienced at your farm, ranch, or aquaculture operation here.
    • Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) launched the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program for Florida farmers, ranchers, and growers impacted by Hurricane Helene to apply for low-interest and interest-free loans. Loans can be used by eligible agriculture and aquaculture producers to restore, repair, or replace essential physical property – including fences, equipment, greenhouses, and other buildings – or to remove vegetative debris.
    • FDACS is securing and providing critical resources to our agricultural producers, such as generators, fencing, feed/water, and veterinary supplies.
    • The Department of Revenue (FDOR) has issued Emergency Order 24-001: Taxing Authority Millage and Budget Hearings to assist local taxing authorities with altering their plans for annual budget hearings because of Helene. Department of Revenue bulletin PTO 20-07 provides further instructions for local taxing authorities during declared emergencies.
    • The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is posting updates publicly and in real-time at FDC.myflorida.com/weather-updates.
    • The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) have finalized storm preparations to ensure the safety and security of staff and youth in our care. This includes fueling all vehicles, moving vehicles in low-lying and flood-prone areas to higher ground, testing and ensuring adequate fuel supplies for generators in the event of loss of power, and ensuring food, medicine, and emergency supplies are stocked and ready.

      For previous updates see below:
      9/24/2024
      9/25/2024
      9/26/2024

      Follow FDEM on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates and visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for information relating to Hurricane Helene.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Senior doctors support Buller march to fix health system

    Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists

    West Coast patients deserves more than ‘on call’ health services via a telephone line, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton says.
    Her words come after West Coast Health revealed Buller’s urgent care GP clinics will end and be replaced with a telehealth service.
    “The proposal to cut after hours clinical care has been incredibly rushed and lacks consultation, risk mitigation and proper management,” Dalton says.
    “It is the responsibility of West Coast Health as the primary health organisation to ensure there is sufficient community-based, after-hours care for a community. This is especially important in a community like the West Coast which lacks paramedic services and only has one ambulance.”
    The people of Buller will march in silence from Victoria Square to Westport Clock Tower on October 28 from midday to demonstrate their concern over the dire state of healthcare in the region.
    “We share the concerns of the people of Buller and ask West Coast Health to walk back their decision to cut services and find a solution that benefits the community’s health needs,” Dalton says.
    “What is happening in Buller is happening across the country and communities need to stand together to ensure they get safe, equitable and fit-for-purpose health care not delivered through a telephone line.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Cramer: HHS Awards $970,634 to North Dakota Tribal Nations for Opioid Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the award of $970,634 to support substance abuse programs in three North Dakota tribal nations. The award will be distributed to the following tribes:

    • $425,000 to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians
    • $295,634 to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
    • $250,000 to the Spirit Lake Tribe

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – GPs frustrated by funding model which restricts patient access, increases deaths from lung cancer – GenPro

    Source: GenPro

    An urgent need to increase patients’ access to general practice is the clear message from new research on New Zealand’s single biggest cause of cancer deaths, lung cancer.

    A study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal found that surviving lung cancer in New Zealand could depend on access to a GP. (ref. https://nzmj.org.nz/media/pages/journal/vol-137-no-1603/4e8103db3e-1727209620/nzmjv137i1603_27sep2024.pdf )

    “The research clearly shows that patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer after a GP referral tend to have better outcomes than those diagnosed after visiting emergency departments, by which time it’s often too late,” said Dr Angus Chambers, Chair of the General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (GenPro).

    “The study shows that there is health inequity in New Zealand – those who can access and afford to visit a GP are advantaged over those who cannot, which is wrong. We need to ensure everyone can access a GP for an earlier diagnosis which could save lives,” Dr Chambers said.

    While an emergency department is an important part of the healthcare system, especially for red-flag symptoms, visiting a GP when symptoms are less severe can lead to an earlier diagnosis and therefore better treatment options.

    “That patients are choosing not to go to their GP because they cannot get an appointment, cannot enrol in a local GP, or cannot afford to pay for a visit, means they put up with less serious symptoms. But eventually the symptoms get so bad they go to an emergency department. By this time it is often too late.”

    GPs are at the coalface of early detection of highly fatal diseases like lung cancer, and are frustrated by an outdated funding system which is not helping patients access GPs for early diagnosis and optimal outcomes.

    “A recent GenPro survey showed general practices are in crisis, squeezed by rising costs, high patient demand and staff shortages. The key reason is that government funding has not kept pace with the cost of running a general practice,” Dr Chambers said.

    This is a result of Ministers, the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora refusing to invest in general practice despite overwhelming evidence of the health benefits to New Zealanders.

    “The government must as a matter of urgency increase its support of primary healthcare, overhaul the current out-of-date funding model, and help increase the supply of medical professionals into primary healthcare.”
     
    GenPro, which represents more than half of all general practices in Aotearoa, is ready to work with the Minister of Health and the Health NZ Commissioner to develop the solutions needed.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN releases 10 mln USD emergency humanitarian funds for Lebanon aid

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The acting UN relief chief on Friday allocated 10 million U.S. dollars in emergency funding for the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, which the local UN coordinator described as catastrophic.

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Israeli air strikes continued to affect civilians and civilian infrastructure on the fifth consecutive day of the large-scale military escalation.

    The world body’s humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, called the destruction nothing short of catastrophic, with the surge in violence extending to previously unaffected areas, causing widespread destruction.

    “We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning,” Riza said.

    He said that in less than a week, at least 700 lives have been lost, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced, with the numbers continuing to rise. Since the beginning of the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed, and over 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

    “The United Nations and partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese Government to support the response efforts,” OCHA said. “We are delivering food, mattresses, hygiene kits, and emergency medical supplies.”

    Riza said that critical funding gaps persist in the areas of shelter repair, food, fuel and coordination, among others. Humanitarian organizations are assessing the amount of funding required to address the increasing number of displaced people and the rising humanitarian needs.

    UN Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya allocated the 10 million U.S. dollars from the world body’s Central Emergency Response Fund.

    The office said the funds are in addition to the 10 million dollars released from the Lebanon Humanitarian fund earlier in the week.

    In Gaza, OCHA warned that displaced people live in abysmal conditions, which could further deteriorate in the upcoming cold and rainy winter weather.

    The United Nations and humanitarian partners recently conducted assessments — Sept. 19 and 22 — in two collective shelters in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

    “At both sites, displaced communities live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits, sanitary pads and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies,” OCHA said.

    The office said the first site was a school turned into a shelter by the UN relief agency known as UNRWA in the Al Bureij refugee camp in Deir al Balah. It was hosting more than 3,500 Gazans.

    “Our teams found people were crammed into classrooms and worn-out tents, with an average of 80 to 100 people per classroom and 40 people per tent,” OCHA said. “Access to clean water and health care is extremely limited. Most residents are eating only one meal per day, with some people going the entire day without eating.”

    The office said the second site was a makeshift camp in Abasan in eastern Khan Younis, hosting 2,500 people, including nearly 1,000 school-aged children.

    “The site is in a flood-prone area, adjacent to a site where garbage is being dumped,” OCHA said. “There are no medical facilities and there is no food support at this site, except for occasional hot meals provided by a charity organization.”

    The office said humanitarian aid movements in Gaza face significant access constraints.

    “Nearly 90 percent of coordinated humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza so far in September have been either denied or impeded,” OCHA said.

    In the West Bank, the office said the number of internal movement obstacles deployed by Israeli forces increased by more than 20 percent since June 2023.

    Since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, OCHA said Israeli authorities in the West Bank also imposed movement restrictions, marked by the deployment or maintenance of hundreds of movement obstacles and a general closure that affects Palestinian permit-holders and bars them from accessing East Jerusalem and Israel.

    “The cumulative impact of movement obstacles has been devastating, further entrenching the fragmentation of the West Bank, disrupting access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians and aggravating the already difficult living conditions there,” the office said.

    OCHA said that health facilities in the West Bank also suffered in the conflict.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that from the Oct. 7 to July 30, there were 527 attacks on health care in the region, including obstruction of access, use of force, detention and militarized searches.

    WHO said the attacks affected 54 health facilities, including 20 mobile clinics and 365 ambulances.

    “These incidents not only hinder access to health care, but also jeopardize the safety of medical personnel and patients,” OCHA said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: EU foreign policy chief calls for immediate efforts towards two-state solution

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell has stressed the need for immediate efforts towards the two-state solution, rather than waiting for a ceasefire, in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    “If you want to build the two-state solution, do not wait for the ceasefire. Start working on it from now on,” Borrell told the Council on Foreign Relations, an influential U.S. foreign policy think tank, in New York on Friday.

    The idea that we can start building peace after we stop the war is utopical and completely contrary to the dark reality, said Borrell, who is also the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. “We have to overlap the two processes,” he noted.

    Borrell has promoted the solution of creating a Palestinian state at several events on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.

    At the Ministerial side event on the Middle East Peace Process on Friday, Borrell said “We have responsibility to thousands and thousands of innocent children who were killed” while warning that the way Israel has been conducting wars in the Middle East is certainly not a way to ensure security for Israel.

    “These attacks against Lebanon have been creating such a great number of civilian casualties that cannot be justified by the right to defense,” Borrell noted.

    Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing over 700 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

    He also pledged that the EU will continue to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

    “We are the biggest supporter to UNRWA. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to provide critical resources to ensure the agency’s ongoing operations, and we call to international community to join us in this effort,” Borrell said at the UNRWA Ministerial Level meeting in New York.

    “Together we can make a tangible difference in the life of millions of people, nothing less than that,” he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Netanyahu insists on carrying out attacks in Lebanon, threatens Iran

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the General Debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 27, 2024. Netanyahu on Friday said at the United Nations General Assembly that there would be no immediate truce in his country’s rapidly escalating conflict with Lebanon. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said at the United Nations General Assembly that there would be no immediate truce in his country’s rapidly escalating conflict with Lebanon.

    “We face savage enemies who seek our annihilation, and we must defend ourselves against these savage murderers, (who) seek not only to destroy us but also destroy our common civilization and return all of us to a dark age of tyranny and terror,” he said.

    “Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing … we’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met,” added Netanyahu.

    Meanwhile, he used a large portion of his speech to warn of threats by — and to threaten — Iran, suggesting that Israel has had to defend itself on fronts of conflict organized by Tehran.

    “There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that is true of the entire Middle East,” he said. “I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran: If you strike us we will strike you.”

    Israel has increased the scope of its conflict with Lebanon over the past week, launching attacks against Hezbollah that have taken out top leaders of the militant group and led to more than 600 deaths in Lebanon, according to the country’s Health Ministry. The Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah continued to exchange fire overnight and Friday as casualties mounted. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Electronics Unveils Samsung Health Research Stack

    Source: Samsung

    As the digital health and wearable devices industries grow, precise data measurement and analysis are becoming increasingly important. On September 27, Samsung Electronics released Samsung Health Research Stack to strengthen data-based digital health research.
     
    Samsung Health Research Stack is Samsung Electronics’ open-source project that supports digital health researches using mobile and wearable devices in Android and Wear OS environments. The platform provides IT developers and medical researchers with a software environment to conveniently and safely plan services using relevant data.
     
    Because clinical research requires apps and services that continuously measure, share and analyze health-related data from users’ daily lives, Samsung Health Research Stack aims to help researchers implement the features they want.
     
    Following the launch of Samsung Health Stack Alpha in 2022 and Samsung Health Stack 1.0 in 2023, Samsung has announced the latest version with Samsung Health Research Stack 2.0 Beta. The open-source project has rebranded to Samsung Health Research Stack, emphasizing support for the research ecosystem as part of the newly launched Samsung Health SDK Suite — a comprehensive package of software development tools for healthcare solutions.
     

     
     
    New Features Help Researchers With Their Studies
    Samsung Health Research Stack promotes more efficient digital health research. Features include an app SDK for easy application creation, a back-end service that manages data collected by the app and a web portal to assist with research design and data analysis. In response to feedback from researchers, the latest version includes more convenient features.
     
    The app SDK is a development tool that reduces the cost and time required to develop applications for digital health — and now supports the development of both mobile apps for research and smartwatch apps that utilize wearable sensor data. Notably, enhanced support for the Sensor SDK allows researchers to create watch apps that measure and utilize electrocardiogram, blood oxygen level and body composition data from the innovative Galaxy Watch1 sensors. The new Data SDK integration helps researchers create applications that use sleep data from the Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring.
     
    Moreover, performance and usability improvements have been made to the back-end service and web portal. The back-end architecture has been reinforced to handle data from large clinical trials with added features to manage studies. The web portal helps with the research process from patient recruitment and surveys to progress management and data analysis.
     
     
    Driving Results Around the World With Introduction at SDC24
    Samsung Health Research Stack is open to any company or medical institution in the digital healthcare space developing solutions that utilize wearable devices and biomarkers.
     
    Samsung Health Research Stack will be showcased at the Samsung Developer Conference 2024 (SDC24) on October 3 in San Jose, California. Developers can join a Code Lab session during the event to experience the latest features firsthand.
     
    “Samsung Health Research Stack is already being used in multiple domestic and international clinical studies that utilize Galaxy Watch,” said Yunsu Lee, Head of the Data Intelligence Team, Samsung Research. “With our innovative wearable technology, we aim to contribute to expanding the digital health ecosystem and serve as a valuable partner to IT and medical professionals in achieving research breakthroughs.”
     
    The latest version of Samsung Health Research Stack is available on the Samsung Developer website and GitHub.
     
     
    1 Available on Galaxy Watch 4 or later models equipped with Wear OS. Data supported may vary depending on sensor type and model.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty, TN Delegation Urge Swift Approval of Disaster Declaration Following Hurricane Helene Flash Flooding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) today joined the Tennessee Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to swiftly approve Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration in the wake of flash flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Co-signers of the letter include Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04), Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), John Rose (R-TN-06), Mark Green (R-TN-07), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09).

    A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We write to urge swift approval of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act due to severe weather occurring on September 26 and 27, 2024.

    The remnants of Hurricane Helene have caused widespread damage across Tennessee, especially in East Tennessee. An estimated 6 to 10 inches of rain has fallen across the eastern part of the state over the past 48 hours. Catastrophic flash flooding has devastated communities across East Tennessee, causing I-40 to collapse and leaving homes destroyed. The Unicoi County Hospital has been inundated with flood waters, and patients and staff were forced to take shelter on the roof to await rescue. Over 75,500 power outages were reported statewide. With the heaviest rains expected to shift through Middle and West Tennessee over the weekend, more damage is expected.   

    To respond to this disaster, Governor Lee is specifically requesting an Emergency Declaration, Categories A and B, including Direct Federal Assistance. Governor Lee’s request is attached. On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we urge you to approve this request as soon as possible.

    Our offices can provide you with any additional information you need.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: New tech at digital trade expo signals China’s foreign trade momentum

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    HANGZHOU, Sept. 28 — The third Global Digital Trade Expo, currently unfolding in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, is offering a glimpse into avant-garde technologies that are unlocking the country’s burgeoning potential in foreign trade.

    Over the span of five days, the exhibition is featuring 446 new products and technologies, ranging from robots performing remarkable tasks like opening bottles and sorting waste to AI-driven digital humans engaging in debate competitions.

    “I was impressed most by medical AI displayed at the exhibition, such as robotic surgical arms and screening clinics,” said Kgaladi Melia Thema, a consultant for innovation and technology of Small Enterprise Development Agency, South Africa.

    “Nurses can use chronic disease management screening products for patients, which can be applied both at home and in clinics. This reduces costs and enables remote patient monitoring, offering great potential,” she added.

    Digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing and blockchain are taking center stage at the expo, underscoring how China is harnessing these innovations to propel its foreign trade.

    At the booth of iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., a front-runner in China’s AI and speech technology industry, several African visitors were immersed in real-time conversations with staff through a state-of-the-art multilingual AI-powered translation screen. Despite the bustling environment, the screen, equipped with advanced voice recognition technologies, accurately captured and responded to human voices.

    “Overseas business is poised to become a significant growth engine for us in the coming years. Our aspiration is for it to constitute one-third of our business segments in the future,” said Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFLYTEK.

    Chinese cultural exports are also stealing the show at the exhibition. In the digital entertainment zone, innovative exhibits such as an AI-powered representation of Su Dongpo, a celebrated poet from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), a virtual museum of traditional Chinese music, as well as a 3D display of the four bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan), are offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the richness of Chinese culture.

    “The fusion of digital technology with the splendor of traditional Chinese culture has not only expanded our export opportunities, but also invigorated the growth of China’s culture industry,” said Wu Shuang, a staff member of Zhejiang Kayou Animation Co., Ltd., a domestic card game creator.

    Visitors are also being treated to futuristic transportation solutions, including autonomous boat taxis and the electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles, all being showcased for the first time at this year’s expo.

    “China is rightly regarded as a global leader in digital technologies and innovations,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adding that China’s advancement in digital trade is not only creating new avenues for cooperation, but also enhancing global trade infrastructure, fostering sustainable development worldwide.

    “Chinese technologies and innovations are enhancing supply chains, making them faster and more efficient, while also improving access to goods and services,” Madiyev noted.

    According to the Global Digital Trade Development Report 2024 released during the event, global digital trade soared to around 7.13 trillion U.S. dollars (about 1.02 trillion yuan) in 2023, up from 6.02 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021, marking an average annual growth rate of 8.8 percent.

    The report also highlighted that the import and export scale of China’s cross-border e-commerce reached 2.37 trillion yuan last year, up 15.3 percent year on year.

    Mercado Libre, a leading Latin American e-commerce platform, witnessed a 70-percent increase in online Chinese sellers and a 75-percent surge in their sales on its platform in 2023.

    The company has opened its cross-border e-commerce services to Chinese sellers in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, according to its representative at the expo, who also emphasized the escalating significance of the Chinese market.

    As China’s sole national-level event focusing on the theme of digital trade, the expo has drawn over 1,500 enterprises, including more than 300 international companies, and over 30,000 purchasers this year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Departments of Justice and Interior Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

    Source: US State of California

    Senior officials from the Justice Department and Department of the Interior yesterday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).

    The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal  response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) — a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 under the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combating violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, people affected by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared their concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Justice Department and Department of the Interior hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices.

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and delivered video remarks.

    “Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.”

    “Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.”

    Attorney General Garland also announced that this month, the Justice Department will award more than $210 million to American Indian and Alaska Native communities through three separate programs to support a wide range of public safety challenges. These funds will go directly to efforts to support Tribal safety. They include programs dedicated to reducing domestic violence and sexual violence, supporting victims of crime, and providing resources to law enforcement, Tribal youth programs, and treatment programs.

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”

    Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”

    In August, Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country.  Read more about these efforts.

    The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming from this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email newsmedia@bia.gov no later than Friday, Oct. 4.

    Additional Background on the Departments of Justice and Interior’s commitment to addressing MMIP and HT

    Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.

    Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

    MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

    Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress.

    Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.

    White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.

    International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Readout of Departments of Justice and Interior Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Senior officials from the Justice Department and Department of the Interior yesterday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).

    The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal  response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) — a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 under the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combating violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, people affected by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared their concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Justice Department and Department of the Interior hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices.

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and delivered video remarks.

    “Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.”

    “Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.”

    Attorney General Garland also announced that this month, the Justice Department will award more than $210 million to American Indian and Alaska Native communities through three separate programs to support a wide range of public safety challenges. These funds will go directly to efforts to support Tribal safety. They include programs dedicated to reducing domestic violence and sexual violence, supporting victims of crime, and providing resources to law enforcement, Tribal youth programs, and treatment programs.

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”

    Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”

    In August, Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country.  Read more about these efforts.

    The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming from this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email newsmedia@bia.gov no later than Friday, Oct. 4.

    Additional Background on the Departments of Justice and Interior’s commitment to addressing MMIP and HT

    Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.

    Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

    MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

    Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress.

    Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.

    White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.

    International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hospital Authority responds to media enquiries on arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by Police

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hospital Authority responds to media enquiries on arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by Police
    Hospital Authority responds to media enquiries on arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by Police
    ******************************************************************************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:     In response to media enquiries on the arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by the Police, a spokesman for the Hospital Authority (HA) gave the following response:     Regarding the patient case on May 25, 2024, involving a four-year-old girl who developed cardiac arrest following a suturing procedure in the Accident and Emergency Department of Yan Chai Hospital (YCH), two staff members involved in the suturing procedure were arrested by the Police this morning. The staff concerned will be suspended from their duties. YCH will adhere to its prevailing human resources policies in handling the case. The HA will all along fully co-operate with the Police investigation.     The patient has been receiving treatment in the Peadiatric Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital since May 25, 2024. She remains in critical condition and dependent on nasogastric tube feeding and ventilatory support. The HA expresses deep concern for the patient and her family and will continue to provide appropriate treatment and support.     As legal proceeding are ongoing, it is inappropriate for the HA to make further comments on the case.

     
    Ends/Saturday, September 28, 2024Issued at HKT 16:27

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Health Bureau responds to media enquiries on Police action

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Health Bureau responds to media enquiries on Police action
    Health Bureau responds to media enquiries on Police action
    **********************************************************

         In response to media enquiries on the arrest of two staff of Yan Chai Hospital by the Police, a spokesman for the Health Bureau (HHB) gave the following response today (September 28):     The spokesman said, “As the case is under legal proceedings, it is inappropriate for us to comment. We are deeply saddened by the circumstances of the girl in this case. The clinical team of the Hospital Authority (HA) will continue to provide optimal treatment to the girl and maintain close liaison with her family to provide timely support.      “The HHB has been highly concerned about the incident. Patient safety is the prime concern of hospital operations. We understand that the HA will fully assist in the Police’s investigation.”

     
    Ends/Saturday, September 28, 2024Issued at HKT 16:20

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Central London restaurants fined for mice infestation and falsifying documents | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Wong Kei, the well-known Chinatown restaurant has received over £40,000 in fines after cockroaches and dead mice were found in the kitchen and the owner was found to have falsified documents.  In a separate case brought by the City Council, Little Sicily on Whitehall was also prosecuted after failing to correct numerous hygiene offences, most notably a mouse infestation.

    Gosing Limited, the operators of the Chinatown stalwart pleaded guilty to four offences of failing to comply with EU food safety and hygiene regulation and was fined at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 4, 2024, and ordered to pay £31,503.25 in fines and costs.

    After an initial visit by Westminster City Council’s Environmental Health team in 2022, Wong Kei operating under Jexstar Limited, was served two Hygiene Improvement Notices and was asked to improve business standards. As a result, the Council was told that its director Mr. Daniel Luc had parted company with the restaurant. However, in May 2023, the restaurant which now operated under Gosing Limited was inspected again and found there was no change to the business as Mr. Daniel Luc still retained overall control.

    The restaurant was found to have issues with mice and cockroaches as well as other food hygiene offences including cross contamination of raw and precooked food, and unsanitary hygiene practices by staff. Subsequently, the court fined Mr. Luc a total of £10,803.25 for pleading guilty to all offences.  The total fines amounted to £42,306.50, and between Mr. Luc and Gosing Ltd  they pled guilty to over eleven (11) food hygiene offenses.

    In a separate matter, the director of Italian themed restaurant Little Sicily, Mr. Magdi Assif, was also charged with three food hygiene offences at Westminster Magistrates’ court on September 4, 2024, and issued with penalties totalling £20,176.50. Following a routine inspection of the eatery on Whitehall by the council there was evidence of mice droppings in the kitchen and storage areas, and mouldy food was found in the fridge. Inspectors also found sinks blocked by lettuce heads, grease dripping from cookers and mice droppings on the ground. Upon further inspection they also found cockroaches scuttling off after moving three chillers. This resulted in a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice being served on the Food Business on the 26th of June 2023.

    The court heard how inspecting officers had also issued a previous Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice to Little Sicily Restaurant Limited on January 25th, 2023, relating to mice activity at the premises. Due to Mr. Assif’s poor history as the director of the business, it was decided, in the interest of the public to proceed with prosecution as the premises had been closed twice in 6 months.

    Westminster City Council remains dedicated to educating businesses to uphold the highest food safety standards. For more information about what the council does to ensure all establishments serve food that is safe to consume more information can be found on our website.  

    Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection said:

    These fines demonstrate that Westminster Council remains committed to ensuring the safety and protection of consumers who enjoy the wide variety of food within the borough.

    Our vigilant food safety officers will continue to monitor and inspect all food-preparing and food-serving places to ensure they adhere to all laws and regulations that we as a council set.  And it is only fair that we ensure that those businesses who invest in compliance have the chance to thrive and that those who put others at risk of harm are held to account for their failures and unscrupulous practices”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement by the Prime Minister on International Safe Abortion Day

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on International Safe Abortion Day:

    “Abortion is health care. Family planning is health care. It’s that simple.

    “On International Safe Abortion Day, we unequivocally reaffirm every woman’s right to make decisions about their body, their life, and their future. We reflect on the freedoms won by women. We recommit to the progress we can’t risk losing. And we fight – tooth and nail – to protect a woman’s right to choose.

    “Our government is proudly pro-choice and always will be. That’s why we’re taking action to expand sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care across the country. With the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund, we are removing barriers, increasing access to these critical services, and supporting community organizations across Canada to help deliver this care. Funding includes projects to increase access to safe abortion services for women, youth, and Indigenous, racialized, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

    “Being pro-choice doesn’t just mean we support the right to choose. It also means we increase the choices available for women. Earlier this year, our government announced Bill C-64, the first phase of our pharmacare plan, which includes universal coverage for a range of contraception. With $1.5 billion in federal investments, we’re making contraception medications and devices free – from birth control pills, to IUDs, to implants, to the morning-after pill – so women are free to choose if, when, and how they plan their family. With this coverage, nine million women will have more choices and, importantly, more affordable choices – so their right to reproductive freedom isn’t restricted by cost. Earlier this month, we jointly announced with the Government of British Columbia our intent to work together to improve contraception and diabetes coverage for residents of British Columbia. Once Bill C-64 is passed, we intend to enter formal negotiations, and we encourage all provinces and territories to sign on.

    “Our commitment to increasing access to safe SRH services extends beyond our borders. As part of our 10-year commitment to global health and rights, we are making transformative investments to support comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls around the world. In 2022-23 alone, our global investments to support safe abortions and post-abortion care increased by over 50 per cent. And with our Feminist International Assistance Policy, we’re playing a leadership role on the world stage to strengthen gender equality and share the message – through action and engagement – that sexual and reproductive care is health care.

    “As threats to women’s rights increase around the world, some march in celebration. Some divest and defund health services. Some may say one thing, but their actions demonstrate another. And some choose to stay silent, almost ashamed to speak up for reproductive health.

    “We will not. Because no government or politician should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. On this International Safe Abortion Day, and every day, we move forward on our commitment to building a safer, fairer, and more prosperous future for everyone.”

    The Government of Canada recently launched online resources on SRH-related topics, including abortion, gender affirming care, and other sexual health care information. These resources are intended to improve access to accurate SRH information for Canadians.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Statement by the Prime Minister on International Abortion Rights Day

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Prime Minister of Canada – in French

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on International Abortion Rights Day:

    “Abortion is health care. Family planning is health care. It’s that simple.”

    “On this International Abortion Rights Day, we reaffirm unequivocally that every woman has the right to make decisions about her body, her life and her future. We reflect on the freedoms women have won. We renew our commitment to the progress we cannot risk losing. Finally, we fight hard to protect women’s freedom of choice.

    “Our government is proudly pro-choice and always will be. That’s why we’re taking action to expand sexual and reproductive health care across the country. With theFund for Sexual and Reproductive Health, we are breaking down barriers, increasing access to these essential services, and supporting community organizations across Canada that help deliver this care. Funding is specifically targeted to projects that aim to improve access to safe abortion for women, youth, Indigenous people, racialized people, and 2SLGBTQI communities.

    “Being pro-choice means more than just supporting women’s right to choose. It means increasing the choices available to them. Earlier this year, our government announced Bill C-64, the first phase of our pharmacare plan, which will provide universal coverage for a range of contraceptives. With $1.5 billion in federal investments, we are making medications and contraceptives free – from birth control pills to IUDs, implants and the morning-after pill – so women can decide whether, when and how to start a family. With this coverage, nine million women will benefit from greater choice and, most importantly, more affordable options. This will mean that cost will no longer be a barrier to their reproductive freedom. Earlier this month, we jointly announced with the Government of British Columbia that we intend to expand coverage for birth control and diabetes medications for residents of that province. Following the passage of Bill C-64, we plan to begin formal negotiations. We encourage each province and territory to do the same.

    “Our commitment to expanding access to safe sexual and reproductive health services extends beyond our borders. As part of our 10-year commitment to global health and rights, we are making transformative investments to support the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls around the world. From 2022 to 2023, we have increased our global investments in safe abortion and post-abortion care by more than 50%. As part of ourFeminist International Aid Policy, we play a leading role on the world stage in promoting greater gender equality. And through our action and commitment, our message is that sexual and reproductive care is health care.

    “As threats to women increase around the world, some people march to celebrate. Others stand down and cut funding for health care. Some say one thing and do another. And others choose to remain silent and are almost ashamed to speak out in support of reproductive health.

    “We will not do that. No government or politician should dictate to a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. On this International Abortion Rights Day, as on every other day, we are following through on our commitment to building a safer, fairer and more prosperous future for everyone.”

    The Government of Canada recently published onlineresources on topics related to sexual and reproductive health, including abortion, gender-affirming care and other sexual health care information. These resources aim to improve Canadians’ access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Global: The problem with new claims that Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus was co-written by a forgotten dramatist

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gabriel Egan, Professor of Shakespeare Studies, De Montfort University

    Painting of an unknown 21-year-old man, widely supposed to be Christopher Marlowe (1585). Corpus Christi College

    In Shakespeare’s time, about a quarter of all plays were collaboratively written by two or more dramatists. Christopher Marlowe’s classic work Doctor Faustus was first performed in the 1580s or early 1590s but only published in 1604, 11 years after his death. The dramatists Samuel Rowley and William Bird were paid in 1602 to write new additions to the play.

    However, researchers have long suspected that the original play was not written by Marlowe alone. Its broader comic parts, largely in prose, have been thought to be the work of a second writer who never got the credit they deserved.

    Previous research has suggested one of the dramatists Thomas Nashe or Henry Porter. Nashe left us only one play, Summer’s Last Will and Testament (1592). Porter wrote several in collaboration with other dramatists, but only one sole-authored play survives, The Two Angry Women of Abingdon (1599).

    So, can a new computer analysis of texts resolve this question and finally credit the second author of Doctor Faustus?

    In an article in the journal Notes & Queries and a piece in the Guardian, Darren Freebury-Jones describes computer techniques that point to Marlowe’s co-author being Porter. But we have found methodological problems in Freebury-Jones’s approach, and believe the evidence he presents does not support the conclusions he draws from it.

    Computational analysis can certainly generate new knowledge about authorship, but his work is not a convincing example of this burgeoning art.

    Unique matches

    Freebury-Jones’s Notes & Queries article presents tables from a free online dataset, Collocations and N-Grams, created by independent Shakespeare analyst Pervez Rizvi. For 527 plays from the 1550s to the 1650s (pretty much all of those that have survived from this period), the dataset lists all four-word phrases that each play has in common with the other 526.

    But the phrases Rizvi considers most significant are those that appear only in the play under consideration and one other play – known as “unique matches”. For each of the 527 plays, he ranks which other plays have the most unique matches to it.

    If these rare phrases are particular to each dramatist’s idiolect (unique way of speaking), then researchers should, for example, find at the top of the Macbeth table some other plays by Shakespeare. And we do: among the top-ten plays that share the most unique matches with Macbeth are Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, King Lear and Hamlet.

    But while the top-ten list for Macbeth gives grounds for optimism about Freebury-Jones’s method, since four of its plays are Shakespeare’s, the top-ten list for Doctor Faustus, reproduced below, dashes this:

    1. The Taming of a Shrew
    2. A Trick to Catch the Old One
    3. The Devil’s Charter
    4. Albumazar
    5. Caesar and Pompey, or Caesar’s Revenge
    6. The Family of Love
    7. Messalina, the Roman Empress
    8. The Sisters
    9. The Two Angry Women of Abingdon
    10. Tamburlaine

    While Porter is present in this list as the author of The Two Angry Women of Abingdon, Marlowe himself has only one play in it: Tamburlaine (1587) at position ten. If this method were detecting authorship, Marlowe’s other plays should dominate the list, just as the Macbeth list is dominated by Shakespeare plays.

    Moreover, Porter’s play also appears at number ten for unique matches with Macbeth. This suggests the evidence for Porter being a coauthor of Macbeth is almost as strong as for Doctor Faustus – but Freebury-Jones makes no mention of this.

    Illustration from the title page of a 1620 edition of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.
    John Wright

    Porter can hardly be expected to dominate any top-ten list as Shakespeare does for Macbeth, since he left us only play. In contrast, with his roughly 1 million words of writing, Shakespeare presents a much greater “surface area” to any method that counts rare words or phrases – so he has more opportunities than anyone else to write the rare phrases we are looking for. To compensate for this, Rizvi discounts the significance of matches to authors with large canons.

    Freebury-Jones mentions that the raw counts “are divided by the combined word counts for each pairing”, which is the scaling process Rizvi describes in the notes to Collocations and N-Grams. But nobody knows if this is the right way to scale for different canons or not, because the science of this problem has not been explored.

    Rizvi changed his scaling formula in 2018 at my (Gabriel Egan’s) suggestion. But I did not claim to have solved the problem, and I consider it an open question whether we can derive a fair formula for such scaling.

    Furthermore, Rizvi’s dataset does not distinguish between the plays that Shakespeare wrote alone and those he co-wrote, so his scaling factor treats as Shakespeare’s some substantial writings of other authors.

    Further problems

    This highlights another question with the analysis. In the top-ten list for unique matches with Macbeth are two plays co-authored by the dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher: The Woman Hater (1606) and Philaster (1620).

    So, what should a researcher do when a play has more than one author? One response is to count matches to Beaumont’s part separately from matches to Fletcher’s part, using the widely accepted divisions of these two plays – as first proposed by Cyrus Hoy, an expert in the English Renaissance stage, in 1958. Alternatively, you could exclude co-authored plays entirely, as many authorship investigators do.

    But Freebury-Jones says nothing about this problem of judging writers by their co-authored works. This consideration bears somewhat on Macbeth too, since many Shakespearians believe the playwright Thomas Middleton wrote about 5%-10% of it.

    So where does all this leave Porter? Freebury-Jones ends his Notes & Queries piece with a cautious claim: “We may reasonably conclude that Henry Porter is a likelier candidate than [Thomas] Nashe for Marlowe’s collaborator on Doctor Faustus.”

    But in speaking to the Guardian, he abandoned this caution. He reports being “astonished by just how close the dramatic language of Doctor Faustus actually was to Porter”, and insists that we must recognise “Porter as the most likely collaborator”.

    It’s possible that Porter did co-write Doctor Faustus. But the problems with Freebury-Jones’s analysis mean that, for now, we still can’t say for sure.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The problem with new claims that Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus was co-written by a forgotten dramatist – https://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-new-claims-that-marlowes-doctor-faustus-was-co-written-by-a-forgotten-dramatist-239968

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    Americans are facing a healthcare crisis, and those who question the current orthodoxy or offer alternative treatments are ridiculed, vilified, and canceled. On September 23, I was joined by a highly qualified group of doctors and nutritional experts to discuss our nation’s health and ask questions we haven’t been allowed to ask.

    The roundtable discussion, American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion, provided a foundational and historical understanding of the changes that have occurred over the last century within agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries, which impact the current state of national health.  

    WATCH FULL ROUNDTABLE (4 hours) 

    If you can’t spend the full 4 hours watching, I’d suggest you watch these quick highlights from Monday’s roundtable. It captures important points and powerful testimony.

    WATCH 14-MINUTE HIGHLIGHT VIDEO 

    Dr. Casey Means explains that our food is leading to chronic illness. We can’t even ask questions without being ridiculed or vilified. 

    Dr. Means: “If the current trends continue… At best, we’re going to face profound societal instability and decreased American competitiveness, and at worst, we’re going to be looking at a genocidal level health collapse…” (Watch)

    Other panelists included: 

    The greatest threat to our nation is that we are so horribly divided. We all agree on the major goals of life: safety, security, and raising our children well. I have no idea the political affiliation of this panel, but it doesn’t make any difference. This is a nonpartisan issue, and through these conversations, we can set an example of how to heal and unify our great nation. 

    WATCH: Sen. Johnson closing remarks on unity (2 minutes) 

    It was standing room only in the historic Kennedy Caucus room. Two overflow rooms were needed to handle the crowds. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the roundtable. I hope America is listening and starts examining how and what they eat.

    WATCH: Sen. Johnson on Newsmax discusses roundtable

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 09/28/2024 Blackburn Leads Tennessee Delegation in Urging Swift Approval of Disaster Declaration Following Hurricane Helene Flash Flooding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) led the Tennessee delegation in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to swiftly approve Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration in the wake of flash flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
    Read the full letter here or below.
     Dear Mr. President:
    We write to urge swift approval of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act due to severe weather occurring on September 26 and 27, 2024. 
    The remnants of Hurricane Helene have caused widespread damage across Tennessee, especially in East Tennessee. An estimated 6 to 10 inches of rain has fallen across the eastern part of the state over the past 48 hours. Catastrophic flash flooding has devastated communities across East Tennessee, causing I-40 to collapse and leaving homes destroyed. The Unicoi County Hospital has been inundated with flood waters, and patients and staff were forced to take shelter on the roof to await rescue. Over 75,500 power outages were reported statewide. With the heaviest rains expected to shift through Middle and West Tennessee over the weekend, more damage is expected.    
    To respond to this disaster, Governor Lee is specifically requesting an Emergency Declaration, Categories A and B, including Direct Federal Assistance. Governor Lee’s request is attached. On behalf of the State of Tennessee, we urge you to approve this request as soon as possible.
    Our offices can provide you with any additional information you need.

    CO-SIGNERS

    Senator Blackburn was joined by Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representatives Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), and John Rose (R-Tenn.) in sending the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hurricane Helene power outages leave millions in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chuanyi Ji, Associate Professor of Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Strong winds from Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Southeast, flooded roads and cut power in multiple states. AP Photo/Mike Carlson

    Hurricane Helene left more than 4 million homes and businesses in the dark across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas after hitting Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 storm late on Sept. 26, 2024. As Helene’s rains moved inland, and mountain rivers caused devastating flooding, officials warned that fixing downed utility lines and restoring power would take days in some areas.

    Electricity is essential to just about everyone – rich and poor, old and young. Yet, when severe storms strike, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often wait longest to recover.

    That isn’t just a perception.

    We analyzed data from over 15 million consumers in 588 U.S. counties who lost power when hurricanes made landfall between January 2017 and October 2020. The results show that poorer communities did indeed wait longer for the lights to go back on.

    A 10 percentile drop in socioeconomic status in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social vulnerability index was associated with a 6.1% longer outage on average. This corresponds to waiting an extra 170 minutes on average for power to be restored, and sometimes much longer.

    The top map shows the total duration of power outages over eight storms by county. The lower map is a comparison with socioeconomic status taken into account, showing that counties with lower average socioeconomic status have longer outages than expected.
    Ganz et al, 2023, PNAS Nexus

    Implications for policy and utilities

    One likely reason for this disparity is written into utilities’ standard storm recovery policies. Often, these polices prioritize critical infrastructure first when restoring power after an outage, then large commercial and industrial customers. They next seek to recover as many households as they can as quickly as possible.

    While this approach may seem procedurally fair, these recovery routines appear to have an unintended effect of often making vulnerable communities wait longer for electricity to be restored. One reason may be that these communities are farther from critical infrastructure, or they may be predominantly in older neighborhoods where power infrastructure requires more significant repairs.

    Commercial areas are often higher on the priority list for faster power recovery in an outage. This store was still closed for several days during Texas’ widespread outages in 2021.
    Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

    The upshot is that households that are already at greater risk from severe weather – whether due to being in flood-prone areas or in vulnerable buildings – and those who are least likely to have insurance or other resources to help them recover are also likely to face the longest storm-caused power outages. Long outages can mean refrigerated food goes bad, no running water and delays in repairing damage, including delays in running fans to dry out water damage and avoid mold.

    Our study spanned 108 service regions, including investor-owned utilities, cooperatives and public utilities. The differential impact on poorer communities did not line up with any particular storm, region or individual utility. We also found no correlation with race, ethnicity or housing type. Only average socioeconomic level stood out.

    How to make power recovery less biased

    There are ways to improve power recovery times for everyone, beyond the necessary work of improving the stability of power distribution.

    Policymakers and utilities can start by reexamining power restoration practices and power infrastructure maintenance, such as replacing aging utility poles and trimming trees, with disadvantaged communities in mind.

    Power providers already have granular data on power usage and grid performance in their service regions. They can begin experimenting with alternative recovery routines that consider the vulnerability of their customers in ways that do not substantially affect average recovery duration.

    People in some Fort Myers, Fla., neighborhoods still lacked water and electricity more than a week after Hurricane Ian in 2022.
    Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

    For socioeconomically vulnerable regions that are likely to experience long outages because of their locations and possibly the aging energy infrastructure, utilities and policymakers can proactively ensure that households are well prepared to evacuate or have access to backup sources of power.

    For example, the U.S. Department of Energy announced in October 2023 that it would invest in developing dozens of resilience hubs and microgrids to help supply local power to key buildings within communities when the wider grid goes down. Louisiana plans several of these hubs, using solar and large-scale batteries, in or near disadvantaged communities.

    Policymakers and utilities can also invest in broader energy infrastructure and renewable energy in these vulnerable communities. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Justice40 program directs that 40% of the benefit from certain federal energy, transportation and housing investments benefit disadvantaged communities. That may help residents who need public help the most.

    Severe weather events are becoming more common as global temperatures rise. That increases the need for better planning and approaches that don’t leave low-income residents in the dark.

    Chenghao Duan, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech, also contributed to this article. This article, originally published on Feb. 7, 2024, has been updated with Hurricane Helene’s rising power outage toll.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Hurricane Helene power outages leave millions in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored – https://theconversation.com/hurricane-helene-power-outages-leave-millions-in-the-dark-history-shows-poorer-areas-often-wait-longest-for-electricity-to-be-restored-240001

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Statement on Resignation of Disgraced Steward Health CEO Ralph de la Torre

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Boston (September 28, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, released the following statement today after Steward Health Care announced that Dr. Ralph de la Torre will resign as board chairman and CEO effective October 1, 2024. On September 25, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to refer de la Torre for criminal contempt of Congress for failing to respond to a subpoena issue by the Senate HELP committee, a step taken by the Senate for the first time in more than 50 years.??
    “Ralph de la Torre’s resignation is not enough, and must be held accountable in the court of law. This resignation comes too late for the workers, patients, and communities that Mr. de Torre harmed and abandoned,” said Senator Markey. “He has extracted hundreds of millions from emergency departments, operating rooms, and intensive care units to buy luxury property, expensive vacations, and yachts, all while patients suffered and died and workers and hospitals went unresourced. As a physician and CEO of Steward, de la Torre knew the cost of his greed and mismanagement, and he allowed it to rot the financial security of an entire hospital system anyway. 
    “Let’s not forget that Dr. de la Torre is just one part of this tragedy. His corporate enablers – Steward’s senior leadership and board of directors, Cerberus Capital Management, and Medical Properties Trust – also must face accountability. And every private equity firm and corporate entity that stands to profit from Steward’s bankruptcy and continued investment in hospitals across the country must understand that their profit-only gains cannot continue.” 
    ?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Consumer Affairs continues to observe Swachhata Hi Sewa 2024 Campaign

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 7:55PM by PIB Delhi

    During the ongoing Swachhata Hi Sewa 2024 Campaign, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India and its attached/subordinate offices organized the following activities.

    Activities for the Safai Mitra: NCDRC, New Delhi conducted a meditation/yoga session today for its safari mitras and housekeeping staff at the office premises. This session was guided by Mrs, Sunita Rakesh Anand, Assistant Registrar.

    Housing staff of NCDRC doing meditation activities

    Housekeeping Staff of NCDRC, New Delhi with Mrs, Sunta Rakesh Anand, Assistant Registrar

     

    Glimpses form the meditation day at NCDRC, New Delhi

    On the same day, a medical team led by Dr, Pradeep Kurnar Singh visited the premises of the National Commission and conducted the medical check-up of all the Safai Mitras, Security Guards and other Staff Members of the Commission. They also conducted the sugar as well as blood pressure test of the all the officials of the Commission. The Doctor also gave his consultation to all the staff members on the basis of their medical tests.

    The medical team led by Dr, Pradeep Kumar Singh at the NCDRC office.

    Doctor checking the blood pressure of one of the staff of NCDRC.

    *****

    AD/NS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary, Smt Alka Upadhyaya chairs a National Webinar on the eve of World Rabies Day in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Secretary, Smt Alka Upadhyaya chairs a National Webinar on the eve of World Rabies Day in New Delhi

    Workshop with the Urban and local bodies for streamlining implementation and continuous monitoring of vaccination : Smt. Alka Upadhyaya

    Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 6:21PM by PIB Delhi

    Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries,Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Smt Alka Upadhyaya chaired  a National Webinar on the eve of World Rabies Day yesterday in New Delhi.

    Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Dr Abhijit Mitra, Joint Secretary (Livestock Health) Smt Sarita Chouhan, Joint Secretary (GC/PC/Admin) Smt. Suparna Pachouri and technical officers of the Department participated in the meeting. Over 1000 participants joined the webinar online from across the country, with officers from State Veterinary Departments, Veterinary Universities, Animal Welfare Boards and Animal Welfare NGOs.

    Smt.  Upadhyaya in her keynote address, urged the participants and all the stakeholders to take a pledge to put best efforts to control and eliminate the dog mediated Rabies from our country. She also mentioned that, the deadly rabies virus has to be stopped by using the best available prevention and control  technologies in a collaborative way. Referring to the  central role of the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions in Mass Dog Vaccination, the Secretary suggested to hold a workshop with the Urban and local bodies for streamlining implementation and continuous monitoring of vaccination as MDV is the most cost effective method of Rabies control.

    Dr. Abhijit Mitra reiterated that mass vaccination of dogs and control of dog population is equally important to control, manage and prevent Rabies infection. However, he emphasised that increasing stray dog population poses a big challenge to rabies control and coordinated effort by Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions with the State Animal husbandry department essential to control the dog population.

    Smt Sarita Chauhan talked about the importance of  creating awareness among all strata of public especially children and responsible pet ownership besides coordinated efforts by all concerned departments to increase vaccination of stray dogs.  The state veterinary departments of Goa, Kerala and Sikkim gave details of the planning and action for successfully controlling the disease and its spread in their respective states  The novel practices adopted by these states in control and maintenance of controlled status of disease was appreciated  and all other states were called upon to replicate the most conducive model for their states. The activities including mass vaccination, sterilization, and robust public awareness campaigns. Strengthening rabies surveillance, legislation, and reporting systems will be essential for maintaining rabies-free status and ensuring public safety, she specified during her session.

    Dr. Simmi Tiwari, Joint Director and Head, Centre for One Health, National Centre for Disease Control, presented an update on India’s National Rabies Control Program. The program, which aims to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030, collaborates internationally and provides technical support to neighbouring countries. Key strategies include mass dog vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis.

    Dr Sharda from Department of Microbiology, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Science University made a presentation on Rabies diagnosis. State Animal Husbandry Departments from  Goa, Kerala and  Sikkim were made  presentations  on their model  Rabies Elimination programs and achievements.

    *****

    SS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA, Federal Family Helene Response Update

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    FEMA, Federal Family Helene Response Update

    WASHINGTON — Together with state, tribal and federal partners, FEMA is actively supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts. Although the immediate threat of the storm is passing, there are still post-storm hazards that can be life-threatening. Everyone in affected areas should continue to follow instructions from local officials to stay safe. 

    FEMA is not waiting to begin its work assessing impacts. Working with our state partners, we have requested that multiple teams begin flying aerial imaging missions. 

    At the direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground in Florida today surveying damage and assessing the need for federal resources. 

    FEMA has more than 800 deployed staff supporting states affected by the hurricane. Our distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide commodities and equipment to any impacted state as required. 

    FEMA is coordinating a federal force of more than 3,200 personnel each contributing their expertise and manpower to this mission. 

    • Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas activated the Surge Capacity Force (SCF). The SCF makes rostered federal employees available to support FEMA’s response and recovery missions. 
    • Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) deployed a total of 24 teams (over 1,270 personnel) to affected states. In Florida, eight US&R teams are actively responding. All teams are equipped with Swift Water Rescue Capabilities. In Georgia, two teams are deployed to support rescue operations. In North Carolina there are four teams. Additional teams and four Swift Water Mission Ready Packages are in route to the impacted areas.
    • U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crews continue to respond with vessels and aircraft to assist search and rescue and damage assessment activities. Coast Guard personnel are working response activities, including assessing damage to USCG infrastructure and providing opportunity for USCG personnel to assess impacted personal and family property. The Coast Guard continues to respond to urgent distress to save lives, assist those impacted by the storm and support the rapid reopening of impacted ports.
    • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has teams positioned to provide temporary emergency power, with others prepared to deploy if needed. In addition to temporary emergency power, personnel assist the states with assessments of critical infrastructure including water/wastewater treatment facilities, debris management and road and bridge inspections as needed. They have activated six emergency operation centers in the region to coordinate operations. 
    • Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) has Public Health Emergencies in effect for Florida and Georgia to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. The declarations give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Their staff on the ground have begun initial assessments of the public health and health care infrastructure. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has positioned medical responders who can move to impacted communities in the region. These personnel include Health Care Situational Assessment teams and National Disaster Medical System’ (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams along with several tons of medical equipment and supplies to provide medical surge support.
    • Department of Energy (DOE) activated the Energy Response Organization (ERO) and is closely monitoring impacts and restoration efforts related to Helene, including power, fuel and supply chain interruptions. The ERO and field responders are in contact with industry partners and local officials. DOE responders deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center, Georgia Emergency Operations Center and the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center. 
    • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working closely with federal, state, local and Tribal partners to help water systems, prepare for debris management and ensure facilities, including Superfund sites, maintain critical public health and environmental protections. The agency has personnel on the ground in regional and national operations centers who are offering technical assistance and guidance to those affected by Helene. 
    • American Red Cross (ARC) has more than 540 Red Cross responders deployed to affected areas with another 350 responders are in route. As of Saturday morning, reporting indicates that at least 1900 people are still in just over 80 shelters as evacuation orders are lifted. We anticipate this number may change in the coming days and are transitioning from evacuation centers to emergency shelters where needed. There are more than 30 Emergency Response Vehicles currently supporting this event and 2 dozen additional are en route. ARC is prepared to support mass fatality and reunification efforts as well as emergency feeding. Anyone who needs a safe place to go can find information on redcross.org or download the free Red Cross Emergency app by texting GETEMERGENCY to 90999.
    • Salvation Army is in Georgia providing meals at six emergency shelters. In Florida, they have a total of 17 mobile feeding units that will serve Tallahassee (5 units) and Perry (12 units). They have teams in Perry, FL, serving the impacted areas with hot meals. Local service delivery is underway to affected communities, including shelter feeding and two feeding locations. The Salvation Army is also responding to requests for cleanup kits and blankets. In North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, the Salvation Army is responding to requests for meal service to communities affected by the storm. More information is on helpsalvationarmy.org. 
    • USA.gov published a one-stop-shop for hurricane information.

    alex.fonseca

    MIL OSI USA News –