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When I began Schwartzreport my purpose was to produce an entirely fact-based daily publication in favor of the earth, the inter-connectedness and interdependence of all life, democracy, equality for all, liberty, and things that are life-affirming. Also, to warn my readers about actions, events, and trends that threaten those values. Our country now stands at a crossroads, indeed, the world stands at a crossroads where those values are very much at risk and it is up to each of us who care about wellbeing to do what we can to defend those principles. I want to thank all of you who have contributed to SR, particularly those of you who have scheduled an ongoing monthly contribution. It makes a big difference and is much appreciated. It is one thing to put in the hours each day and to do the work for free, but another to have to cover the rising out-of-pocket costs. For those of you who haven’t done so, but read SR regularly, I ask that you consider supporting it.
Rumor: FEMA distributes aid based on demographic characteristics.
Fact:
FEMA provides assistance to survivors regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.
October 4, 2024
Rumor: FEMA is in the process of confiscating Helene survivor property. If I apply for disaster assistance and my land is deemed unlivable, my property will be seized.
Fact:
FEMA cannot seize your property or land. Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land. When you apply for disaster assistance a FEMA inspector may be sent to verify the damage on your home. This is one of many factors reviewed to determine what kind of disaster assistance you may be eligible for. If the results of the inspection deem your home uninhabitable, that information is only used to determine the amount of FEMA assistance you may receive to make your home safe, sanitary and functional.
October 4, 2024
Rumor: FEMA is no longer accepting applications for housing assistance.
Fact:
FEMA is still accepting assistance applications throughout areas affected by Helene. For current application timelines, visit disasterassistance.gov. You can also see if applications are being accepted on FEMA’s state specific Helene disaster webpages; Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
October 4, 2024
Rumor: FEMA does not have enough money to provide disaster assistance for Helene.
Fact:
FEMA has enough money right now for immediate response and recovery needs. If you were affected by Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance as there is a variety of help available for different needs.
October 3, 2024
Rumor: FEMA is asking for cash donations and turning away volunteers.
Fact:
This is false: FEMA does not ask for or generally accept any cash donations or volunteers for disaster response. We do encourage people who want to help to volunteer with or donate cash to reputable voluntary or charitable organizations. After a disaster, cash is often the best way to help as it provides the greatest flexibility for these reputable organizations working on the ground to purchase exactly what is needed.
If you encounter someone claiming to represent FEMA and asking for donations, be careful as that is likely a scam. Government employees will never solicit money.
Rumor: Funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border related issues.
Fact:
This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.
October 3, 2024
Rumor: FEMA is confiscating donations for survivors.
Fact:
Rumors about FEMA turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating and seizing supplies often spread after a disaster. These are all false.
FEMA does not take donations and/or food from survivors or voluntary organizations. Donations of food, water, or other goods are handled by voluntary agencies who specialize in storing, sorting, cleaning, and distributing donated items.
FEMA does not conduct vehicle stops or handle road closures with armed guards — those are done by local law enforcement.
October 3, 2024
Rumor: FEMA will only provide $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.
Fact:
This is false.
This is a type of assistance that you may be approved for soon after you apply, called Serious Needs Assistance. It is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies. There are other forms of assistance that you may qualify for to receive and Serious Needs Assistance is an initial payment you may receive while FEMA assesses your eligibility for additional funds. As your application continues to be reviewed, you may still receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as support for temporary housing, personal property and home repair costs. If you have questions about your disaster assistance application and what you qualify for, contact us at 1-800-621-3362 to speak with a FEMA representative in your language.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies have claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency can’t respond well enough to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene because it’s diverted so much money to helping migrants—but that’s not true, as FEMA’s funds for handling disaster relief efforts are separate from money given to immigrant communities.
Trump has repeatedly alleged that FEMA is having money issues because of funds spent on migrants, claiming at a rally Thursday that “Kamala spent all her FEMA money—billions of dollars—on housing for illegal migrants” and quoting Fox News host Jesse Watters as saying, “FEMA is now out of money, because Joe Biden and Kamala spent over a billion dollars of FEMA cash on migrants.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did say Tuesday that FEMA’s disaster relief efforts are facing a dire cash crunch, warning that while the agency is “meeting the immediate needs” of Hurricane Helene recovery “with the money that we have,” it “does not have the funds to make it through the [hurricane] season.”
But those financial issues aren’t because of money going to migrants: While FEMA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have […]
Yet another report on Russia’s attempt to rig the election outcome in favor of traitor Trump, who Putin knows he can manipulate. If you derive your information about politics from social media you may become a victim of this weaponized misinformation.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
The US Justice Department and Microsoft said Thursday that they seized 107 internet domains used by hackers linked to Russian intelligence to target US government employees, defense contractors, and civil society organizations.
Federal investigators said hackers associated with an element of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) used 41 domains in a spear phishing campaign targeting US-based companies and current and former employees in the US intelligence community, Pentagon, State Department, and Energy Department as well as US defense contractors, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.
Investigators believe the hackers were seeking to obtain “information of value to the Russian government, especially in its efforts to engage in malign foreign influence operations within the United States,” authorities said.
The Justice Department indicted two Russian intelligence officers last December in connection with the hacking campaign.
A federal court in Washington, D.C., also granted Microsoft permission to seize 66 internet domains used by the same cyberespionage group — known as the “Callisto Group” or “Star Blizzard” — to steal information from journalists, think tanks, and other […]
Thom Hartmann, Commentator - Raw Story | Commentary
Stephan:
Yesterday, you will remember, I did a report on how the Republicans who control the government of Louisiana basically outlawed Mifepristone for the women of that state. But that is just a part of what is going on to supress woman’s rights and let MAGAt Republicans control their body. Thoma Hartmann lays it all out very accurately. If you are a woman who votes for a Republican you should be aware that you are voting to become a handmaiden.
Police Car Credit: Dreamstime / TNS
“Menstrual police?” you may be thinking. That’s not possible! Not in America!
The Comstock Act is an 1873 law that, if enforced, would outlaw all abortions in America by banning the shipping via mail, UPS, FedEx, etc., of any device, drug, or instrument that can be used to produce an abortion. It would even shut down hospital abortions.
It could also be used to empower new state or even federal police agencies specifically overseeing women violating its provisions. Like the menstrual police, which a Trump senior advisor just said was a very real possibility.
First the background.
It’s the opinion of the Biden Administration that the Comstock Act — which is still on the books — is no longer enforceable, and the Biden DOJ (along with those of every president since Richard Nixon) refuses to enforce it.
Anny H. Xiang, PhD1; Mayra P. Martinez, MPH1; Ting Chow, MPH1; et al, Journal of the American Medical Association Network -
Stephan:
I think there are both conscious and unconscious reasons for the growing depression amongst young people, as reported in this JAMA paper. The consciousn reasons are the trends I cover each day in SR. The unconscious one is the precognition humans all over Earth are experiencing because of the catastrophe climate change is going to produce in human cultures around the world. The only thing that can assuage this feeling is to vote and support only those who are willing to make fostering wellbeing their society’s first priority. In the United States we have just over one month to make our choice. What are you going to choose?
Key Points
Question What are the incidence, prevalence, and changes from 2017 to 2021 for depression and anxiety diagnosed clinically among children, adolescents, and young adults and are there disparities among subgroups?
Findings In this cohort study of approximately 1.7 million individuals aged 5 to 22 years in Southern California, the overall incidence and prevalence of depression diagnosed clinically increased by approximately 60%, and anxiety diagnosed without depression incidence increased by 31% from 2017 to 2021. Rates increased across all subgroups and were greater during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meaning These findings suggest the increased need for mental health services for youth.
Abstract
Importance Data from surveys show increased mental health disorders in youths. However, little is known about clinical diagnosis over time.
Objective To assess the incidence, prevalence, and changes from 2017 to 2021 for depression and anxiety diagnosed clinically among children, adolescents, and young adults and to identify potential disparities.
Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included approximately 1.7 million individuals aged 5 to 22 years in Southern California. Data were extracted from electronic medical records; International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), […]
Here is the latest on what is going on with the insurance industry and the people they insure in the states impacted by Hurricane Helene. And then there are the hundreds of thousands of home owners who have no or inadequate home insurance. I think we are going to see an increasing number of people leaving pasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. This is al part of what I see as the growing internal migration I have been telling you about in SR.
Cindy White looks over the devastation inside her home in North Carolina caused by Hurricane Helene. Only a tiny number of households in North Carolina have flood insurance. Credit: Kathy Kmonicek / AP
Hundreds of thousands of people across parts of the Southeast will struggle to rebuild their homes after Hurricane Helene for one reason: Hardly anyone has flood insurance.
In dozens of counties in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina that were flooded by Helene, less than 1 percent of households have flood insurance through the federal program that sells almost all of the nation’s flood policies.
“People never thought they would have a problem with flooding,” said Jimmy Isaacs, fire chief of Boone, North Carolina, a mountainous town in Watauga County, where less than 2.5 percent of households are insured. “It’s going to be a difficult recovery.”
Helene is highlighting the major gaps in U.S. flood insurance and their consequences as climate change amplifies flood risk both from coastal storm surge and rapidly overflowing rivers in Boone and other inland areas.
Robert Reich, Carmel P. Friesen Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley -
Stephan:
This is the question I keep asking myself: How is it possible this election is so close? Frankly, as I have already said, I wouldn’t hire Donald Trump to cut my grass, because he would probably steal tools from my workshop in the barn. The man is a lifelong racist grifter, sex offender, and multiple felonious criminal. And yet millions of Americans plan to vote for him. Here is Robert Reich’s answer to the question.
With less than 40 days until Election Day, how can it be that Trump has taken a small lead in Arizona and Georgia — two swing states he lost to Biden in 2020? How can he be narrowly leading Harris in the swing state of North Carolina? How can he now be essentially tied with her in the other key swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin?
More generally, how can Trump have chiseled away Harris’s advantage from early August? How is it possible that more voters appear to view Trump favorably now than they did several months ago when he was in the race against Biden?
How can Trump — the sleaziest person ever to run for president, who has already been convicted on 34 felony charges and impeached twice, whose failures of character and leadership were experienced directly by the American public during his four years at the helm — be running neck-and-neck with a young, talented, intelligent person with a commendable record of public service?
Since his horrid performance debating Harris, he’s doubled down on false claims that Haitian migrants are eating pets in Ohio. He’s been accompanied almost everywhere by right-wing conspiracy nutcase Laura Loomer. He said he “hates” […]
This report is just the latest in the White christofascist Republican sexually perverted male dominant governanc of the state of Louisiana. By almost any social outcome data Louisiana quality of life is equivalent to a developing country. In fact, it is worse than many developing countries. Let me give you some facts. People in Costa Rico have a life span 4 years greater than people living in Louisiana. Costa Rico has a far lower maternal mortality death rate than Louisiana. In Louisiana 50% of women don’t receive postpartum care. Costa Rica’s adult literacy rate is 98.04%; it’s 72.9% in Louisiana. Then there is the blatant racism, and I could go on and on. This is what happens when the people of a state vote for Republican control. Republican governance, based on real social outcome data is always inferior to Democratic governance.
Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. The Supreme Court is deciding whether women will face restrictions in getting a drug used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, while a lawsuit continues. Credit: Allen G. Breed / AP
The two drugs used in medication abortion are officially controlled substances in Louisiana after a law took effect that criminalizes their possession without a prescription.
The first-of-its-kind law reclassified mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances, the same category as opioids, ephedrine and antidepressants. Critics fear it could be used as a model for other Republican states with abortion bans to tighten restrictions on the drugs.
“This new law sets a dangerous precedent by mischaracterizing safe medications that are neither addictive nor dangerous, but rather are standard of care for a variety of women’s health and other conditions,” said Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans Health Department, in a statement.
During a medication abortion, mifepristone is given first, followed by misoprostol one […]
Abrahm Lustgarten, Reporter - Microsoft Start | The New York Times
Stephan:
I have been telling you for years that we are going see what this report describes as Climate Abandonment resulting in millions of Americans being forced to internally migrate to a safer environment. Well it is starting. If you live in one of the threatened states you might consider your options before you are in crisis.
Climate ‘Abandonment’ Zones Are Coming to the American South Credit: Zack Wittman / The New York Times
When Hurricane Helene, the 420-mile-wide, slow-spinning conveyor belt of wind and water drowned part of Florida’s coastline and then barged its path northward through North Carolina last week, it destroyed more than homes and bridges. It shook people’s faith in the safety of living in the South, where the tolls of extreme heat, storms and sea level rise are quickly adding up.
Helene was just the latest in a new generation of storms that are intensifying faster, and dumping more rainfall, as the climate warms. It is also precisely the kind of event that is expected to drive more Americans to relocate as climate change gets worse and the costs of disaster recovery increase.
