Latest news with #Infants
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate approves more than $180 billion in 2026 funding before August recess
The Senate on Friday passed its first tranche of government funding bills for fiscal year 2026 ahead of its upcoming August recess, but Congress is bracing for a potentially messy fight to prevent a shutdown when they return in September. The chamber approved three bills that provide more than $180 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), military construction, legislative branch operations and rural development. The bills passed in two parts: on an 87-9 vote for military construction, VA, agriculture and FDA funding; and an 81-15 vote for legislative branch funding. The votes cap off days of uncertainty over whether the Senate would be joining the House on a monthlong recess with any of its 12 annual funding bills passed out of the chamber. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who heads the subcommittee that crafted the full-year VA funding bill, said Friday that he sees the first batch of bills as more of a 'test run.' 'It's just been so long since we've done our appropriations bills. A lot of people just [forgot] the procedures,' he told The Hill, noting that in the previous congressional session senators 'really didn't do bills.' Appropriators say the vote marks the first time since 2018 that the Senate has passed funding legislation before the August recess. 'It's really a matter of just kind of legislating again, and the more we do it, the easier, the easier it'll be as we go back,' Boozman said. In the past week, senators had gone through several iterations of their first funding package of the year, as leaders on both sides worked through frustrations in their ranks over proposed spending levels and actions by the Trump administration that incensed Democrats. Well over half of the funding approved Friday is included in the annual VA and military construction bill, which calls for upwards of $153 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. That includes about $133 billion for the VA and roughly $20 billion for the Department of Defense military construction program. More than $113 billion in discretionary funding would go toward VA medical care. The annual agricultural funding plan calls for $27 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. It includes $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), about $7 billion in funding for the Food and Drug Administration, roughly $1.7 billion for rental assistance, and nearly $1.23 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Democrats have also highlighted $240 million in funding in the bill for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, which was targeted in President Trump's latest budget request. The annual legislative branch funding plan calls for about $7 billion for House and Senate operations, the U.S. Capitol Police and agencies like the Library of Congress (LOC), the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Architect of the Capitol. Capitol Police would see a boost under the plan, along with the CBO, while funding for the LOC, the CRS and the GAO would be kept at fiscal 2025 levels. Lawmakers also agreed to $44.5 million in emergency funds aimed at beefing up security and member protection, citing safety concerns following the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers earlier this year. Republicans had previously been uncertain about whether the third bill would be passed as part of the package this week until Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a senior appropriator, said a deal was worked out to allow him to vote on the measure separately from the other bills. Kennedy has criticized the legislative branch funding bill for its proposed spending levels. 'It just doesn't seem appropriate for us to be spending that much extra while everybody else has to take a cut,' he told reporters in late July. 'Now, some of my colleagues point out, yes, but the extra spending is for member security.' 'If you're going to spend extra money on member security, find a pay-for within the bill. I just think the optics are terrible and the policy is terrible,' he said. 'We ought to hold ourselves to the same standard we're holding everybody else, and that's why I'm going to vote no.' Republicans also blame Sen. Chris Van Hollen's (D-Md.) resistance to the Trump administration's relocation plans for the FBI's headquarters for weighing down efforts to pass the annual Justice Department funding bill. Senators had initially expected that bill, which also funds the Commerce Department and science-related agencies, to be part of the package until those plans fell apart earlier this week amid a clash over Trump administration plans to relocate the FBI headquarters. Speaking from the Senate floor on Thursday, Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that crafted the annual funding deal, said he had been pushing for an amendment aimed at ensuring the FBI would 'have a level 5 security headquarters.' He noted his previous attempt during committee consideration that temporarily led to the adoption of an amendment to the DOJ funding bill that sought to block President Trump's plans to keep the FBI's headquarters in Washington, D.C. However, the change was later scrapped after staunch GOP opposition threatened to tank the bill. 'It didn't happen because members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republicans and Democrats, didn't think that was the right thing to do – to preserve what we had set out before and make sure that the men and women [of the FBI] have a level 5 security headquarters,' he said. 'We did it because the President of the United States was going to throw a fit if that provision stayed on.' Van Hollen said he hopes the bill will be able to 'get back on track' in September. However, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), chair of the subcommittee alongside Van Hollen, offered a rather gloomy outlook for the bill's next steps after recess. He argued much of the focus in September is likely to be on getting a deal on a funding stopgap, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), to keep the government funded beyond the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. 'When we get back from recess, we'll move to working on the CR to get us so I would guess if the CJS has a path, it's probably just the CR and will continue,' Moran said. 'All the work that we've done goes away, and we'll go back to CR and fund those agencies at the same level and same way that we did last year.' 'Every time we say we want to do appropriation bills, then there's someone who has a reason that, 'Not this time,' 'Not this one,' 'Not – because I didn't get what I want,'' he said. 'And this time we're arguing over an amendment that was allowed to the senator who's objecting, but he wanted a commitment that he get the outcome he wants.' 'And he didn't win in committee, and he wouldn't win on the Senate floor, but he can, I wouldn't think, but he can make his case. But he rejected that option,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-08-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Senate approves more than $180 billion in 2026 funding before August recess
The Senate on Friday passed its first tranche of government funding bills for fiscal year 2026 ahead of its upcoming August recess, but Congress is bracing for a potentially messy fight to prevent a shutdown when they return in September. The chamber approved three bills that provide more than $180 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), military construction, legislative branch operations and rural development. The bills passed in two parts: on an 87-9 vote for military construction, VA, agriculture and FDA funding; and an 81-15 vote for legislative branch funding. The votes cap off days of uncertainty over whether the Senate would be joining the House on a monthlong recess with any of its 12 annual funding bills passed out of the chamber. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who heads the subcommittee that crafted the full-year VA funding bill, said Friday that he sees the first batch of bills as more of a 'test run.' 'It's just been so long since we've done our appropriations bills. A lot of people just [forgot] the procedures,' he told The Hill, noting that in the previous congressional session senators 'really didn't do bills.' Appropriators say the vote marks the first time since 2018 that the Senate has passed funding legislation before the August recess. 'It's really a matter of just kind of legislating again, and the more we do it, the easier, the easier it'll be as we go back,' Boozman said. In the past week, senators had gone through several iterations of their first funding package of the year, as leaders on both sides worked through frustrations in their ranks over proposed spending levels and actions by the Trump administration that incensed Democrats. Well over half of the funding approved Friday is included in the annual VA and military construction bill, which calls for upwards of $153 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. That includes about $133 billion for the VA and roughly $20 billion for the Department of Defense military construction program. More than $113 billion in discretionary funding would go toward VA medical care. The annual agricultural funding plan calls for $27 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. It includes $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), about $7 billion in funding for the Food and Drug Administration, roughly $1.7 billion for rental assistance, and nearly $1.23 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Democrats have also highlighted $240 million in funding in the bill for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, which was targeted in President Trump's latest budget request. The annual legislative branch funding plan calls for about $7 billion for House and Senate operations, the U.S. Capitol Police and agencies like the Library of Congress (LOC), the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Architect of the Capitol. Capitol Police would see a boost under the plan, along with the CBO, while funding for the LOC, the CRS and the GAO would be kept at fiscal 2025 levels. Lawmakers also agreed to $44.5 million in emergency funds aimed at beefing up security and member protection, citing safety concerns following the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers earlier this year. Republicans had previously been uncertain about whether the third bill would be passed as part of the package this week until Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a senior appropriator, said a deal was worked out to allow him to vote on the measure separately from the other bills. Kennedy has criticized the legislative branch funding bill for its proposed spending levels. 'It just doesn't seem appropriate for us to be spending that much extra while everybody else has to take a cut,' he told reporters in late July. 'Now, some of my colleagues point out, yes, but the extra spending is for member security.' 'If you're going to spend extra money on member security, find a pay-for within the bill. I just think the optics are terrible and the policy is terrible,' he said. 'We ought to hold ourselves to the same standard we're holding everybody else, and that's why I'm going to vote no.' Republicans also blame Sen. Chris Van Hollen's (D-Md.) resistance to the Trump administration's relocation plans for the FBI's headquarters for weighing down efforts to pass the annual Justice Department funding bill. Senators had initially expected that bill, which also funds the Commerce Department and science-related agencies, to be part of the package until those plans fell apart earlier this week amid a clash over Trump administration plans to relocate the FBI headquarters. Speaking from the Senate floor on Thursday, Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that crafted the annual funding deal, said he had been pushing for an amendment aimed at ensuring the FBI would 'have a level 5 security headquarters.' He noted his previous attempt during committee consideration that temporarily led to the adoption of an amendment to the DOJ funding bill that sought to block President Trump's plans to keep the FBI's headquarters in Washington, D.C. However, the change was later scrapped after staunch GOP opposition threatened to tank the bill. 'It didn't happen because members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republicans and Democrats, didn't think that was the right thing to do – to preserve what we had set out before and make sure that the men and women [of the FBI] have a level 5 security headquarters,' he said. 'We did it because the President of the United States was going to throw a fit if that provision stayed on.' Van Hollen said he hopes the bill will be able to 'get back on track' in September. However, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), chair of the subcommittee alongside Van Hollen, offered a rather gloomy outlook for the bill's next steps after recess. He argued much of the focus in September is likely to be on getting a deal on a funding stopgap, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), to keep the government funded beyond the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. 'When we get back from recess, we'll move to working on the CR to get us so I would guess if the CJS has a path, it's probably just the CR and will continue,' Moran said. 'All the work that we've done goes away, and we'll go back to CR and fund those agencies at the same level and same way that we did last year.' 'Every time we say we want to do appropriation bills, then there's someone who has a reason that, 'Not this time,' 'Not this one,' 'Not – because I didn't get what I want,'' he said. 'And this time we're arguing over an amendment that was allowed to the senator who's objecting, but he wanted a commitment that he get the outcome he wants.' 'And he didn't win in committee, and he wouldn't win on the Senate floor, but he can, I wouldn't think, but he can make his case. But he rejected that option,' he said.
Irish Independent
11-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Sligo school children plant trees at their local forest ravaged by Storm Éowyn
A group of 51 schoolchildren from Senior Infants and First Class at St. Patrick's National School, Calry were invited to take part in this tree planting initiative, and so with trowels and shovels in hand, they took to the work with great enthusiasm, learning about their environment along the way. 'Coillte, over the past five years, have been doing a big biodiversity restoration project here at Hazelwood, removing the invasive rhododendron and some of the non-native conifers broadleaves from this really special alluvial woodland,' says Karen Woods, who isthe Biodiversity, Conservation and Delivery Lead with Coillte. 'We're here today to give a little helping hand, planting some alder, birch, a little oak in the woodland - it's great to have so many people out helping with this work.' Getting the children out on a forest adventure is part of the curriculum for the children at Calry NS, as they have an area of woodland on their own school grounds which they explore on a regular basis. Over the years various art and nature projects have taken place there and it's so important for them to have a relationship with their natural surroundings, for many different reasons. 'People talk about the post-Covid era a lot, we as teachers see a need for children to be outside and to be able to experience a little bit of peace and quiet and nature and to explore and to have a little bit of freedom, that's really important,' says Alice McNassor, teacher at Calry NS. 'All of this will help to improve the kids' awareness of what's on their doorstep. I'd say that a lot of them will go back now and start to look a little bit closer at the trees and see what we have and how it compares to what we've seen here today.' The children are having a great time. Having walked around a kilometre along woodland paths into the woods themselves they hang on to every word as instructions are given. Tree saplings are distributed and the team of volunteers are paired up with groups of children to supervise the planting. When asked what they think of the trip to the woods, even a passing shower of rain doesn't dampen their enthusiasm. 'There's lots of trees and plants and it's all very green and brown .... it's really quiet and the birds are chirping .... we're trying to replant trees because there aren't many trees (in this part of the forest) and we're doing our best .... it's really great, way better than being in the classroom,' are just some of the replies, with one child saying that he definitely wants to be a forester when he grows up. If he does follow that path, he'll be treading the same route taken by local Coillte forest manager Brian McGarraghy, who has overall responsibility for Hazelwood. His team have had lots to deal with over the past six months between extensive storm damage to the threat of forest fires during the recent dry spell. So he's delighted to have a good news story to deal with. 'Hazelwood to me is one special place,' says Brian. 'I've been a forester for 40 years and in my years of forestry I've never witnessed anything like it,' he says of the damage caused by Storm Eowyn, when hundreds of trees fell. 'It's taken a lot of work and a lot of good people and we have it back reopened again for the last month or so. It's such a pleasure to see young kids in here, enjoying their day out and they're learning something. Hazelwood is one of our flagship sites, I think people really enjoy and love it. It's great to see it being appreciated.' Coillte recently received a National Biodiversity Award for their work here at Hazelwood, and when you see the work that has been undertaken, including the removal of large amounts of invasive species like laurel and rhododendron it's easy to see why. Hard work over several years has begun to bear fruit. And now, as the forest benefits from the rain that has followed the long period of dry weather, it has never looked as well. The forest has rebounded amazingly well from the storm damage caused earlier in the year, and when you see happy faces and hear excited voices as saplings are planted here, it does remind you that the simplest things can often give the most pleasure. Hopefully, more schools will take a day out in Hazelwood before too long, introducing the children to the nature on our doorstep and encouraging them to build a healthy relationship with our environment.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
United Way of the Wabash Valley awards over $60,000 to the children
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— The United Way of the Wabash Valley has awarded $61,601 to two Success by 6 programs in the area. These programs are aimed at strengthening early childhood development and aim to benefit children across the Wabash Valley. The United Way gave $39,689 through its On the Path to PTQ grant program to five home-based childcare providers. On the Path to PTQ is a program to support those providers and improve their quality of care, and help them progress in the state's Path to QUALITY (PTQ) system. The PTQ system is how the state rates early care and and education and the improvements needed. The PTQ system allows families to identify quality childcare programs through a rating of one to four, where one means licensing compliance and four means national accreditation. Providers that participate in the United Way's grant program can receive up to $10,000 for classroom improvements, professional development, and steps toward the level four accreditation. The locations who received the grants are: ABC Preschool and Daycare Sammie's Sunshine Academy Kidzplay Little Duckling Childcare Bailee's Buddies 'Licensed home providers are essential to our region's early learning ecosystem,' said Executive Director Dorothy Chambers. 'We're investing in their growth so more children can benefit from stable, enriching, high-quality early learning environments.' Lastly, through the Successful Parenting Initiative, the United Way gave $21,912 to the Terre Haute Children's Museum. This money will be used to start an innovative research-backed program for families with children aged 3 to 18 months. The program will teach parents/caregivers the benefits of guided play. Guided play is an evidence-based approach to learning that supports brain development during the quickest part of children's cognitive growth. The program specifically serves families enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, to give easier access to high-quality developmental opportunities. 'We know that early exposure to STEM concepts and adult-guided exploration lay a foundation for lifelong learning,' said Michele Bennett, Community Impact Specialist at United Way. 'This program gives families the tools to grow and learn together.' Guided play blends child play with parental direction. According to the news release, research shows that when a caregiver participates by asking open-ended questions and models curiosity, children develop stronger language skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking. The new program at the museum will coach parents to become active learning partners with their kids. Key features of the program are: Family engagement events at the Children's Museum, featuring interactive play stations aligned with early STEM, literacy, and social-emotional learning. · Take-home kits with 'guided play' activity cards, prompts, and short videos created by local university students to reinforce learning at home. · Access Pass sign-ups, helping low-income families afford Children's Museum visits all year long. · Special events, including a holiday Family Night and storytelling sessions with guest educators. 'With support from United Way, we're empowering parents and caregivers to be confident co-learners,' said Holly Curtsinger, Director of ISU's Early Childhood Education Center and co-chair of Success By 6. 'It's not just about helping children succeed in school—it's about nurturing the parent-child bond and building strong, stable families.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Auglaize health district seeks replacement levy
Apr. 29—WAPAKONETA — Voters in Auglaize County will be asked to approve an .85-mill, 10-year replacement levy for the Auglaize County Board of Health during this year's May 6 election. The levy, if approved, will fill a void created when the district's current 1-mill levy expires. The .85-mill levy sought by the health board — although on its face a reduction in tax collections — actually will ask residents to dig just a little deeper into their wallets. County Health Commissioner Oliver Fisher said the health district has been operating for the past 30 years on renewals of an existing 1995 levy. A replacement levy, instead of another renewal, will allow the district to capitalize on property values that have risen substantially in the past three decades. The renewal levy, Fisher said, will assess property owners at a rate of $29.75 per $100,000 of valuation. That marks a slight increase from current assessments. Fisher is sympathetic to families that are already on edge due to a host of financial uncertainties but said the health board's first increase in 30 years is needed to keep the district's diverse public health outreach and prevention programs afloat. "When we put a levy renewal before voters 10 years ago we had great support. Nearly 75% of the votes cast were in favor. I realize it's a different economic climate now and that some families are struggling, but at the same time we need to get caught up with current (real estate) evaluations," Fisher said. "I'm hoping the voters will support us again." The replacement levy, if approved, will generate nearly $1.4 million annually to support a wide range of services to the more than 45,000 residents of Auglaize County. A sample of offerings and programs made possible through the health department include: —Community outreach efforts, including providing education for health professionals, participating in community health assessment efforts and health improvement plans. —WIC, or Women, Infants and Children, which provides supplemental food, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support to low-income women with children up to age 5. —Help Me Grow, a free program for expectant parents and their children up to the age of 3. —Child car seat classes and child seat giveaways. —Cribs for Kids program, which provides Pack-and-Play cribs (based on income eligibility) so infants have a safe place to sleep. —Emergency preparedness, which offers training for public health leaders on how to respond during an emergency. "People are sometimes surprised at what all we do," said Fisher. "We do a lot behind the scenes but when people need us, we're there." A five-member board of health directs the district's policies. The health commissioner said a "team effort" is crucial to the levy's passage. "We have a levy committee that's working hard to get the word out. We hope the community will support us," Fisher said. "If the levy fails, we may have to look at some program cuts ... which is something we really don't want to do." Featured Local Savings
