Dane County Face Covering Order to Expire March 1

"posted February 14, 2022 - 10:56 am

Effective at 12:00am on March 1, 2022, Public Health Madison & Dane County will no longer require face coverings in public indoor spaces in light of steadily decreasing COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations.

The seven-day average of cases peaked on January 12 when 1,491 people were diagnosed with COVID-19. The seven-day average of hospitalizations peaked on January 15 with an average of 195 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Today, cases have fallen to a seven-day average of 340 cases, less than 25% of peak levels and are continuing to decline. Hospitalizations are also down substantially to a seven-day average of 110, which is 44% lower than the peak 7-day average of hospitalizations in January 2022 caused by Omicron.

Additionally, high case levels did not translate to as high of hospitalization levels as they did before vaccination was readily available. Currently, an estimated 58% of Dane County residents are up to date  on their vaccines, meaning a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, when eligible.

“Letting the face covering order expire doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over. Rather, it signals that we have made it through the Omicron surge and are entering a new stage of the pandemic,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “The most important thing you can do now is to stay up-to-date on our vaccines as they have proven to be highly effective in protecting you from becoming severely ill, ending up in the hospital, or dying from COVID-19.”

Vaccines are safe, free, and widely available throughout Dane County, including the community vaccination clinic at the Alliant Energy Center, recurring mobile clinics , local pharmacies, or at your healthcare provider. Everyone ages 5 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and many are eligible for boosters, with approval for children ages 6 months-4 years expected this Spring.

“As we move forward in this pandemic, community testing and vaccination options will remain readily available to those who need them, and people are encouraged to continue to wear masks if it makes them feel more comfortable,” said Satya Rhodes-Conway, City of Madison Mayor. “Wearing masks, especially well-fitting masks in indoor public settings, has been proven to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.”

Dane County’s public health order expiration does not affect the federal requirement for face coverings on public transportation , including public transit networks, airplanes, buses and school buses, trains, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts.

“I want to thank everyone in the community for your commitment to keeping yourselves and your neighbors safe throughout the pandemic,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure; but your diligence, combined with the amazing work of Public Health and our many community partners, is the reason we have come through the pandemic with one of the lowest per-capita death rates in the nation. Thank you.”

Public Health will continue case investigation efforts to prevent spread and strongly encourages everyone to stay home when sick, and follow the latest isolation and quarantine guidance to prevent transmission, which can include masking recommendations.

“Together, healthcare workers and Public Health staff have worked tirelessly to meet the ever-changing demands of this pandemic by following the latest science and applying it to their response,” said Jerry Halverson, MD, Chair of the Board of Health. “This decision is no different. Now is the time we rely on folks to make good decisions when it comes to their own health, and the health of their neighbors.”

For more information about COVID-19 in Dane County, visit publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus. You can also follow @publichealthmdc on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram ..."
Face coverings 

COVID-19 Vaccine

"Options for Where to Get Vaccinated

• Everyone 5+ is eligible for vaccine in Wisconsin.
• Many people are eligible for vaccine boosters. 

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Mass Vaccination Clinics

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Public Health Madison & Dane County 

• Vaccine appointments for people 5+ are available at our East Washington Office and our South Madison Office.
• We recommend appointments at our South Madison & East Washington clinics. We accept walk-ins, but availability is not guaranteed. If you need help booking an appointment, please call (608) 242-6328.
• Free rides are available to Public Health Madison & Dane County offices for vaccination appointments. This is not an on-demand service; call (608) 243-0420 to schedule a ride.
• People under 18 must have a parent or guardian with them when they arrive to be vaccinated. If this is not possible, they must be reachable by phone.

• If you have a COVID-19 vaccine card, please bring it with you to your vaccination appointment, so that we can add additional/booster dose information. 

The Arena at Alliant Energy Center 

• Vaccine appointments for people 5+ are available at the Arena at Alliant Energy Center, which is now run by AMI Expeditionary Healthcare. AMI is a healthcare support organization that is contracted by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to operate vaccination clinics across the state.
• Appointments are recommended but not required. To book an appointment, visit our appointments page. 
• Free rides are available to the Arena for vaccination appointments. Call (608) 243-0420 to schedule a ride. This is not an on-demand service; you will be scheduling an appointment to get a free ride.

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Other Vaccination Options

• Local businesses and sites. VaccineFinder  allows you to easily find vaccine near you offered at pharmacies, healthcare providers, and community sites.

• Your healthcare provider. Some providers will vaccinate you, even if you are not their patient. Call your provider, or check a local healthcare provider’s website.

• UW-Madison. UW–Madison  is vaccinating all eligible students and employees. See website  for details.

• Vaccine for homebound residents. For Dane County residents who are homebound, the ADRC can assist with getting you vaccinated! Call ADRC at (608) 240-7400 for more information.

• Pop-up vaccination clinics. We are teaming up with community partners to host pop-up vaccination clinics. Find details by clicking a pin on the map  below:.."
  COVID-19 vaccination 

Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

[United Nations]

"The Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change.

Summary for Policymakers

The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) provides a high-level summary of the key findings of the Working Group II Report and is approved by the IPCC member governments line by line.

Download (https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg2/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGII_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf)
Climate Change 2022 

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Overview of U.S. and Allied Responses

"Russia launched a full-scale air, land, and sea attack on the independent and democratic state of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The United States and its allies around the world have condemned Russia’s “unprecedented military aggression” as “unprovoked and unjustified.” On February 24, President Biden said,

"Now the entire world sees clearly what [Vladimir] Putin and his Kremlin allies are really all about. This was never about genuine security concerns.... It was always about naked aggression, about Putin’s desire for empire by any means necessary—by bullying Russia’s neighbors through coercion and corruption, by changing borders by force, and, ultimately, by choosing a war without a cause. Putin’s actions betray his sinister vision for the future of our world—one where nations take what they want by force."

Moscow’s objectives appear to include a broad seizure of territory across Ukraine and replacement of Ukraine’s democratically elected government with a nondemocratic satellite regime. Russia also may be seeking to annex a greater part of eastern and southern Ukraine, leaving a rump Ukraine to serve as a puppet state. Reports show many incidents of Ukrainian armed forces’ resistance to the Russian invasion. Many civilians have fled their homes, and Ukraine’s government has ordered a general military mobilization. Russian troops reportedly entered Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on February 25, 2022.

Since December 2021, the United States and allies had warned Russian officials they were prepared to impose severe new sanctions on Russia if it launched a new invasion of Ukraine, a country Russia first invaded and partially occupied in 2014. The United States and allies imposed an initial round of sanctions on February 21-23, 2022, in response to Russia’s purported recognition of two Russia-occupied regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The United States and allies imposed more sanctions on February 24, 2022, after Russia launched its attack. Members of Congress are considering additional sanctions on Russia and other actions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine..."
Russia's invasion Ukraine 

Working Women: A Snapshot

"At the Labor Department, we like to brag about Frances Perkins, who was both the first woman to serve in the Cabinet (starting in 1933) and the longest serving, since she held the position for 12 years. Moreover, we’ve had more women leaders (seven) than any other department. The women who have led the department all made meaningful improvements to the lives of America’s workers – as have countless working women who have advocated for themselves and their coworkers, and had a lasting impact on work in America.  

Despite decades of progress, we know that too many women still aren’t enjoying equity at work. Women – and women of color in particular – are overrepresented in jobs with lower wages and fewer benefits. And even within specific industries and jobs, gender and racial wage gaps persist.  

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we recognize the progress women have made and reflect on the current status of working women in America – and the work that remains to be done. Here are some interesting facts about working women. 

Women are critical to America’s economy. 

• Women account for 46.8% of the labor force – 76.6 million in all.  

• 40.5% of women are the primary or co-breadwinner for their families. 

• Nearly 1 in 10 women workers are in a union – about 6.5 million, accounting for 46.3% of all union workers.  

Women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

• The unemployment rate for women 20 and older is currently 3.6% - down from a peak of 15.5% in April 2020, but still higher than it was in the months leading up to the pandemic. 

• For women of color in particular, the recovery has been even slower. In January 2022, the unemployment rate for Black women was 5.8% and for Hispanic women it was 4.9%.."
  Working women 

FEMA Hazard Mitigation: A First Step Toward Climate Adaptation

"FEMA Hazard Mitigation: A First Step Toward Climate Adaptation

With the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, attributed at least in part to climate change, policymakers often view mitigation funding as a way to control disaster-related spending. The importance of federal mitigation funding is illustrated by a recent study that looked at the impacts of 23 years of federal mitigation grants and found that for every $1 invested by federal grant programs, society as a whole saved $6 due to reduced future losses.

FEMA has a lead role in guiding nationwide mitigation of extreme weather events, including those resulting from the impacts of climate change. In particular, FEMA administers the federal government’s most significant grant programs for pre-and post-disaster mitigation. FEMA has identified hazard mitigation as one of the main ways in which the agency will enhance resilience to the effects of climate change and lead federal climate change adaptation efforts.

FEMA funds mitigation measures through a number of programs:
 the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP);
 the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program (BRIC);
 the Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program (FMA);
 the STORM Act State Revolving Loan Program for Hazard Mitigation;
 Public Assistance (PA); and
 Individual Assistance (IA).

Three of these programs are available after a disaster (HMGP, PA, and IA), while the other three (BRIC, FMA, STORM Act) provide pre-disaster mitigation funding for use before an event occurs or in anticipation of an incident. Historically, post-disaster mitigation has received significantly more funding than pre-disaster mitigation. Between 1996 and 2019, approximately $1.86 billion was awarded for FMA grants, $1.92 billion was awarded for PDM grants (the predecessor to BRIC), and $22.4 billion was awarded in HMGP funding. Funding for pre-disaster mitigation has increased recently through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-24) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). Increased funding for pre-disaster mitigation is more essential in the context of climate change, as many projected climate impacts have yet to occur.

This report gives an overview of FEMA funding for mitigation, including issues related to equity, and suggests considerations for Congress that may enhance FEMA’s support for hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.."
FEMA and climate 

Fukushima Radiation Emergency

"March 11 is the anniversary of Japan’s Fukushima radiation emergency. Learn more about radiation and radiation emergencies to help you know what to do if another disaster occurs.

March 11 marks the anniversary of Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor disaster. The Fukushima disaster highlighted two important themes for the future of preventing and preparing for nuclear power plant accidents:

• Natural disasters can test the limits of manmade protections of nuclear plants.
• Many effects of a radiation emergency on public health are not caused by radiation exposures or radioactive contamination.

The Combination of a Natural and Industrial Disaster

On that date in 2011, a 9-magnitude earthquake led to a 40-foot tsunami that overcame the 19-foot seawall built to protect the plant. The flooding led to widespread damage of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which released radiological contamination. As with most emergencies, the situation continued to evolve. During the days that followed the tsunami, the damage to the reactors increased, causing more radiation to be released in the air and water that surrounded the power plant. Evacuation orders for the people living in the area changed and expanded.

Public Health Effects Not from Radiation Exposure

Strikingly, no one died from radiation exposure following the incident. But the disaster had a tragic secondary impact on people living in the area. Nearby residents had to be immediately evacuated and many were permanently relocated, resulting in significant mental and physical harm to many of them. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (Bulletin of the World Health Organization (who.int) pdf icon[PDF – 1.25 MB]external icon, The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) 2020/2021 Report to the General Assemblyexternal icon) described a sharp increase in deaths among elderly people who were put in temporary housing, as well as increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Lack of access to health care in the temporary location likely was a key contributor to these effects. The loss of social connections and family ties, and stigmatization of people from the Fukushima area, led to increased mental health issues and higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the people who were evacuated after the incident. Children showed more issues with hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, and conduct problems..."
Fukushima 

Children’s Dental Health

"February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Cavities, also known as caries or tooth decay, are one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, yet cavities are preventable. Children who have poor oral health often miss more school and receive lower grades than children who don’t. Learn how you can protect your child’s teeth from cavities with these resources.

Untreated cavities can cause pain, infections, and can lead to problems eating, speaking, and learning. More than 1 in 5 children aged 2 to 5 years has at least one cavity in their baby teeth. Children from low-income families are more than twice as likely to have untreated cavities, compared with children from higher-income households. However, cavities are preventable. You can protect and maintain your child’s teeth by following these wise simple steps below:

P-E-A-R-L-S of Wisdom

Protect tiny teethexternal icon by caring for your mouth when you’re pregnant. Your child’s future oral health starts with you.

Ensure to wipe your baby’s gums after each meal.

Avoid putting babies to bed with a bottle.

Remember to brush your child’s teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. For children younger than 2 years, consult with your dentist or doctor about when to start using fluoride toothpaste.

Limit drinks and food with added sugars for children. Encourage your child to eat more fruits and vegetables and have fewer fruit drinks, cookies, and candies. This gives your child the best possible start to good oral health.

Schedule your child’s first dental visit by their first birthday or after their first tooth appears. Their tiny teeth matter!

Root of It All: Are You Watching What Your Child Eats and Drinks?

Your child’s diet is very important for developing and maintaining strong and healthy teeth. It is helpful to include good sources of calcium (yogurt, broccoli, and milk) to your child’s diet to help build strong teeth. Teaching your child about healthy eating habits is one of the best practices for a lifetime of good health. Here are some helpful tips:

• Eat fruits and vegetables for snacks rather than candies and cookies.
• Brush your child’s teeth twice daily.
• Serve water at mealtime rather than juice or soda..."
  Children's dental health 

New Data Shows FTC Received 2.8 Million Fraud Reports from Consumers in 2021

"Newly released Federal Trade Commission data shows that consumers reported losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud in 2021, an increase of more than 70 percent over the previous year.

The FTC received fraud reports from more than 2.8 million consumers last year, with the most commonly reported category once again being imposter scams, followed by online shopping scams.

Prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries; internet services; and business and job opportunities rounded out the top five fraud categories.

Of the losses reported by consumers, more than $2.3 billion of losses reported last year were due to imposter scams—up from $1.2 billion in 2020, while online shopping accounted for about $392 million in reported losses from consumers—up from $246 million in 2020.

The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network (Sentinel) is a database that receives reports directly from consumers, as well as from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Better Business Bureau, industry members, and non-profit organizations. Twenty-five states now contribute to Sentinel. Reports from around the country about consumer protection issues are a key resource for FTC investigations that stop illegal activities and, when possible, provide refunds to consumers.

Sentinel received more than 5.7 million reports in 2021; these include the fraud reports detailed above, as well as identity theft reports and complaints related to other consumer issues, such as problems with credit bureaus and banks and lenders. In 2021, there were nearly 1.4 million reports of identity theft received by the FTC..."
FTC fraud reports 

Epilepsy: Get the Facts!

"5 Things You Should Know About Epilepsy

How much do you know about epilepsy? Get the facts!

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. There are many different types of epilepsy and many different kinds of seizures. Epilepsy can get in the way of life, especially when seizures keep happening. To control their seizures, people with epilepsy may take medicine, have surgery, use devices, or follow a special diet.

Here’s what you need to know:

#1 Epilepsy is common.

In fact, you probably know a few people with epilepsy. In 2015, about 3 million adults (age 18 and older) and 470,000 children (age 17 years or younger) had active epilepsy in the United States.¹ That’s about 3.4 million people, which is about the same number of people living in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island combined. ²

#2 Seizures may look different than you expect.

What comes to mind when you think of a seizure? In the movies and on TV, they often show a person falling to the ground, shaking, and becoming unaware of what’s going on around them. That’s one kind of seizure, but it’s not the most common. More often, a person having a seizure may seem confused, stare into space, wander, make unusual movements, or be unable to answer questions or talk. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when a person is having a seizure, so it’s important to learn how to recognize different types of seizures.

#3 Seizure first aid is easy to give.

About 1 in 10 people may have a seizure during their lifetime.³ Because seizures are
common, you may need to help someone one day. First aid for seizures involves keeping the person safe until the seizure stops on its own and knowing when to call 911 for emergency help.

Professionals such as school nurses and other school staff, law enforcement, first responders, and childcare workers should also understand epilepsy and how to offer first aid. CDC supports free training programs for these groups through a partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation..."
Epilepsy 

COVID-19 Pandemic Continues To Reshape Work in America

[Pew Research Center]
"Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly six-in-ten U.S. workers who say their jobs can mainly be done from home (59%) are working from home all or most of the time. The vast majority of these workers (83%) say they were working from home even before the omicron variant started to spread in the United States, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. This marks a decline from October 2020, when 71% of those with jobs that could be done from home were working from home all or most of the time, but it’s still much higher than the 23% who say they teleworked frequently before the coronavirus outbreak. 

The impetus for working from home has shifted considerably since 2020. Today, more workers say they are doing this by choice rather than necessity. Among those who have a workplace outside of their home, 61% now say they are choosing not to go into their workplace, while 38% say they’re working from home because their workplace is closed or unavailable to them. Earlier in the pandemic, just the opposite was true: 64% said they were working from home because their office was closed, and 36% said they were choosing to work from home..."
COVID-19 pandemic and work 

Poverty in the United States in 2020

"Calendar year 2020 saw the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an accompanying rise in the poverty rate—the percentage of the population living in poverty (economic hardship characterized by low income). Under the Census Bureau’s official poverty measure, the nation as a whole was estimated to have 37.2 million people (11.4% of the population) living in poverty in 2020, compared with 34.0 million (10.5%) in 2019.

Comparing recent poverty rates with those from before 2019 is somewhat complicated because of changes in the way household income data were collected during the pandemic (in-person interviewing was stopped in favor of telephone-only interviewing in both 2020, which measured 2019 poverty, and 2021, which measured 2020 poverty). This change in survey procedures is largely believed to have biased the overall poverty rate in 2019 downward by a little over half a percentage point. That said, the recent poverty rates in 2019 (10.5%) and 2020 (11.4%) are closer to the previous historical low of 11.1% in 1973 than to the most recent peak of 15.1% in 2010, after the Great Recession.

Between 2019 and 2020, poverty rates rose among the following:

 married-couple families (from 4.0% in 2019 to 4.7% in 2020) and female-householder families (from 22.2% to 23.4%),
 children (from 14.4% to 16.1%) and working-age adults (from 9.4% to 10.4%),
 the Hispanic population (from 15.7% to 17.0%) and White non-Hispanic population (from 7.3% to 8.2%), and
 both workers (from 4.7% to 5.0%) and nonworkers (from 26.4% to 28.8%) aged 18 to 64.

Work reduces the estimated likelihood of being in poverty but does not eliminate it. For example, among 18-to 64-year-olds in poverty, 36.8% had jobs. Among jobless 18-to-64-year-olds in poverty, 19.6% had a family member who worked..."
Poverty in U.S. 

Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): A Primer

"In response to concerns over the adequacy of retirement savings, Congress has created incentives to encourage individuals to save for retirement through a variety of retirement plans. Some retirement plans are employer-sponsored, such as 401(k) plans, and others are established by individual employees, such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

This report describes the primary features of two common retirement savings accounts that are available to workers for independently saving a portion of their wages or to individuals rolling over savings from employer-sponsored plans—traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Individuals may roll over eligible distributions from other retirement accounts (such as an account balance from a 401(k) plan upon leaving an employer) into IRAs. Rollovers preserve retirement savings by allowing investment earnings on the funds in the retirement accounts to accrue on a tax-deferred basis, in the case of traditional IRAs, or a tax-free basis, in the case of Roth IRAs. Most inflows to Roth IRAs are from contributions; in contrast, most inflows to traditional IRAs are from rollovers.

Both traditional and Roth IRAs offer tax incentives to encourage individuals to save for retirement. Although the accounts have many features in common, they differ in some important aspects, such as deductibility, eligibility to contribute, and tax treatment. Contributions to traditional IRAs may be tax deductible for taxpayers who (1) are not covered by a retirement plan at their place of employment or (2) have income below specified limits. Contributions to Roth IRAs are not tax deductible and eligibility is limited to those with incomes under specified limits.

The tax treatment of distributions from traditional and Roth IRAs differs. Distributions from traditional IRAs are generally included in taxable income, whereas qualified distributions from Roth IRAs are not included in taxable income. Some distributions from both may be subject to an additional 10% tax penalty, unless the distribution (1) is for a reason specified in the Internal Revenue Code (e.g., distributions from IRAs after the individual is aged 59½ or older are not subject to the early withdrawal penalty) or (2) meets a temporary exception in response to certain disasters.

This report explains IRAs’ eligibility requirements, contribution limits, tax deductibility of contributions, and withdrawal rules, and it provides data on the accounts’ holdings. It also describes the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit (also known as the Saver’s Credit), which is a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $1,000 ($2,000 if married filing jointly) available to individuals with income under specified limits who make IRA (or other retirement plan) contributions. Lastly, it explains provisions enacted after certain federally declared disasters, starting with the Gulf of Mexico hurricanes in 2005, that exempt distributions to qualified individuals from the 10% early withdrawal penalty.."
IRA and Roth Accounts 

Drought in the United States: Science, Policy, and Selected Federal Authorities

"Drought―a deficiency of moisture that results in adverse impacts―occurs to some extent almost every year in areas of the United States. Drought has the potential to create economic and environmental impacts on local, regional, and national scales, as well as disruptions in water supplies for households and communities. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates the United States has experienced 29 billion-dollar drought events since 1980, at an estimated total cost of over $285.5 billion.1 Although droughts are a component of climate variability and may be seasonal, multiyear, or multi-decadal in duration, variable precipitation and rising temperatures are intensifying droughts in some regions. 2 Severe droughts in California from 2012 to 2016, as well as widespread drought in the western United States in 2021, have raised the profile of drought and led to increasing congressional and administrative proposals to prepare for and respond to its impacts.

Multiple federal agencies contribute to efforts to predict, plan for, and respond to drought. NOAA plays a key role in monitoring drought through the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the U.S. Drought Monitor (through a partnership with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]). USDA provides the primary federal financial aid to lessen drought’s impacts and compensate for agricultural production loss after its onset. Federal water resource agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) face difficult tradeoffs in operating federal water projects during drought; both agencies also have authorities and conduct activities to mitigate drought impacts. Various other federal agencies and emergency authorities also play a role in drought response and mitigation, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

This report provides an overview of drought in the United States, including information on drought science, monitoring, and forecasts and on drought types and intensity classifications. It also discusses federal authorities related to drought planning and response, with a focus on selected water-related agricultural, environmental, and natural resource-related authorities with explicit ties to drought. It does not discuss broader disaster-related authorities and their potential nexus to drought, such as the programs and authorities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and interactions between drought and other hazards and concerns (e.g., wildfire, dust, and public health)..."
Drought 

Prevention through Design

"Prevention through Design, or PtD, is the process of designing out workplace hazards to either minimize or eliminate hazards or risks of serious injury or illness. PtD involves efforts to anticipate and design out hazards to workers in facilities, work methods and operations, processes, equipment, tools, products, new technologies, and the organization of work. PtD is one of the best ways to prevent and control occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In addition to reducing the risk of serious injury and illness, significant cost savings are often associated with hazard elimination and the application of engineering controls to minimize workplace risks.

What is the PtD National Initiative?

Since 2007, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has led the Prevention through Design (PtD) National Initiative whose goal is to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities through the inclusion of prevention considerations in all designs that impact workers. The NIOSH PtD program works with partners in industry, labor, trade associations, professional organizations, and academia to advance PtD through:

• Research: To study the effectiveness of current PtD interventions, investigate additional solutions for existing design-related challenges, and identify future research needs.
• Education: Teach and motivate others to use PtD priorities and processes in collaborative design and redesign of facilities, work processes, equipment, and tools
• Practice: Increase use of PtD by sharing case-studies of real-life PtD solutions, encouraging stakeholders to apply them and share further.
• Policy: Encourage business, labor, government, academic, and consensus standards organizations to integrate PtD into guidance revisions.
• Small Business: Produce concise, practical PtD guides and checklists for small businesses, their insurers, and the publishers of code books used by their local municipalities..."
  Design prevention