Latest news with #AmberAlerts
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's assault on public media funding is dangerous to safety and democracy
Public media is under serious threat. Right now, Republican lawmakers are pushing a plan that could strip over $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — a move that would devastate local stations, especially in rural America. Here's what's happening: the Senate is about to vote on a rescissions package, meaning it will vote to formalize some of the cuts made by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. If it passes, funding for public broadcasting dries up — full stop. Although NPR and PBS might survive in major cities, small-town stations — the ones that rely on federal grants — could vanish. These are communities where public radio isn't a luxury — it's the only source for local news, educational content, even emergency alerts. Seventy percent of CPB's budget directly funds more than 1,500 local stations. Take that away, and many simply can't keep their lights on. This push isn't random. It's part of a decades-long conservative effort to gut public media, now supercharged by President Trump. Public broadcasting leaders call this the most serious threat they've ever faced. And they're not exaggerating. This isn't just about losing 'Sesame Street' or 'PBS NewsHour.' It's about silencing local voices across America. We're standing at a crossroads. If this passes, hundreds of stations could go dark by fall. And once you shut down the news, you silence the truth. But let's be honest: this fight over public broadcasting is just the tip of the iceberg. We're witnessing a broader assault on journalism itself. This isn't about budgets—it's about control. Public broadcasters are some of the last trusted, unbiased sources of news in many places. Defunding them doesn't just cut television shows — it dismantles community lifelines. Seriously, these stations provide emergency updates during storms, wildfire warnings, even Amber Alerts. Critics claim public media leans liberal. I disagree. What they really mean is: any criticism of Trump is unacceptable. Journalists should be free to speak truth to power — even when the powerful don't like it. Meanwhile, media power is consolidating. Corporate deals tied to politics are reshaping major outlets. We're seeing billionaires push papers like The Washington Post toward MAGA aligned narratives, while longtime journalists quit. Small-town newspapers face legal threats just for reporting poll results. And don't forget the Associated Press got banned from The White House for refusing to call The Gulf of Mexico 'The Gulf of America.' If public media falls, what's next? National outlets are under pressure. Local journalism is dying. Killing NPR and PBS isn't a budget cut — it's a step toward dismantling the free press itself. And without a free press, democracy doesn't stand a chance.
NBC News
6 days ago
- Climate
- NBC News
FEMA records show Kerr County didn't alert all cell phones as flooding began
FEMA records obtained by NBC 5 Investigates show that Kerr County officials did not use FEMA's Integrated Public Alert & Warning System to send warnings with safety instructions to all mobile phones in the affected area during critical hours as the flooding began on July 4. Researchers who have studied the cell phone warning system told NBC 5 Investigates that policies on how and when to issue critical alerts vary widely from one county to another, potentially risking delays when seconds count. As the search for the missing continues in Kerr County, records reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates raise new questions about whether local officials could have used the nation's wireless emergency alert system to better warn people in the flood's path. Along with our partners at NBC News, we scoured a FEMA archive of cell phone alerts sent through FEMA's integrated public alert and warning system, or IPAWS. IPAWS is a system that many local counties, including Kerr County, are authorized to use to issue warnings to all cell phones in a designated area. It's the same system used to send Amber Alerts. The FEMA message archive shows that as the water began rising in Kerr County on July 4, the National Weather Service sent an IPAWS flood warning to cell phones as early as 1:14 a.m. However, weather service forecasters cannot issue instructions on whether to evacuate or wait for rescue; those messages are up to county or city officials. The FEMA archive showed that Kerr County did not send any wireless alerts through IPAWS on July 4, when the flooding began. Some families said they did receive a CodeRed alert from Kerr County, which is similar to an IPAWS message. But CodeRed only reaches people who signed up for alerts. 'Most of the people I've talked to didn't even know what CodeRed was,' said Kerr County resident Louis Kocurek. Louis and Leslie Kocurek shared a screenshot of a Kerr County dispatch CodeRed message they received, saying major flooding continues. However, the Kocureks said that the message didn't reach their phones until after 10 a.m. By then, one flood gauge in Kerr County showed the river had already risen about 30 feet, and the Kocureks had taken a photo showing that roads in their neighborhood were already cut off. 'I'm mad because, you know, like I told another lady, how many lives do we have to lose in order for them to fix the system? It's broken,' said Leslie Kocurek. Kerr County has used the wider-reaching IPAWS system to warn of flooding in the past. Last year, on July 23, the archive showed the county sent an IPAWS alert saying the Guadalupe River was 'expected to rise an additional 4 feet,' telling people to 'avoid the river' and 'move assets to higher ground immediately.' So why no county IPAWS alert before the flood this time? NBC 5 Investigates reached out to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly and emergency management coordinator William Thomas, but they did not immediately respond to questions. At a news conference last week, Kelly was asked why children's camps along the river were not evacuated. 'I can't answer that, I don't know,' said Kelly, adding that they never expected water would rise so fast. 'We didn't know this flood was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,' Kelly said. Researchers who have studied the IPAWS system told NBC 5 Investigates that communities across the country sometimes struggle to decide when to issue cell phone alerts, who should issue those alerts, and what the messages should say. The struggle stems, they said, in part from a lack of standardized nationwide policies. 'There is no required training. There's no certification process currently within IPAWS,' said Jeannette Sutton, an emergency alert researcher who explained it's up to each local government to write its own policies. That methodology, she said, has created differences in how effectively the system is used in each community. 'We need a lot of training, and we need the resources to help people to get trained,' said Sutton. Sutton's team at the University at Albany recently helped FEMA develop a tool for local emergency managers to use to pre-plan more effective messages before disaster strikes. 'They are generally facing a blank text box that says, 'insert message here.' And you can imagine that in a situation where there's a lot of stress and uncertainty, that writing a message from scratch is very difficult,' said Sutton. In a statement to NBC 5, FEMA said its IPAWS office '..encourages and supports practicing and exercising..' and said the agency makes training tools available '...enabling public safety officials to gain confidence using IPAWS.' 'It is really important to get it right when people's lives are on the line,' said Sutton. Sutton said cell phone alerts can be critical, especially in places like Kerr County, which doesn't have a siren warning system. But she said counties should also amplify alerts using tools like social media or even knocking on doors, as cell phone service is sometimes spotty in rural areas. On the morning of the July 4 floods, the Kerr County Sheriff's Department did use its Facebook account, posting messages around 5:30 a.m. warning of 'dangerous flooding' and urging people to 'move to higher ground.' Those messages could have reached social media users who happened to be awake and looking at Facebook, but they would not sound an alert on a phone like an IPAWS message. At a news conference Wednesday, the sheriff said the county would look into whether evacuation orders should have been issued. 'Sometimes, evacuation is not the safest. Sometimes it's better to shelter in place,' said Sheriff Larry Leitha. The sheriff also pledged to examine why cell phone alerts did not happen sooner. 'Those are important questions. Those are, we will answer those questions,' said Leitha.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Worcester board: No permit for controversial billboard plan near lake
The Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday denied a special permit for a proposed 75-foot-tall billboard near Indian Lake. The board voted 5-0 against approving the permit, which would have allowed a billboard to be erected at 5 Norton Drive. The billboard would have overlooked Interstate 190, according to the project's renderings. The application for the permit was submitted by Kenjoh Outdoor Advertising, an advertising company with many billboards throughout the United States, according to its website. The proposal for the billboard in Worcester received opposition from many of the city's residents and politicians, who argued the billboard's LED lights would cause light pollution, hurting the wildlife in the area. Opponents also argued the billboard and its lights could distract drivers traveling on I-190. During Monday night's meeting, several members of the public spoke out against the plan. 'Just because a special permit can be issued, doesn't mean it should be,' said Steven Rothschild, a Worcester resident who lives on the lake. 'This is a complete aberration.' 'We don't need another billboard,' said Worcester resident Diane Fratoni. 'I hope that you don't approve this sign.' Representing Kenjoh Outdoor Advertising at Monday night's meeting was Attorney Mark A. Borenstein, who works for the law firm Prince Lobel Tye LLP. During the presentation, Borenstein showed photos of Indian Lake from various locations, such as Holden and Proctor streets. He told the board that residents in these areas would not see the sign. 'It is a significant distance from across the lake,' Borenstein said. 'You're not going to see the sign from many of these houses adjacent to the lake and inland.' Borenstein also said the billboard presents an opportunity for public agencies, governmental agencies or non-profits to have visible signage. He also said the sign could be used for Amber Alerts. 'Certainly if a parent is concerned about a particular issue, it would be very fortunate to have that as an option,' Borenstein said. Nevertheless, the board chose not to approve the permit, with members acknowledging the public's disdain for the proposal. 'I do think the public has spoken out pretty clear against it,' said Jordan Berg Powers, the chair of the board. 'When I talked to people, there wasn't anyone I talked to that felt that this was a good use of the property.' Man shot, killed in Worcester; suspect in custody Worcester man sentenced for hitting Warwick police chief with car Worcester City Council approves nearly $1 billion operating budget Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Multiple proposals would ban new billboards in Worcester
A Worcester city councilor and a candidate running for city council have submitted two separate petitions that call for the banning of new billboards in the city. District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson and District 1 City Councilor candidate Keith Linhares both filed petitions to the City Council on the week of June 23 — the same week the city's zoning board of appeals voted against a permit for a proposed 75-foot-tall billboard near Indian Lake. Linhares's petition asks the city council to create an ordinance banning all new billboards in Worcester. He stated that billboards cause distractions for drivers on roads and that the lighting from the signs contributes to light pollution. 'I think I want to see our city make decisions that are more aligned with a positive for the environment are our local ecology,' Linhares said. 'The more that we continue to make these decisions that set us on a negative course like that, the worse off we will be.' Linhares told MassLive that he was inspired to write and submit the petition after hearing opposition from residents during the zoning board of appeals meeting on June 23 about the Indian Lake billboard. Linhares, along with Tony Economou — another candidate running for District 1 — both expressed opposition to the billboard. Mero-Carlson's petition asks City Manager Eric D. Batista to provide the council with a report on regulations relative to the installation of billboards in the city. The report would include information about current practices for installing advertisements on existing billboards and information about banning new billboards in the city, Mero-Carlson said. Like Linhares, Mero-Carlson said the opposition to the proposal for the new billboard near Indian Lake inspired her to submit her petition, and she believes billboards are an environmental and safety concern for city residents. Mero-Carlson, as well as District 2 candidate Robert Bilotta, were against the Indian Lake billboard. 'These types of billboards are destructive to the environment... affecting any type of wildlife,' Mero-Carlson said. The petitions sent to the city council, however, will have to wait until July 15, when the council holds its next meeting. Both Mero-Carlson and Linhares said that their petitions do not call for the removal of existing billboards in Worcester. On June 23, many residents gathered in front of the Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals to voice their opposition to the billboard proposal from Kenjoh Outdoor Advertising. 'We don't need another billboard,' said Worcester resident Diane Fratoni. 'I hope that you don't approve this sign.' Mark A. Borenstein, who works for the law firm Prince Lobel Tye LLP, represented Kenjoh at the meeting. He told the board that residents in the Indian Lake area would not see the sign and that the billboard presents an opportunity for public agencies, governmental agencies or non-profits to have visible signage. Borenstein also said the sign could be used for Amber Alerts. 'Certainly if a parent is concerned about a particular issue, it would be very fortunate to have that as an option,' Borenstein said. Still, the board rejected the permit to erect the billboard. Jordan Berg Powers, the chair of the board, acknowledged the broad opposition to the proposal during the meeting. 'When I talked to people, there wasn't anyone I talked to that felt that this was a good use of the property,' he said. New Central Mass. Big Y to officially open in October This Mass. city ranked among the lowest for public restroom access, cleanliness Vocational school admission change quietly dropped from state budget deal Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
Seven weeks later, two N.S. children are still missing. Why wasn't an Amber Alert issued?
Seven weeks after two children went missing from a rural Nova Scotia community, family members are still questioning why an Amber Alert wasn't issued for Lilly and Jack Sullivan. The young siblings have been missing since the morning of May 2, when police received a 911 call reporting they had wandered away from their home in Lansdowne Station, about 140 kilometres northeast of Halifax. RCMP have said all along that the case did not meet the criteria for the alert, and are now providing more details on the factors that are considered and the process that plays out in such situations. Amber Alerts are a national public notification system used to help find abducted children believed to be in imminent danger. Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay, who works in the RCMP's communications unit, was working the day of the disappearance and reviewed the policy on Amber Alerts. He said the criteria state there must be something to point the public toward, such as a suspect, a person of interest or a vehicle. "You want to direct the public to look for a specific vehicle, to look for that licence plate, to look for that suspicious person, to have a photo of someone or more information to suggest that there was an abduction," said Tremblay in a recent interview. While Tremblay reviewed the policy, it's the risk manager — appointed for every major incident — that ultimately decides if an alert should be sent out. In this case, the force issued two "vulnerable persons" alerts. The first was sent at 12:43 p.m. on the day of the disappearance and was directed to cellphones across a swath of communities in northeastern parts of Nova Scotia's mainland, including Lansdowne Station and New Glasgow. The second was issued at 5:26 p.m. the following day — May 3 — and included a larger area from Truro up to Tatamagouche and stretching across to Antigonish. For Daniel Martell, the children's stepfather, those alerts did not go far enough. He said he asked RCMP to issue an Amber Alert early on, and to position officers at the New Brunswick and P.E.I. borders and the airport, but was told the situation did not meet the criteria. "I think they should have just bent the criteria at that moment," said Martell. "It wasn't just one missing person, but two vulnerable children." Lilly and Jack's mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, posted on her Facebook page the day after the disappearance asking for an Amber Alert to be issued. RCMP have repeatedly said there is no evidence to suggest the children were abducted. But that hasn't quelled the concerns of Belynda Gray, the children's paternal grandmother. She, too, wanted police to issue an Amber Alert, given the children's vulnerability. Lilly and Jack's mother and stepfather have both spoken to the media about how the siblings could have autism, but it has not been diagnosed. Gray says it's unfortunate an Amber Alert hinges on a specific car or person being identified as involved in a disappearance. "These are vulnerable kids," Gray said in a recent interview. "They do have a bit of a learning disability, so that puts them even more vulnerable." The investigation has included searches of 8.5 square kilometres surrounding the children's home, including wooded areas, the family home, mine shafts, wells, septic systems and lakes. There are 11 RCMP units working on the case, with the major crime unit taking the lead. Formal interviews have been conducted with 54 people, some of whom were administered polygraph tests. Police have also collected hundreds of hours of video from the surrounding area, including dashcam footage of Gairloch Road — where the family home is located — from days before the disappearance. Meanwhile, the Nova Scotia government is offering up to $150,000 for information about the disappearance. On Thursday, Justice Minister Becky Druhan repeated that Amber Alerts involve specific criteria that were followed in this case. She noted they are administered through a national system, so the criteria are standardized across Canada and any changes would be beyond her department's scope. "Right now, we are focused on doing what we can to help support the investigation," said Druhan. "Ther RCMP has asked us to include this case in the major rewards program, and so we're hopeful that that's going to help generate some information that's going to help solve this case." There were eight Amber Alerts involving 10 children issued last year across Canada, according to the RCMP's National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains. All of those children were found alive. MORE TOP STORIES
