Latest news with #Applicant
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
More than $19.6 million approved by FEMA
CHARLESTON — FEMA representatives have been knocking on the doors of Mercer and McDowell County residents recovering from the February flood that devastated much of the region, but now they're also calling survivors and offering help and advice. Staff from FEMA work from call centers eight hours a day, six days a week to follow up on applications submitted after a federal disaster is declared. They are now calling from an Enhanced Applicant Services center established in the Mingo County community of Williamson. Enhanced Applicant Services specialists have been calling survivors in Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming and other counties hit by the Feb. 15 flood to check on the status of their applications, identify issues that could be slowing the process, discover additional assistance for which they may be eligible, or answer any questions a survivor might want to ask. 'Basically, it's our opportunity to ID people who have applied to FEMA with needs. We can help them clarify what they need and help them understand how FEMA works,' said Federal Coordinator Officer Mark O'Hanlon. 'If they report specific damage – bridges, well, furnaces – we can create a list of those people and application services and call them and help them understand how FEMA can help them.' The FEMA specialists can help survivors applying for assistance learn what kind of documentation they may need, thus helping them get the aid they require, he said. 'They are all trained in the Individual Assistance Program,' O'Hanlon said. 'They can explain things in plain English and help them feel better.' Flood survivors can register for FEMA assistance until April 28. 'While we've been really successful, there are some folks that are thinking they have more time, but that time is running out and we don't want them to miss it,' O'Hanlon said. As of Friday, more than $19.6 million had been approved for flood victims in southern West Virginia. Around $1 million of that is based on calls made by Enhanced Applicant Services specialists, helping about 1,200 families, he said. There have been 4,113 valid registrations across southern West Virginia including: Logan County, 261 registrations; McDowell County, 1,608 registrations; Mercer County, 597 registrations; Mingo County, 889 registrations; Raleigh, 29 registrations; Wayne County, 175 registrations; and Wyoming County, 574 registrations. Enhanced Applicant Services specialists come from all over the United States and they volunteer to come to West Virginia. O'Hanlon said that as a result, the phone numbers they use often do not have the state's 304 area code. It is important for applicants to answer phone calls from FEMA, even if the caller ID is unknown, and take the opportunity to let FEMA know about their current needs and how FEMA can better serve them. Survivors should also beware of fraud calls. Only FEMA knows an applicant's nine-digit application number, so the agency's representatives can provide this number to verify it is a legitimate call. FEMA representatives never ask for money or a full Social Security number, agency officials said. Accepting FEMA funds will not affect eligibility for Social Security. – including Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income – Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or other federal benefit programs, agency officials said. Survivors whose phone numbers or email addresses have changed should provide their new contact information to FEMA. They can update their information through their account at on the FEMA app for their smartphone or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline is available seven days a week and assistance is available in most languages. Homeowners and renters in West Virginia who have questions about their FEMA application can also call the FEMA helpline. Flood survivors can also visit a Disaster Recovery Center to talk about their applications face-to-face with a FEMA representative, agency officials said. These centers are accessible to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are who are deaf or hard of hearing. Local Disaster Recover Centers are at the following locations: – Mercer County Disaster Recovery Center at the Lifeline Princeton Church of God is located at 250 Oakvale Road near Princeton. Its hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The center is closed on Sundays and will be closed on April 19. – McDowell County Disaster (Bradshaw) Recovery Center #1 is located in Bradshaw Town Hall at 10002 Marshall Highway in Bradshaw. Its hours of operation are Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. – McDowell County (Welch) Disaster Recovery Center #2 is located in the Board of Education Building at 900 Mount View High School Road in Welch. Its hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'We will fight': Anti-woke beer company fires back at beer giant for 'intimidation' amid trademark dispute
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative beer company is pushing back after beer giant Anheuser-Busch filed a trademark claim against it after the company went viral for criticizing Bud Light's association with a transgender influencer. "Anheuser-Busch has filed a federal trademark opposition before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in an act of corporate revenge against Conservative Dad's Ultra Right Beer," the Conservative Dad beer company said in a press release accompanied by a new video this week, explaining that Anheuser-Busch is claiming Ultra Right Beer's trademark request infringes on the trademark of Michelob Ultra. Anheuser-Busch wrote in its opposition that it "believes that it will be damaged by the registration of the mark ULTRA RIGHT" and pointed out that it has "marketed and sold billions of products in the United States under the arbitrary and inherently distinctive mark ULTRA and variants." Conservative Beer Company Expands Product Line With 'Perfect Drink' In Border-themed Parody Video The trademark filing comes roughly two years after Ultra Right Beer's launch video, which featured founder Seth Weathers smashing a Bud Light can with a baseball bat, went viral in response to Bud Light partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The partnership sparked a social media firestorm, causing beer drinkers to boycott Bud Light, which appeared to have a significant impact on the brand's domestic sales. Read On The Fox News App "This isn't about trademarks — it's about retaliation," Weathers said in a statement. "Anheuser-Busch is furious we helped expose their woke disaster with Bud Light, so now they're using their billion-dollar legal machine in an attempt to financially bleed us dry. But unlike them, we're not just a corporation looking to maximize profit — we're a movement of Americans who have had enough." "Applicant's ULTRA RIGHT Mark is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake or to deceive consumers with consequent injury to Opposer," the beer giant, who is the opposer, continued, "The likelihood of confusion, mistake or deception that would also arise from concurrent use and registration of Applicant's ULTRA RIGHT Mark with Anheuser-Busch's use and registration of its ULTRA Marks is that (a) persons are likely to believe that Applicant's products have their source in Opposer, or (b) that Applicant and its products are a version of Opposer's ULTRA Marks or are in some way legitimately connected, associated or affiliated with, sponsored, approved, endorsed or licensed by Opposer when, in fact, they are not." Ultra Right's press release explains that Anheuser-Busch is a $100-plus billion corporation that has a "long history" of using its resources to "crush opposition." 'New Golden Age': Anti-woke Beer Company Teams Up With 'Maga Babe' Influencers To Launch New Calendar The release also points to a 2023 Newsweek article citing an expert who expressed the opinion that the beer giant was unlikely to win any potential trademark case. "Now, instead of accepting the consequences of their own marketing disaster, they are weaponizing the legal system to erase a conservative small business that dared to call them out," the press release says. "For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has been brewing the world's most beloved and well-known beers, and we will continue to protect and enforce the trademark rights of our iconic brands as we always have," an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. Companies are permitted by law to continue selling products while trademark applications and disputes are pending. In response to what Ultra Right calls "corporate intimidation," the company is launching a GiveSendGo campaign to raise funds to fight for its trademark. The press release also included a hint at the return of Ultra Right Beer's "signature rebellion," which is a reference to the viral launch video with the baseball bat that was seen over 100 million times on social media when it launched. Additionally, the company announced a Buy 1, Get 1 Free promotion on Conservative Dad's Border Wall Tequila, with proceeds supporting the legal fight. "They think they can drag this case out long enough to force us into submission through excessive legal fees," Weathers said. "I only have one response: We will Fight! Fight! Fight!"Original article source: 'We will fight': Anti-woke beer company fires back at beer giant for 'intimidation' amid trademark dispute
Fox News
12-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
'We will fight': Anti-woke beer company fires back at beer giant for 'intimidation' amid trademark dispute
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative beer company is pushing back after beer giant Anheuser-Busch filed a trademark claim against it after the company went viral for criticizing Bud Light's association with a transgender influencer. "Anheuser-Busch has filed a federal trademark opposition before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in an act of corporate revenge against Conservative Dad's Ultra Right Beer," the Conservative Dad beer company said in a press release accompanied by a new video this week, explaining that Anheuser-Busch is claiming Ultra Right Beer's trademark request infringes on the trademark of Michelob Ultra. Anheuser-Busch wrote in its opposition that it "believes that it will be damaged by the registration of the mark ULTRA RIGHT" and pointed out that it has "marketed and sold billions of products in the United States under the arbitrary and inherently distinctive mark ULTRA and variants." "Applicant's ULTRA RIGHT Mark is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake or to deceive consumers with consequent injury to Opposer," the beer giant, who is the opposer, continued, "The likelihood of confusion, mistake or deception that would also arise from concurrent use and registration of Applicant's ULTRA RIGHT Mark with Anheuser-Busch's use and registration of its ULTRA Marks is that (a) persons are likely to believe that Applicant's products have their source in Opposer, or (b) that Applicant and its products are a version of Opposer's ULTRA Marks or are in some way legitimately connected, associated or affiliated with, sponsored, approved, endorsed or licensed by Opposer when, in fact, they are not." The trademark filing comes roughly two years after Ultra Right Beer's launch video, which featured founder Seth Weathers smashing a Bud Light can with a baseball bat, went viral in response to Bud Light partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The partnership sparked a social media firestorm causing beer drinkers to boycott Bud Light which appeared to have a significant impact on the brand's domestic sales. "This isn't about trademarks – it's about retaliation," Weathers said in a statement. "Anheuser-Busch is furious we helped expose their woke disaster with Bud Light, so now they're using their billion-dollar legal machine in an attempt to financially bleed us dry. But unlike them, we're not just a corporation looking to maximize profit – we're a movement of Americans who have had enough." The press release explains that Anheuser-Busch is a $100+ billion corporation that has a "long history" of using its resources to "crush opposition." The release also points to a 2023 Newsweek article citing an expert who expressed the opinion that the beer giant was unlikely to win any potential trademark case. "Now, instead of accepting the consequences of their own marketing disaster, they are weaponizing the legal system to erase a conservative small business that dared to call them out," the press release says. "For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has been brewing the world's most beloved and well-known beers, and we will continue to protect and enforce the trademark rights of our iconic brands as we always have," an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. Companies are permitted by law to continue selling products while trademark applications and disputes are pending. In response to what Ultra Right calls "corporate intimidation," the company is launching a GiveSendGo campaign to raise funds to fight for its trademark. The press release also included a hint at the return of Ultra Right Beer's "signature rebellion," which is a reference to the viral launch video with the baseball bat that was seen over 100 million times on social media when it launched. Additionally, the company announced a Buy 1, Get 1 Free promotion on Conservative Dad's Border Wall Tequila, with proceeds supporting the legal fight. "They think they can drag this case out long enough to force us into submission through excessive legal fees," Weathers said. "I only have one response: We will Fight! Fight! Fight!"
