Latest news with #USAFacts
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Arlington National Cemetery's Section 60 honors Iraq, Afghanistan vets
(NewsNation) — Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery is hallowed ground, where more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried. It's also where loved ones leave mementos at their graves. Arlington previously had a longstanding policy of considering items left on government property abandoned, ultimately discarding them. But families, particularly those who returned frequently, were upset the items were removed. In 2009, the policy was changed for Section 60, and some of the items have been preserved by the cemetery. Gold Star family's enduring love for fallen soldier, Sgt. Brian K. Baker 'One of the powerful things about the Section 60 memorial collection, in my opinion, is it not just tells us something about the service member that was killed and is interred here,' said Steve Carney, command historian at Arlington. 'I think it also tells us about just how Americans are grieving this, this, you know period of intense loss that started on Sept. 11 of 2001 and, you know, certainly lasted at least the first 15 years of this century,' Carney added. As of February 2024, the United States had lost 7,085 military members in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to USA Facts. 'I think they leave these mementos as their way to grieve their loss and show a very personal touch and remembrance for their service member,' said Bob Quackenbush, the cemetery's deputy chief of staff. There's a specific way to fly your US flag on Memorial Day: What to know Mementos left behind include quilts, photos, military patches and insignia — and personal items reflecting the interests of often-young military members. 'Types of items that were left by friends or family members of the fallen would be something that would, you know, kind of focus on their childhood interests … Avengers or other types of action figures were very common,' Carney said. Cemetery officials say in the last decade, far fewer items have been left at the graves. They speculate that as people processed their grief, the need to leave physical reminders of their loved ones receded, even though the loss remains Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Geek Wire
22-05-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
Steve Ballmer's USAFacts hires new CTO, who calls access to non-biased data ‘everything right now'
Megan Winfield. (Photo via USAFacts) Megan Winfield has been named the new chief technology officer at USAFacts, the nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization started by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to provide data-driven context on everything from the economy to immigration to crime. Winfield is relocating to Bellevue, Wash., from Lexington, Ky. She's been the CTO of Campspot, the platform that helps campers find destinations, for almost three years. Prior to that she was senior director of software engineering and digital for Hilton, the global hospitality company, where she spent more than seven years. As CTO, Winfield will lead USAFacts' engineering organization and sit on the leadership team, helping to ensure that tech decisions align with strategy and mission at the nonprofit. Winfield is intrigued by the problems that USAFacts is trying to solve for the American public, and the technical challenge of tackling it all. 'Access to data is everything right now,' she told GeekWire. 'I feel like transparency, non-biased data, is such a critical part of something that a lot of different parts of the public are hungry for at the moment.' She also sees an inflection point with AI and the tools that are available now to handle large data sets and parse those into something useful. USAFacts was started in 2017 by Ballmer, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team. It employees about 47 people and is led by President Poppy MacDonald, who previously led Politico. The site draws on information from 100 government databases and regularly crunches numbers in an effort to take the pulse and track trends in America — without the noise and bias that overwhelms so many Americans who regularly turn to cable news or social media. Winfield said she considers herself a civically involved person who has personally experienced the frustration of not having transparency and useful data. 'I think it's a really key time to be thinking about a truly unbiased source of data and really making sure that people understand that that's what USAFacts represents,' Winfield said. Related:
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana survey aims to identify challenges for military veterans, their families
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A study to be conducted this year aims to pinpoint challenges that Louisiana's military veterans and their families face. UL Lafayette's Louisiana Center for Health Innovation (LCHI) and the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) partnered for the survey focusing on mental health, housing, employment, health care access, and family support. According to LDVA, findings will be used to improve existing services for veterans. 'This initiative is about more than identifying service gaps—it's about listening to veterans, elevating their voices, and designing solutions that reflect their real needs. Our goal is to ensure that every veteran and their family in Louisiana is seen, heard, and supported,' LCHI Director Gabriela Wilson said. Click here for more information about the unreleased survey and how to get involved. According to USA Facts, Louisiana has the 28th highest veteran population in the U.S., with the largest group of veterans being those who served in Vietnam. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund research into psychedelic therapy for PTSD Cinco de Mayo parades canceled in some cities amid fears of immigration crackdown President Trump announces 2027 NFL draft will be held in Washington, D.C. Louisiana survey aims to identify challenges for military veterans, their families Why did Alcatraz close in the first place? 'A mass casualty incident': At least 3 dead as boat washes up on California beach Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Armed Forces Network to reduce radio programs next month
April 21 (UPI) -- American Forces Network will reduce radio programming starting on May 1 to "better streamline operations," the Department of Defense announced Monday. Removed will be the AFN Legacy, Freedom Rock, The Blend and Joe Radio, according to a news release. Also, commercially produced podcasts will no longer be available on the audio streaming service, AFN Go. The radio network will continue top-rated music, entertainment and news channels on its AFN Go app. AFN's 24 Eagle radio stations around the world will continue serving U.S. overseas. "AFN takes pride in its 83-year legacy of serving U.S. military audiences overseas," a release saId. "Along with enhancing troop morale, retention and recruiting, as well as safety and security, AFN continues to live up to its motto, 'We Bring You Home. ' " The military streaming service has more than 100,000 subscribers worldwide. In the past year, the AFN Go app, which includes video, has seen audience growth of more than 30% with listeners streaming nearly 480,000 hours of radio programming in January. The AFN Go radio streaming app is free. Armed Forces Radio Services was formed on May 26, 1942, as a single channel and became Armed Forces Radio & Television Service from 1954-2009 and then AFN afterward. AFN now also has social media accounts. A television service was introduced in 1954 from Limestone Air Force Base in Maine. "While millions of Americans serving overseas have tuned in AFN for popular entertainment, the network has served as a crucial tool for commanders to reach the force and their families, both on and off military installations, with critical information," the Army said on the 80th year of the service in 2022. "During World War II, the network communicated messages to American forces advancing in Europe via mobile radio vans." There are approximately 166,000 U.S. active-duty troops overseas, which is about 12.8% of the 2.1 million total force, according to USA Facts from the Defense Manpower Data Center. U.S. military personnel worldwide were able to watch the Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 and earlier festivities live from New Orleans. Other games were available on the AFN Now app live and on demand, the second season this was offered.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Foreign aid could help people stay in their home countries. Why cut it?
People from around the world still flock to Oklahoma with the spirit that drove the Sooners. Many Oklahomans are immigrants ― 6.1% according to USAFacts. They help power the state's economy and invigorate its communities. They arrive seeking what people have pursued for millennia: the right to live and work in peace. Their right to migrate is now at the center of our political discourse. While some call for an end to immigration, Pope Francis has articulated, along with other human rights advocates, that people have a right to migrate, particularly in the face of threats to their lives. But in all the heated rhetoric about the border, we can overlook something equally important: the right to stay and be able to build a future in the place you call home. It is key to understand why migration happens in the first place. For many, circumstances in their home country are so intolerable that leaving is not a choice. Their families are not safe. They take on grave dangers just to escape, such as hiking through the perilous Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama with children in tow. Many face persecution, threatening their religious and physical liberty, as in the case of 11 priests detained last summer in Nicaragua, where authoritarian President Daniel Ortega has cracked down on any dissent and has been especially harsh to Christian leaders. Despite the perilous circumstances they will endure for a better life, an overwhelming majority of people would rather not migrate. The current review of foreign aid must take into consideration the financial and humanitarian benefits of helping foster conditions that improve people's lives in their home countries to prevent them from leaving. Effectively implemented aid can impart a sense of rootedness and confidence that people can build their lives at home. Often, that is enough for them to stay. I recently coauthored a report in the Journal of Migration and Human Security on the experiences of 17 community-led organizations in Central America, examining how they contributed to income generation, education, and civic engagement ― factors associated with greater likelihood of remaining in one's country. Much of these organizations' effectiveness derived from locally-led efforts to develop youth with self-confidence, marketable skills and connection to their communities. This approach influenced many to remain in their home countries instead of migrating to the U.S. In recent weeks, increased scrutiny of government grants has brought to light some wasteful programs taxpayers have subsidized. Unfortunately, their failures have tainted the positive work being done by many organizations whose dedicated staff seek to advance human dignity while promoting American policy priorities. Letter: OKC family calls on Lankford, Mullin to stop misguided USAID cuts My organization, Jesuit Refugee Service, receives State Department funding due to the quality of our work around the world. Like many organizations, we are remarkably cost-effective, with 92 cents of every dollar going directly to aid. This focus on mission helps us effectively serve people trying to live in safety and prosperity at or closer to home. Foreign assistance accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget. That number surprises most people. These expenditures are highly impactful when carried out by faith-based organizations that enjoy trust and are firmly rooted in communities. While we are dismayed that some life-saving programs have been temporarily halted by the State Department and could be permanently defunded, we remain hopeful that our country's leaders will see the wisdom of funding the many that redound to both our country's benefit and the benefit of those served. Opinion: Oklahoma voters ― Is this the Trump you had in mind? While some have questioned the goals and motivations of humanitarian organizations, most of us who do this work would prefer to be out of business; we wish the circumstances forcing migration would end. Sadly, between 2018 and 2024, the global population of refugees grew 46%, to 37.9 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Therefore, our work accompanying and serving those on the move is vital, as is work helping create conditions for people to stay in their homelands. For the preservation of life and safety, people need the freedom to migrate. Equally important is the right to stay. We will continue to advocate for policies that enable people to achieve their full potential, something all of us dream for ourselves and our families. We hope U.S. leaders will see the wisdom and necessity of foreign assistance that helps people retain their ability to do what all human beings, Sooners and others, have always wanted: to live peacefully in safe and prosperous communities. Kelly Ryan is the president of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: US foreign aid could help migrants stay at home. Fund it. | Opinion
