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☆ As Canada's wildfires intensify, recruiting firefighters is tougher
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That's roughly 2,500 firefighters short of what is needed, said Mike Flannigan, a professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia and wildfire specialist. "It's hard work, it's hot work, it's smoky work, and there are real issues with health impacts longer-term," Flannigan said. Applications were down in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, and Alberta had to do several rounds of recruitment to fill its ranks, officials said. As more wildfires threaten communities, provincial agencies are also increasingly leaning on structural firefighters to help protect homes. Since 2009, Canada has been spending more on fighting and suppressing wildfires than on maintaining its firefighting personnel and program.

Persons: Mike Flannigan, Flannigan, Scott Tingley, Rob Schweitzer, Ken McMullen, David Ljunggren, Ismail Shakil, Denny Thomas, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Reuters, Thompson Rivers University, Nova, Wildfire, BC Wildfire Service, Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Emergency Preparedness, Thomson Locations: BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada, Yukon, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Canada's, Manitoba, Lithuania, Quebec, Ottawa

☆ Biden sends firefighters, aid to Canada as wildfire smoke blankets much of the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view from the top of the Rockefeller Center, as haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada hang over the Manhattan skyline, in New York City, New York, June 7, 2023. WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday assured Americans the government was aiding Canada in fighting the wildfires that have cloaked the East Coast and Midwest in unhealthy levels of smoke and haze. In a statement, Trudeau thanked Biden for the aid, adding that the countries must "work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change." There were 437 active wildfires across Canada early Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. "It's very important that affected communities listen to the guidance of their state and local officials from this point forward," Biden said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Bill Blair Organizations: Rockefeller Center, WASHINGTON, Canadian, National Interagency Fire Center, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Emergency, Major League Baseball, White House Locations: Canada, Manhattan, New York City , New York, Coast, Midwest, U.S, United States, Quebec

☆ Wildfires burn across Canada with little relief in sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 8 (Reuters) - Forest fires continued to burn across Canada on Thursday as the country endured its worst-ever start to wildfire season, forcing thousands of people from their homes and sending a smoky haze billowing across U.S. cities. Hundreds of U.S. firefighters arrived in Canada to help and more were on their way. "These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said on Twitter. Smoke-forecasting website BlueSky Canada showed wildfire smoke spreading across much of the country on Thursday. Reporting by Nia Williams in British Columbia; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bill Blair, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Rob Schweitzer, Nia Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Twitter, BC, Thomson Locations: Canada, U.S, Quebec, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Pacific, British Columbia, Ottawa, Toronto, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, United States, New York

☆ Smoky haze parked over U.S. East Coast with relief days away
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. National Weather Service extended air quality alerts for another day for the East Coast from New England to South Carolina, as well as parts of the Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) measures five major pollutants, including particulate matter produced by fires. While the faint smell of burning wood lingered, the smothering blanket of yellow and orange-tinged haze appeared to thin out, bringing a modicum of relief. "We urge residents and visitors to follow precautions related to the 'Code Purple' air quality alert." Large swaths of Michigan are also under red flag warnings due to dangerous fire weather conditions in both of the state's peninsulas, according to the weather agency.

Persons: Mike Segar, Peter Mullinax, We're, Mullinax, IQAir, Muriel Bowser, Bill Blair, Tyler Clifford, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Trade Center, REUTERS, The U.S, National Weather Service, Health, U.S . Air, Belmont, Washington, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Jersey City , New Jersey, United States, The, East Coast from New England, South Carolina, Ohio , Indiana, Michigan, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Ohio, Newark , New Jersey, U.S, Dhaka, Hanoi, Swiss, Maryland , Pennsylvania, Delaware, Baltimore, Canada

REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires blazed across Canada on Wednesday, threatening critical infrastructure, forcing evacuations and sending a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. Quebec Premier Francois Legault earlier said the province was able to fight 40 fires at the same time. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden by phone on Wednesday to thank him for "critical support" in tackling the blazes. These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said in a statement on Twitter. We will be facing more and more extreme weather events that will cost us a lot more," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the briefing.

Persons: Blair Gable OTTAWA, Bill Blair, Blair, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Trudeau, Legault, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Nia Williams, Deepa Babington, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Quebec Premier, Canadian, U.S, Twitter, Residents, Thomson Locations: Centennial, Township, Greater Madawaska , Ontario, Canada, Quebec, U.S, New Brunswick, France, United States, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Chibougamau, Ontario, Canada's, Ottawa, Toronto, British Columbia

☆ From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, Wildfires Spread Across Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Dan Bilefsky | Vjosa Isai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The danger of wildfires, which over the past few weeks have stretched from British Columbia on the west coast to Nova Scotia, nearly 2,900 miles away in the east, was brought home on Tuesday to the political heart of the nation. A thick haze hovered over Parliament Hill and the soaring Gothic Revival building that houses Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said that hundreds of soldiers were deployed across the country to help with firefighting efforts. Bill Blair, the emergency preparedness minister, told reporters last week that over the month of May an area of roughly 2.7 million hectares, or about 6.7 million acres, of forest in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and the Northwest Territories had been scorched. “The equivalent of over 5 million football fields has burned in Canada so far this year,” he wrote on Twitter.

Persons: Hill, Justin Trudeau, Mr, Trudeau, Bill Blair, ” Organizations: Northwest, Twitter Locations: Canada, United States, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ottawa, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia , New Brunswick, Ontario, Northwest Territories

[1/6] Aerial view of the wildfire in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada in this social media handout image released May 31, 2023. Nova Scotia Government/Handout via REUTERSMONTREAL, June 2 (Reuters) - A coastal city in Quebec ordered some 10,000 residents to evacuate homes on Friday as wildfires spread in eastern Canada and stretched firefighting resources already tackling blazes across the country. Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year the eastern province of Nova Scotia is reeling from its worst-ever wildfire season. In another eastern province, Quebec, Premier Francois Legault has urged people to avoid spending time in forests over the next few days. Canadian armed forces have been helping fight fires in western Canada since early May and troops were sent to Nova Scotia on Thursday.

Persons: Bill Blair, Blair, Francois Legault, Stephane Lauzon, Justin Trudeau, Mateusz, Allison Lampert, Ismail Shakil, Nick Macfie Organizations: Nova, Nova Scotia Government, REUTERS, Emergency, Thomson Locations: Shelburne County , Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia, REUTERS MONTREAL, Quebec, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec , New Brunswick, Polish, Ottawa, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, Montreal

☆ Canada sends military to help battle blazes in Nova Scotia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Smoke from the Tantallon wildfire rises over houses in nearby Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023. Nova Scotia is battling two large fires that are threatening communities on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Halifax. The armed forces would provide equipment and personnel to relieve firefighters "who have been working tirelessly around the clock to protect communities right across Nova Scotia", Blair said. The federal government sent the military to Alberta last month to help battle blazes there and Canada is also getting help from other countries. Some 800 U.S. firefighters have come to battle the blazes, mostly in Alberta, with another 100 are scheduled to arrive in Nova Scotia over coming days, officials said.

Persons: Eric Martyn, Bill Blair, Blair, Justin Trudeau, Steve Scherer, Anirudh Saligrama, Sharon Singleton, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, OTTAWA, CBC News, CBC, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bedford , Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Alberta, Quebec, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

☆ Mpox outbreak was wake-up call for smallpox preparation, vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin said the rapid spread of mpox last year was a wake-up call for the company, which is based in Denmark. Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos vaccine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to protect against both pathogens. Bavarian Nordic will finish delivering an order of 5 million Jynneos doses for the U.S government in the first half of this year. Bavarian Nordic estimates that the potential demand for the mpox vaccine could reach tens of millions of doses. "If you can reengineer a related virus like horsepox, you can engineer variola, which is the smallpox virus that infects humans," he said.

☆ 53% of Americans say they don't have any emergency savings—3 tips to get started
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's perhaps understandable, then, that over half (53%) of Americans report not having emergency savings. Just 45% of respondents say they currently have an emergency fund, according to the CNBC Your Money Financial Confidence Survey, conducted in partnership with Momentive. See how your savings stack up below, as well as steps you can take to boost your emergency fund. Just 8% of respondents who say they have an emergency fund report having less than $1,000 in it. How to start building an emergency fund

☆ Republican Doug Mastriano told supporters he didn't get any money from Ohio derailment train operator Norfolk Southern. Records show he took $1,000.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is holding a hearing Thursday on the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. Mastriano, a Republican, recently denied receiving any money from train operator Norfolk Southern. "Biden's in Ukraine and Shapiro's MIA," the user wrote, praising Mastriano for visiting East Palestine over the weekend. Mike DeWine, a Republican, assured East Palestine residents that their drinking water is safe. He lauded the EPA for ordering Norfolk Southern to cover the cost of cleaning up the accident.

☆ The world is 'dangerously unprepared' to handle the next pandemic, the Red Cross says in a scathing report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future pandemics, the Red Cross warned in a report. The Red Cross' secretary general said the COVID-19 pandemic "should be a wake-up call." The humanitarian aid organization said in its World Disasters Report released Monday that "many countries" were not prepared for COVID-19 and that "all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future outbreaks." Pandemic preparedness plans, the report says, "should include concrete measures to strengthen equity, trust, and local action." By 2024, according to the report, all countries should adopt a new treaty and revised International Health Regulations.

☆ EU plans changes to pharmaceuticals law to avoid medicine shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 17 (Reuters) - Proposed changes to a European Union pharmaceuticals law will include stronger obligations for the supply of medicines and earlier notifications of shortages, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Tuesday. Kyriakides told a session of the European Parliament that shortages of antibiotics are a growing problem for many European countries. "Our objective is and remains to secure access to medicines for all patients in need and to avoid any market disruption of medicines in the EU," Kyriakides said. Shortages of antibiotics have been reported in 26 European countries, the European Medicines Agency says. The unseasonably early upsurge in respiratory infections in Europe this winter and insufficient production capacity are the root causes of the shortages, Kyriakides said.

☆ Pandemic curbs linked to early start to Europe's winter flu season
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

This winter, health officials have warned of what has been dubbed a tripledemic of influenza, RSV and continued COVID-19 cases, adding to the pressure on over-burdened health services. In Wales, for instance, there were 111.6 confirmed RSV cases per 100,000 in children aged under five in the week ending Nov. 27. In the week ended Dec 18, European cases rose 7% over the week prior, according to ECDC figures. But scientists are concerned that social interaction during the festive season could lead to further increases in respiratory infections, especially as people meet vulnerable elderly relatives. As an added complication, viral respiratory infections can predispose patients to bacterial infections, just when some common antibiotics that can treat them are in short supply in Europe.

Detectives probing the "targeted attacks" on two power stations last weekend that left thousands of North Carolina residents in the dark have been searching online for a possible motive, two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told NBC News. Officials are also looking at other theories, such as the possibility that the attack was carried out by an ex-employee or another motive that has yet to present itself. Less than an hour later, Emily Rainey wrote on her Facebook page, "The power is out in Moore County and I know why." Patrons dine by candlelight at Red's Corner during the Moore County power outage on Dec. 5, 2022, in Southern Pines, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown / The News & Observer via APOfficials have announced that a $75,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the shooter or shooters. Meanwhile, Duke Energy reported Wednesday that power had been restored to all customers.

☆ 'A better chapter': 18-year-old man elected mayor of Arkansas town
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - Jaylen Smith, who counts his high school graduation earlier this year among his top accomplishments, can now add one more: election as mayor of small-town Earle, Arkansas, at the age of 18. "It’s Time to Build a Better Chapter of Earle, Arkansas," Smith said on his Facebook page following the Election Night victory, echoing his campaign slogan and thanking his supporters. "My mom can't stop crying," Smith told the Washington Post on Wednesday. During the campaign Smith, who graduated from Earle High School in May, called for improving public safety, restoring or removing abandoned homes and buildings and implementing new emergency preparedness plans. "Why should I have to be great somewhere else when I could be great in Earle, Arkansas?"

South Africa, Pakistan and India were among countries that made formal requests, during an initial three days of talks that ended on Wednesday, to ensure the process is inclusive. "The advanced countries have the requisite resources and can afford to have it covered and we cannot," he said. In parallel, country teams are discussing setting up a G20 pandemic fund and revamping the WHO's existing health emergency rules. Many poorer countries lack technical specialists to advise on WHO matters within the Geneva diplomatic mission, where the U.N. agency is based. South Africa's Precious Matsoso, co-chair of the pandemic treaty talks, told Reuters countries could hire experts to help, or band together for regional representation.

☆ North Carolina county enters third day of outages as FBI probes motive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands of residents in a North Carolina county entered their third day without lights and heating on Tuesday after "targeted attacks" on two electric substations over the weekend caused widespread outages and shut down schools across the county. The outages came after a suspect was alleged to have driven up to two Duke Energy power substations Saturday night and opening fire, disabling the two substations and plunging tens of thousands of people into a blackout. Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said the attacks at the substations located in West End and Carthage, about 5 miles apart, appeared to be targeted, but a motive in the attacks remains unclear. "Due to the continuing widespread power outage in Moore County and on Moore County Schools operations, all schools will be closed to all students and staff on Tuesday," Moore County Schools said in a tweet Monday. Spokesperson for Duke Energy Corporation Jeff Brooks, center, speaks on Monday at the Moore County Sheriffs office.

☆ North Carolina electric grid shooter 'knew exactly what they were doing,' sheriff says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Fields' comments came as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned of a "new level of threat" posed by the incident and called for hardening of critical infrastructure including the power grid. “Protecting critical infrastructure like our power system must be a top priority,” said Cooper, a Democrat, in a press briefing on Monday. Schools in Moore County will be closed for a second day on Tuesday and 38,000 households were still without power amid freezing nighttime temperatures after the Saturday shootings. The saboteur "knew exactly what they were doing to cause the damage and cause the outage that they did," Fields said. That is nearly everyone who the company serves in Moore County, spokesperson Jeff Brooks said at a press briefing on Monday.

☆ Canada to invest C$1.6 bln in first national climate adaptation strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

near Fintry, Canada, August 24, 2021. REUTERS/Artur Gajda/File PhotoNov 24 (Reuters) - Canada published its first ever national climate adaptation strategy on Thursday, including C$1.6 billion ($1.2 billion) in new federal funding commitments to help protect communities against the increasing impacts of global warming. The goal of the adaptation strategy is to help reduce those losses with federal policy and investment. "The fight against climate change has reached our doorstep. Ottawa has so far earmarked C$8 billion in federal funding for adaptation and disaster resilience, the statement said.

The justices rebuffed Glenhaven Healthcare's appeal of a lower court's ruling allowing the family of deceased resident Ricardo Saldana to proceed with the lawsuit in a California state court. Under then-President Donald Trump in January 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, prodded by nursing homes, declared that cases filed in state court involving interpretation of the PREP Act should be moved to federal court. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the Saldana case that some state law claims can remain in state court. Glenhaven has argued that personal injury lawsuits against entities that provide COVID-19 countermeasures belong in federal court. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Hospital Association and the American Health Care Association, a nursing home industry group, weighed in to support its petition to the Supreme Court.

☆ Millions at risk of losing health insurance if U.S. ends Covid public health emergency in January
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The Health and Human Services Department will give the public 60 days notice before lifting the public health emergency, Becerra said. The health emergency also allowed millions of people to receive increased food benefits through the federal government's nutrition program. When the public health emergency does end, HHS estimates up to 15 million people will be disenrolled from Medicare and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Millions to lose Medicaid coverageThe most dramatic impact from ending the public health emergency will fall on people enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Trump administration Health Secretary Alex Azar activated the FDA's emergency authorization powers in March 2020, about two months after first declaring the public health emergency.

CNN —The death toll from the worst flooding Nigeria has seen in a decade has passed 600 people, the country’s humanitarian affairs ministry tweeted on Sunday. NEMA said the release of excess water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon had contributed to the flooding. While many parts of Nigeria are prone to yearly floods, flooding in certain areas has been more severe than the last major floods in 2012, a Red Cross official in Kogi told CNN last week. Video Ad Feedback NASA images show decimating reach of worst flood this region has seen in a decade 02:19 - Source: CNNNigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Umar Farouq warned Sunday that more flooding was likely and urged regional governments to prepare accordingly. The country will soon implement its National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, aimed at improving coordination of the flood response efforts.

☆ Unidentified drones were spotted near offshore installations days before Nord Stream attack, according to letter from Norwegian energy security agency
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There's been an uptick in unidentified drones near Norwegian offshore energy facilities in September. Leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines this week have largely been blamed on sabotage. Nord Stream 1 and 2 each consist of two pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Europe. Germany canceled plans to put Nord Stream 2 into operation after Russia moved forces into Ukraine in February. And in early September, Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom turned off Nord Stream 1's gas supply to Europe.

☆ All eyes are on DeSantis' relationship with Biden as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida. Here's how the previous 3 presidents worked (or didn't) with governors on disaster relief efforts.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Governors usually work directly with the White House during disasters, relying on the government for federal resources. Here's a look at how the last three presidents handled disaster relief efforts and how Biden could address this crisis with DeSantis. However, on Tuesday evening, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted that Biden and DeSantis had spoken to discuss steps the federal government is taking to help Florida. Here's how the last three presidents worked with governors in their disaster relief efforts. Biden declared a state of emergency as the storm approached, ordering federal assistance to supplement disaster response efforts.

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