Latest news with #NealDunn
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Congressman introduces bill to hold FEMA accountable
WASHINGTON D.C. (WMBB) – U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn introduced the 'Streamlined FEMA Cost Exemption Act' bill to the House in Washington, D.C., Thursday morning. The bill's goal is to prevent FEMA 'claw-backs' of Public Assistance grants for disaster recovery projects. FEMA has attempted to claw-back its relief funds for several panhandle communities. Some governments are more equipped for a claw-back scenario, like Bay County, which has tools like a surtax. For a rural area like Washington County, a claw-back would be detrimental. 'They did 100% audit twice and partial audits, two more times, and they were all approved,' said U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn. 'Money was lent, then roads were built. And then seven years later, FEMA comes around, says, 'Oh, we made a mistake.' We need $100 million back.' Dunn said this is unacceptable in rural counties. 'And, you know, you can't do that to rural counties, especially rural fiscally constrained counties,' said Dunn. 'Washington County is one of the counties involved in this. Can you imagine them coming up with $100 million? Not in a thousand years.' The question remains, should any community who's been promised funds in a time of tragedy and destruction have to turn around and give FEMA the funds back? 'They came in and audited both Bay County and Washington County and approved it repeatedly. Repeatedly ordered it and approved it. Then you go spend the money and they say, 'Oh, we're not and we want it back.' That's wrong. That's just wrong,' Dunn said. His passion for the topic led him to write the legislation he is hoping Congress will pass this year. Bay County officials said legislation that reinforces FEMA's system would be extremely reassuring. 'It would be a marvelous thing for us to know that going forward, we would be able to be set up in a place to know that we wouldn't get the rug pulled out from under us after we were doing work for recovery for our citizens,' Bay County Commissioner Doug Moore said. The bill has been in the works for some time. Dunn said they previously attempted to stiffen the FEMA regulations in 2018. 'We actually did an anti 'claw-back' law back in the 150th Congress, but we only made it for three, so they could go beyond three years back. This time, we're going to go to pinch them a little harder. We're going to make it two years and we're going to make the rules a lot more stringent,' added Dunn. The Streamlined FEMA Cost Exemption Act makes reinforcements by: Exempt 'covered project' costs to FEMA Public Assistance projects while executing a grant agreement with FEMA. Prohibits the recoupment of certain Public Assistance grants by adjusting the statute of limitations from three years to two years. Includes a FEMA waiver of certain recoupment funds. Grants FEMA discretion to prioritize the pursuit of project overruns exceeding 5 percent of the total project cost. Requires the FEMA Administrator to develop and establish an 'acceptable error ratio' for allocations during eligibility negotiations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Protest continues as Gulf World dolphin removal is delayed
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – U.S. Congressman Neal Dunn's office reported that seven bottlenose dolphins were cleared for removal from Gulf World on Friday. They were expected to be removed by Saturday. A video shows that preparations for the dolphin's removal are underway. Protesters camped outside Gulf World all Friday night, and say they haven't seen the dolphins leave yet. Protestors say they just want the dolphins removed, but not to another facility owned by the Dolphin Company. Gulf World Marine Park dolphins potentially being moved within the next 24 hours The park reportedly has 11 dolphins left. According to the latest update from Neal Dunn's office, there are still four living rough-tooth dolphins without permits for removal. 'We are begging, begging, begging. Please. We know that you guys have a permit to get these Southern Bottlenose dolphins out. There are still four rusty dolphins in there. We need all the dolphins. Like, we are concerned for the safety of every single living creature there,' protester Jamie Marghany said. After hearing confirmation that a fifth dolphin died on Wednesday, protestors want state-level action. 'It's inhumane. It's animal abuse on the highest level. And I am so sad that our Governor Ron DeSantis, our attorney general, has not done anything to step up and save these animals,' protester Cheryl Cargile said. The park closed unexpectedly on Wednesday and is said to remain closed until June 3rd. However, tickets were still available for purchase online the day before. Now, ticket-buyers are struggling to get a refund. 'We went online and Tuesday to look for the tickets. We put it up here because I've always wanted to run the Dolphins here, and it shows open not to fortnightly. So we've been coming down through here, and it shows daily, and it shows right here on their little sign, their little advertisement of everything. The people that's beside me from Georgia bought their tickets online they bought their tickets online. But when you go to call my brother Justine, they hang the phone number so they won't even speak,' Gulf World customer Amy Killian said. Gulf World employees were on-site, but did not provide refunds. Protesters believe Gulf World is hiding what conditions the animals are living in. 'We know for a fact that they are Photoshopping pictures because we had someone go in the same day that they posted a photo. Theirs is perfectly blue, clear water, and the actual photo is green. So the dolphins all have abnormalities and issues. They're shocking with granular chemicals because the numbers are broken. It's just not a good situation,' Marghany said. AFib awareness: Stroke risks & advanced treatment options They believe Gulf World is leaving a negative impact on tourists visiting Panama City Beach. 'I have a two-year-old grandbaby that's still crying, wanting to go in there, baby, we can't go in there, honey. They're not alive. And how do you explain that to a two-year-old?' Killian added. The fight isn't just for the dolphins. Protestors want all of the animals to be removed from Gulf World. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
At commemoration of Dayton Peace Accords, Balkan and US officials say NATO helps maintain peace
Representatives of Balkan nations that benefited from the 30-year-old Dayton Peace Accords joined Americans of both political parties on Friday to affirm the value of NATO to maintaining peace around the world. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told a public forum at the University of Dayton held in conjunction with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly being held this week in the Ohio city that there's 'no doubt' that the U.S., as the world's leading superpower, will be challenged in the future and it's 'going to need friends.' "NATO is a great alliance to get together with our friends and our allies and make sure that we're as strong as we possibly can be so we can have peace for generations to come,' he said, while at the same time emphasizing the Trump administration's new demands on European allies to spend more on military defense. NATO was created in 1949 to provide collective security against the Soviet Union and now comprises 32 nations. U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen, a Washington Democrat, and Neal Dunn, a Florida Republican, also defended the value of U.S. membership in the peacetime military alliance during a panel titled, 'Why NATO Matters to Everyday Americans.' Both also spoke in support of U.S. and NATO support for Ukraine, characterizing its victory against Russia in the 3-year-old war as crucial to European stability and to deterring future invasions by other nations, particularly China. 'NATO is a blessing for peace, and it is the best insurance for peace,' Dunn said. A panel earlier in the day drove home that point, as representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia discussed the lasting impacts of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, negotiated at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base not far from the parliamentary gathering site. 'I can tell you how close the value of the peace is to all of us," said Elmedin Konakovic, foreign affairs minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who was a 17-year-old soldier at the time of the Bosnian war. He said the importance of the deal struck in Dayton, with the help of military and diplomatic interventions by the U.S. and NATO, was 'massive.' 'It's important, especially today, because we can see pictures now — from Ukraine, from Gaza, from Sudan, from other places — and peace is possible,' he said. 'I'm sitting today and negotiating the future of my country with the people I was literally fighting against 30 years ago, and it's much better than war, trust me. It's complex, it's complicated, it's not easy. We have many political issues, but it's much better than war." Some who were in official roles during the Bosnian war were in attendance, including former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, who moderated the discussion. She recalled a trip to Sarajevo during which touring lawmakers witnessed how the devastated capital city had turned its former Olympic Stadium into a massive burial ground. Hutchison invited former Ambassador Peter Galbraith to the stage and acknowledged the presence of retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO. The five-day anniversary event culminates in a plenary session Monday. The gathering of about 300 parliamentarians and other guests was spearheaded by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, who was mayor of Dayton when the accords were negotiated and now heads America's NATO parliamentary delegation. Several speakers on the morning panel, entitled 'Dayton Accords 30 Years Later & Goals of Tomorrow,' spoke in favor of membership in NATO for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it continues to resolve issues left unaddressed by the 1995 pact — a temporary solution whose framework remains generally in place today. ___
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
At commemoration of Dayton Peace Accords, Balkan and US officials say NATO helps maintain peace
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Representatives of Balkan nations that benefited from the 30-year-old Dayton Peace Accords joined Americans of both political parties on Friday to affirm the value of NATO to maintaining peace around the world. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told a public forum at the University of Dayton held in conjunction with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly being held this week in the Ohio city that there's 'no doubt' that the U.S., as the world's leading superpower, will be challenged in the future and it's 'going to need friends.' 'NATO is a great alliance to get together with our friends and our allies and make sure that we're as strong as we possibly can be so we can have peace for generations to come,' he said, while at the same time emphasizing the Trump administration's new demands on European allies to spend more on military defense. NATO was created in 1949 to provide collective security against the Soviet Union and now comprises 32 nations. U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen, a Washington Democrat, and Neal Dunn, a Florida Republican, also defended the value of U.S. membership in the peacetime military alliance during a panel titled, 'Why NATO Matters to Everyday Americans.' Both also spoke in support of U.S. and NATO support for Ukraine, characterizing its victory against Russia in the 3-year-old war as crucial to European stability and to deterring future invasions by other nations, particularly China. 'NATO is a blessing for peace, and it is the best insurance for peace,' Dunn said. A panel earlier in the day drove home that point, as representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia discussed the lasting impacts of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, negotiated at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base not far from the parliamentary gathering site. 'I can tell you how close the value of the peace is to all of us,' said Elmedin Konakovic, foreign affairs minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who was a 17-year-old soldier at the time of the Bosnian war. He said the importance of the deal struck in Dayton, with the help of military and diplomatic interventions by the U.S. and NATO, was 'massive.' 'It's important, especially today, because we can see pictures now — from Ukraine, from Gaza, from Sudan, from other places — and peace is possible,' he said. 'I'm sitting today and negotiating the future of my country with the people I was literally fighting against 30 years ago, and it's much better than war, trust me. It's complex, it's complicated, it's not easy. We have many political issues, but it's much better than war.' Some who were in official roles during the Bosnian war were in attendance, including former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, who moderated the discussion. She recalled a trip to Sarajevo during which touring lawmakers witnessed how the devastated capital city had turned its former Olympic Stadium into a massive burial ground. Hutchison invited former Ambassador Peter Galbraith to the stage and acknowledged the presence of retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO. The five-day anniversary event culminates in a plenary session Monday. The gathering of about 300 parliamentarians and other guests was spearheaded by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, who was mayor of Dayton when the accords were negotiated and now heads America's NATO parliamentary delegation. Several speakers on the morning panel, entitled 'Dayton Accords 30 Years Later & Goals of Tomorrow,' spoke in favor of membership in NATO for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it continues to resolve issues left unaddressed by the 1995 pact — a temporary solution whose framework remains generally in place today. ___ Smyth reported from Columbus.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Florida State University shooting leaves at least 6 hospitalized; suspect reportedly in custody
At least six people were taken to a hospital in Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday after a shooting at Florida State University, officials said, and a suspect was reportedly in custody. Tallahassee Memorial hospital issued a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat saying that it had received six patients related to the incident at FSU. One was in critical condition, the rest were in serious condition, the statement said. Multiple news outlets reported that a person was been taken into custody in connection with the shooting. ABC News reported a suspect was in custody, and that "the search for possible additional shooters" was ongoing. Shortly after noon, the school issued an alert that said an active shooter was reported in the area of the student union, asking students to shelter in place. 'Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures," the alert read. The university sent out a second alert as police were responding to the active shooter call, telling students to continue to shelter in place. All classes and university events were canceled for the day, and the school urged anyone not already on campus to stay away. Alarms could be heard blaring across campus as students were escorted from the library and other buildings, according to the Associated Press. "Hundreds of students streamed away from the direction of the student union," the AP said. "Students were glued to their phones, some visibly emotional." Videos posted to social media showed students walking away from the area with their hands raised. The FBI in Tallahassee said its agents were "on the scene" and assisting our local law enforcement. In a post on X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office was "responding to the active shooter situation on FSU's campus" and would "provide updates as they become available." "It's too early to understand the extent of the violence, but early reports are very disturbing," Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., said in a statement. "Shelter in place. Stay Safe. Thank you to our brave first responders for responding to the situation."
