The application process takes about 20 minutes, and after submitting the application, each request is reviewed to determine if an inspection is needed to verify disaster-related damage. You may be contacted by FEMA staff or inspectors. FEMA may also request additional information.

Once the application review is complete, you will get a letter that explains if you were approved for assistance, how much you will receive, and what it can be used for. You can appeal the decision if you do not agree with it.

To apply, you will need the following information: social security number of one household adult or minor and anyone you want to list as a co-applicant, annual household income, contact information and address of damaged home, insurance information if you have insurance, bank account information, and documentation of damage or losses including receipts and photographs.

Property damage could include but is not limited to damage to homes, vehicles, furniture, or electronic equipment.

Emergency needs could include things like food, shelter, gas, clothing, water, and sewer.

Other expenses might be extra childcare costs, medical expenses related to the disaster, funeral expenses, hotel / motel expenses, or home safety items like dehumidifiers, chainsaws, or smoke alarms.

If you have insurance, you will also need to file an insurance claim to qualify for FEMA assistance. This does not need to be done before applying but should be done as soon as possible. FEMA will need to see your insurance settlement amount or denial for some types of assistance.

More information can be found at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/help/faqs.

After applying for assistance, it typically takes about 10 days to receive a letter from FEMA requesting additional information or setting up an inspection. After additional information is received or an inspection is completed, it typically takes another 10 days to receive funds or a decision letter. This is based on past disasters, and the timeline may vary.

Diseases like measles and whooping cough are especially dangerous for infants and young children because their immune systems are not fully developed yet. Vaccines provide protection against these diseases. Public schools require students to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio (IPV), and diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTAP) vaccines.

If enough people in a community are vaccinated against a disease the chance of that disease spreading within the community is low. This is called “herd immunity”. The vaccination rate needed to reach herd immunity is different for each disease. For measles, 95% of people need to be vaccinated to protect the community from measles outbreaks.

Some children can’t receive a vaccine for medical reasons, and others may not receive a vaccine because of religious reasons. Typically, this is okay if enough other children are vaccinated and herd immunity is reached.

Currently, vaccination rates in many regions are below the level for herd immunity, which could mean outbreaks of certain diseases like whooping cough and measles. Unvaccinated children are at the highest risk from these diseases.

Nationally, the percentage of vaccine exemptions for children entering kindergarten has risen from 2.5% in the 2019-2020 school year to 3.6% in the 024-2025 school year.

We are still learning what the impacts of these lower vaccination rates will be moving into the school year.

The “press 3” option on the 988 hotline would route calls to a responder trained in the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth. A “press 1” option also exists and lets callers speak with someone who specializes in the challenges faced by veterans.

The service worked by routing callers to contracted organizations that specialize in LGBTQ+ services. Those contracted organizations previously received funds from the government to answer these calls.

While the “press 3” service no longer exists, LGBTQ+ youth can still call 988, or other national hotlines like the Trevor Project.

LGBTQ+ young people are four times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide because they experience higher levels of rejection, bullying, and stigma. LGBTQ+ youth with at least one supportive adult are significantly less likely to attempt suicide.

We are still learning about how the loss of federal contract funding might affect caller wait times at LGBTQ+ national hotlines.

Drownings thought to be linked to compression strap on the pool were reported in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri.

The above ground pools have been sold at stores nationwide including but not limited to: Walmart, Target, Sears, Lowe’s, Kmart, Toys “R” Us, Sams Club, The Home Depot, Big Lots, Costco, and BJ’s. The pools were also sold online at Amazon.com, Wayfair.com and on the Bestway USA, Intex, Funsicle and Summer Waves websites.

Customers with these pools should not leave children unattended around the pool, or drain the pool, until a repair kit is received and the strap can be replaced with a rope.

It is possible that the number of drownings or injuries related to this pool is higher, as some may have gone unreported.

The 10,000 steps a day guideline originally came from a marketing team for a step-counting device, and not public health experts or scientific studies. While 10,000 steps is a great goal for some, for others it can feel overwhelming.

Any increase in daily steps can be beneficial for health. It is well established that consistent exercise each week can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, and more recent studies suggest walking also lowers the risk of other chronic diseases.

Exercising for 30 minutes a day five times a week meets the CDC recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate weekly exercise.

There still is not a well-established number of steps each person should get per day, and scientists are still researching how daily steps could impact health outcomes.