Post and Courier

“…..At least four people alerted the S.C. Attorney General’s Office Twitter account of potential price gouging at the Red Roof Inn-Santee near Orangeburg, the newspapers’ review found. Their tweets included photos of room rates ranging from $522 to $530….In the days leading up to the hurricane when evacuees flooded the Gulf Coast, Red Roof Inn-Clearwater raised room rates by 80 percent and up to 200 percent, with some guests being charged $140 more than the average nightly rate, according to a news release from the Office of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. …….”

CDC

The Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework is a five-step process that allows health officials to develop strategies and programs to help communities prepare for the health effects of climate change. Part of this effort involves incorporating complex atmospheric data and both short and long range climate projections into public health planning and response activities. Combining atmospheric data and projections with epidemiologic analysis allows health officials to more effectively anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a range of climate sensitive health impacts.

Five sequential steps comprise the BRACE framework:

Step 1: Anticipate Climate Impacts and Assessing Vulnerabilities
Identify the scope of climate impacts, associated potential health outcomes, and populations and locations vulnerable to these health impacts.

Climate Models and the Use of Climate Projections: A Brief Overview for Health Departments[PDF – 1.50 MB]

Assessing health vulnerability to climate change: A guide for health departments[PDF – 4.35 MB]

Step 2: Project the Disease Burden
Estimate or quantify the additional burden of health outcomes associated with climate change.

Step 3: Assess Public Health Interventions
Identify the most suitable health interventions for the identified health impacts of greatest concern.

Step 4: Develop and Implement a Climate and Health Adaptation Plan
Develop a written adaptation plan that is regularly updated. Disseminate and oversee implementation of the plan.

Step 5: Evaluate Impact and Improve Quality of Activities
Evaluate the process. Determine the value of information attained and activities undertaken.

More in-depth information about the BRACE framework can be found in the document titled Building Resilience against Climate Effects—A Novel Framework to Facilitate Climate Readiness in Public Health Agencies.

The Guardian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn69HOT5980

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS_7JxdjOF4

NY Times

NY Times

RVISION is the first Rohingya TV channel that enact as the
watchdog of the Rohingya’s issues, translates Rohingya’s grieves
and inspires through its various programs. It has been pioneering
in amplifying the voice of the most persecuted and deprived
people to the concerned quarters and all over the world by using
online TV programs, news portals and social media.

Reporting the actual ground situation daily
Raising the voices of the voiceless
Creating awareness in the people
Connecting Rohingya Communities in
Arakan and diaspora
Educating the people through media
Empowering the Community
Supporting the national issue

LA Times

NWS:  “Heavy rain and mountain snow will continue in the West this weekend. Flooding is likely across central and northern California, western Nevada and coastal Oregon. In the east and southeast, arctic air will bring bitter cold temperatures as snow along the northeastern coast tapers off. Blizzard warnings have been posted in east Mass; where snow will persist into Sunday.”

CNN

FOX

• Rescuers and doctors said the explosion was so large there were nearly 100 wounded and burned.
• Over 50 wounded were transported to the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment, as local hospitals couldn’t cope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKTYYH2MNFY

BBC

“….the latest of several targeting Shia Muslim districts of Baghdad. A similar attack on 2 January killed 35….”

CDC

Announcement. National Birth Defects Prevention Month and Folic Acid Awareness Week — January 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;65:1495. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6552a10.

The Zika virus disease outbreak has led to renewed focus on how some birth defects are caused by infection during pregnancy. “Prevent Infections for Baby’s Protection” is the theme of January 2017’s National Birth Defects Prevention Month. Birth defects are common, costly, and critical, and they affect one in 33 U.S. babies annually (1). Not all birth defects can be prevented, but women can increase their chances of having a healthy baby by reducing their risk for getting an infection during pregnancy.

Women can take the following steps to prevent infections: talk to their health care provider about how they can reduce their risk for infections with viruses such as Zika and congenital syphilis, if they are pregnant or currently planning a pregnancy (2); properly prepare food to avoid illnesses, such as listeriosis (3); protect themselves from insects and animals known to carry diseases, such as Zika and toxoplasmosis (4); and maintain good hygiene to prevent infections, such as cytomegalovirus (5). CDC encourages everyone to join this nationwide effort to raise awareness of birth defects, their causes, and their impact. Additional information is available at https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/prevention-month.html.

January 8–14, 2017, is National Folic Acid Awareness Week. CDC urges all women who can become pregnant to get 400 μg of folic acid every day to help reduce the risk for serious birth defects of the brain and spine (spina bifida and other neural tube defects) (6). Women can get folic acid from fortified foods or supplements, or both. Additional information about folic acid is available at http://www.cdc.gov/folicacid.