Latest news with #RobMoore
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
When wildfire season coincides with threats to federal emergency support
With peak wildfire season just around the corner, residents of California and the broader U.S. West are bracing not just for the blazes, but also for ongoing cuts to the federal programs that have long served as lifelines to a region in flames. As part of a broader effort to reduce spending, the Trump administration has slashed workforces and downsized budgets at many of the bodies responsible for managing and mitigating climate-driven weather extremes. 'The fact the matter is, the same level of federal response will not be mustered this year as has been mustered in the past, and may not be mustered at all,' Rob Moore, a policy analyst for Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), told The Hill. Chief among the entities on the chopping block has been the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which President Trump promised to overhaul. Other cuts have hit the Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS). On the other hand, Trump on Thursday signed an executive order focused on wildfire prevention — directing the Interior and Agriculture department chiefs to 'consolidate their wildland fire programs.' The order also ordered the Defense Department to sell excess aircraft parts that could bolster mitigation and response, while calling upon agencies to loosen rules on prescribed burns and fire retardant use. An accompanying fact sheet described the directives as 'returning common sense to wildfire prevention and response,' while the order itself slammed California's response to the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January. The winter wildfires, according to the order, were a testament to 'the catastrophic consequences when State and local governments are unable to quickly respond to such disasters.' 'In too many cases, including in California, a slow and inadequate response to wildfires is a direct result of reckless mismanagement and lack of preparedness,' the order stated. The order stopped short, however, of centralizing federal firefighting efforts into one entity — a controversial plan included in Trump's 2026 budget proposal. Meanwhile, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this week announced possible intentions to eliminate FEMA 'as it exists today' and to distribute fewer funds to states experiencing disaster — with the caveat that such changes might not occur until fall, after hurricane season. About 2,000 full-time FEMA staffers have been either removed or left voluntarily since January — adding up to about a third of the agency's 6,100-person workforce, according to media reports. The agency's former acting head, Cameron Hamilton, was fired a day after telling Congress that axing FEMA wouldn't be 'in the best interest of the American people.' The Trump administration in April also ended FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which distributed federal funding to states, tribes and local groups working on hazard mitigation projects. At the time, an agency spokesperson spoke of 'yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program.' In addition to these cuts, the agency weighed slashing billions of dollars in grants based on immigration policies of certain cities. Earlier this spring, FEMA announced that it was cancelling National Fire Academy training courses, provided for free to firefighters and other first responders. Meanwhile, NOAA has lost about 20 percent of its staff through layoffs and buyouts, while the NWS has experienced a 10 percent reduction since the beginning of the year, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a U.S. think tank that focuses on economic and social issues. To Stuart Gabriel, director of the University of California Los Angeles's Ziman Center for Real Estate, the weather-related cuts are of particular concern ahead of peak wildfire season, since most of the country's precise forecasting comes from the federal government. 'Without the precision of weather forecasting, we're sort of walking around in the dark,' said Gabriel, who leads the advisory committee for Project Recovery — a multi-institutional effort to rebuild Los Angeles after January's catastrophic fires. Describing California firefighting efforts as a now 'year-round activity,' Gabriel stressed the need for 'a high level of preparedness and a high level of potential deployment throughout the year.' 'The withdrawal of federal resources and the lack of funding of traditional federal functions is entirely threatening to this effort,' he added. Gabriel said he finds it 'highly distressing' to watch government officials ignoring scientific data and thereby 'pushing humankind backwards.' Extreme weather events, he argued, should be confronted in a bipartisan manner, as events like tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires 'are issues that affect everyone.' In response to efforts to downsize FEMA, Moore from NRDC argued in a recent essay that 'America's disaster safety net is unraveling,' describing the agency as 'one of the leading climate resilience agencies.' His remarks accompanied comments filed to FEMA by his organization about the 'weaponization of federal disaster assistance' and Trump threats to withhold funding from California. The administration has been increasingly at loggerheads with the Golden State, sending in the military to referee immigration protests and signing resolutions to block the state's emissions rules. Trump warned in a Truth Social post on California last month 'that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently' after a transgender high schooler made the state track and field championships. 'The actions that the administration is taking is really having an impact on not just federal disaster preparedness and response, but also state and local,' Moore told The Hill. 'They're doing things that are also inhibiting training of local and state first responders,' he added. Pulling out even just one component — such as FEMA — from the region's disaster response system 'causes ripples through the whole system,' according to Steven Jensen, a professor in emergency response services at California State University Long Beach. 'That entire system is going through chaotic, radical change,' Jensen told The Hill, acknowledging that the existing system has been far from perfect. 'There was a lot that needed to be done, but there's something to be said for slow, steady progress,' he said. Nonetheless, both Jensen and Moore held out some hope for California, which Jensen described as in 'a lot better position' than many other states in terms of disaster readiness. 'California is well practiced at this,' he continued. 'We figured out how to do disaster, and we will find our way through.' Recognizing that federal cuts may pose challenges to California and its neighbors as they fight wildfires in the near-term, Moore identified a 'speculative silver lining' for the long-term. 'This may help states wake up to the fact that they have a primary responsibility addressing known vulnerabilities,' Moore said. 'This will jump-start some real recognition.'
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Sandwich athlete winning races, setting records and in pursuit of provincial greatness
She's fast, she's focused and she's chasing history. Ella Steel-Douglas is running towards a legacy that would make her the most decorated high school track and field athlete in the history of OFSAA. 'It's exciting,' said the Grade 12 athlete. 'It gives me a constant goal and it's exciting to go after something that I know that I can achieve.' According to Sandwich head track coach Rob Moore, Ella was beating older kids when she was in grade 6. 'When she got to Grade 8, we noticed more and when she got to Grade 9, it just, wow. I mean, four OFSAA golds in Grade 9. That was just phenomenal. No one has ever done that,' Moore told CTV News. Steel-Douglas earned four provincial medals in Grade 10 and again last season pushing her total to 12. She has five events heading into the OFSAA West. If she qualifies for all five, she has a chance to end her high school career with 17 OFSAA medals. According to OFSAA, 2-time Olympian Jessica Zelinka won 16 medals during her five-year high school career while 3-time Olympian Kevin Sullivan finished with 13. 'When I got here in Grade 9, I had no clue what the records were. I had no clue who held them or who she (Zelinka) was in particular,' Steel-Douglas said. 'Then as I kept getting four medals every year, that's when it (the record) kinda came in sight. Ella's core four events are the hurdles, relay teams and long jump. This year, she added high jump to give her a chance at surpassing Zelinka. It's an event she's had to rediscover. 'When I was a kid, I did it,' said Steel-Douglas who has also jumped a couple of times during multi-events with her club team. 'I have a good foundation for it but actual practice, I don't really practice it all that much. Yet she won both the local and regional titles this spring. Steel-Douglas shares her achievements with teammates who have played a big role in her success. 'Having them beside me and having like-minded people in my corner, it helps me achieve those things. Her goal is in sight, but first order of business is getting through the OFSAA West Regionals starting Friday in London. 'I'm just excited for not just this school but all of Essex-County because I see the athletes that are coming out of this area, and I think it's gonna be a good OFSAA for Windsor-Essex County kids if we can get them through,' Moore said. The top 4 in each event advance to the OFSAA Championships at York University starting June 5th.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Katie Price sparks concern as she looks slimmer than ever as she models plunging maxi dress
KATIE Price has sparked concern after she looked slimmer than ever in her latest Instagram post. The star, 47, has been bombarded with messages from fans fearing for her slender figure in her recent Instagram posts. 4 4 Katie showed off her VERY slim frame, as she modelled a plunging maxi dress. The former glamour girl was seen wearing the floaty outfit, which showed off her very slim shoulders and arms, and her HUGE boobs The mum-of-five was seen posing in the summer dress for her latest Instagram post. She wore her trademark long locks scrapped back into a high pony, and had her make-up extra vampy. 'WEIGHT LOSS JAB' CLAIMS Some fans have asked Katie if she has taken popular weight loss jabs to shed the pounds - something which she strongly denies. The star has revealed she has simply "shrunk back" to her natural size after gaining weight on IVF and being inactive after breaking her foot in 2020. Appearing on Disruptors podcast, host Rob Moore grilled her on her weight loss, and she denied taking so-called 'skinny jabs' in order to get down to a smaller size. "So people have said I've lost loads of weight," she said, to which Rob notes she has, but she explained: "Now there's a programme coming out in January, my IVF journey. "Anyone you know who's had IVF, you put on weight. I had three IVFs the past 15 months. They all failed," she started. "It started from when I broke my feet. They said I'd never run again. So I couldn't run, wasn't exercising, couldn't ride my horses, so basically, I was in a wheelchair for 10 months. "They said I couldn't walk again, this all happened around COVID time, so obviously you're going to put on weight because you're not moving about." "Then I had to learn to walk again, but slowly, I still can't run now, because I've got screws in my feet," Katie continued. "Then I did IVF, pumped all my stuff, and it takes ages for it to get back out your body. "But I say to people, if you look at old pictures of me, even after I've had babies, I just shrink back. I've always been tiny, and I think because the past sort of three years, I've been bigger, but they're the reasons why, right? "Now I've gone like back, now the IVF that's all come out, and I'm more active because I could do more because of my feet, and I'm horse riding again, then naturally, i'm going back athletic again." 4 When Rob circled back to ask her to confirm never taking Ozempic, she confirmed: "No, but Harvey's going on that. So I've had to sit there with the doctors." "I think when it comes to things like that, I think because of Harvey and all the medication and that he has, I think people have to be really careful with things like that," she said. "I don't need the Ozempic. I never have done. I've always been skinny. Look at old pictures of me. Always been tiny." 'Godzilla' of fat jabs Dr Mitra Dutt, a GP from Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor, says: 'Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity and work to decrease food intake.' Saxenda, which contains the active ingredient liraglutide, is another weight loss jab that's been available on the NHS since 2020. While Mounjaro is hailed as the "King Kong" fat jabs, a new weight loss drug dubbed "Godzilla" looks set to displace it. Containing the active ingredient retatrutide, slimmers trying the drug lost up to 29 per cent of their weight in less than a year. By comparison, trial results showed semaglutide, known as Ozempic, could lead to 15 per cent weight loss and tirzepatide, aka Mounjaro, to 23 per cent. Retatrutide acts on three different receptors in the brain, 'turbocharging' calorie burning while dulling hunger pangs. Existing weight-loss jabs only suppress appetite, whereas the new treatment also speeds up metabolism. The new drug is still undergoing clinical trials so it's not yet known if it will be made available on the NHS.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Highlights from Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan's 1st rookie minicamp practice
So, how did the very first NFL practice for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan go? This year's eighth overall pick, and around 40 other players, hit the field on Friday for the first of two rookie minicamp sessions in Uptown Charlotte. (Yeah, it's not a whole lot, but at least it's something.) Advertisement Following the light outing, McMillan was asked about his experience working under wide receivers coach Rob Moore. "It's incredible," he replied. "Even though I was fortunate enough to get drafted in the first round, I was a high-level talent in college, but even the best in the world need to get coaching. I feel like Coach Moore is gonna really turn me from good to great. So, being able to just be around him as much as possible, being able to hear from him, listen and just gain as much wisdom and knowledge that he has of the game for me—it's gonna only elevate me." Well, let's take a small look into that work. Here's the best of McMillan from today's practice . . . f Advertisement Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Highlights from Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan's 1st NFL practice
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Biggest takeaways from Panthers' 2025 rookie minicamp
Given the lack of length and intensity in practices during NFL rookie minicamps, there's not much to deduce from the on-field work this time of year. But that doesn't mean we haven't learned a thing or two about the Carolina Panthers over the past few days. Here are the biggest takeaways from the team's 2025 rookie minicamp . . . TMac comes as advertised Head coach Dave Canales spoke about watching eighth overall pick Tetairoa McMillan hit the practice field for the first time. Advertisement "He looks smooth, easy to throw to—just like we thought," Canales said of the 6-foot-4 wide receiver on Friday. "I got a chance to kinda bop around between offense and defense. But in the little bit that I saw—I'll go back and watch a little bit more—but the little bit I saw with the individual drills, you can see the route-crafting, the guy just works on his craft. He comes in ready to go, so really excited about it." McMillan totaled 213 receptions for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three seasons at the University of Arizona. Even the best need practice Despite coming in as a high draft pick with high expectations, McMillan isn't shying away from the work. Advertisement He talked about the early stages of his relationship with wide receivers coach Rob Moore. "It's incredible," McMillan said. "Even though I was fortunate enough to get drafted in the first round, I was a high-level talent in college, but even the best in the world need to get coaching. I feel like Coach Moore is gonna really turn me from good to great. So, being able to just be around him as much as possible, being able to hear from him, listen and just gain as much wisdom and knowledge that he has of the game for me—it's gonna only elevate me." The dynamic duo? When circling back to McMillan on Saturday, Canales described how the team's 2025 first-round pick can help elevate the team's 2024 first-round pick, Xavier Legette. Advertisement "The guys feed off of good energy. The guys feed off of watching this player make this play a certain way," Canales told reporters. "They kinda just talk to each other, and just cross-pollenating all of that, bringing talented guys around. Xavier, who's a tireless worker, the things that he brings—he sets a good culture and a good precedent for the rest of the rookie class coming in. And they're gonna see what a young guy looks like applying themself to what we're doing." Building up Brooks Canales also explained the team's decision to place second-year running back Jonathon Brooks, who is recovering from another torn ACL, on the physically unable to perform list. "It really just allows him to focus on what he's working on—which is full health, strength, best shape of his life to give him the best chance for when he comes back to us, he's running on all cylinders, that he doesn't have to think about anything. He can just play football and enjoy the game," Canales said Brooks, who will miss the entirety of the 2025 campaign. "And that's really what this is about. It's about him just being able to have a clear focus on what the goal is." Advertisement Brooks missed the first 10 games of the 2024 season while finishing up the recovery from his first ACL tear, which he sustained in November of 2023. He went on to appear in just three games in 2024. Need for speed The Panthers may have finally found the speedster their offense has needed in wideout Jimmy Horn Jr., who wowed onlookers with his wheels this weekend. But he says we haven't even seen him kick it into top gear yet. And when he does? "I'll be flying," Horn replied when asked what his full speed will look like. "I'll be out of here." Horn averaged 12.1 yards per reception over his four-year collegiate career. His big-play prowess could help Carolina, whose offense averaged the third-fewest yards per passing attempt (6.2) this past season. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content. This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Biggest takeaways from Panthers' 2025 rookie minicamp
