House Republicans are investigating the Biden administration&#8217;s response to the deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maui</a> fires, questioning aspects of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s handling of the catastrophe which left nearly 100 people dead and dozens missing, 
Republicans on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Subcommittee on Government Operations sent a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/letter-to-FEMA-re-Lahaina-fire-response.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> Administrator Deanne Criswell on Friday asking for a detailed description of how much aid the agency has provided, plans for housing federal responders, and how Hawaiians who lost their home doing the fires are being housed.
“The deadly wildfire in Maui shocked the nation and left many, especially those directly impacted by the tragedy, with serious questions that remain unanswered today. President Biden built his entire reputation on empathy and compassion but failed to deliver an appropriate response when it mattered most. To ensure locals are receiving the assistance they need, and taxpayer dollars being used effectively, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is taking action and seeking information from FEMA on all ongoing recovery efforts in Maui,” committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) said in a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-sessions-oversight-republicans-launch-probe-into-biden-administrations-response-following-devastating-maui-wildfire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
In the letter, Comer and Sessions said that there had been reports of Hawaiians whose help was delayed because the FEMA responders lacked knowledge or authority to make decisions and red tape had slowed down the process. 
“Residents expressed frustration after waiting in line for considerable periods of time only to be given a number and told to call a different FEMA official. In other instances, they had been instructed to provide certain documentation, only to be told still more information would be required in order to receive benefits. We appreciate and share the desire to protect taxpayer interests, but we also encourage FEMA to streamline processes to the extent possible,” the lawmakers said.  
The lawmakers also asked Chriswell to respond to <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/24/anger-grows-fema-workers-stay-luxury-hotels-amid-maui-wildfires-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of FEMA employees staying in luxury hotels, asking for FEMA to give context for why house federal employees were housed. FEMA has previously responded by saying that the hotels in question had wanted to help and that the government workers needed somewhere to say while on the island. 
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While initial reports indicated that the fires had claimed the lives of 115 people with hundreds missing, the numbers were just revised to show that 97 people were killed and only 31 people reported missing. 
“That number dropped a little bit because the Department of Defense and all of their physical anthropologists were able to help us discern better who was in cars or in houses,” Governor Josh Green (D-HI) <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/15/maui-fire-death-toll-missing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “So thank God, fewer people have passed away.”
Federal and state officials have been criticized for their response to the fires, which was the deadliest series of fires in years. President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-after-lounging-on-beach-says-no-comment-on-deadliest-wildfire-in-modern-u-s-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public response</a> when asked about the fires was “no comment.”

Supplies are deliverd to Lahaina

House Republicans Investigating Biden Admin’s Response To Deadly Maui Fires

Biden Administration

Congress

Disasters

FEMA

Hawaii

James Comer

Maui

U.S.

Wildfires

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema">FEMA</a> Administrator Deanne Criswell expressed a desire for the government&#8217;s efforts to assist survivors of the fire disaster on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui">Maui</a> to be &#8220;culturally responsive.&#8221;
The official made the comment Monday while appearing remotely in a White House briefing with Press Secretary Karine Jeanne-Pierre to provide an on-the-ground update about the federal response and recovery efforts in Hawaii.
&#8220;We also want to make sure we are getting all of the appropriate information out to survivors,&#8221; Criswell said after explaining the administration&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-touts-whole-of-government-response-to-maui-fires-when-pressed-on-bidens-beach-vacation">whole-of-government approach</a>&#8221; to helping survivors.
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FEMA ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: &quot;We are working with our state and local partners to ensure that our outreach and our messaging is also culturally responsive.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RyuU5K4S9g">pic.twitter.com/RyuU5K4S9g</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1691156324405383169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So we are working with our state and local partners to ensure that our outreach and our messaging is also culturally responsive and that we can get messages out to people so they know what is available to them,&#8221; she added.
Last week, a fire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/only-fraction-of-dead-maui-wildfire-victims-identified-as-remains-fall-apart">decimated the historic town of Lahaina</a> in Maui, leading to search efforts in the hard-hit area during which the death toll has slowly risen toward the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maui-wildfires-death-toll-near-100-anger-grows/">100 mark</a>. With possibly more than 2,000 buildings destroyed or damaged, officials have estimated it will cost billions of dollars to rebuild.
<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/mauis-cultural-historic-landmarks-damaged-devastating-wildfires/story?id=102165504">Cultural landmarks</a> were among the many sites observed to be engulfed in the blaze, including the Waiola Church where <a href="https://www.waiolachurch.org/page/history">Hawaiian monarchs</a> had been buried, a historic Shin Buddhist temple called the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, and the Lahaina Heritage Museum, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/mauis-cultural-historic-landmarks-damaged-devastating-wildfires/story?id=102165504">according to ABC News</a>.
And there is an &#8220;iconic&#8221; banyan tree on Front Street that was &#8220;deeply damaged,&#8221; Sen. Mazie Hirino (D-HI) said in a post to X. But, the senator added, the tree is &#8220;still standing&#8221; and after &#8220;speaking with the arborist working on the tree, I’m optimistic that it will bloom again — serving as a symbol of hope amid so much devastation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The iconic banyan tree on Front Street is deeply damaged, but still standing. 
After speaking with the arborist working on the tree, I’m optimistic that it will bloom again &#8211; serving as a symbol of hope amid so much devastation. <a href="https://t.co/skzgQ6uSPz">pic.twitter.com/skzgQ6uSPz</a>
&mdash; Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) <a href="https://twitter.com/maziehirono/status/1690593692388851712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/08/10/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-hawaii-disaster-declaration-3/">approved</a> a disaster declaration to unlock federal resources to assist with the recovery efforts in Maui. FEMA is working with state and local partners to <a href="https://twitter.com/fema/status/1689733820264714240">provide aid</a> to survivors.
&#8220;As residents of Hawai&#8217;i mourn the loss of life and devastation taking place across their beautiful home, we mourn with them. Like I&#8217;ve said, not only our prayers are with those impacted — but every asset we have will be available to them,&#8221; Biden said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1691109601943674880">post to X</a> on Monday.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell

FEMA Boss Stresses Need For ‘Culturally Responsive’ Outreach In Fire-Stricken Maui

FEMA Boss Stresses Need For 'Culturally Responsive' Outreach In Fire-Stricken Maui

Fire

White House

Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party last year and became an independent, blasted Democratic Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, her former boss, because the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Shelter Services Program has plans to send roughly twice the amount of funding to New York that it plans to send to Arizona, a border state.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXSj86ojGIk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaking</a> to first responders in the border city of Yuma, Sinema was asked, “Why is the money going to New York, and who’s sending it?”
“My staff is gonna be really upset but I&#8217;m gonna tell you the truth here,” Sinema admitted. “The reason the money is going to New York is because the Speaker of the House (likely a reference to Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Leader) is from New York and the leader of the United States Senate (Schumer) is from New York. That is how a bunch of money went to New York.”
“The Shelter and Services Program provides funds to non-federal entities that provide sheltering and other eligible services to noncitizen migrants who have been encountered by the Department of Homeland Security and released from custody while awaiting the outcome of their immigration proceedings,” <a href="https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/shelter-services-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> states. “The intent is to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the safe, orderly, and humane release of noncitizen migrants from short-term holding facilities.”
Arizona will receive a total of roughly $69.3 million; New York will receive a total of roughly $134.6 million, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12367509/Im-going-tell-truth-Kirsten-Sinema-blasts-former-boss-says-decision-send-130-MILLION-migrant-money-New-York-instead-border-states-Senate-leader-Chuck-Schumer-NEW-YORK.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a>.
“Look, this is something I fought for,” she continued. “When I fought really hard to ensure that this money got included in the omnibus budget in December of last year &#8230; we fought really hard to get this in, the money was intended — and there’s language that was put in the law that said that it should be going for decompression of the border. The fact that a yeoman&#8217;s amount of this money went to New York City in my opinion is wrong because they are not a border state and they are not facing the kind of pressure that we are facing here.”
“So when I hear from folks in other parts of the country who say, ‘Oh, it’s hard, our shelters are overwhelmed,’ yeah, come live a day in the life of Yuma, Summerton, or San Luis. Just one day,” she declared.
“I am livid that the administration is sending money to a part of the country that while it has a lot of folks showing up in their shelter, they don&#8217;t have folks wandering the streets of our small towns and communities or facing heat exhaustion, showing up without basics like formula,” she said.
“People will come across the border with chicken pox. What we&#8217;re experiencing here in Arizona is matched only by what folks are experiencing in southern Texas. Those are the two communities that are experiencing this crisis. The rest of the country’s seeing some elements of it, but we are here facing the brunt. And it is wrong and unfair that that SSP money is going to places other than South Texas and South Arizona,” she concluded.

Collage Maker-03-Aug-2023-10-49-AM-9353

‘I Am Livid’: Sinema Blasts Former Boss Schumer For NY Getting Roughly Double Immigration Funding

Arizona

Chuck Schumer

Hakeem Jeffries

Immigration

Kyrsten Sinema

New York

President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration rejected a request for federal disaster assistance from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in response to the train derailment in East Palestine earlier this month.
The derailment, which occurred on February 3, caused a fire that lasted several days. Officials decided to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-ordered-ohio-governor-warns-major-explosion-could-send-shrapnel-a-mile-from-derailed-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiate</a> a controlled release of the chemicals to mitigate the risk of an explosion; all residents within one mile of the crash site were told to evacuate, although they were <a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/east-palestine-update-residents-can-safely-return-home-02082023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">permitted</a> to return to their homes on February 8.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Ohio that the Biden administration was rejecting its request for federal assistance because the agency said the incident did not qualify.
Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-turns-down-ohios-request-disaster-assistance-toxic-derailment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News that Ohio was able to get some assistance through the Department of Health and Human Services that can assist residents who need medical care as a result of the fallout from the derailment and toxic burn.
Tierney said that DeWine would hold Norfolk Southern, the company involved in the accident, responsible for what happened. &#8220;The people of East Palestine need to be made whole,&#8221; he added.
Earlier in the day, the DeWine administration put out a statement saying that the Biden administration was not cooperating with requests to help the community through federal disaster aid.
&#8220;The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time,&#8221; DeWine&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-gov-dewine-bidens-fema-still-denying-assistance-for-east-palestine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier in the day. &#8220;Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided.&#8221;
Norfolk Southern provided the EPA with a <a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list</a> of cars affected by the crash and the chemicals they were carrying. The company said all five cars containing vinyl chloride have been “stabilized” after the material was burned by crews, forming massive plumes of dark smoke that were visible in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
Vinyl chloride is <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/vinyl-chloride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> by the National Cancer Institute as a carcinogen linked to a rare form of liver cancer called hepatic angiosarcoma, as well as lymphoma, leukemia, and various forms of brain and lung cancers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration only <a href="https://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">permits</a> exposure of one part per million during an industrial worker’s eight-hour shift.
FEMA claimed in a statement to Fox News that it was in constant contact with DeWine&#8217;s office but it would not comment on its decision to reject disaster aid for the community.
&#8220;FEMA is in constant contact with the emergency operations center in East Palestine and with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency,&#8221; said FEMA spokesperson Jeremy Edwards. &#8220;We are closely coordinating with EPA, HHS, and the CDC, who are helping to test water and air quality, and to conduct public health assessments.&#8221;
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

Ohio train

Biden Rejects Federal Disaster Assistance For Ohio Town Impacted By Toxic Train Derailment: Report

Executive

Joe Biden

Ohio

Ohio Train Disaster

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine revealed Thursday that the Biden administration’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is still refusing to offer assistance for Ohio after the massive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Thirty-eight train cars of the 151-car Norfolk Southern train 32N originating from Madison, Illinois, derailed on February 3, prompting authorities to conduct a “toxic release” of hazardous chemicals on board the train. Those chemicals included vinyl chloride and ethylhexyl acrylate, which are considered carcinogens. According to the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/vinyl-chloride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Cancer Institute,</a> vinyl chloride exposure is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as “primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia.”
“Ohio Governor Mike DeWine spoke with officials at the White House early this morning to address the need for federal help,” DeWine <a href="https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/special-reports/train-derailment/train-derailment-east-palestine-ohio-governor-mike-dewine-federal-help-fema/95-cb611bd6-1b2d-4b26-95d1-e1d85856d4b8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “As a result of this conversation, the Governor has requested assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Emergency Response Team, and the CDC to provide on-the-ground assistance in East Palestine.”
“The DeWine Administration has been in daily contact with FEMA to discuss the need for federal support, however FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time,” he continued. “Governor DeWine will continue working with FEMA to determine what assistance can be provided.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that a mandatory evacuation in East Palestine had been implemented on February 5. On February 8, officials said that residents of East Palestine could return home.
The Environmental Protection Agency later informed Norfolk Southern that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene were also in the rail cars.
After the toxic release of the chemicals, Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist, <a href="https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/east-palestine-train-derailment/3-additional-chemicals-discovered-on-east-palestine-train-derailment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WKBN, “We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open. I was kind of surprised when they quickly told the people they could go back home, but then said if they wanted their homes tested, they could have them tested. I would’ve far rather they did all the testing.”
“There’s a lot of what-ifs, and we’re gonna be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, well water could go bad,’” he added.
“The biggest question remaining is what, if anything, is still being released from the site, first and foremost,” Peter DeCarlo, an environmental health professor at Johns Hopkins University, told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/02/12/east-palestine-ohio-derailment-residents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>. “If there are still residual chemical emissions, then that still presents a danger for people in the area.”

Ohio Senate Candidate JD Vance Holds Get Out The Vote Rally In Dayton

Ohio Gov DeWine: Biden’s FEMA Still Denying Assistance For East Palestine

East Palestine

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday announced plans to provide over $60 million to help homeowners rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Ian, and took a swipe at FEMA for not kicking into the program.
Some $25 million will go to purchasing building materials which will be provided to verified non-profit organizations to make damaged homes habitable. More than 2,000 people have already applied for the aid, said DeSantis.
“What we’ve done is launch a first-of-its-kind, state-led housing initiative to provide travel trailers and recreational vehicles to impacted Floridians who may not be eligible for FEMA’s direct housing program,” DeSantis said at a morning news conference in Punta Gorda also attended by First Lady Casey DeSantis. “We also think we can do it quicker and more efficiently than FEMA.
Another $35.2 million from the Florida Disaster Fund, which Casey DeSantis set up in the days before the storm struck Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast in last September, will fund the state&#8217;s home repair program.
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FEMA has provided nearly $3 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments to Florida following <a class="multivariate" href="https://www.newsweek.com/hurricane-ian-aftermath-videos-show-widespread-destruction-across-florida-1747601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane Ian recovery</a>. But when DeSantis asked the agency to chip in $25 million to help with the state initiative dubbed UniteFlorida, the agency declined, he said.
&#8220;Unfortunately, we got word last week that FEMA had denied our request for funding our state-led housing initiative, citing their &#8216;limited authority,'&#8221; he said. &#8220;But we&#8217;re not just gonna sit there and take no for an answer; we&#8217;re going to figure out what we can do. So that’s what we’re doing today; we want to cut through bureaucracy; we want to bring relief to impacted Floridians regardless of whether FEMA wants to be a part of that.&#8221;
Casey DeSantis said nonprofits and volunteers are providing the labor and the state and generous donors are funding the materials as the state bounces back from the devastating storm.
&#8220;This is where you really break through the bureaucracy and you maximize the dollars that are coming in,&#8221; Casey DeSantis said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not a government go at it alone, but it&#8217;s really everybody uniting for the benefit of everybody here who are affected by the hurricane.&#8221;
She said people from all over the state and nation kicked into the Florida Recovery Fund, which has taken in $57 million. The money will buy needed supplies for volunteers helping to rebuild homes, she said.
&#8220;When these people are coming from all over the country, from Colorado and Washington state to volunteer their time, to help rebuild people’s homes., we’re going to help supplement their efforts through the generosity of the Florida fund,” she said.
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US-ISRAEL-POLITICS-REPUBLICANS

DeSantis Announces Hurricane Relief Funding; Faults Biden’s FEMA For Stiffing Rebuilding Program

DeSantis Announces Hurricane Relief Funding; Faults Biden's FEMA For Stiffing Rebuilding Program

Casey DeSantis

Hurricane Ian

Ron DeSantis

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell vowed that Hurricane Ian relief would be provided to &#8220;all communities&#8221; after Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the Biden administration&#8217;s general policy of providing &#8220;climate resilience&#8221; resources on an equitable basis.
Appearing on &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/fema-administrator-says-our-focus-right-now-is-supporting-the-people-of-florida-after-ian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Face the Nation</a>&#8221; Sunday, Criswell was asked to respond directly to the comments made by Harris. Criswell claimed that the vice president was speaking in the longer term. Still, she also reassured Americans that the federal government resources would support all people affected by the natural disaster.
&#8220;[O]ur programs support everybody,&#8221; Criswell told host Margaret Brennan. &#8220;I would say I believe some of the things the vice president was talking about are the long-term recovery and rebuilding these communities to be able to withstand disasters, so they can have less impact. We&#8217;re going to support all communities. I committed that to (Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis), I commit to you right here that all Floridians are going to be able to get the help that is available to them through our programs.&#8221;
Harris raised eyebrows on Friday when she told attendees at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum that officials would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-blasted-for-pushing-racist-policy-in-response-to-hurricane-damage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">favor</a> low-income and minority groups when it came to distributing &#8220;climate resilience&#8221; resources.
“It is our lowest income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” Harris said. “And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out at the same place.”
“And if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities and do that work,&#8221; she added.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates later said the vice president&#8217;s comments related to a general Biden administration policy of distributing &#8220;climate resilience&#8221; resources around the country.
Many commentators related the general policy Harris was discussing to disaster relief in Florida, which had been battered by Hurricane Ian.
Christina Pushaw, Director of Rapid Response for DeSantis&#8217; re-election campaign, pushed back on Harris&#8217;s comments and demanded clarification from the Biden administration.
&#8220;This is false. @VP&#8217;s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1575974738794774529" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pushaw</a> wrote on Twitter. &#8220;FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is false. <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>&#39;s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit <a href="https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL">https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL</a> or call 1-800-621-3362. <a href="https://t.co/idsw1PX86x">https://t.co/idsw1PX86x</a>
&mdash; Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1575974738794774529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;[T]he areas of SWFL hardest hit by the storm are mostly white but greatly varied in socioeconomic status,&#8221; she added in a <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1576001214403051520?s=20&amp;t=f6v8jr6OmByXyWveF5ETzg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reply</a>. &#8220;None of that matters; rescuers are helping everyone they possibly can and people are getting the assistance they need.&#8221;
This article has been updated to clarify the Biden administration policy regarding aid related to natural disasters.

Kamala Harris

‘We’re Going To Support All Communities’: FEMA Administrator Vows To Help ‘Everybody’ After VP Harris’s ‘Equity’ Comments

FEMA Administrator Vows To Help 'Everybody' After VP Harris's 'Equity' Comments

Equity

Face The Nation

Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a>&#8216; (R-FL) campaign blasted Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> Friday afternoon over remarks that she made suggesting that the administration has a policy that designates funds for &#8220;climate resilience&#8221; in part based in part on race.
Harris made the remarks during a discussion with leftist Priyanka Chopra at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C.
“It is our lowest income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” Harris claimed. “And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out at the same place.”
She added, “And if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities and do that work.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates later said the vice president&#8217;s comments related to a general Biden administration policy of distributing &#8220;climate resilience&#8221; resources around the country.
DeSantis Rapid Response Director Christina Pushaw responded directly to Harris&#8217; remarks by saying that it was false.
&#8220;This is false. @VP &#8216;s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified,&#8221; Pushaw said. &#8220;FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit http://disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.&#8221;
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This is false. <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>&#39;s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit <a href="https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL">https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL</a> or call 1-800-621-3362. <a href="https://t.co/idsw1PX86x">https://t.co/idsw1PX86x</a>
&mdash; Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1575974738794774529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-slammed-over-embarrassing-trip-to-south-korea-what-an-absolute-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris Slammed Over ‘Embarrassing’ Trip To South Korea: ‘What An Absolute Disaster’</a>
This article has been updated to clarify the Biden administration policy regarding aid related to natural disasters.

DeSantis Campaign Nukes Kamala Harris Over Racial Remarks About Natural Disasters

Florida

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> (D) appeared to veer off course during a FEMA press conference Thursday afternoon after he finished making his remarks, prompting at least one official to try to grab his attention.
&#8220;Thank you,&#8221; Biden said as a reporter tried to ask him a question. &#8220;Thank you.&#8221;
Biden then walked over to a group of workers who started clapping for him.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell moved laterally and tried to briefly reach out and grab him as he walked to the group of workers.
&#8220;Mr. President,&#8221; Criswell said in trying to get his attention.
WATCH:
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NOW &#8211; &quot;Mr. President&#8230;?&quot;<a href="https://t.co/5UhQTbLdxC">pic.twitter.com/5UhQTbLdxC</a>
&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1575537499119779841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The incident comes after Biden on Wednesday thanked a handful of bipartisan officials for putting together the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. During his acknowledgments, he asked, “Where’s Jackie?” confused as to why he did not see the woman he had just mentioned in his remarks.
Biden was referencing deceased Rep. Jackie Walorksi (R-IN), who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-u-s-congresswoman-killed-in-head-on-collision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a> last month in an automobile accident.
“I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan officials like Representative McGovern, Senator Braun, Senator Booker, Representative … Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? … I think she must not be here,” Biden said while searching for Jackie.
White House Press Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karine-jean-pierre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> was repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karine-jean-pierre-repeatedly-grilled-over-her-lame-response-to-biden-looking-for-deceased-congresswoman">grilled</a> by numerous reporters during Wednesday’s press briefing over Biden looking for the deceased congresswoman and she repeatedly deflected answering reporters&#8217; questions by claiming that Biden was looking for the congresswoman because she was &#8220;top of mind.&#8221;
Tim Meads contributed to this report.

Biden

Biden Appears To Get Off Course During Press Conference, Officials Try To Grab His Attention

Karine Jean-Pierre

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> (R) slammed a reporter Tuesday afternoon for apparently trying to politicize the hurricane that is anticipated to hit the state.
The question from the reporter comes after the White House dodged questions earlier in the day about why President Joe Biden (D) has not called the governor despite finding time to call several mayors in the state.
&#8220;FEMA Administrator [Deanne] Criswell said today that she acknowledged concerns that Florida [inaudible] lacks response to the storm so far and that&#8211;&#8221; the reporter began.
&#8220;Whoa, whoa, whoa. Give me a break,&#8221; DeSantis fired back. &#8220;That is nonsense. Stop politicizing, okay? Stop it. We declared a state of emergency when this thing wasn&#8217;t even formed.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve had people in here, you&#8217;ve had counties doing, they&#8217;ve done a lot of hard work and honestly, you&#8217;re trying to attack me, I get, but like you&#8217;re attacking these other people who&#8217;ve worked very hard,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And so that&#8217;s just totally false. I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ve ever, certainly since I&#8217;ve been governor, declared a state emergency this early. We made sure that we were very inclusive with it. We said that there was a lot of uncertainty and then we&#8217;ve worked to make sure the preparations that have been done and all the stuff, you talk to the people at the counties, when they&#8217;ve needed something, stuff gets there very quickly because of what Kevin and his team have done.&#8221;
WATCH:
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The media can&#39;t help themselves &#8211; everything must be politicized. No opportunity to smear opponents is too low. This reporter misrepresented FEMA Director&#39;s words<a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantisFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantisFL</a> won&#39;t accept it. He&#39;ll always stand up for Florida &amp; our world class emergency response professionals <a href="https://t.co/Uemzm5vcPH">pic.twitter.com/Uemzm5vcPH</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐳 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1574898811130060821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Governor DeSantis dismantles a false media narrative before it can take hold. 
WATCH: <a href="https://t.co/9zIDGJvB6p">pic.twitter.com/9zIDGJvB6p</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐳 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1574962943506014208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis hit at Biden during some of his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-fires-back-at-biden-after-no-contact-before-hurricane-hits-we-dont-have-time-for-pettiness">remarks</a> for not reaching out sooner despite finding time to call Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa, Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg, and Mayor Frank Hibbard of Clearwater.
A reporter asked the governor how he would characterize his conversations with Biden as the hurricane prepares to make landfall.
“So I have not personally spoken with the president, but FEMA has approved our pre-landfall request,” DeSantis said.
“We feel like we have a good relationship with FEMA,” he continued. “You know, I’m happy to brief the president if he’s interested in hearing what we’re doing in Florida, you know, my view on all this is like you got people’s lives at stake, you got their property at stake, and we don’t have time for pettiness. We got to work together to make sure we’re doing the best job for them.”
“So, my phone — my phone line is open,” DeSantis concluded. “But we are — we do appreciate the quick approval of the pre-landfall declaration.”
The remarks from DeSantis come as the hurricane is <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hurricane-ian-become-major-hurricane-overnight-officials-say-rcna49542">strengthening</a> while in the Gulf of Mexico and could make landfall as a category 4 hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center has <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/271756.shtml">warned</a> that Ian is “an extremely dangerous major hurricane.”

DeSantis Nukes Reporter Over Question At Hurricane Press Conference: ‘That Is Nonsense, Stop Politicizing’

Hurricane

On Tuesday, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Biden</a> appointed a national <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox">monkeypox</a> response coordinator to address the growing outbreak, which has infected roughly 5,800 Americans and more than 23,000 people worldwide.
The White House tapped Robert Fenton, a regional manager for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a> and former acting head of the agency, to lead the government’s response. Demetre Daskalakis, currently the director of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cdc">CDC’s</a> Division of HIV Prevention, will be his deputy.
“Bob’s experience in federal and regional response coordination, and Demetre’s vast knowledge of our public health systems’ strengths and limits will be instrumental as we work to stay ahead of the virus and advance a whole-of-government response,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/president-biden-names-monkeypox-czar-11659453748?mod=e2tw">said</a>.
The announcement comes days after California, Illinois, and New York declared a state of emergency as the virus continues to spread. As of August 2, nearly half of all cases were reported in those three states. However, infections have been recorded in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">48</a>.
In particular, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-francisco-calls-for-state-of-emergency-because-of-surging-monkeypox">San Francisco</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/150000-new-yorkers-at-risk-for-monkeypox-officials-declare-public-health-emergency">New York City</a> have been epicenters, as both cities have declared their own state of emergency. NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) has suggested that up to 150,000 New Yorkers could be at risk for infection.
“This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment,” Adams and Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the head of the New York City health and mental hygiene department, <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/555-22/new-york-city-health-department-declares-monkeypox-public-health-emergency">said</a> in a joint statement.
Monkeypox is in the same viral family as smallpox, and has historically been endemic to West Africa. It causes painful and visible rashes and lesions alongside fevers, aches, chills, and swollen lymph nodes. It has an estimated <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox">3-6% mortality rate</a>. 
The recent outbreak has spread across at least <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html">80 countries</a> and spread predominantly through body fluids and close physical contact. The outbreak is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-report-shows-lgbtq-community-hit-hardest-by-monkeypox">disproportionately affecting gay men</a>. A study in California found that 91.7% of cases in that state are of “[g]ay, Lesbian or same gender loving” people, with men accounting for 98.3% of all infections.

In this photo illustration, the word Monkeypox is seen on

Biden Names Monkeypox Czar After 3 States Declare State Of Emergency

Monkeypox

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Monday announced a new program established with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The program, which allows Americans to apply for financial assistance for COVID-related funeral costs, appears ripe for abuse.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve been on the phone trying to get as flexible and accommodating circumstances as possible,&#8221; Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said during a press conference. &#8220;So here&#8217;s what families need to know: your loved ones should have COVID on their death certificate, anywhere listed on their death certificate, either as their primary or contributing cause of death.&#8221;
According to the congresswoman, a number of Americans, especially in New York State, died in the early days of the pandemic and were unsure of the cause of death.
&#8220;&#8230; we didn&#8217;t know what was COVID and what wasn&#8217;t, so there&#8217;s options available here. One is that you can go back to the institution that issued the death certificate, the hospital, the physician, etc. and you can have your death certificate edited in retrospect, knowing what we know now about COVID,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;So if your loved one&#8217;s death certificate does not have COVID listed, you can have it put in.&#8221;
Schumer chimed in, saying COVID wasn&#8217;t listed as a cause of death until September, which leaves a six month gap where deaths weren&#8217;t attributed to the virus, adding that he and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez were working to &#8220;correct&#8221; that issue.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez breaks down how people can begin the process of receiving federal financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral costs. <a href="https://t.co/hiFvaR3rC9">https://t.co/hiFvaR3rC9</a> <a href="https://t.co/EWqXoOdahK">pic.twitter.com/EWqXoOdahK</a>
&mdash; ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1381645416836562945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Under the Schumer-AOC program, those who are eligible can receive up to $9,000 in reimbursement for burying a loved one who died due to COVID. That&#8217;s higher than the original $7,000 amount the pair was aiming for, Ocasio-Cortez said.
FEMA <a href="https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance">eligibility requirements</a> include:
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<div class="wp-block-group">
<div class="wp-block-group__inner-container">
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<ul>
<li>The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.</li>
<li>The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.</li>
<li>The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.</li>
<li>There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.</li>
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<blockquote>If you had COVID-19 funeral expenses, we encourage you to keep and gather documentation. Types of information should include:
<ul>
<li>An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. 
</li>
<li>Funeral expenses documents (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) that includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened.</li>
<li>Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs. We are not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
While the plan might sound appealing on paper and could undoubtedly benefit some low-income Americans, there are also serious questions that need to be addressed.
How COVID deaths are counted
According to the <a href="https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/how-are-covid-19-deaths-counted-it-s-complicated">Association of American Medical Colleges </a>(AAMC), the way COVID deaths are counted is complex.
<blockquote>Part I asks for the &#8216;immediate cause&#8217; of death, followed by any &#8220;conditions that led to the immediate cause,&#8221; the CDC explains in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg03-508.pdf">guidelines for certifying COVID-19 fatalities</a>. For example: In some COVID-19 cases, the immediate cause is an affliction that arose from the disease, such as pneumonia, while COVID-19 gets listed under that as an underlying condition that led to death. In other words, COVID-19 caused the pneumonia.
Part II asks for conditions that did not set off medical events that led to death but contributed in some other way. Here, COVID-19 appears as sort of an accomplice to a fatality that was probably going to occur from something else (such as a preexisting, terminal disease), albeit later than if the person had not contracted COVID-19.</blockquote>
But the AAMC also warns that there are &#8220;gray areas&#8221; when determining a COVID death.
<blockquote>“There always have been cases where there are gray areas of death certification,” says Aiken, immediate past president of the National Association of Medical Examiners.
COVID-19 cases can paint lots of gray. In an instructional video for filling out death certificates in cases that might or might not be attributed to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises health professionals to “use your best clinical judgment.”</blockquote>
Relying on a medical practitioners&#8217; &#8220;best judgement&#8221; is why some are skeptical. It&#8217;s not definitive but based on an opinion. That opinion varies from physician to physician which means there&#8217;s no way to apply standards equally across the board.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator at the time, didn&#8217;t ease suspicions. Last April she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-dr-birx-we-have-very-liberal-recording-of-covid-deaths-if-they-test-positive-we-are-counting-that">stated</a> that anyone who had the virus at the time of their death, would be counted as part of the COVID death toll.
&#8220;So I think in this country we’ve taken a very liberal approach to mortality and I think the reporting here has been pretty straightforward over the last five to six weeks. Prior to that when there wasn’t testing in January and February, that’s a very different situation and unknown. There are other countries that if you had a preexisting condition and let’s say the virus caused you to go to the ICU and then have a heart or kidney problem, some countries are recording that as a heart issue or a kidney issue and not a COVID-19 death,&#8221; she explained in April of 2020. &#8220;Right now we’re still recording it and the great thing about having forms that come in and a form that has the ability to mark it as COVID-19 infection, the intent is right now that if someone dies with COVID-19 we are counting that as a COVID-19 death.&#8221;
Birx&#8217;s statement is why some have wondered what&#8217;s being counted as a COVID death, especially when a person has pre-existing conditions.
Amending death certificates
Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez encouraged those with loved ones suspected of dying from COVID in the last year to have death certificates amended so they have &#8220;COVID&#8221; listed as a primary or secondary cause of death. It makes sense, especially for those who passed away in February and March of 2020. It was early on in the pandemic and testing was scarce. There&#8217;s a very real probability that people died from COVID but their death certificates indicate a separate pre-existing condition, like heart disease or pneumonia, as the cause of death. But that doesn&#8217;t mean every single person who died since the start of the pandemic died from the virus. People still die from old age, cancer, heart attacks, etc. Those health issues didn&#8217;t suddenly disappear because of the pandemic.
And that calls into question a bigger issue: how do we know that those death certificate amendments are accurate? And how do we know COVID is actually to blame?
Say a person calls the physician and has the death certificate amended for their father who had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). He was a smoker all his life and had difficulty breathing. He contracted COVID and eventually died when his lungs gave out. His lungs were shoddy to begin with before he contracted COVID. Is it fair to label his death as a result of COVID or COPD? What&#8217;s the differentiation between dying from COVID and dying with COVID? And do a person&#8217;s pre-existing conditions play into whether or not FEMA funding will be used for their funeral costs?
Will there be some sort of guidance given to physicians, medical examiners, and coroners on how to determine whether or not someone&#8217;s death certificate should be amended? Or will it be up to each individual&#8217;s discretion?
What happens when these very officials are inundated with death certificate amendment requests? Will they become so overwhelmed that automatically approve or deny them all?
There&#8217;s also a good chance that some people will see the reimbursement fund and go through the amendment process in order to qualify for assistance, even if their loved one may not have died from the virus.
A continual fund
Another big question: funding. How long will this funding go on for? Theoretically, someone could have a &#8220;COVID death&#8221; decades from now. If we apply Dr. Birx&#8217;s apparent logic about someone being counted as a COVID death because they previously had the virus, should someone who recovered now and died in 10 years due to lung damage be considered a &#8220;COVID death.&#8221; If that&#8217;s the case, then, in theory, this FEMA funding would have to remain intact for an entire generation. That means the federal government would have to plan for &#8220;COVID funeral funding&#8221; in every budget moving forward, until everyone that is alive now is gone.
It also makes you wonder: will people demand these types of funds moving forward? It creates a slippery slope for the government to pay for burial costs for a number of health-related issues. Cancer. Diabetes. Heart disease. Where does it end?
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Representative Ocasio-Cortez Holds News Conference At U.S. Post Office On Day Of Action

Democrats Established A Fund So Family Of Deceased COVID Victims Could Receive Up To $9,000. What Could Go Wrong?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

COVID

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