#medical bills. local weather disasters

[mcflymemes]

please don't mistake silence for hatred. please don't mistake unanswered plotting messages as indifference, or a lack of enthusiasm towards you. considering the ages of most roleplayers, many of us have bills to pay, families to take care of, medical conditions to treat, appointments to make, classes to take, homes to clean, and lives to live away from the computer that are far, far more important than writing on tumblr — life has a tendency to get in the way of hobbies and fun things like this. be patient with your fellow writers. if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. of course you can set your boundaries, keep your space comfortable, and softblock whoever you wish, but do so while recognizing it's probably not hatred or apathy that keeps them from leaping into your dms with message after message. they probably love this hobby just as much as you... but sometimes life gets in the way.

#rp psa #roleplay psa #rp help #roleplay help #roleplay advice #'the rpc has changed for the worse' that's your opinion #but have that opinion while also acknowledging the ages of those you write with #and recognize they have responsibilities and worlds to take care of #people who depend on them #financial strain. hardships. unemployment. housing problems #medical bills. local weather disasters #trauma in their life deaths in their family #you cannot expect instant messages or EXTREME enthusiasm from everyone in this community #when so many of us are also dealing with irl situations #that are MORE important than talking about our fictional characters meeting for the first time #would it be nice if we could all find a comfy balance #and put passion into this hobby like we did when we were younger? #oh sure!!!! but that's just not viable anymore

[maxlendmoney]

Preparing for a Natural Disaster With MaxLend

The U.S. experiences a variety of natural disasters because of its geographical diversity. This means if you reside within the United States, you are likely to live in an area that could be impacted. When preparing for a natural disaster, there is no better time to start than now.

At MaxLend, we understand how to prepare for a natural disaster. It involves more than the foresight to know the steps you must take. Preparation also requires that you have the funding available to secure the necessary supplies. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has been surveying adults in America since 2013, asking about dealing with unexpected expenses. With these surveys, they found approximately 32% of those surveyed would not have the funding immediately available to cover the expense.1

If you want to know more about a natural disaster recovery plan and how MaxLend and its same-day cash installment loans can help, continue reading below.*

What State Has the Least Natural Disasters?

Determining the state with the least natural disasters can be challenging, as natural disasters can occur in different regions. However, some states are historically less prone to certain natural disasters.

For example, states in the northern parts of the United States, such as those in the Northeast, may experience fewer hurricanes than states along the Gulf Coast or Southeast. Similarly, states in the Midwest don’t experience coastal storm surges and typically only see the remnants of hurricanes. Still, they are more susceptible to tornadoes and severe winter weather.

States like Alaska and Hawaii may be less prone to certain types of disasters, such as tornadoes. Even so, they have unique risks, including earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Natural Disaster States

It’s essential to note that while some states may experience fewer natural disasters of a particular type, no state is entirely immune to natural hazards. Each region has risks, and preparedness is crucial regardless of location. Additionally, the frequency and impact of natural disasters can vary, making it vital for residents in any state to stay informed and be prepared for potential emergencies.

What Is Needed After a Natural Disaster?

When preparing for a natural disaster, regardless of the type, there are many things you will need before, during, and after the event. Of course, you need the basics – food, shelter, clothing, and clean water. You might also need money to repair your home, car, or other transportation. You may have unforeseen expenses, such as medical bills or insurance deductibles, that you didn’t realize you would need to pay. This is why you want to create a natural disaster recovery plan.

But what happens if you don’t have the money to cover the cost of these items? What options do you have? Many things may be needed as life starts to return to normal after a natural disaster. Fortunately, MaxLend offers personal installment loans online. These direct installment loans may help you pay for repairs and other unforeseen expenses that a natural disaster might have caused.

How to Prepare for a Natural Disaster

To help ensure you aren’t taken by surprise when a natural disaster is imminent, you can prepare yourself in advance. Preparing for a natural disaster is crucial to ensuring the safety and well-being of yourself and your loved ones.

Below are some general steps to prepare for a natural disaster. Following these steps will help make sure you have a natural disaster recovery plan and that you and your family will be ready.

Stay Informed

You should always be informed about potential hazards in your area, including the types of natural disasters that could occur. This includes regularly monitoring weather forecasts and warnings from local authorities.

Being prepared, aware, and informed are critical components of mitigating the impact of these events.

Create an Emergency Kit

Assemble a basic emergency supply kit that includes water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, batteries, a first aid kit, medications, important documents, and other essential items. Customize the kit based on your family’s needs, including infants, elderly family members, and pets. Ensure you have an adequate supply of prescription medications, and include any necessary medical supplies and medicines in your emergency kit.

Make a Family Emergency Plan and Secure Your Home

Develop a family emergency plan that includes communication strategies, evacuation routes, and meeting points. Ensure all family members are aware of the plan and practice it regularly.

Take steps to secure your home, such as reinforcing windows and doors, securing heavy furniture, and making necessary structural improvements. Know how to turn off utilities like gas, water, and electricity.

Have an Evacuation Plan

Familiarize yourself with evacuation routes and have a plan in place for where you will go in case of an evacuation order. Arrange transportation options in advance.

You may want to keep important documents (birth certificates, passports, insurance policies, etc.) in a waterproof and fireproof container. Know where these are located so that if you are evacuated, you can quickly grab them. Consider making digital copies and storing them securely online.

Practice Safety Drills

Regularly practice safety drills with your family, including evacuation procedures and other emergency actions. Remember that your steps for safety will depend on the type of natural disaster most likely to occur in your region. Always follow the guidance and recommendations of local authorities.

Financial Preparedness

You may want to keep some cash on hand, as ATMs and credit card systems may be unavailable during a disaster. Review your insurance policies to ensure they adequately cover potential damages.

But what happens if you don’t have cash in your account to withdraw? Regarding financial preparedness, MaxLend offers payday loan alternatives, and may be able to help.

Which of the Following Is Not True About Emergency Funds?

Have you been told you can borrow from retirement savings in an emergency? Or were you told that emergency funds should only be kept in a savings account? Did you hear that emergency funds should only cover job loss? The reality is that none of these statements are true. Not all retirement savings accounts allow for withdrawals, even in emergencies. Not everyone has a savings account or emergency funds available. And most importantly, covering the money you need due to a job loss isn’t the only thing that emergency funds are used for.

MaxLend knows that you might need to pay for many types of emergencies. Whether you are looking at a pet emergency fund, a house emergency fund, or a general emergency fund, it doesn’t matter if you are familiar with these if you don’t have the money to put in them. When you are faced with an emergency, you need help fast. MaxLend offers online unsecured installment loans that could be the help you need.

MaxLend Is Here to Help

If you are preparing for a natural disaster or need money to pay for unexpected expenses after one has affected you and want to apply for an unsecured installment loan, you’ve come to the right place. MaxLend offers cash installment loans online to get you the funding you need fast – sometimes as soon as the same day.* We offer direct online installment loans up to $3,750. You can easily apply online now to find out if you qualify.

For anyone interested in finding out how the process for applying for a MaxLend loan works or to read our frequently asked questions, you can visit our website. You can also call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 877-936-4336. Then, when you take out your first loan with MaxLend, you become a part of MaxLend Preferred Rewards.

Visit us online or call us today and let us help you. By choosing MaxLend, you empower yourself with a reliable solution for unexpected financial challenges. Apply confidently and efficiently, ensuring your preparedness for whatever nature may bring.

1 – Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System – https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2022-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2021-dealing-with-unexpected-expenses.htm

*Same Day Funding is available on business days where pre-approval, eSignature of the loan agreement and completion of the confirmation call, if a call is required, have occurred by 11:45 a.m. Eastern Time and a customer elects ACH as payment method. Customers who complete this process by 1:30 p.m. Eastern on business days may still receive funds on the same day, but some banks may not disburse the funds until the next business day. Other restrictions may apply. Certain financial institutions do not support same day funded transactions. When Same Day Funding is not available, funding will occur the next business day.

The content on this site is for informational purposes only and is not professional financial advice. MaxLend does not assume responsibility for information given. All information should be weighed against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to readers to determine if this information is safe and suitable for their own situations.

MaxLend, is a sovereign enterprise, an economic development arm and instrumentality of, and wholly-owned and controlled by, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, a federally-recognized sovereign American Indian Tribe. (the “Tribe”). This means that MaxLend’s loan products are provided by a sovereign government and the proceeds of our business fund governmental services for Tribe citizens. This also means that MaxLend is not subject to suit or service of process. Rather, MaxLend is regulated by the Tribe. If you do business with MaxLend, your potential forums for dispute resolution will be limited to those available under Tribal law and your loan agreement. As more specifically set forth in MaxLend’s contracts, these forums include an informal but affordable and efficient Tribal dispute resolution, or individual arbitration before a neutral arbitrator. Otherwise, MaxLend is not subject to suit or service of process. Nothing in this website is intended to waive or otherwise prejudice MaxLend’s entitlement to these protections. Neither MaxLend nor the Tribe has waived its sovereign immunity in connection with any claims relative to use of this website. If you are not comfortable doing business with sovereign instrumentality that cannot be sued in court, you should discontinue use of this website.

#maxlend #loans #lending #borrowing #cashloan #onlinelending #money #budgeting

[ajaymane1]

Navigating the Benefits of Travel Insurance in the USA: A Comprehensive Guide

Traveling is an enriching experience that allows us to explore new cultures, cuisines, and landscapes. Whether you're embarking on a weekend getaway or an extended international adventure, ensuring that you have the right insurance coverage is essential for peace of mind. In the United States, where unexpected mishaps can occur, having robust travel insurance can make all the difference in protecting your investment and safeguarding your well-being.

Understanding the Basics of Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is designed to provide financial protection against unforeseen events that may disrupt your trip. While the specifics of coverage can vary depending on the policy and provider, typical features of travel insurance include:

Trip Cancellation or Interruption Coverage: This protects you in case you need to cancel or cut short your trip due to covered reasons such as illness, injury, or severe weather.

Emergency Medical Coverage: Should you require medical attention while traveling, this coverage ensures that you can receive necessary treatment without worrying about exorbitant medical bills.

Baggage and Personal Belongings Protection: In the event that your luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged during your trip, travel insurance can reimburse you for the cost of your belongings.

Travel Assistance Services: From 24/7 emergency assistance hotlines to coordination of medical evacuations, travel insurance often includes valuable support services to help you navigate challenging situations abroad.

Why Travel Insurance Matters in the USA

Traveling to the USA presents unique circumstances that underscore the importance of comprehensive travel insurance coverage:

Healthcare Costs: The cost of healthcare in the USA is among the highest in the world. Even a minor medical issue can result in significant expenses without proper insurance coverage. Travel insurance with adequate medical coverage ensures that you can access quality healthcare without worrying about steep bills.

Trip Delays and Cancellations: Flight delays, cancellations, and other travel disruptions are not uncommon, especially when navigating the busy airspace of the United States. With travel insurance, you can recoup expenses related to rebooking flights, finding alternative accommodations, or arranging transportation during unexpected layovers.

Natural Disasters: The USA is prone to various natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes. Travel insurance can provide reimbursement for non-refundable trip expenses if your travel plans are impacted by such events.

Theft and Loss: Tourist destinations in the USA can be targets for theft and petty crime. Travel insurance offers coverage for stolen or lost belongings, providing you with financial protection and peace of mind while exploring unfamiliar locales.

Choosing the Right Policy for Your Needs

When selecting a travel insurance policy for your trip to the USA, it's essential to consider your specific needs and travel plans. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

Coverage Limits: Ensure that the policy provides adequate coverage limits for medical expenses, trip cancellation/interruption, and baggage/personal belongings protection.

Pre-Existing Conditions: If you have pre-existing medical conditions, verify whether the policy covers these conditions and any associated treatment while traveling.

Adventure Activities: If you plan to engage in adventurous activities such as skiing, scuba diving, or mountain climbing, confirm that your policy includes coverage for these activities.

Exclusions and Limitations: Read the fine print of the policy to understand any exclusions or limitations that may affect your coverage, such as high-risk destinations or hazardous activities.

Travel insurance is a crucial component of any travel plan, providing financial protection and peace of mind during your adventures in the USA. By understanding the benefits of travel insurance and selecting the right policy for your needs, you can explore with confidence, knowing that you're prepared for whatever may come your way.

#TravelInsuranceUSA #TravelProtection #TripInsurance #EmergencyCoverage #PeaceOfMind #SecureTravel #ExploreSafely #TravelWithConfidence #InsuranceCoverage #SafeTravels

[josephwilliam12]

Global Travel Assurance: Comprehensive Coverage for Your Journeys Worldwide

Schengen Serenity: Explore Europe with AXA Schengen Insurance

Travel with confidence throughout the Schengen area with AXA Schengen Insurance. Whether you’re visiting Europe for business or leisure, AXA provides comprehensive coverage to meet the requirements of Schengen visa applications. With AXA Schengen Insurance, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re protected against unexpected medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other travel-related emergencies.

Domestic Tranquility: Secure Your Travel with Domestic Travel Insurance

Stay protected while exploring your own country with domestic travel insurance. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a cross-country road trip, domestic travel insurance provides coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and other unforeseen events. With domestic travel insurance, you can travel with confidence knowing that you’re prepared for whatever comes your way.

European Odyssey: Embark on Adventures with Europe Travel Insurance

Embark on your European adventure with peace of mind thanks to Europe travel insurance. Whether you’re exploring iconic landmarks, indulging in local cuisine, or embarking on outdoor adventures, Europe travel insurance provides comprehensive coverage to protect you against unexpected expenses and emergencies. With coverage for medical treatment, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and more, Europe travel insurance ensures that you can focus on making memories without worrying about what-ifs.

Delay Defender: Navigate Travel Delays with Travel Delay Insurance

Don’t let travel delays derail your plans — protect yourself with travel delay insurance. Whether your flight is delayed due to weather, mechanical issues, or other unforeseen circumstances, travel delay insurance provides coverage for additional expenses such as accommodations, meals, and transportation. With travel delay insurance, you can navigate unexpected delays with ease and minimize the impact on your travel experience.

Thai Tranquil: Discover Thailand with Confidence via Travel Insurance

Explore the Land of Smiles with confidence with travel insurance to Thailand. Whether you’re visiting Bangkok’s bustling markets, relaxing on the pristine beaches of Phuket, or exploring the ancient temples of Chiang Mai, travel insurance to Thailand provides comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and more. With travel insurance to Thailand, you can focus on soaking up the beauty and culture of this vibrant destination without worrying about the unexpected.

Collision Guardian: Drive Stress-Free with Collision Waiver Insurance

Protect yourself against unexpected expenses with collision waiver insurance. Whether you’re renting a car for a road trip or exploring a new destination, collision waiver insurance provides coverage for damage to your rental vehicle in the event of an accident. With collision waiver insurance, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re protected against costly repair bills and deductibles.

Trip Resilience: Safeguard Your Journey with Trip Interruption Insurance

Don’t let unforeseen events ruin your travel plans — safeguard your trip with trip interruption insurance. Whether it’s due to illness, natural disasters, or other emergencies, trip interruption insurance provides coverage for expenses related to interrupted or cancelled trips. With trip interruption insurance, you can travel with confidence knowing that you’re financially protected against unexpected disruptions to your itinerary.

COVID-19 Guardian: Travel with Confidence via COVID Travel Insurance

Travel with confidence during the COVID-19 pandemic with COVID travel insurance. Whether you’re planning a domestic getaway or an international adventure, COVID travel insurance provides coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other travel-related emergencies related to COVID-19. With COVID travel insurance, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re protected against the uncertainties of travel during these unprecedented times.

Travel Resilience: Safeguard Your Plans with Travel Insurance COVID

Ensure your travel plans are protected with travel insurance COVID. With coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and other travel-related expenses related to COVID-19, travel insurance COVID provides peace of mind for travelers during the pandemic. Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, travel insurance COVID offers comprehensive coverage to address the unique challenges of traveling during these uncertain times.

Thai Tranquil: Explore Thailand Securely with Thailand Travel Insurance

Baggage Guardian: Travel with Peace of Mind via Baggage Insurance

Protect your belongings during travel with baggage insurance. Whether you’re flying across the globe or embarking on a weekend getaway, baggage insurance provides coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage and personal items. With baggage insurance, you can travel with peace of mind, knowing that your possessions are financially protected against unexpected mishaps.

Emergency Evacuation Assurance: Prepare for Unforeseen Emergencies

Prepare for unforeseen emergencies with emergency evacuation insurance. Whether you’re traveling to remote destinations or exploring unfamiliar terrain, emergency evacuation insurance provides coverage for medical emergencies and evacuation expenses. With emergency evacuation insurance, you can rest assured knowing that you’ll receive prompt and efficient assistance in the event of a crisis during your travels.

Schengen Serenity: Fulfill Visa Requirements with Schengen Insurance

Travel confidently within the Schengen Area with Schengen insurance. Whether you’re visiting Europe for business or leisure, Schengen insurance is a mandatory requirement for obtaining a Schengen visa. This type of insurance provides coverage for medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, and repatriation of remains during your stay in the Schengen Area. With Schengen insurance, you can fulfill visa requirements and travel with peace of mind.

Japan Journeys: Explore with Confidence via Travel Insurance for Japan

Explore the Land of the Rising Sun with travel insurance for Japan. Whether you’re admiring the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, soaking in the natural hot springs of Hokkaido, or marveling at the historic temples of Kyoto, travel insurance for Japan provides coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and other travel-related mishaps. With travel insurance Japan, you can enjoy your journey with confidence, knowing that you’re protected against unexpected expenses and emergencies.

Schengen Odyssey: European Adventure Secured with Schengen Travel Insurance

Embark on your European adventure with Schengen travel insurance. Whether you’re visiting multiple countries within the Schengen Area or exploring a single destination, Schengen travel insurance provides coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and other travel-related mishaps. With Schengen travel insurance, you can comply with visa requirements and travel with peace of mind, knowing that you’re financially protected against unforeseen events.

Emergency Evacuation Shield: Financial Protection During Travel Emergencies

Prepare for unexpected emergencies during your travels with travel insurance emergency evacuation coverage. Whether you’re exploring remote destinations or embarking on adventurous excursions, this type of insurance provides financial protection for emergency medical evacuations. In the event of a serious illness or injury that requires evacuation to a medical facility, travel insurance emergency evacuation ensures that you receive prompt and efficient assistance, including transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility or repatriation to your home country.

Luggage Guardian: Protect Your Possessions with Luggage Insurance

Protect your belongings while traveling with luggage insurance. Whether you’re jetting off to exotic destinations or embarking on a business trip, luggage insurance provides coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged baggage and personal belongings. With luggage insurance, you can travel with peace of mind, knowing that your possessions are financially protected against unexpected mishaps.

Italian Elegance: Safeguard Your Journey with Italy Travel Insurance

Explore the captivating beauty of Italy with Italy travel insurance. Whether you’re indulging in delectable cuisine in Rome, marveling at Renaissance art in Florence, or cruising through the picturesque canals of Venice, travel insurance for Italy provides coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and other travel-related mishaps. With travel insurance for Italy, you can enjoy your Italian adventure with confidence, knowing that you’re protected against unforeseen expenses and emergencies.

Stars and Stripes Security: Travel Confidently with USA Travel Insurance

Travel confidently in the United States with travel and medical insurance coverage. Whether you’re visiting iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty in New York City, exploring the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, or soaking up the sun on the beaches of California, travel and medical insurance USA provides coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and other travel-related mishaps. With travel and medical insurance USA, you can enjoy your American journey with peace of mind, knowing that you’re financially protected against unexpected events.

Road Trip Reassurance: Navigate the U.S. with Travel and Medical Insurance

Protect yourself from costly expenses with collision damage waiver insurance. Whether you’re renting a car for business or leisure travel, collision damage waiver insurance provides coverage for damage to the rental vehicle in the event of an accident or collision. With collision damage waiver insurance, you can decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and avoid out-of-pocket expenses for repairs or replacements in the event of damage to the rental vehicle.

Cruise Care: Set Sail with Confidence via Cruise Insurance

Car Rental Confidence: Drive Stress-Free with Collision Damage Waiver Insurance

Protect yourself from unexpected expenses when renting a car with collision damage waiver rental car coverage. This insurance option provides coverage for damage to the rental vehicle in the event of an accident or collision. By opting for collision damage waiver rental car coverage, you can decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and avoid out-of-pocket expenses for repairs or replacements in case of damage to the rental vehicle.

Health Hub USA: Stay Healthy with Travel Health Insurance

Stay healthy and protected during your travels in the United States with travel health insurance. Whether you’re exploring vibrant cities, national parks, or scenic coastlines, travel health insurance USA provides coverage for medical emergencies, doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription medications. With travel health insurance, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you have access to quality healthcare services wherever your travels take you.

Insurance Insight: Explore Options with Reputable Travel Insurance Companies

Choose the right travel insurance coverage for your needs by exploring reputable travel insurance companies. With a wide range of options available, travel insurance companies offer policies tailored to various travel styles, destinations, and budgets. From comprehensive coverage for international trips to specialized plans for adventure travel or business trips, travel insurance companies provide peace of mind and financial protection against unforeseen events during your travels.

USA Expedition Assurance: Travel Confidently with Travel Insurance USA

Prepare for your journey across the United States with travel insurance USA. Whether you’re exploring iconic landmarks, national parks, or vibrant cities, travel insurance USA provides coverage for trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost baggage, and other travel-related mishaps. With travel insurance USA, you can travel confidently and enjoy your American adventure knowing that you’re protected against unexpected expenses and emergencies.

Travel Assurance from the US: Your Shield Against the Unexpected

Ensure a worry-free journey with travel insurance from the US. Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, travel insurance US offers coverage for unexpected events such as trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and more. With travel insurance US, you can embark on your adventures with confidence, knowing that you’re protected against unforeseen mishaps.

USA Odyssey Protection: Peace of Mind Throughout Your Journey

Secure comprehensive coverage for your travels with travel insurance from USA. Whether you’re exploring exotic destinations abroad or embarking on a road trip closer to home, travel insurance from the USA offers protection against various travel-related risks, including trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and travel delays. With travel insurance from the USA, you can enjoy peace of mind throughout your journey.

Flexibility Unleashed: Travel Insurance Cancellation for Any Reason

Global Adventures Secured: Travel Insurance International

Prepare for your overseas adventures with travel insurance international. Whether you’re jetting off to Europe, exploring exotic destinations in Asia, or embarking on a safari in Africa, travel insurance international offers comprehensive coverage for a wide range of travel-related risks. From medical emergencies and trip cancellations to lost baggage and travel delays, travel insurance international provides peace of mind and financial protection wherever your travels take you.

Travel Insurance: Your Security Blanket for Unforeseen Journeys

Travel insurance offers protection and peace of mind for travelers embarking on domestic or international journeys. This type of insurance typically covers a range of unforeseen events, including trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and travel delays. By investing in travel insurance, travelers can mitigate financial risks and enjoy their trips with added security.

Healthcare on the Go: Navigate with Travel Health Insurance

Travel health insurance is specifically designed to cover medical expenses incurred while traveling. It provides coverage for emergency medical treatments, hospital stays, doctor visits, and medications during the duration of a trip. Travel health insurance ensures that travelers receive necessary medical care without facing exorbitant out-of-pocket costs, particularly when abroad where healthcare expenses can be significantly higher.

Choosing the Best: Factors to Consider for Optimal Travel Insurance

When seeking the best travel insurance, travelers should consider various factors such as coverage options, policy limits, deductibles, customer reviews, and pricing. The best travel insurance policy offers comprehensive coverage tailored to the traveler’s specific needs and preferences. Additionally, it provides reliable assistance and support in case of emergencies, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free travel experience.

#travel #insurance #USA #America #Europe #Internatonal #International travel

[realcomfortableinsurance]

Professional Insurance Company in Kentucky: Safeguarding Your Future

In today's uncertain world, having reliable insurance coverage is not just a luxury; it's a necessity. A professional insurance company in Kentucky can play a vital role in securing your financial future and providing peace of mind. Whether you're an individual seeking personal coverage or a business owner looking to protect your assets, a reputable insurance provider can offer tailored solutions to meet your needs.

Understanding the Importance of Insurance

Insurance serves as a safety net, offering financial protection against unexpected events that can cause financial hardship. Whether it's a medical emergency, a car accident, damage to your property, or a legal liability issue, having insurance can make all the difference in your ability to recover and move forward. A professional insurance company in Kentucky understands the unique risks faced by individuals and businesses in the region and can offer comprehensive coverage options.

Why Choose a Professional Insurance Company in Kentucky?

Local Expertise: Opting for a local insurance company means working with professionals who understand the specific challenges and risks in Kentucky. They can provide insights into regional regulations, weather-related risks, and other factors that could impact your coverage needs.

Personalised Approach: Unlike generic insurance policies, a professional insurance company can tailor their offerings to align with your requirements. They take the time to understand your situation and suggest coverage that offers maximum protection.

Responsive Customer Service: Dealing with insurance claims or inquiries can be stressful. Choosing a professional insurance provider ensures you have access to responsive customer service that can guide you through the process and address your concerns promptly.

Comprehensive Coverage: Whether you need auto, home, health, or business insurance, a reputable provider will offer a range of coverage options. This enables you to consolidate your insurance needs under one roof for convenience and potential cost savings.

Types of Insurance Offered

Auto Insurance: Protect your vehicle against accidents, theft, and damages with comprehensive auto insurance. This coverage can also extend to liability protection in case you're at fault in an accident.

Home Insurance: Safeguard your home and belongings from unexpected events such as fires, natural disasters, and theft. Home insurance also covers personal liability if someone gets injured on your property.

Health Insurance: Access quality healthcare without worrying about exorbitant medical bills. Health insurance can cover medical treatments, prescription medications, and preventive care.

Business Insurance: For entrepreneurs and business owners, business insurance provides coverage against property damage, liability claims, and other risks that can impact your company's operations.

Conclusion

In a world filled with uncertainties, having the right insurance coverage is a smart and responsible choice. A professional insurance company in Kentucky can offer personalised solutions that align with your needs and provide the protection you deserve. Don't wait until it's too late – secure your future and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you're prepared for whatever life throws your way.

[benton1877]

Is a Home Battery Backup System Worth the Investment? Let's Find Out!

Introduction

As a leading expert in the energy storage industry, I have had the opportunity to witness the development and effectiveness of various home battery backup systems. In today's world where energy reliability and sustainability are crucial, homeowners are increasingly considering the investment in a home battery backup system. In this article, I will explore the benefits and considerations of investing in a home battery backup system, aiming to help you make an informed decision.

The Power of Energy Independence

When it comes to energy, independence is key. A home battery backup system allows you to store excess electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar panels, enabling you to use this power during periods of outages or even in times when the grid electricity prices are high. By reducing your reliance on the utility grid, you can ensure a stable supply of electricity to essential appliances and reduce your overall energy costs. According to a study conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a home battery backup system can potentially save homeowners up to 50% on their electricity bills. [1]

Enhancing Energy Resilience

Unpredictable weather events, natural disasters, and power outages can disrupt the normal functioning of our daily lives. Investing in a home battery backup system enhances your energy resilience by providing a reliable source of power during these challenging times. The "None" home battery backup system utilizes advanced technology to automatically detect power outages and seamlessly switch to battery power, ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to critical appliances. With a home battery backup system in place, you can have peace of mind knowing that your essential services, such as refrigeration and medical equipment, will continue to function even during an outage.

Sustainable Energy Management

Besides the monetary benefits, a home battery backup system contributes to a sustainable energy future. By utilizing stored energy during peak demand periods, you reduce the strain on the grid and promote efficient energy management. This reduces the need for new power plants and helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, widespread adoption of home battery backup systems could potentially decrease greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50% by 2050. [2]

Cost Considerations

While the benefits of a home battery backup system are undeniable, it is essential to consider the upfront costs associated. Installation and equipment costs can vary depending on factors such as the size of your home, energy needs, and desired battery capacity. However, it is important to note that many local and federal governments offer incentives and rebates to encourage the adoption of renewable energy and energy storage systems. Additionally, the decreasing prices of battery technology in recent years have made home battery backup systems more accessible for homeowners looking to invest in sustainable energy solutions.

Conclusion

Investing in a home battery backup system, such as the "None" brand, can prove to be a wise decision, ensuring energy independence, enhancing resilience, and contributing towards a sustainable energy future. While the upfront costs might be a consideration, the long-term benefits outweigh the investment. Make the switch to a home battery backup system and experience the peace of mind and financial savings it can provide.

Article written by "None".

[wpinsurances]

Don’t Forget These Other Types Of Insurance When You’re A Homeowner

If you’re looking to buy a home, it’s important to be prepared with all the types of insurance you’ll need as a homeowner. It’s not just about the homeowners insurance that protects your home itself—you also want to make sure you have the right amount of liability coverage and the right amount of personal property coverage, along with automobile and life insurance, too!

These Types Of Insurance

1. Homeowner's Insurance

A home is one of your most valuable assets. Make sure to protect it with comprehensive homeowner’s insurance, which will pay to repair or replace your home in case of damage from storms or fires, vandalism or burglary, and even bad weather. Comprehensive homeowner’s policies typically cover common causes of damage, including lightning strikes and falling trees. If you live in an area prone to flooding or wildfires, add those perils to your policy (you’ll probably want flood insurance separately). Your policy should also include liability coverage that helps protect you if someone gets hurt on your property. It should also provide valuable personal property coverage—including replacement costs for certain items like jewelry and art—so make sure it covers everything important to you. Consider adding additional living expenses coverage, too; it can help reimburse you for hotel bills and other expenses if you have to temporarily relocate due to a covered loss. And don’t forget about life insurance: This type of coverage can help replace income lost due to death or disability.

In addition to homeowners insurance, consider insuring your car(s), valuables and collectibles, medical equipment, and more.

2. Life Insurance

As a homeowner, it’s important to protect your family’s financial future in case something happens to you. That’s why life insurance is an essential piece of your homeowners policy. A basic term life policy pays out in one lump sum if death occurs, which means your beneficiaries would receive whatever money was owed them (the face value) at once. If they were also beneficiaries on your mortgage or title deed—especially if they co-own with you—this could give them power over assets that are secured by debtors and creditors. The other option is permanent life insurance, which pays out (usually gradually) over time, providing your beneficiaries with financial stability for decades to come. This can be a good choice for parents who want to help their children pay off student loans or buy a home. Permanent life insurance can also provide income tax savings because it allows you to invest premiums while building up cash value, and any interest earned is tax-deferred until withdrawals begin later in life. In addition, certain policies allow owners to borrow against their cash values, which can be helpful if your business needs some extra capital right away.

3. Disability Insurance

You need to be able to pay your mortgage, your car payments, and all of your normal bills even if you aren’t able to work. Disability insurance can fill in that gap so that your family doesn’t have to worry about finances while you heal or adjust. Many homeowners buy disability coverage as part of their homeowner’s policy, but it isn’t always comprehensive. Check with an independent broker (either at a local bank or an independent agency) and make sure that you have enough disability coverage for yourself and any other person who relies on you financially. It will take only a few minutes and could save your family thousands over time. There are two kinds of disability policies:

• Short-term disability pays benefits after 180 days if you become disabled and can’t work due to illness or injury.

• Long-term disability pays benefits after 90 days if you become disabled and can’t work due to illness or injury.

4. Renters Insurance

With homeowners insurance, your property is covered for natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes. But if you have renters insurance, it will cover your belongings in case of theft or fire. If you own a car, check with your auto insurance provider to see if rental cars are included in your policy—most offer some sort of coverage for liability only, which includes damage caused by others driving under your name. Finally, no matter what kind of homeowner’s or renter’s policy you carry, never use any type of an unlicensed contractor. Doing so could void your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.

5. Umbrella Policy

If you’re in an area that experiences extreme weather events, it’s worth looking into getting an

umbrella policy

to cover your liability. Umbrella policies often cost just a few hundred dollars per year and can provide more than in additional coverage. Be sure to shop around and compare various offerings; while they all operate similarly, each company may come with different pricing and levels of service. It’s also important to read up on what is not covered by umbrella policies—and make sure you know what risks are still under your primary policy.For example, if you have flood insurance through FEMA or another provider, any damage caused by flooding will not be covered under an umbrella policy. However, if your home floods because of a burst pipe, which is not typically covered by flood insurance, then your umbrella policy would kick in. Another thing to keep in mind: The terms umbrella and excess liability mean slightly different things for homeowners’ policies.

Contact Us:

Address: 70 East Sunrise Highway Suite 500 Valley Stream, New York 11581

Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone]

Website: Pamphile Insurance Brokerage, LLC

Blog: Don’t Forget These Other Types Of Insurance When You’re A Homeowner

#Insurance

[turtleclose3]

Everything You Have To Learn About Disaster Restoration Providers

A CERM plan consists of the entire info necessary for restoring your property quickly and affordably, allowing you to return to business as usual sooner. If you don’t have a CERM plan yet, this guide may help get you started. Once the restoration firm representatives complete the contractual obligations, an bill might be generated and shared with the consumer. PuroClean offers a full vary of biohazard removal services, including using PuroClean RapidDefense™ for a Coronavirus or Influenza outbreak. PuroClean RapidDefense™ is one of the best ways to deep clear public areas and help stop the spread of viruses. The process uses EPA-registered merchandise to attenuate the chance of pathogens spreading. Course teaches students the abilities needed to manage restoration tasks that require a quick response and restoration of property damaged by disasters. Mold can start rising on damaged property inside 24 hours and needs to be attended to right away. You ought to be wary of restoration corporations who supply low estimates simply to get your small business. Did we do a great job masking the fundamentals of disaster restoration services? Properties allowed to stay in disrepair can lead to problems with local authorities regulatory businesses, together with fines and other sanctions. Even worse, properties in disrepair could be the supply of legal responsibility claims by anybody injured whereas on the property web site. We understand how clean carpets can have an result on the look of your house or enterprise. Over time, these contaminants can degrade the quality of the material. The Ultimate Deep Cleaning Checklist On Your House Most house heating and cooling methods, including pressured air heating techniques, do not mechanically convey recent air into the house. Opening windows and doorways, operating window or attic followers, when the weather permits, or operating a window air conditioner with the vent control open will increase the outdoor ventilation rate. Local toilet or kitchen followers that exhaust outside remove contaminants immediately from the room where the fan is positioned and in addition improve the outdoor air ventilation fee. While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many dangerous effects, there might be considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of publicity are essential to supply specific health problems. People additionally react very differently to publicity to indoor air pollution. Further analysis is required to raised understand which well being results happen after publicity to the average pollutant concentrations present in homes and which occur from the upper concentrations that happen for short periods of time. But make certain you don’t damage yourself or break the dryer. Vinegar and baking soda are essential in cleaning your dishwasher because they assist to remove cleaning soap water and buildup that should have accrued over time. Use an excellent HEPA vacuum.Most non-HEPA vacuums really trigger the issue to worsen because the filter baggage in most fashions usually are not efficient and cause allergen ranges to rise. A good HEPA vacuum, just like the Hoover Wind Tunnel collection will choose up a minimal of some mud mites and their eggs and trap all it picks up. House mud mite presence is often suspected earlier than they are actually seen and precisely recognized. Requests for control typically come from people who've been recognized by medical personnel as allergic to the house dust mite or the allergens produced. "Many circumstances of eye allergy are environmental, and sometimes related to the home surroundings," says Dr. Frenkel. "It could be simply handled with vinegar soaks however it's a sign that it is necessary to thoroughly clear water sources in your home which are at a warmer temperature. This bacteria tends to thrive in warm water environments." These bulbs "emit UV typically in the UVA range," says Dr. Ilyas. "Sometimes if you walk right into a room and it smells aromatic it can be the results of air fresheners or cleaning agents. For those allergic to fragrances this can be a massive downside." As spring approaches, the time is nearly right here to do an excellent cleansing and disinfecting of your poultry services after the lengthy winter. This is especially true if you are contemplating bringing in new birds or changing your flock, be they layers, meat birds or present birds. Decontaminating your poultry house is crucial in order to forestall Marek’s illness, mycoplasma, respiratory viruses, E.coli, mites, and other poultry health problems. Even extra necessary is the control of Salmonella Enteritidis , particularly in laying hens. 清潔公司 can colonize in a chicken’s intestinal tract with out necessarily inflicting obvious illness in the rooster itself. This might lead to the organism invading different tissues and finally discovering its way into the reproductive tract and ovary, contaminating the egg itself. 7 The Reason Why You Want Community Pressure Washing Smart owners protect that investment with efficient stress washing. Pressure washing your personal home is guaranteed to save you money in the lengthy term. Standard power washing can rip or crack shingles, create water damage on top and under shingles, and cause leaks that lead to mold and rot. There's no cause to take a risk with the cleaning of your roof space. Working with knowledgeable house washing company can save you money and time and assist scale back your threat of harm from performing the cleansing yourself. You would possibly be succesful of fix a few of these damages if you’re lucky, however others are more permanent. To assure the best quality for your exterior surfaces corresponding to your patio and even driveway, our strain washing meticulously eliminates any type of dust, filth, mold, and even algae. The advantages of stress washing hold your surfaces sanitized and restored in its finest situation. To maintain a clear home is to construct a cheerful home and our strain washing providers enhance not solely your curb appeal but also present a healthy experience in your house. Most importantly, stress washing creates incredible results. When it's time to start your spring cleaning, it is important to make positive that you don’t overlook to clean the outside of your property! Soon, the HOA board might be drowning in complaints. We always follow up with you to be certain to are fully glad along with your work. Our goal is to construct lasting relationships – prospects, not jobs. Can I Take Advantage Of A Stress Washer To Scrub Windows? Our decrease stress and excessive circulate machines clear your house exterior with out damage. As mentioned above, stress washing your windows is secure if done correctly. The most essential factor is to ensure the strain of the washer is at its lowest all through the wash. As long as you keep underneath 2,000 PSI, and observe the rules we've set up here, your window washing job ought to be quick, successful, and problem free. If stripping stain out of your deck is the duty you are trying to accomplish, then blast away! But when you intend to keep stain on wood, don’t use a pressure washer to clean it. However, as stated earlier in this article, you can mix in soap or different detergents if you select to or should you feel the job requires it. The finest size of tip to use for cleansing windows is the 40-degree white tip. This is because it dispenses the water at a lower strain than the other tips. There are two fundamental kinds of power washers; electrical power washers and gas washers. Just like dealing with any machine, you want to take certain precautions when operating a pressure washer. The following are a variety of the precautions you need to take. To start window washing, you need - a water-fed pole, a hose, and distilled water. Your water-fed pole ought to be extendable and it should have a delicate brush on its top. This is particularly true when the windows are larger than human height as a result of the waterfed pole could be lengthened. We take away mold with our low-pressure technique and business grade cleaning chemical substances. Our team meticulously prepares your house prior to providing companies. We consider in providing the absolute best buyer expertise as well as providing the best high quality service to our customers. Clean every kind of dust, debris, and dirt out of your windows with stress washing. You don’t want five completely different instruments and gear to clean varied stains. The Way To Clear Blinds The Quick And Simple Means Just make certain to be delicate with the thinner components of the shades to keep away from harm. Roller blinds could be found in plenty of houses, as they had been extremely well-liked prior to now. They need much more cautious remedy than pleated shades. Before doing anything, make certain to take off the blinds from the window. Flip the blinds so the other aspect is going through you and repeat the process along with your microfiber material or vacuum. The common lifespan of a window blind, when properly maintained, is 5 years. Blinds and window shutters offer a blend of comfort and privacy when wanted. Unlike curtains and other window remedies, blinds and shutters can be used to supply privacy without compromising on a room’s lighting and air circulation. When dusting or vacuuming vertical blinds, brush downward only, as the slats typically turn out to be unhooked when you brush upward. With vertical blinds make certain to work from high to backside so that you simply keep away from unhooking them. If you notice that there are some stains in your material blinds, you'll have the ability to clear these utilizing a combination of water and material detergent. Once you’ve finished cleansing, wipe each slat with a clear, dry cloth to remove any moisture left behind. If your window blinds are starting to look somewhat soiled however you haven't any concept where to start to restore them to their former glory, you’ve come to the proper place. Lightly mud your bamboo window shades with a delicate feather duster, or a delicate, dry, lint-free fabric. To take away stains, use a slightly damp fabric to gently blot on the spot. The main downside with cloth blinds is mud, which could be removed through a vacuum cleaner or hairdryer. However, if there are stains on the material, it's always best to belief the cleansing with a Tyler window blinds professional. Certain washing strategies can injury or discolor the fabric. At Goyne’s Blinds and Shutters, our Tyler blind cleaning contractors know the most effective ways to scrub fabric blinds. Cleaning While OSHA regulation operates on the federal degree, no standardized regulation currently exists on the metropolis or state degree for worker health and security. While rules drive a lot of your decisions, you should perceive that going above and past helps attract prospects. Consider using essentially the most superior cleaning chemicals which have a smaller impact on the setting and, if potential, spend money on know-how that makes use of less water. The greatest franchises provide specialty cleansing that offers the corporate an opportunity to distinguish itself from the competitors. Environmentally pleasant cleansing is one such specialty, pushed by buyer demand for eco-friendly practices. This trend is aware of chemical compounds and sources utilized in cleaning as well as the right disposal of waste. I attempt to book no less than two nights in each place to make sure laundry has time to dry. When not on the move, each evening I strip off and wash what I wore that day, plus generally also yesterday. I simply use the bar cleaning soap provided, I wet the garments, rub soap in smelly spots. Swish around as best I can for a number of minutes, then drain, rinse, drain, and wring. The solvent sprays into the basket and chamber constantly — not only immersing the garments, however gently dropping and pounding them in opposition to baffles in the cylinder as well. The soiled solvent is pumped constantly via the filter and re-circulated free and clear of dirt that gets trapped in the filter. If a garment wants particular consideration, corresponding to removing a red wine stain from a shirt or placing a double-crease in pant legs, there's a special colored tag that gets affixed to that specific item of clothes. Once the clothing has been washed or dry cleaned, it goes through a quality check and the order will get re-assembled. Bathroom Cleaning Providers In a survey run byHarris Interactive, statistics have shown 90% of Americans assume employers who deep clear restrooms frequently care about their health and wellness within the office. Needless to say, your employees believing you care about their safety while they're at work is incredibly necessary in sustaining employee satisfaction. – In fact, it could possibly be argued that many shoppers judge a business by the cleanliness of the restroom. Dirty restrooms replicate poorly on management, and in these times, a dissatisfied customer is more likely to notify folks on social media earlier than they notify management. Dirty loos are pointless and preventable and clients question the motives behind companies that select to disregard restroom cleanliness. • Spray flooring with CLR Bath and Kitchen Cleaner, if it's protected on your floor. Composed of abrasive melamine foam, Magic Erasers are designed to chop via cussed gunk very quickly. No surprise then that when you blot your curling wands and flatirons with a dampened one, you probably can shortly clean off sticky residue buildup from styling merchandise. Just bear in mind to wipe your instruments down with a wet towel when you’re carried out. Just prefer it protects your skin from razor cuts, the glycerin in shaving cream can create a protecting coating for your rest room mirror to cease it from steaming up. Montreal Eco-friendly cleansing service ' Good Karma' offers weekly or bi-weekly service of constant high quality with the utilization of environmentally friendly merchandise. The first cleansing is extra thorough and will take a bit longer. Below is a listing of standard cleaning we do in every room of your home. A hectic lifestyle implies that a person is at all times tired and lack time to do anything apart from the important stuff. This signifies that cleaning your own home on an everyday basis is extremely unlikely. However, neglecting to do so outcomes to mud build-up and clutter around the home.

#清潔公司

[newstfionline]

Monday, February 15, 2021

Warning to travellers: You have until Feb 22 to return or pay up to $2,000 for Canada’s COVID-19 hotel quarantine (Yahoo News) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers coming to Canada by air will come into effect on Feb. 22. Minister of Health Patty Hajdu confirmed that people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are not exempt from these requirements at this time. Non-essential travellers to Canada by air are required to take a COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hour before departure. Proof of a negative test result must be with them during travel. They must submit their contact and quarantine information using the ArriveCAN app before boarding a plane. Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Bill Blair, confirmed that 93 per cent of air travellers are non-essential travellers. Beginning Feb. 22, travellers need to take a COVID-19 test when the they arrive in Canada, at their own cost, before they leave the airport. Travellers will then go to a quarantine hotel until their test result is returned, up to three days. They need to reserve their stay prior to arriving in Canada. Hajdu indicated hotel booking information will be available online on Feb. 18. Travellers must stay in a hotel in the city in which they first arrive in Canada. When their test comes back negative, they can then take a connecting flight to their destination.

Impeachment proves imperfect amid US polarization (AP) Three Republican senators spent an hour talking strategy with lawyers for the accused. The entire Senate served as jurors even though they were also targets of the crime. No witnesses were called. And the outcome was never in doubt. The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump laid bare the deep imperfections in the Constitution’s only process for holding a president accountable, for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The proceedings packed an emotional punch and served as history’s first accounting of the Jan. 6 riots on the U.S. Capitol, but the inherently political process never amounted to a real and unbiased effort to determine how the insurrection unfolded and whether Trump was responsible. The results were ultimately unsurprising: a fast impeachment in the Democratic-led House followed by acquittal in the Senate, where 17 Republicans were needed to convict. Congress has rarely deployed its power to hold a president accountable for crimes and misdemeanors: impeaching Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in the 1999 and Trump twice over the past year. The House also launched impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon, but he resigned from office before a vote on charges. Each of the other instances ended with the president—or in this most recent instance, former president—acquitted, and few satisfied with the process.

Postmaster general’s new plan for USPS is said to include slower mail and higher prices (Washington Post) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is preparing to put all first-class mail onto a single delivery track, according to two people briefed on his strategic plan for the U.S. Postal Service, a move that would mean slower and more costly delivery for both consumers and commercial mailers. DeJoy, with the backing of the agency’s bipartisan but Trump-appointed governing board, has discussed plans to eliminate a tier of first-class mail—letters, bills and other envelope-sized correspondence sent to a local address—designated for delivery in two days. Instead, all first-class mail would be lumped into the same three- to five-day window, the current benchmark for nonlocal mail. That class of mail is already struggling; only 38 percent was delivered on time at the end of 2020, the Postal Service reported in federal court. Customers have reported bills being held up, and holiday cards and packages still in transit. Pharmacies and prescription benefits managers have told patients to request medication refills early to leave additional time for mail delays.

Hundreds of thousands without power in Northwest ice storm (AP) A winter storm blanketed the Pacific Northwest with ice and snow Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power and disrupting travel across the region. Freezing rain left roads, power lines and trees coated in ice in the Portland, Oregon, region, and by Saturday morning more than 270,000 people were without power. The extreme conditions, loss of power and transportation problems prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to declare a state of emergency Saturday afternoon. Winter storms and extreme cold affected much of the western U.S., particularly endangering homeless communities. Volunteers and shelter staffers were trying to ensure homeless residents in Casper, Wyoming, were indoors as the National Weather Service warned of wind chill reaching as much as 35 degrees below zero over the weekend.

With the Economy on the Ropes, Hungary Goes All In on Mass Vaccination (NYT) Hungary on Friday began injecting citizens with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the first country in the European Union to administer a coronavirus inoculation that has yet to be tested and approved by the bloc’s regulators. With Hungary’s economy suffering and a national election looming next year, embracing such vaccines is part of the government’s strategy to go all in on fighting the coronavirus after a series of missteps allowed it to spread in Hungary. The decision by Viktor Orban, Hungary’s far-right prime minister, to move forward with the ambitious vaccination plan comes after the European Union’s own response to vaccine distribution has lagged behind the United States, Israel, and Britain. Mr. Orban has few options for reviving the Hungarian economy, as he is opposed to handing out meaningful relief aid to citizens and businesses and appears to be betting big on getting the whole country vaccinated, with an eye on next year’s elections. While many E.U. members have expressed frustration with the bloc’s sluggish procurement procedures, Hungary is the only one so far to break from the collective strategy.

Even India’s Ex-Chief Justice Won’t Go to Nation’s Courts (Bloomberg) A former chief justice of India says he won’t go to the country’s top court with his grievances because he would have to wait endlessly for a verdict, a comment that lays bare the nation’s clogged legal system. “You want a 5 trillion dollar economy but you have a ramshackled judiciary,” said Ranjan Gogoi, who retired as the head of the country’s judiciary in November 2019 and is now a member of the upper house of the parliament. Gogoi was speaking at an event organized by the India Today Group, a news network. Gogoi’s remarks calling for an overhaul of the judiciary’s capacity and efficacy highlights India’s troubles with delayed verdicts and enforcing contracts. Court systems in Asia’s third-largest economy are clogged with over 43 million cases and a shortage of judges means that some cases can end up taking years, even decades, to find a resolution. Companies invested in India have a tough time once entangled in a legal dispute.

Hundreds of thousands protest in Myanmar as army faces crippling mass strike (Reuters) Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Myanmar for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations on Sunday, as the new army rulers grappled to contain a strike by government workers that could cripple their ability to run the country. Trains in parts of the country stopped running after staff refused to go to work, local media reported, while the military deployed soldiers to power plants only to be confronted by angry crowds. As evening fell, armoured vehicles were seen in the commercial capital of Yangon for the first time since the coup, witnesses said, and the U.S. embassy urged employees to be cautious. A civil disobedience movement to protest against the Feb. 1 coup that deposed the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi started with doctors. It now affects a swathe of government departments. The junta ordered civil servants to go back to work, threatening action. The army has been carrying out nightly mass arrests and on Saturday gave itself sweeping powers to detain people and search private property. But hundreds of railway workers joined demonstrations in Yangon on Sunday, even as police went to their housing compound on the outskirts of the city to order them back to work. The police were forced to leave after angry crowds gathered, according to a live broadcast by Myanmar Now.

Japan’s Quake Evokes a Painful Memory (NYT) A large earthquake shook a broad area across eastern Japan late Saturday night, with its epicenter off the coast of Fukushima, near where three nuclear reactors melted down after a quake and tsunami nearly 10 years ago. As of Sunday morning, no deaths had been reported from the quake, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said. But more than 100 people were injured, according to the state broadcaster, NHK. The quake left nearly a million households without power across the Fukushima region and forced the closure of roads and suspension of train services. While rattled residents braced for aftershocks, a landslide cut off a chunk of a main artery through Fukushima Prefecture. Japan’s meteorological service reported the quake’s magnitude as 7.3, up from the initial assessment of 7.1. The quake was an unnerving reminder of the vastly more powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011, killing more than 16,000 people. After the subsequent nuclear disaster in Fukushima, 164,000 people fled or were evacuated from around the plant.

New Zealand city going into 3-day lockdown after virus found (AP) New Zealand’s largest city of Auckland will go into a three-day lockdown beginning just before midnight Sunday following the discovery of three unexplained coronavirus cases in the community. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move after an urgent meeting with other top lawmakers in the Cabinet. She said they decided to take a cautious approach until they find out more about the outbreak, including whether the infections are of the more contagious variants. The lockdown is the first in New Zealand in six months and represents a significant setback in the nation’s largely successful efforts to control the virus. It will also force a delay in the America’s Cup sailing regatta.

Ancient mass production brewery uncovered in Egypt (Reuters) Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old brewery that could produce thousands of litres of beer in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities ministry said. The site in Egypt’s Sohag Governorate likely dates back to the reign of King Narmer around 3,100 BC, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The brewery, which had a production capacity of 22,400 litres, was split into eight sections each containing 40 clay pots used to warm mixtures of grain and water.

#headlines #news

[angelstormx]

ACCESSING FILES...

ADVANCED CASE FILES: STORM

BASICS

BIRTH NAME: Angel Juelz Rodriguez

NICKNAME(S): A, Ange. Stormy.

DATE OF BIRTH: November, 7th (Scorpio).

AGE: 36.

GENDER: Trans Male.

PRONOUNS: He/Him.

NATIONALITY: Spanish American.

HOMETOWN: Madrid, Spain.

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Turnstone, USA. New York, New York.

OCCUPATION: Bartender.

ORIGIN:

Angel was born with his powers, he had them dating back to as long as he could remember. He was born the son of Ramon and Sylvia Rodriguez. Ramon himself had the abilities of Celestial manipulation and Sylvia was a local hairdresser, that practiced Brujeria. They hadn’t expected Angel to become a ‘mutant’ with sorcery powers, because Ramon had hid his gifts from his family and never disclosed with them the information, in turn, he never knew he came from a long line of mutants and Sylvia’s family only were ‘practitioners’ of Brujeria - none of them ever had powers that displayed anything that Angel did at such a young age.

But when his son, former daughter, displayed glowing white eyes and hands that were surrounded by lightning - from throwing a temper tantrum - they soon realized that Adam had powers. When Angel turned 13, he was in the middle of transitioning, when his parents died in a air plane crash, leaving Angel with his progressively ill turning grandmother. Angel was able to get his top surgery and afford a few months of his t shots, but when medical bills, regular bills occurred Angel went to stealing. His grandmother never knew what he did to get the money, she honestly was too sick to even give much thought and research into it. He had become a master thief, using his powers to distract people from strong wind gust, to random lightning strikes, to even having a tornado tease the area. He stole his way back into good standing and got his grandmother back into good health.

Once he turned seventeen, stealing wasn’t enough. Everyone knew his tactics, knew who he was, and expected him. So he started off trying to get a normal job, but no one wanted a streetrat or a riff raff working for them. Needless to say, he had a rougher childhood and knew that, it wasn’t until he was eighteen that a male, his former mentor, came and found him. He thought he was just stealing for a common man, but the man seemed to be twelve steps ahead of him... and in his head. A telepath? In the small Spanish town, Angel thought that he was the only one in the world with supernatural powers, convinced  him that he was more than a thief or street rat.

He convinced Angel to come to the US and start a better life for himself and help those mutants that were hiding, along with learning himself. Within his first year there, he was already smitten with a fellow super and ended up having a baby with said man. They soon decided to get married and live a happy life. He knew that it was fast, but he was a new person there and living a better life. Through many years he has went through hell, disasters, and even a few deaths through him learning how to use and control his powers - deeming them an environmental hazard if he got too out of hand.  Years later and the Advocate comes up and it just something that Angel is interested in. Mentoring future and upcoming heroes and powered beings. Along with partaking in some missions and such, himself.

APPEARANCE

HEIGHT: 5′9.

WEIGHT: 164 lbs.

BUILD: Muscular Slim.

ETHNICITY: Hispanic.

HAIR: Black.

EYES: Brown. Glowing White ( when powers are in use )

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Cocky Smirk.

DISABILITIES: None.

DRESS STYLE: ( summer ) ( spring ) ( fall ) ( winter ) ( sleep )

TATTOOS: None

PIERCINGS: None

PERSONALITY/PSYCHOLOGY

INTROVERT or EXTROVERT: Extrovert with Introvert Tendacies.

INTELLIGENCE LEVEL: He is both book and street smart, having lived on the streets to working with a man that challenged his book intelligence.

MENTAL HEALTH: No Known Issues.

HABITS: Bits his lips when he is nervous or trying to figure something out, Flies up to the sky before he starts using his powers - feels the closer he is to the sky the more control he is in, folds his arms when he is trying to understand something, Scratches the Side of his nose when he is nervous.

MANNERISMS: Very Elegant and Poised.

HEALTH: Amazing Health, he is a regular with check ups and dental visits.

MBTI TYPE: ENFJ

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: Loyalty, Compassion, Leadership

NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES: Emotions, Reservations, Scorning

LIKES: Reading, Various Music, Outdoors, Wind Breezes, Attractive Men, Going on Dates, Teaching, Chili Dogs

DISLIKES: Liars, Abusers, Nature Negligence, Bad Mannered Jokes, Homophobes, Transphobes, Fatphobes, etc., Snakes, Unnecessarily Loud Music

HOBBIES: Reading, Flying, Power Control, Hiking, Adventures.

TALENTS / SKILLS: Master Thief, Expert Combatant, Weapons Mastery, Tactician, Multilingualism, Aviation, Indomitable Will

FAMILY

PARENTS: Ramon Rodriguez (father, deceased), Sylvia Velazquez (mother, deceased).

SIBLINGS: 2 Younger Brothers, 1 Younger Sister.

CHILDREN: 1 Son ( 18 years old ).

MARITAL STATUS: Separated.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): None.

OTHER FAMILY: Uncles here in the US.

PETS: Mini Schnauzer (Titus).

SEXUALITY

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Homosexual.

DATING STATUS: Looking To Date.

DOMINANT / SUBMISSIVE / SWITCH: Switch.

TOP / BOTTOM / VERSATILE: Bottom.

TURN-ONS: Marking, Neck Kissing, Ass Smacking, Biting, Breeding, Softness, Roughness

TURN-OFFS: Toilet Play, Age Play, Daddy Kink

SUPERHEROISM

ALIAS: Storm.

POWERS / SKILLSET:

Atmokinesis aka Weather Manipulation:

Atmokinesis gives Angel the psionic ability to create, generate, and control meteorological tempest. He has influence over various weather phenomena from lighting, hail, rain to rare things such as acid rain, tidal waves, and flash freezes. He has shown feats and put down enemies with tornadoes, as many as he wants in a flash, oxygen control, and snowstorms. He has trained himself to fly with creating wind currents to give him flight capabilities up to many speeds. He has the weather perception vision, which is what is going on when his eyes are glowing white, he can perceive destiny via weather patterns viewed to him as patterns of energy. He has an empathetic link with the Eco system. And has electrolysis which separates elements unto their old forms.]

Sorcery:

Sylvia family practiced Brujeria, for generations, and it is believed that their idol blessed Angel, and his siblings, with the acts of being able to actually perform some of the Brujeria through sorcery. Angel has also humbled himself with this ability, because he knows if he isn’t careful that it could do some major damage. He had disciplined himself with learning various forms of magic from brujeria to voodoo to wicca to chaos to love and madness magics. He has been able to alter reality, create illusion, create voodoo dolls, summon things, scry, and even control people’s motor skills. He mostly uses this power when he absolutely has too, he often uses quick magic attacks, but he doesn’t dive into the more serious powers, unless it is a life or death situation going on.

COLORS: Whitish Silver (Pearl), and Gold.

APPEARANCE:

Storm’s costume is a whitish silver aka pearl colored skintight and full body body suit. There are many different designs and patterns in it, that would be cold colored. The arrows on his forearms would be made of 3D gold. He doesn’t wear a mask or anything that hides his face, because he isn’t ashamed of being a hero or his mutant genes. He has gray and gold gloves, that flow with the color scheme of the body suit, while the gold helps him emit the EM and electricity in his body to come out more. He has gold bracelets around each wrist that connect to his cape, with makes a W shape. The middle of the W being his neck where the cape hooks onto his costume.

Costume 2 - When he is feeling more in tune with his magic side.

WEAKNESSES:

Earth Link: With his empathetic link to the eco system he feels often what the eco system is feeling, somethings he could be classified as ‘bipolar’ because his mood swings with the environment around him and if there is even a single plant dying it would render Angel sick.

MENTOR / PROTEGE: TBA.

LENGTH OF ADVOCATE MEMBERSHIP: About Three Years.

SUPERVILLAIN ARCHNEMESIS: TBA.

#advocatetask #Task 001 #Storm's Task #Storm's Task 001

[bountyofbeads]

Science Under Attack: How Trump Is Sidelining Researchers and Their Work https://nyti.ms/2MyL8Yw

Science Under Attack: How Trump Is Sidelining Researchers and Their Work

By Brad Plumer and Coral Davenport | Published Dec. 28, 2019, 2:58 p.m. ET | New York Times | Posted Dec 28, 2019 |

WASHINGTON — In just three years, the Trump administration has diminished the role of science in federal policymaking while halting or disrupting research projects nationwide, marking a transformation of the federal government whose effects, experts say, could reverberate for years.

Political appointees have shut down government studies, reduced the influence of scientists over regulatory decisions and in some cases pressured researchers not to speak publicly. The administration has particularly challenged scientific findings related to the environment and public health opposed by industries such as oil drilling and coal mining. It has also impeded research around human-caused climate change, which President Trump has dismissed despite a global scientific consensus.

But the erosion of science reaches well beyond the environment and climate: In San Francisco, a study of the effects of chemicals on pregnant women has stalled after federal funding abruptly ended. In Washington, D.C., a scientific committee that provided expertise in defending against invasive insects has been disbanded. In Kansas City, Mo., the hasty relocation of two agricultural agencies that fund crop science and study the economics of farming has led to an exodus of employees and delayed hundreds of millions of dollars in research.

“The disregard for expertise in the federal government is worse than it’s ever been,” said Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, which has tracked more than 200 reports of Trump administration efforts to restrict or misuse science since 2017. “It’s pervasive.”

Hundreds of scientists, many of whom say they are dismayed at seeing their work undone, are departing.

Among them is Matthew Davis, a biologist whose research on the health risks of mercury to children underpinned the first rules cutting mercury emissions from coal power plants. But last year, with a new baby of his own, he was asked to help support a rollback of those same rules. “I am now part of defending this darker, dirtier future,” he said.

This year, after a decade at the Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Davis left.

“Regulations come and go, but the thinning out of scientific capacity in the government will take a long time to get back,” said Joel Clement, a former top climate-policy expert at the Interior Department who quit in 2017 after being reassigned to a job collecting oil and gas royalties. He is now at the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group.

Mr. Trump has consistently said that government regulations have stifled businesses and thwarted some of the administration’s core goals, such as increasing fossil-fuel production. Many of the starkest confrontations with federal scientists have involved issues like environmental oversight and energy extraction — areas where industry groups have argued that regulators have gone too far in the past.

“Businesses are finally being freed of Washington’s overreach, and the American economy is flourishing as a result,” a White House statement said last year. Asked about the role of science in policymaking, officials from the White House declined to comment on the record.

The administration’s efforts to cut certain research projects also reflect a longstanding conservative position that some scientific work can be performed cost-effectively by the private sector, and taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to foot the bill. “Eliminating wasteful spending, some of which has nothing to do with studying the science at all, is smart management, not an attack on science,” two analysts at the conservative Heritage Foundation wrote in 2017 of the administration’s proposals to eliminate various climate change and clean energy programs.

Industry groups have expressed support for some of the moves, including a contentious E.P.A. proposal  to put new constraints on the use of scientific studies in the name of transparency. The American Chemistry Council, a chemical trade group, praised the proposal by saying, “The goal of providing more transparency in government and using the best available science in the regulatory process should be ideals we all embrace.”

In some cases, the administration’s efforts to roll back government science have been thwarted. Each year, Mr. Trump has proposed sweeping budget cuts at a variety of federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. But Congress has the final say over budget levels and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have rejected the cuts.

For instance, in supporting funding for the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, recently said, “it allows us to take advantage of the United States’ secret weapon, our extraordinary capacity for basic research.”

As a result, many science programs continue to thrive, including space exploration at NASA and medical research at the National Institutes of Health, where the budget has increased more than 12 percent since Mr. Trump took office and where researchers  continue to make advances in areas like molecular biology and genetics.

Nevertheless, in other areas, the administration has managed to chip away at federal science.

At the E.P.A., for instance, staffing has fallen to its lowest levels in at least a decade. More than two-thirds of respondents to a survey of federal scientists across 16 agencies said that hiring freezes and departures made it harder to conduct scientific work. And in June, the White House ordered agencies to cut by one-third the number of federal advisory boards that provide technical advice.

The White House said it aimed to eliminate committees that were no longer necessary. Panels cut so far had focused on issues including invasive species and electric grid innovation.

At a time when the United States is pulling back from world leadership in other areas like human rights or diplomatic accords, experts warn that the retreat from science is no less significant. Many of the achievements of the past century that helped make the United States an envied global power, including gains in life expectancy, lowered air pollution and increased farm productivity are the result of the kinds of government research now under pressure.

“When we decapitate the government’s ability to use science in a professional way, that increases the risk that we start making bad decisions, that we start missing new public health risks,” said Wendy E. Wagner, a professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin who studies the use of science by policymakers.

Skirmishes over the use of science in making policy occur in all administrations: Industries routinely push back against health studies that could justify stricter pollution rules, for example. And scientists often gripe about inadequate budgets for their work. But many experts say that current efforts to challenge research findings go well beyond what has been done previously.

In an article published in the journal Science last year, Ms. Wagner wrote that some of the Trump administration’s moves, like a policy to restrict certain academics from the E.P.A.’s Science Advisory Board or the proposal to limit the types of research that can be considered by environmental regulators, “mark a sharp departure with the past.” Rather than isolated battles between political officials and career experts, she said, these moves are an attempt to legally constrain how federal agencies use science in the first place.

Some clashes with scientists have sparked public backlash, as when Trump officials pressured the nation’s weather forecasting agency to support the president’s erroneous assertion this year that Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama.

But others have garnered little notice despite their significance.

This year, for instance, the National Park Service’s principle climate change scientist, Patrick Gonzalez, received a “cease and desist” letter from supervisors after testifying to Congress about the risks that global warming posed to national parks.

“I saw it as attempted intimidation,” said Dr. Gonzalez, who added that he was speaking in his capacity as an associate adjunct professor at the University California, Berkeley, a position he also holds. “It’s interference with science and hinders our work.”

CURTAILING SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS

Even though Congress hasn’t gone along with Mr. Trump’s proposals for budget cuts at scientific agencies, the administration has still found ways to advance its goals.

One strategy: eliminate individual research projects not explicitly protected by Congress.

For example, just months after Mr. Trump’s election, the Commerce Department disbanded a 15-person scientific committee that had explored how to make National Climate Assessments, the congressionally mandated studies of the risks of climate change, more useful to local officials. It also closed its Office of the Chief Economist, which for decades had conducted wide-ranging research on topics like the economic effects of natural disasters. Similarly, the Interior Department has withdrawn funding for its Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, 22 regional research centers that tackled issues like habitat loss and wildfire management. While California and Alaska used state money to keep their centers open, 16 of 22 remain in limbo.

A Commerce Department official said the climate committee it discontinued had not produced a report, and highlighted other efforts to promote science, such as a major upgrade of the nation’s weather models.

An Interior Department official said the agency’s decisions “are solely based on the facts and grounded in the law,” and that the agency would continue to pursue other partnerships to advance conservation science.

Research that potentially posed an obstacle to Mr. Trump’s promise to expand fossil-fuel production was halted, too. In 2017, Interior officials  canceled a $1 million study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the health risks of “mountaintop removal” coal mining in places like West Virginia.

Mountaintop removal is as dramatic as it sounds — a hillside is blasted with explosives and the remains are excavated — but the health consequences still aren’t fully understood. The process can kick up coal dust and send heavy metals into waterways, and a number of studies have suggested links to health problems like kidney disease and birth defects.

“The industry was pushing back on these studies,” said Joseph Pizarchik, an Obama-era mining regulator who commissioned the now-defunct study. “We didn’t know what the answer would be,” he said, “but we needed to know: Was the government permitting coal mining that was poisoning people, or not?”

While coal mining has declined in recent years, satellite data shows that at least 60 square miles in Appalachia have been newly mined since 2016. “The study is still as important today as it was five years ago,” Mr. Pizarchik said.

THE COST OF LOST RESEARCH

The cuts can add up to significant research setbacks.

For years, the E.P.A. and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences had jointly funded 13 children’s health centers nationwide  that studied, among other things, the effects of pollution on children’s development. This year, the E.P.A. ended its funding.

At the University of California, San Francisco, one such center has been studying how industrial chemicals such as flame retardants in furniture could affect placenta and fetal development. Key aspects of the research have now stopped.

“The longer we go without funding, the harder it is to start that research back up,” said Tracey Woodruff, who directs the center.

In a statement, the E.P.A. said it anticipated future opportunities to fund children’s health research.

At the Department of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced in June he would relocate two key research agencies to Kansas City from Washington: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a scientific agency that funds university research on topics like how to breed cattle and corn that can better tolerate drought conditions, and the Economic Research Service, whose economists produce studies for policymakers on farming trends, trade and rural America.

Nearly 600 employees had less than four months to decide whether to uproot and move. Most couldn’t or wouldn’t, and two-thirds of those facing transfer left their jobs.

In August, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, appeared to celebrate the departures.

“It’s nearly impossible to fire a federal worker,” he said in videotaped remarks  at a Republican Party gala in South Carolina. “But by simply saying to people, ‘You know what, we’re going to take you outside the bubble, outside the Beltway, outside this liberal haven of Washington, D.C., and move you out in the real part of the country,’ and they quit. What a wonderful way to sort of streamline government and do what we haven’t been able to do for a long time.”

The White House declined to comment on Mr. Mulvaney’s speech.

The exodus has led to upheaval.

At the Economic Research Service, dozens of planned studies into topics like dairy industry consolidation and pesticide use have been delayed or disrupted. “You can name any topic in agriculture and we’ve lost an expert,” said Laura Dodson, an economist and acting vice president of the union representing agency employees.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture manages $1.7 billion in grants that fund research on issues like food safety or techniques that help farmers improve their productivity. The staff loss, employees say, has held up hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, such as planned research into pests and diseases afflicting grapes, sweet potatoes and fruit trees.

Former employees say they remain skeptical that the agencies could be repaired quickly. “It will take 5 to 10 years to rebuild,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, who until 2018 directed the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Mr. Perdue said the moves would save money and put the offices closer to farmers. “We did not undertake these relocations lightly,” he said in a statement. A Department of Agriculture official added that both agencies were pushing to continue their work, but acknowledged that some grants could be delayed by months.

QUESTIONING THE SCIENCE ITSELF

In addition to shutting down some programs, there have been notable instances where the administration has challenged established scientific research. Early on, as it started rolling back regulations on industry, administration officials began questioning research findings underpinning those regulations.

In 2017, aides to Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator at the time, told the agency’s economists to redo an analysis of wetlands protections that had been used to help defend an Obama-era clean-water rule. Instead of concluding that the protections would provide more than $500 million in economic benefits, they were told to list the benefits as unquantifiable, according to Elizabeth Southerland, who retired in 2017 from a 30-year career at the E.P.A., finishing as a senior official in its water office.

“It’s not unusual for a new administration to come in and change policy direction,” Dr. Southerland said. “But typically you would look for new studies and carefully redo the analysis. Instead they were sending a message that all the economists, scientists, career staff in the agency were irrelevant.”

Internal documents show that political officials at the E.P.A. have overruled the agency’s career experts on several occasions, including in a move to regulate asbestos more lightly, in a decision not to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos and in a determination that parts of Wisconsin were in compliance with smog standards. The Interior Department sidelined its own legal and environmental analyses in advancing a proposal to raise the Shasta Dam in California.

Michael Abboud, an E.P.A. spokesman, disputed Dr. Southerland’s account in an emailed response, saying “It is not true.”

The E.P.A. is now finalizing a narrower version of the Obama-era water rule, which in its earlier form had prompted outrage from thousands of farmers and ranchers across the country who saw it as overly restrictive.

“E.P.A. under President Trump has worked to put forward the strongest regulations to protect human health and the environment,” Mr. Abboud said, noting that several Obama administration rules had been held up in court and needed revision. “As required by law E.P.A. has always and will continue to use the best available science when developing rules, regardless of the claims of a few federal employees.”

Past administrations have, to varying degrees, disregarded scientific findings that conflicted with their priorities. In 2011, President Obama’s top health official overruled experts at the Food and Drug Administration who had concluded that over-the-counter emergency contraceptives were safe for minors.

But in the Trump administration, the scope is wider. Many top government positions, including at the E.P.A. and the Interior Department, are now occupied by former lobbyists  connected to the industries that those agencies oversee.

Scientists and health experts have singled out two moves they find particularly concerning. Since 2017, the E.P.A. has moved to restrict certain academics from sitting on its Science Advisory Board, which provides scrutiny of agency science, and has instead increased the number of appointees connected with industry.

And, in a potentially far-reaching move, the E.P.A. has proposed a rule to limit regulators from using scientific research unless the underlying raw data can be made public. Industry groups like the Chamber of Commerce have argued that some agency rules are based on science that can’t be fully scrutinized by outsiders. But dozens of scientific organizations have warned that the proposal in its current form could prevent the E.P.A. from considering a vast array of research on issues like the dangers of air pollution if, for instance, they are based on confidential health data.

“The problem is that rather than allowing agency scientists to use their judgment and weigh the best available evidence, this could put political constraints on how science enters the decision-making process in the first place,” said Ms. Wagner, the University of Texas law professor.

The E.P.A. says its proposed rule is intended to make the science that underpins potentially costly regulations more transparent. “By requiring transparency,” said Mr. Abboud, the agency spokesman, “scientists will be required to publish hypothesis and experimental data for other scientists to review and discuss, requiring the science to withstand skepticism and peer review.”

AN EXODUS OF EXPERTISE

“In the past, when we had an administration that was not very pro-environment, we could still just lay low and do our work,” said Betsy Smith, a climate scientist with more than 20 years of experience at the E.P.A. who in 2017 saw her long-running study of the effects of climate change on major ports get canceled.

“Now we feel like the E.P.A. is being run by the fossil fuel industry,” she said. “It feels like a wholesale attack.”

After her project was killed, Dr. Smith resigned.

The loss of experienced scientists can erase years or decades of “institutional memory,” said Robert J. Kavlock, a toxicologist who retired in October 2017 after working at the E.P.A. for 40 years, most recently as acting assistant administrator for the agency’s Office of Research and Development.

His former office, which researches topics like air pollution and chemical testing, has lost 250 scientists and technical staff members since Mr. Trump came to office, while hiring 124. Those who have remained in the office of roughly 1,500 people continue to do their work, Dr. Kavlock said, but are not going out of their way to promote findings on lightning-rod topics like climate change.

“You can see that they’re trying not to ruffle any feathers,” Dr. Kavlock said.

The same can’t be said of Patrick Gonzalez, the National Park Service’s principle climate change scientist, whose work involves helping national parks protect against damages from rising temperatures.

In February, Dr. Gonzalez testified before Congress about the risks of global warming, saying he was speaking in his capacity as an associate adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also using his Berkeley affiliation to participate as a co-author on a coming report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body that synthesizes climate science for world leaders.

But in March, shortly after testifying, Dr. Gonzalez’s supervisor at the National Park Service sent the cease-and-desist letter warning him that his Berkeley affiliation was not separate from his government work and that his actions were violating agency policy. Dr. Gonzalez said he viewed the letter as an attempt to deter him from speaking out.

The Interior Department, asked to comment, said the letter did not indicate an intent to sanction Dr. Gonzalez and that he was free to speak as a private citizen.

Dr. Gonzalez, with the support of Berkeley, continues to warn about the dangers of climate change and work with the United Nations climate change panel using his vacation time, and he spoke again to Congress in June. “I’d like to provide a positive example for other scientists,” he said.

Still, he noted that not everyone may be in a position to be similarly outspoken. “How many others are not speaking up?” Dr. Gonzalez said.

#currently reading #politics #climate science #science #political science #republican politics #politics and government #us politics #politik #climateaction #climatechangeisreal #climate change #climate crisis #climate deniers #climate politics #environmentalism #environmental disasters #environment #enviromental #environmetalists #epa #flintmichigan #u.s. news #u.s. presidential elections #2020 election #2020 candidates #trump crime syndicate #trump crime family #trump corruption

[sirlorde7-blog]

The UK is such a mess.

Poverty, homelessness, fewer jobs for un/low-skilled workers, kids starving, old people dying, more kids in care, Brexit, adult social care and the NHS!

Parents struggling financially face many problems, not least of all potentially and unintentionally placing additional stress on children. Kids growing up poor understand that no-one knows where the next meal is coming from, or if the electricity will stay on, or if they’ll get lunch during the summer holidays. Not to mention there is no money for extra-curricular activities, day trips out or even a new football to kick around in order to stay out of trouble. (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/dec/02/growing-up-poor-britains-breadline-kids-review-the-lives-stolen-by-poverty)

Too many children live in temporary accommodation, often sharing one room with siblings and parents. They are expected to focus at school, whilst teachers apply pressure to “perform” like monkeys - sit this test, pass that exam, all so the school can justify itself and draw down funding. Our children are more stressed than ever and we’re raising a generation filled with mental and physical illnesses and conditions that a few decades ago hadn’t even been heard of! “The most recent quarterly statistics recorded 84,740 households in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2019. This represents a 77% increase since December 2010, where the use of temporary accommodation hit its lowest point since 2004″ (https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN02110).

Countless parents struggling with with finance, work, housing, accessing support, healthcare and more, may also be suffering with mental/physical health conditions; and therefore, the whole family suffers. And before anyone gets on my case about people on benefits, most of the 4.1 million children living in poverty have at least one parent working! We've created a whole new 'class' of people in the UK in recent years - the "working poor" (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/dec/04/four-million-british-workers-live-in-poverty-charity-says).

However, companies want their profits and too many large corporations make millions, if not billions every year, whilst desperate people cling to work, hoping their child isn’t sent home sick from school, praying their car makes it on the little bit of fuel they’ve just put in; and plugging away for hours on end without any food because there is nothing in the cupboard to make up a packed-lunch and their kids are receiving free school meals because there’s just no other choice.

There are no council houses, social housing is a joke (waiting lists approx. 7-10yrs) in some local authority areas, and private rents are through the roof. Our NHS is slashing services, and closing clinics and local hospitals, which reduces the provision to those most in need; including mental health teams and adult social care (https://nhsfunding.info/symptoms/10-effects-of-underfunding/cuts-to-frontline-services/).

However, children’s Social Services appear to doing just fine in the sense that they’re busy enough accusing parents of abuse and/or neglect, simply because they’re battling ‘life’ on a daily basis. They’re very quick to remove children from ‘good enough’ parents, fast-track the paperwork to court and apply for removal orders left right and centre; leading to private Fostering and Adoption agencies cashing in! This video highlights just some of the issues with Social Services and the system as a whole: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7TcFWqKja8).

Trying to 'survive' creates stress, which has many wide-reaching physical and mental implications; from hormone imbalance, metabolic disorders and weight gain, to fatigue and eating problems. Many parents do go without so that their kids can eat, yet they still gain weight and lose energy, feeling exhausted every day, simply due to the stress they're under. Choosing between heating and eating creates health issues, with malnutrition identified in the 5th richest nation in the world and the elderly dying of being unable to afford the gas fire (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/cold-weather-uk-winter-deaths-europe-polar-vortex-a8224276.html).

The Labour Party, under Jeremy Corbyn, aim to privatise energy, water, rail and the postal service, as well as some other utilities and services; however, they need to go one or two steps further. The NHS offer should extend to in-home care and the running and regulation of care homes (with those who can afford to pay, doing so) and the government should regain control of children’s services, with private fostering and adoption companies being take out of existence (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/23/revealed-companies-running-inadequate-uk-care-homes-make-113m-profit).

Unless something changes on a national scale, with a new government and new direction, the mental health crisis is only going to get worse, along with other social problems such as excessive drinking and drug-taking (used as a form of escape), increased crime rates and gang membership, and anti-social behaviour (often due to boredom), etc. Parenting hasn’t become worse, people are fighting to survive! Nurses are going to food banks, fire fighters work second jobs; Police recruits are low caliber due to the starting pay offered and standards being lowered during recruitment drives. Teachers are watching kids fall asleep in class because they’re not eating and sleeping properly.

You only need to take a look at some news headlines to realise just how out of control everything is. On top of the national political and socio-economic issues facing the UK, privateers are pressing on with a needless and expensive high-speed rail network - HS2 is now an £88 BILLION pound project! Imagine what could be done with all that money (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/03/hs2-to-be-delayed-by-up-to-five-years). It would certainly solve a few problems.

So whilst business commuters might, eventually, be able to arrive at their destination 30mins earlier than before, the general population is duct-taping their shoes together and sewing holes in socks, just so they can go to work to earn enough to barely keep a roof over their head and food on the table, and the big businesses just keep getting richer (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/dec/03/uk-six-richest-people-control-as-much-wealth-as-poorest-13m-study).

And what about the planet? Are poor people really interested in recycling, sustainable living and providing a nurturing garden habitat to attract wildlife (for those lucky enough to have access to a garden of course)? Some might be, but in the main, people are overworked, underpaid, stressed beyond belief, exhausted and trying not to yell at the kids or argue with their partner because everyone feels the same and is rubbing each other up the wrong way.

The UK desperately needs radical change. Never mind the disaster that is Brexit, the more urgent issue is “survival”. Charities, foodbanks and the like help, but they should even need to exist. There is more than enough money, food and water to go round; it’s simply a case of sharing the wealth.

Controlled procreation should also be on the agenda. Not the systematic theft of children by Social Services, ‘upcycling’ kids to ‘better’ families to reduce the number of underclass and bring down the welfare bill. But the responsible, educated, proactive approach from people choosing to have children. Ideally, a couple would stay together and have up to 2 children, live in a safe, warm and comfortable home, raise them well and encourage them to do the same. However, many are choosing to have 3 or 4 children, and in some countries many more, and the planet is overpopulated. Yes there are issues around adult separation and rape case where the pregnancy isn’t terminated, but this focuses on more general planned parenthood.

Birth control and education must be provided worldwide and the relevant support provided to parents who need help - often, it’s simply a little guidance or support, but instead, in the UK they’re often faced with meetings, court appearances and parenting assessments, as they are accused of not being able to cope. As a human race, there is a responsibility not to over-produce more humans! Earth is running out of resources and the air and water is becoming more polluted. Eventually, people will be hunting each other and fighting over scraps because everything else is gone. Millions will have died off through dehydration or starvation. Medical services won’t be available. Money will not longer be of value - unless of course you can digest it to gain a few dollars worth of energy.

Also, we’re so intent on living longer, curing disease and holding onto pregnancies which otherwise would have self-terminated; yet we’re overrunning the planet with more and more elderly, sick, disabled humans needing to be cared for. We’re creating more problems than we’re solving and we’re not being responsible. We all want to keep loved ones close, but can we afford their care, or do we have somewhere to place them until they finally pass? Of course Cancer is a multi-billion-pound industry and therefore, sick people equals profit for big pharma. China had a one-child policy which created many issues for a long time, however, they reduced their population and increased it to 2 only as recently as 2016 (https://www.newscientist.com/article/2214179-chinas-two-child-policy-linked-to-5-million-extra-babies-in-18-months/).

There is no easy answer. Low-skilled jobs are replaced by self-serve checkouts, Universal Credit has plunged thousands of people into unnecessary debt, the rising cost of living is not reflected in wages, people are living in unsafe properties because they have nowhere else to go and others perish in fires due to inadequate building regulations - 2yrs on from Grenfell and still no changes have been made (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/03/fires-grenfell-towers-combustible-cladding).

The poor simply don’t matter and currently, there are too many of us for the government’s liking, so it’s doing it’s best to kill us off. It’s a Social Cleansing agenda which serves the richest, most powerful in society. Many of us will live on, clinging to work, hoping for a brighter day; all the while putting more money into the off-shore bank accounts of the elite from which they buy their yachts and private jets, champagne, cocaine and pretty boys and girls to play with (https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/anneke-lucass-harrowing-tale-of-sex-trafficking-am/).

This world is SICK and getting sicker. We’re hoping for change. We’re hoping for a UK Labour government and for Donald Trump to be removed from the White House - that would be a good start. We’re then hoping to cascade the transformation around the world, to lead by example and have the 1% share the wealth they have accumulated through the enslavement of the general population - starting with paying Tax.

If you truly care about your future and that of your children, take action:

- vote Labour on 12th December 2019.

- vote for a decent POTUS candidate.

- boycott big pharma and big corporations - buy local, reuse, recyle and repurpose. Use repair cafes and similar to swap, make good or otherwise utilise products which already exist instead of buying new.

- help your neighbour - buy in bulk, cook and eat together to reduce costs and waste, plant your own food, eat less meat/become vegan. Cook in bulk and freeze meals for another day.

- responsibility manage household energy consumption and look for solar/wind options.

- carefully plan and be responsible for just one or two children, lessening the load on this planet and your bank balance.

- be happy with what you have - go charity-shop shopping instead of buying new; move things around or swap rooms about instead of redecorating every couple of years. If you cannot sell an unwanted item, give it away, don’t bin it.

- stop going mad at Christmas and reduce down what you buy for Easter, Halloween and other occasions. Wrap your gifts in newspaper or recyclable materials.

- use metal or glass water bottles and refill instead of buying plastic all the time.

- understand the law! You never know when you might be fighting a battle with the powers that be - become your own detective and your own legal team. From employment law to the Children Act 2004, familiarise yourself. Legislation touches EVERY part of our lives, from driving to renting a house, and from buying food to taking out a mobile phone contract. You need to know how to protect yourself every step of the way. The authorities (currently) are NOT on your side, so make sure you’ve got your own back!

[travelwithtabby]

Travel Insurance

Seven Reasons Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance

1. Because medical emergencies often happen while traveling.

We receive more than 4,000 calls each year from American Allianz Global Assistance customers who are experiencing a medical crisis during their trip. The most common injuries are:

• Fractures from falls, often to the hip, ankle, tibia, and fibia • Cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes • Trauma, often from car accidents and scooter/moped crashes • Pulmonary/respiratory problems

Without travel insurance, you’re on your own in an emergency. When you have travel insurance, all you have to do is the 24-hour assistance hotline. We’ll leap into action to make sure you get the best available care, wherever you may be.

2. Because it can be really expensive to get emergency medical care overseas.

Most hospitals overseas will not accept your domestic health insurance card. They want your credit card instead because they expect payment up front before you receive care. If you’re not prepared to pay all your medical bills out of pocket, you need travel insurance.

When you’re protected by a travel insurance plan with emergency medical benefits, your travel insurance team can work to guarantee payment to doctors and hospitals so you can be treated as quickly as possible following a covered injury or illness. TheAssistance team will continue to monitor your treatment, provide guidance and reassurance, and, if necessary, determine how to safely transport you home.

3. Because it can be really, really expensive to get a medical evacuation overseas.

What happens if you get seriously hurt while traveling overseas and require medical evacuation by helicopter or ambulance? Without travel insurance, you may have to pay an enormous sum. These are estimates for emergency medical evacuation in some popular destinations:

• Mexico: $15,000-$20,000 • South America: $100,000 • Germany, France or other developed European nations: $50,000-$100,000 • Russia: $90,000-$150,000 (weather conditions can dramatically increase costs) • Asia, Australia, and the Middle East: $220,000

These estimates represent just the cost of transporting you to the hospital — not treating you. If you’re in a remote area of a developing nation, or if your injuries are particularly severe, these costs could double or triple.

Travel insurance with emergency medical transportation benefits can pay for you to be transported to the nearest appropriate facility if a covered illness or injury occurs during your trip and the medical assistance team determines that the local medical facilities are unable to provide appropriate treatment. So if you’re just looking at dollars and cents, this is the most compelling reason why travel insurance is worth the cost.

4. Because you can’t risk losing money on an emergency trip cancellation.

A travel insurance plan with trip cancellation benefits can reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason. These covered reasons vary according to the plan you buy, but generally include things like:

• The insured traveler, traveling companion or a family member suffers a serious covered illness or injury. • The insured traveler, traveling companion or a family member dies. • Your airline, cruise line or other carrier ceases services for at least 24 consecutive hours due to a strike, natural disaster, bad weather or FAA-mandated shutdown. • Your destination is rendered uninhabitable because of a natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary or vandalism.

You get the picture. If you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason, trip insurance can save your vacation investment — but if you don’t have insurance, you could lose it all. So if you’re wondering, “Should I buy trip cancellation insurance?” the answer is always yes.

5. Because cruise lines really hate giving refunds.

Cruise lines have especially tough cancellation policies. Even if you have a compelling reason, like a death in the family or a sudden illness, they can be reluctant to give refunds. While every cruise line has its own rules (and you should read them before you book), most refund $0 if you cancel less than 14 days before sailing. Cancel before then, and you’ll probably still lose money. Penalties range from the amount of your initial deposit up to 75 percent of what you paid.1 So if you’ve been wondering, “Why should I buy travel insurance for a cruise?”, this is reason number one.

6. Because delayed and cancelled flights are common.

Nothing will ruin the beginning — or the end — of your vacation more effectively than flight problems. Despite airlines’ best efforts to improve, only about 80 percent of domestic flights arrived on time in 2017. Nearly 162,000 flights were delayed, and around 15,000 flights were cancelled.

The next time you’re stuck in the airport because your flight is delayed (again), you’ll be much happier if you have insurance. Travel insurance can reimburse you for reasonable expenses — up to the limit specified in the policy — for meals, accommodation and transportation expenses incurred because of a covered travel delay of 6 or more consecutive hours. It can also reimburse the unused part of your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses — like the tour you missed because you didn’t get to your destination on time.

7. Because peace of mind is priceless.

Whether you’re planning a solo adventure or a grand, multi-generational getaway, the whole point is to relax and enjoy the journey. Travel insurance can ease your anxiety because you know you have protection in case of common travel mishaps. Not only that, but you know you’re never alone. No matter how far from home you go, help is a free hotline call away.

Have questions about the best travel insurance to buy, or if travel insurance is necessary for your particular trip? If you need help with travel insurance, please call me!

#travel #peace #overseas travel