Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers

Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers

CAIRO (AP) — A unit of the Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early Thursdayin the Gaza Strip. Hours earlier, an Israel-supported aid group said Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least five of them. The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed. The Israeli military circulated theGaza Humanitarian Foundation's statement on its social media accounts but declined to provide its own account of what happened. Aid initiative already marred by controversy and violence The aid group's operations in Gaza have already been marred by controversy and violence since they began last month, with scores of peoplekilled in near-daily shootingsas crowds headed toward the food distribution sites inside Israeli military zones. Witnesses have blamed the Israeli military, which has acknowledged firing only warning shots near people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner. Earlier this week, witnesses also said Abu Shabab militiamenhad opened fire on peopleen route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. The United Nations and major aid groups have rejected the Israeli and U.S.-backed initiative, accusing them of militarizing humanitarian aid at a time when experts sayGaza is at risk of faminebecause of Israel's blockade and renewed military campaign. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supportingarmed groups of Palestiniansin what it says is a move to counter Hamas. Abu Shabab's militia, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the food distribution points set up by the Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting U.N. trucks. GHF has denied working with the Abu Shabab group. 'They were aid workers' In a statement released early Thursday, the foundation said Hamas had attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen "local Palestinians working side-by-side with the U.S. GHF team to deliver critical aid" near the southern city of Khan Younis. "We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms," it said. "These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives everyday to help others." It did not identify the men or say whether they were armed at the time. Israel and the United States say the new system is needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off aid from the long-standing U.N.-run system, which is capable of delivering food, fuel and other humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza. U.N. officials deny there has been any systematic diversion of aid by Hamas, but say they have struggled to deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order in Gaza. U.N. officials say the new system is unable to meet mounting needs, and that it allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by controlling who has access to it and by essentially forcing people to relocate to the aid sites, most of which are in the southernmost city of Rafah, now a mostly uninhabited military zone. Some fear this could be part of an Israeli planto coerce Palestinians into leaving Gaza. Hamas says it killed traitors Hamas has also rejected the new system and threatened to kill any Palestinians who cooperate with the Israeli military. The killings early Wednesday were carried out by the Hamas-run police's Sahm unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting. The unit released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Mohammed Abu Amin, a Khan Younis resident, said he was at the scene of the killings and that crowds were celebrating them, shouting "God is greatest" and condemning those killed as traitors to the Palestinian cause and agents of Israel. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces and deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group, posted a statement online saying they clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the images shared by Sahm were of Abu Shabab fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers. Mounting lawlessness as Israel steps up military campaign Israel renewed its offensive in March afterending a ceasefire with Hamasand imposeda complete ban on imports of food, fuel, medicineand other aid before easing the blockade in mid-May. The ongoing war and mounting desperation have plunged Gaza into chaos, with armed gangs looting aid convoys and selling the stolen food. The Hamas-run police force, which maintained a high degree of public security before the war, has largely gone underground as Israel has repeatedly targeted its forces with airstrikes. The militarynow controls more than half of the territory. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. They are still holding 53 captives, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. Israel's offensive has flattened large areas of Gaza and driven around 90% of the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians from their homes. The territory is almost completely reliant on humanitarian aid because nearly all of its food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed. ___ Follow AP's war coverage athttps://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

byMario Satorik

in

June 12, 2025

Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers

Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers CAIRO (AP) — A unit of the Hamas-run pol...

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Kennedy's new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation

Kennedy's new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Health SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.on Wednesday named eight new vaccine policy advisers to replace the panel that he abruptlydismissed earlier this week. They include a scientist who researched mRNA vaccine technology and became a conservative darling for his criticisms of COVID-19 vaccines, a leading critic of pandemic-era lockdowns, and a professor of operations management. Kennedy's decision to "retire" the previous 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was widely decried by doctors' groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy's desire to reassess — and possibly end — longstanding vaccination recommendations. On Tuesday, before he announced his picks, Kennedy said: "We're going to bring great people onto the ACIP panel – not anti-vaxxers – bringing people on who are credentialed scientists." The new appointees include Vicky Pebsworth, a regional director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses, who has been listed as a board member and volunteer director for the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that is widely considered to be a leading source of vaccine misinformation. Another is Dr. Robert Malone, the former mRNA researcher who emerged as a close adviser to Kennedy during the measles outbreak. Malone, who runs a wellness institute and a popular blog, rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as he relayed conspiracy theories around the outbreak and the vaccines that followed. He has appeared on podcasts and other conservative news outlets where he's promoted unproven and alternative treatments for measles and COVID-19. He has claimed that millions of Americans were hypnotized into taking the COVID-19 shots and has suggested that those vaccines cause a form of AIDS. He's downplayed deaths related to one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. in years. Other appointees include Dr. Martin Kulldorff, a biostatistician and epidemiologist who was a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 letter maintaining that pandemic shutdowns were causing irreparable harm. Dr. Cody Meissner, a former ACIP member, also was named. Abram Wagner of the University of Michigan's school of public health, who investigates vaccination programs, said he's not satisfied with the composition of the committee. "The previous ACIP was made up of technical experts who have spent their lives studying vaccines," he said. Most people on the current list "don't have the technical capacity that we would expect out of people who would have to make really complicated decisions involving interpreting complicated scientific data." He said having Pebsworth on the board is "incredibly problematic" since she is involved in an organization that "distributes a lot of misinformation." Kennedy made the announcement ina social media poston Wednesday. The committee, created in 1964, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC directors almost always approve those recommendations on how vaccines that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration should be used. The CDC's final recommendations are widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs. The other appointees are: —Dr. James Hibbeln, who formerly headed a National Institutes of Health group focused on nutritional neurosciences and who studies how nutrition affects the brain, including the potential benefits of seafood consumption during pregnancy. —Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies business issues related to supply chain, logistics, pricing optimization and health and health care management. In a 2023 video pinned to an X profile under his name, Levi called for the end of the COVID-19 vaccination program, claiming the vaccines were ineffective and dangerous despiteevidence they saved millions of lives. —Dr. James Pagano, an emergency medicine physician from Los Angeles. —Dr. Michael Ross, a Virginia-based obstetrician and gynecologist. Of the eight named by Kennedy, perhaps the most experienced in vaccine policy is Meissner, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, who has previously served as a member of both ACIP and the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory panel. During his five-year term as an FDA adviser, the committee was repeatedly asked to review and vote on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines that were rapidly developed to fight the pandemic. In September 2021, he joined the majority of panelists who voted against a plan from the Biden administration to offer an extra vaccine dose to all American adults. The panel instead recommended that the extra shot should be limited to seniors and those at higher risk of the disease. Ultimately, the FDA disregarded the panel's recommendation and OK'd an extra vaccine dose for all adults. In addition to serving on government panels, Meissner has helped author policy statements and vaccination schedules for the American Academy of Pediatrics. ACIP members typically serve in staggered four-year terms, although several appointments were delayed during the Biden administration before positions were filled last year. The voting members all have scientific or clinical expertise in immunization, except for one "consumer representative" who can bring perspective on community and social facets of vaccine programs. Kennedy, a leading voice in theanti-vaccine movementbefore becoming the U.S. government's top health official, has accused the committee of being too closely aligned with vaccine manufacturers and of rubber-stamping vaccines. ACIP policies require members to state past collaborations with vaccine companies and to recuse themselves from votes in which they had a conflict of interest, but Kennedy has dismissed those safeguards as weak. Most of the people who best understand vaccines are those who have researched them, which usually requires some degree of collaboration with the companies that develop and sell them, said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher. "If you are to exclude any reputable, respected vaccine expert who has ever engaged even in a limited way with the vaccine industry, you're likely to have a very small pool of folks to draw from," Schwartz said. The U.S. Senate confirmed Kennedy in February after he promised he would not change the vaccination schedule. But less than a week later, he vowed toinvestigate childhood vaccines that prevent measles, polio and other dangerous diseases. Kennedy has ignored some of the recommendations ACIP voted for in April, including the endorsement of a new combination shot that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria and the expansion of vaccinations against RSV. In late May, Kennedy disregarded the committee and announced the government would change the recommendationfor children and pregnant womento get COVID-19 shots. On Monday, Kennedy ousted all 17 members of the ACIP, saying he would appoint a new group before the next scheduled meeting in late June. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted, but a recentfederal noticesaid votes are expected on vaccinations against flu, COVID-19, HPV, RSV and meningococcal bacteria. A HHS spokesman did not respond to a question about whether there would be only eight ACIP members, or whether more will be named later. ___ Associated Press reporters Matthew Perrone, Amanda Seitz, Devi Shastri and Laura Ungar contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

byMario Satorik

in

June 12, 2025

Kennedy's new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation

Kennedy's new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Health SecretaryRob...

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Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'

Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'

Joe Flaccois the elder statesman of theCleveland Brownsquarterback room. Having just turned 40 in January, Flacco has morphed into the "back in my day guy" and is now just one step away from telling the young whippersnappers to get off his lawn. Flacco has embraced that youthful energy in the twilight of his NFL career, taking the opportunity to pose for afun photo at media day with rookie, Dillon Gabriel. Regardless, he continued to provide plenty of entertainment for the media following Wednesday's minicamp practices, turning the session into a chat about social media, TikTok and posting dancing videos online. Flacco began discussing Twitter, now known as X, as it has evolved into a primary source of news. "The difference now is, everybody's getting their stuff from there, and it's treated a little bit more seriously because that is the main news source,"Flacco said, via 92.3 The Fan's Daryl Ruiter. "You still have the same thing you always had, which is a million different opinions, but it kind of blends your actual news source with a bunch of other stuff." Joe Flacco has thoughts on social media, including TikTok dances. A pretty entertaining 2 minutes of video here#Brownspic.twitter.com/6MV6Y5IqrP — Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN)June 11, 2025 The quarterback went on to say that Instagram is the only social media platform he's used and made one thing clear –don't expect him to show up in a TikTok dancing video anytime soon. "No TikTok dances," Flacco said. "The fact that people want to get on their phones and show people. That's embarrassing! You're an adult. Be an adult. I can't wrap my head around that." He followed up with some advice for the parents. "I get it, you have kids and you wanna have fun with your kids," Flacco added. "Like, have fun with your kids in private." Flacco appears to be no fan of the current social media landscape, but he also extended his media availability to discuss the good old days. While he wasn't walking up and down the rolling hills in 10 feet of snow to school, the quarterback did end up speaking about players who think offseason activities are too hard in the modern NFL. "We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard,"Flacco said via Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, referencing the two-a-days that used to be commonplace in the NFL. Old Guy Joe Flacco laughs at players who think today's OTAs are hard: "We're out there for an hour 15 minutes and guys think it's hard."pic.twitter.com/lBd6CfD7RG — Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein)June 11, 2025 He went on to add that organized team activities (OTAs) used to be over two hours, highlighting just how much has changed since he entered the league in 2008. In other words, Flacco was in a reminiscing mood as the Super Bowl champion prepares for his 18th season in the league. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Browns' QB Joe Flacco calls TikTok dances 'embarrassing'

byMario Satorik

in

June 11, 2025

Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult'

Joe Flacco talks about 'embarrassing' TikTok dances: 'Be an adult' Joe Flaccois the elder statesman of theCleveland Brownsqu...

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Red Sox RHP Hunter Dobbins addresses father's debunked Yankees claims: 'I don't go and fact-check my dad'

Red Sox RHP Hunter Dobbins addresses father's debunked Yankees claims: 'I don't go and fact-check my dad'

Hunter Dobbins inserted himself into the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry in a bizarre way this week. It did not work out well for him. The Red Sox pitcher made his first start against the Yankees last weekend but made more headlines with what he said going into the game. The right-hander, a Red Sox fan growing up, certainly said what his fan base wanted to hear, claiming that he would retire rather than sign a contract with the Yankees. But then he added a couple of other claims,via the Boston Herald. Dobbins mentioned that his father, Lance Dobbins, was "really good friends" with Yankees great Andy Pettitte and had a short career with the team before becoming a die-hard Sox fan: "He was actually drafted twice by the Yankees," his son said. "Signed with them his last year, and then he got traded over to the Diamondbacks." That story went off the rails Tuesday after some fact-checking bythe New York Post's Joel Sherman. The Post could not verify any of Dobbins' claims, with no record of a draft pick under that name. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who has held the position since 1998 and has been with the team's front office since 1986, said he has no memory of drafting Lance Dobbins, and a check with the amateur department revealed no record of such a pick. There appears to be a Lance Dobbins who played professional baseball, but only in the independent leagues in 1996 and 1997,according to Baseball Reference.B-Ref's database of draft picksalso contains nobody by the name of Lance Dobbins, and a scan throughthe website of Alabama baseball, where Dobbins claimed his father played before going pro, reveals no mention of a Dobbins since 1995. With all of this flying around, Hunterspoke with the media Wednesdayand didn't directly repudiate his father but admitted he didn't double-check any claims, either: "The whole backstory is stuff that I had heard growing up and seeing pictures from my dad. At the end of the day, it's just from my dad and what kind of grew my love for the game. At the end of the day, I don't go and fact-check my dad or anything like that." When asked how the fallout of the Post's story affected him, Dobbins dismissed it: "Doesn't phase me. Doesn't bother me. I love working with the media and everybody here. Everybody's been great, so my focus is performing for the guys here in the locker room, for the fans of Boston. Something that's a few hours away doesn't phase me." While Dobbins said he doesn't mind what New York is saying, he is scheduled to make another start against the Yankees on Saturday, the day before Father's Day. One other oddity of the story is that while Lance Dobbins' apparent narrative didn't hold up, there isrecord of a Chris Dobbinswho was drafted by the Yankees in the 28th round of the 1999 MLB Draft, from a community college in Alabama (though not the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, as the Herald story indicated). It could be nothing, given that Hunter didn't correct any part of the record Wednesday, but it's at least quite a coincidence. The Red Sox drafted Hunter Dobbins out of Texas Tech in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut this year and holds a 4.20 ERA in 49 1/3 innings so far in his career.

byMario Satorik

in

June 11, 2025

Red Sox RHP Hunter Dobbins addresses father's debunked Yankees claims: 'I don't go and fact-check my dad'

Red Sox RHP Hunter Dobbins addresses father's debunked Yankees claims: 'I don't go and fact-check my dad' Hunter Dobbins ins...

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David Hogg will not run for DNC post again after party orders redo of vice chair elections

David Hogg will not run for DNC post again after party orders redo of vice chair elections

Progressive activist David Hogg said he won't seek to continue as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee after the DNC called for a redo of the February election that elevated him to the post. Shortly after the DNC announced it would hold new elections Thursday for two vice chair positions held by Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta as a result of a procedural challenge, Hogg announced he wouldn't be a candidate. The decision comes amid apublic spat with the DNC and its chairman, Ken Martin,over Hogg's decision to support primary challenges to Democratic incumbents, a spat that loomed over the vote even though it wasn't directly related to the challenge that ultimately led the party to call for a new election. Hogg made the announcement in a lengthy statement that criticized the Democratic Party for a lack of vision and a refusal to pass the torch to the next generation. But his discussion about the DNC and the vice chairmanship specifically was more muted. "I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs. It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a Vice Chair — and it's okay to have disagreements. What isn't okay is allowing this to remain our focus when there is so much more we need to be focused on," he said in the statement. "Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters. I need to do this work with Leaders We Deserve, and it is going to remain my number one mission to build the strongest party possible." Martin praised Hogg's for the party in a brief statement, saying, "I appreciate his service as an officer, his hard work, and his dedication to the party." "I commend David for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation, and while I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as Vice Chair. I have no doubt that he will remain an important advocate for Democrats across the map," Martin said. Follow live politics coverage here The DNC had voted hours earlier to accept arecommendation from its Credentials Committee that the party hold two new vice chair electionsbecause it found the DNC mistakenly created an advantage for the two male candidates, Hogg and Kenyatta, as it managed the internal elections at the end of a marathon February party meeting in Washington. On Wednesday evening, the DNC announced that 75% of the votes its members cast in a virtual election were in favor of the recommendation, a vote of 294-99. It said 89% of its members participated in the virtual election. Because DNC rules require equal gender representation on its executive committee, not including the party chair, the results of elections in February meant the DNC had to elect at least one man to its final two vice chair slots. But instead of holding individual votes for each position, one to be filled by a man and one by a candidate of any gender, the party decided to hold one vote to decide who took the final two slots. Oklahoma Democratic Committeewoman Kalyn Free, who unsuccessfully ran against Hogg and Kenyatta in February, petitioned the DNC for a redo, claiming the decision to combine the ballots unfairly benefited Hogg and Kenyatta over the female candidates who were eligible for the final vice chair slot. Though Free's challenge was filed well before Hogg's public spat with Martin, Hogg framed the decision last month as proof that the party was trying to strip him of his title over his support for primary challenges to Democratic incumbents. Martin and Kenyatta vehemently disagreed with his framing: Martin blamed a "procedural error" from "before I became chair" for the episode, andKenyatta criticized Hoggfor distracting from the party's work by arguing the vote amounted to personal retribution. After the new election was called, Kenyatta said in a statement that "now we can almost bring this chapter to a close," adding that he looked forward to "making my case to DNC members and our party as a whole" in the snap election. "We need a strong Democratic Party and I hope we come out of this stronger and focused on the work ahead," he said. With Hogg's decision to step aside, Kenyatta is assured of winning his vice chair position back by the end of the week. The party will effectively be replacing Hogg with the winner of a subsequent vice chair election among the three candidates who were on the final ballot in February. Tensions between Hogg and the party have been brewing for months, sincehe telegraphed his decisionto back Democratic primary challenges through a political group he started, Leaders We Deserve. Hogg, who rose to prominence as a political activist after he was one of the victims of the2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida,argued in his statement Wednesday night that his mission to push the Democratic Party toward "a new vision for the future and leaders to bring us there" was most important to him, as he accused Democrats of thinking too small. "After seeing a serious lack of vision from Democratic leaders, too many of them asleep at the wheel, and Democrats dying in office that have helped to hand Republicans an expanded majority, it became clear that Leaders We Deserve had to start primarying incumbents and directly challenging the culture of seniority politics that brought our party to this place to help get our party into fighting shape again," he said. Ahead of the vote,Politico published a short clip of an internal Democratic Party callon which Martin vented his frustration with Hogg, saying the fight has "essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to." The leak prompted another round of finger-pointing, withprominent DNC membersaccusing Hogg or his alliesof orchestrating it. Hogg vehemently denied that andpublished a screenshotthat he said showed his text messages with the reporter who published the story. Even if Hogg had decided to run again and won his seat back, Martin has said he wouldpropose a neutrality pledgefor officers that could have forced Hogg to choose between his party role and his role with the outside group he founded.

byMario Satorik

in

June 11, 2025

David Hogg will not run for DNC post again after party orders redo of vice chair elections

David Hogg will not run for DNC post again after party orders redo of vice chair elections Progressive activist David Hogg said he won't...

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Trump's plan to begin 'phasing out' FEMA after hurricane season burdens states, experts warn

Trump's plan to begin 'phasing out' FEMA after hurricane season burdens states, experts warn

SAN DIEGO (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump's plan to begin "phasing out" thefederal agency that responds to disastersafter the 2025 hurricane season is likely to put more responsibilities on states to provide services following increasingly frequent and expensive climate disasters, experts said. "We want to wean off of FEMA and we want to bring it down to the state level," Trump said Tuesday in an Oval Office appearance with administration officials about preparations for summer wildfires. Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have repeatedly signaled their desire to overhaul, if not completely eliminate, the 46-year-old Federal Emergency Management Agency. While there has been bipartisan support for reforming the agency, experts say dismantling it completely would leave gaps in crucial services and funding. "It just causes more concern on how states should be planning for the future if the federal government's not going to be there for them," said Michael Coen, FEMA chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations. Disaster response is already locally led and state-managed, but FEMA supports by coordinating resources from federal agencies, providing direct assistance programs for households and moving money to states for repairing public infrastructure. Trump said Tuesday he wants to "give out less money," and to "give it out directly," sidestepping FEMA programs. He said he did not know who would distribute the funds, saying they could come "from the president's office" or DHS. "I was left with the impression that he doesn't really understand the scale of what FEMA manages on a yearly basis with a budget of over $30 billion," said Coen. Dismantling FEMA, or even changing how much of the costs it shares with states in the event of a major disaster declaration, would require action from Congress, including amending the 1988 Stafford Act, which outlines FEMA's roles and responsibilities and the cost share between the feds and the states. Declaring fewer major disasters or giving less federal support could put an untenable financial burden on states, said Sara McTarnaghan, principal research associate at the Urban Institute. "Very few of them would have had enough funds set aside to anticipate the federal government stepping back from its historic role in disaster recovery for major events," McTarnaghan said. A recent Urban Instituteanalysisfound that between 2008-2024, quadrupling the economic threshold of when major disasters are declared would have shifted $41 billion in public assistance costs alone to state and local governments. "I think the trade off for states and communities is going to be, do we accept a less full recovery or do states draw on other resources to meet these goals and needs, perhaps at the cost of investments in other kinds of social programs or functions of the state," said McTarnaghan. Not all states will be able to generate much more revenue, she added. "The confluence of states that have really high disaster exposure and states that have relatively limited fiscal capacity are overlapping in many ways," she said. "That's the case for a lot of states along the Gulf Coast that we're concerned about going into hurricane season but also the case for some Midwestern states that face issues with severe convective storms." Trump dismissed the idea that states can't handle the bulk of disasters on their own. "The governor should be able to handle it and frankly if they can't handle the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn't be governor," he said. He suggested that some of the gaps could be filled by more collaboration among states. Noem said FEMA is building communication and mutual aid agreements among states "to respond to each other so that they can stand on their own two feet." A national mutual-aid structure called the Emergency Management Assistance Compact already exists, but its operations are typically reimbursed by the federal government, said Coen. "There's already robust communication between states. The confusion is what they can expect from the federal government." Regarding the current hurricane season, which began June 1, Noem said FEMA "stands prepared." But there have already been changes to how the agency operates. It suspended its door-to-door canvassing program that helped enroll survivors for assistance. More than 2,000 FEMA staff, around one-third of the full-time workforce, have left or been fired since January. After severe weather this spring, some states waited as long as eight weeks for approval on their disaster declaration requests, and several requests are still pending. Trump has not approved any requests for hazard mitigation assistance since February, a typical add-on to individual and public assistance that helps states build back in more resilient ways. A FEMA review council established by Trump and co-chaired by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will submit suggestions for reforms in the next few months, according to Noem. In its first meeting in May, Noem told the group of governors, emergency managers, and other officials primarily from Republican states that Trump is seeking drastic change. "I don't want you to go into this thinking we're going to make a little tweak here," she said. "No, FEMA should no longer exist as it is." ___

byMario Satorik

in

June 11, 2025

Trump's plan to begin 'phasing out' FEMA after hurricane season burdens states, experts warn

Trump's plan to begin 'phasing out' FEMA after hurricane season burdens states, experts warn SAN DIEGO (AP) — PresidentDonald Tr...

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Teoscar Hernández hits a 3-run homer and the Dodgers beat the Padres 5-2 to win the series

Teoscar Hernández hits a 3-run homer and the Dodgers beat the Padres 5-2 to win the series

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Teoscar Hernández broke a sixth-inning tie with a three-run homer and Michael Conforto also went deep for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 on Wednesday to take two of three games in the first series this season between the NL West rivals. The defending World Series champions bounced back from Tuesday night's 11-1 loss, a rout so bad for the pitching-strapped Dodgers that utilityman Kiké Hernández pitched the final 2 1/3 innings after starter Matt Sauer threw 111 pitches. Rookie right-hander Ben Casparius got through four innings in his second start of the season, with just one rough patch. He allowed five straight Padres to reach in the second but they got just one run, thanks largely to center fielder Andy Pages throwing out Gavin Sheets at the plate on a 99 mph throw on the fly to catcher Will Smith. After allowing three straight singles, Casparius walked consecutive batters, including No. 9 hitter Martín Maldonado with the bases loaded. Fernando Tatis Jr. then flied out on the first pitch to end the threat. Conforto homered to left-center off Randy Vásquez with one out in the fifth, his fourth. Hernández hit a 420-foot shot to straightaway center field off Jeremiah Estrada with one out in the sixth, his 11th. Freddie Freeman was aboard on a single off Adrian Morejon (3-3), and Smith drew a walk from Estrada. After pulling to 4-2 on Sheets' sacrifice fly in the sixth, the Padres blew another prime scoring chance when Michael Kopech walked the bases loaded with one out in the seventh. Anthony Banda came on and retired three-time batting champion Luis Arraez on a weak popup and Manny Machado on a grounder. The Dodgers, who rallied from a 2-1 deficit to eliminate San Diego in a National League Division Series last year, host the Padres next Monday through Thursday. Key moment Pages' throw home was on the first base side of the plate, but Smith caught it, wheeled around and tagged Sheets. Key stat Lou Trivino (2-0) got the win and Alex Vesia, the Dodgers' eighth pitcher, struck out the side in the ninth for his third save. Up next Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.20 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at home against San Francisco. Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-1, 3.00) starts the opener of a three-game series at Arizona. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB

byMario Satorik

in

June 11, 2025

Teoscar Hernández hits a 3-run homer and the Dodgers beat the Padres 5-2 to win the series

Teoscar Hernández hits a 3-run homer and the Dodgers beat the Padres 5-2 to win the series SAN DIEGO (AP) — Teoscar Hernández broke a sixth-...

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