Podcasts about deputy assistant administrator

Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Trump's Middle East Visit: 25:55 This week, Kelly and Tristen discuss President Trump's meeting with the President of South Africa, give an update on the war in Ukraine, and unpack the UK's new trade agreement with the European Union. Kelly then talks with Mona Yacoubian for a breakdown on Trump's recent trip to the Middle East, and what the visit means for American foreign policy in the region. Mona Yacoubian is the Senior Adviser and Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She was previously the Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa center at the United States Institute of Peace. Prior to joining USIP, Mona was Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Middle East Bureau at the United States Agency for International Development from 2014 to 2017, where she had responsibility for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Mona also previously served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on May 22, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Stephen Murphy worked his up way from his start as a police officer in a small West Virginia town to the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the DEA. During his 37 years in law enforcement Steve was stationed all around the world, most notably as one of the two Americans present and involved in the hunt for the largest cocaine distributor in the world, Pablo Escobar. Murphy was present during the chase and eventual shooting resulting in the death of Escobar, and took all the photographs seen in the media following the event. Check out our sponsor! ProForce Law Enforcement - Instagram @proforcelawenforcement / 1-800-367-5855 Special Discount Link for TPS listeners!       http://tps.proforceonline.com Links For Steve Murphy Game of Crimes Podcast https://www.deanarcos.com/copy-of-game-of-crimes Man Hunters https://www.amazon.com/Manhunters-Took-Down-Pablo-Escobar/dp/1250202884   Contact Steve - steve@thingspolicesee.com Support the show by joining the Patreon community today! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=27353055  

When the cloud was first introduced to the Federal Government, their implementation had a “lift and shift” approach, essentially moving servers from one location to another. But cloud technology has matured into a complex ecosystem spanning public, private, and hybrid environments – creating distinct management challenges.  This week on Feds At the Edge, federal leaders offer their suggestions on managing this ever-evolving and complex landscape, with a focus on training, understanding data and leveraging cloud functions.  Dr. Gregg Bailey, Deputy Chief Information Officer in the Office of the CIO for the US Census Bureau underscores the importance of recognizing data management in a hybrid cloud is different, and suggests training on native cloud functions to leverage the new technologies may be a path of success.   Kristin Ruiz, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Deputy CIO for TSA, keeps us focused on security implementation with zero trust principles and strong data governance.   Tune in on your favorite podcasting platform now to hear what they have to say, and how with the proper security controls, AI has the potential to enable improved management of these complex cloud environments.           

Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy Installations and Environment, is a leader who has taught his team to, "Eat no for breakfast." He lives by a value he learned from his mother at an early age: "If you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself."   SUMMARY In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, Dr. Chaudhary discusses his role in modernizing and reoptimizing Air Force installations to withstand kinetic, cyber, economic, and extreme weather threats. He emphasizes the importance of ruggedizing installations for the Great Power Competition. Dr. Chaudhary shares his background, including his upbringing in Minneapolis and his parents' immigrant journey, and highlights the values instilled in him. He also discusses his work on the implementation of microgrids and microreactors to enhance energy resilience at critical installations like Eielson Air Force Base.   5 QUOTES "If you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself." - This quote from Dr. Chaudhary's mother reflects the importance of dedication and doing one's job well. "We eat no for breakfast." - This quote highlights Dr. Chaudhary's team's determination to not accept limitations and push boundaries. "Love what you do. Love our nation." - Dr. Chaudhary emphasizes the importance of passion and patriotism in leadership. "America is not about what goes on entirely in Washington. It's about neighbors. It's about what you do for your neighbors." - This quote reflects Dr. Chaudhary's belief in the power of community and service. "Get out of the way and let them in." - Dr. Chaudhary's advice on enabling the next generation of leaders to excel.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Ravi Chaudhary and His Role 03:07 The Importance of Air Force Installations 06:08 Dr. Chaudhary's Early Life and Family Background 09:03 Lessons from Family: Service and Community 11:52 Reflections on the Air Force Academy Experience 14:54 Leadership Lessons from Cadet Days 18:01 The Role of Innovation in the Air Force 20:48 Strategic Imperatives for Future Operations 23:59 Optimism for the Future of the Air Force Academy 25:07 A Lifelong Dream: Becoming a Pilot 27:31 Launching Innovations: The GPS Program 28:36 Inspiring the Next Generation of Pilots 30:14 Adapting to Modern Challenges in Aviation 32:40 Navigating Change: The Evolution of Standards 34:57 Learning from Failure: A Personal Journey 35:42 The Role of the Assistant Secretary 38:55 Preparing for Great Power Competition 41:09 Innovative Energy Solutions for the Future 44:58 Leadership Lessons and Final Thoughts   5 KEYS TO LEADERSHIP Embrace failures as opportunities for growth. Dr. Chaudhary shared how his failures, like failing a check ride, ultimately helped him grow as a leader. Keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity. Dr. Chaudhary emphasized the importance of keeping your "legs moving" and not giving up when faced with challenges. Leverage the bonds formed with your team. Dr. Chaudhary highlighted how the bonds he formed with his classmates at the Academy carried over into his missions, demonstrating the power of camaraderie. Empower and enable the next generation. Dr. Chaudhary expressed optimism about the capabilities of the current cadets and emphasized the need to get out of their way and let them excel. Maintain a service-oriented, patriotic mindset. Dr. Chaudhary's passion for serving his country and community was evident throughout the interview, underscoring the importance of this mindset in effective leadership.   ABOUT DR. CHAUDHARY '93 BIO Dr. Ravi I. Chaudhary is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Chaudhary is responsible for the formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs, and budgets to meet Air Force energy, installations, environment, safety, and occupational health objectives. Dr. Chaudhary most recently served as the acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy. Prior to this role, he served as the Director of Advanced Programs and Innovation, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, at the Federal Aviation Administration. He provided technical leadership and oversight for the commercial space industry, to include research and development activities to support Department of Transportation and White House National Space Council initiatives. Prior to this role, he served as Executive Director, Regions and Center Operations, at the FAA. In this role, he was responsible for leadership, integration and execution of aviation operations in nine regions nationwide. Dr. Chaudhary served as second in command to the Deputy Assistant Administrator and was responsible for providing Department of Transportation and FAA-wide services in the areas of operations, safety, policy, congressional outreach and emergency readiness for the National Aerospace System. Dr. Chaudhary commissioned in the Air Force in 1993 upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. He completed 21 years of service in a variety of command, flying, engineering and senior staff assignments in the Air Force. As a C-17 pilot, he conducted global flight operations, including numerous combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as a ground deployment as Director of the Personnel Recovery Center, Multi-National Corps, Iraq. As a flight test engineer, he was responsible for flight certification of military avionics and hardware for Air Force modernization programs supporting flight safety and mishap prevention. Earlier in his career, he supported space launch operations for the Global Positioning System and led third stage and flight safety activities to ensure full-operational capability of the first GPS constellation. As a systems engineer, he supported NASA's International Space Station protection activities to ensure the safety of NASA Astronauts. Dr. Chaudhary is a DoD Level III Acquisition Officer and has published numerous articles in future strategy, aircraft design, business transformation and space operations.  - Bio Copy Credit to AF.MIL   CONNECT WITH DR. CHAUDHARY LINKEDIN  |   INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest, The Honorable Dr. Ravi I. Chaudhary '93  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 00:00 My guest today is the assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy installations and environment, the Honorable Dr. Ravi Chaudhary USAFA, Class of '93. Against the backdrop of Great Power Competition, Dr. Chaudhry leads the modernization and reoptimization of the Air Force to ruggedize our installations across the globe against what he describes as kinetic threats, as well as non-kinetic cyber, economic and extreme weather threats. He has served as acting deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for energy; the director of advanced programs and innovation, Office of Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration; and he has led in the commercial space industry research and development in the support of the Department of Transportation and the White House, National Space Council. We'll talk with Dr. Chaudhry about his life before, during and after the Academy. We'll discuss his role, modernizing and re-optimizing initiatives and strategies for the Air Force. We'll touch on leading through new and changing threats and making decisions with climate in mind, and we'll discuss Dr. Chaudhary's work with the secretary of the Air Force and leadership at the base, command and warfighter levels. Finally, we'll ask Dr. Chaudhary to share advice for developing and advanced leaders. Dr. Chaudhary, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We're so glad to have you.   Dr. Chaudhary 01:18 Navier, thank you so much. Thank you for that way too kind of an introduction, and I only have one regret. On this weekend, did you have to mention that I was in the Navy for a little while? You just about blew me away. I know you've got some white clear liquid here. I'm just about ready to find out what the clear liquid is.   Naviere Walkewicz Cheers.   Dr. Chaudhary 01:40 Off we go, and we'll let our audience speculate, and depending on how it goes, we'll critique ourselves. Just an honor to be here, and congrats to you on your career of service in the Air Force.   Naviere Walkewicz Thank you so much. This is truly a pleasure. And I think what we love about Long Blue Leadership is it's really about our listeners getting to know you. And we have so many different listeners that are really excited. So let's start with the hat. I've noticed we've got a hat on right here. “Air Force Installations: Best in the World.” Let's talk about it.   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, let's talk about that. Because we do have the best installations in the world. Our installations are power projection platforms. Every Air Force installation has a mission that begins and terminates with it. If you go all the way back in our history, Gen. Hap Arnold had this to say about our installations: “Air bases are the determining factor in air operations.” Think about that. Think about why we need to make sure that our installations are ready to go, and why we invest in them as an Air Force. It's because you can't get the jets out of town unless they have a good runway that works, unless they are hardened and ready to absorb the types of blows that have come to us in the past. And I'm telling you right now that we've got to be ready for this future, in a decade of consequence in Great Power Competition. We've got to focus on ruggedizing and ensuring that our installations are as survivable as they ever have been.   Naviere Walkewicz Absolutely. Well, I can say that that is certainly true, having been at bases where we've seen some challenges, it does halt and sometimes stop operations. So yeah, you're right. Yeah. So it's incredible the work you're doing, and we're going to talk about that today. But before we get there, can we rewind the clock a little bit?   Dr. Chaudhary Please don't rewind it too far, but I have a feeling you will.   Naviere Walkewicz Just a little bit. Just enough to kind of get to know who Ravi was as a young boy. What were you like growing up? Tell us about your family and where you grew up.   Dr. Chaudhary That's cool. So, I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I grew up there all my life. My parents came from India in 1960s and they always dreamed to do the unusual, it was the American Dream that brought them to this country. And they had kids, you know, and growing up as a South Asian American, you know, people in community would be like, “Hey, you know, why are you going to join the military? Why are you going to, you know, once you just be a doctor or engineer or lawyer or something like that?” Kind of fit the stereotype. But I always thought about it this way: If my parents would give up everything they wanted in their life, their language, their culture, everything to pursue their dreams, wouldn't they want that for their children as well? And so off I went to the Air Force Academy, and the values that my parents instilled in me rang true just about every single day. In fact, when I grow up, my mom would always tell me this. She'd say, “You know, if you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself.”   Naviere Walkewicz That sounds very familiar to me.   Dr. Chaudhary And she would say, in the Sanskrit word for that — and my faith tradition is Hinduism — the Sanskrit word for that is “dharm.” If you follow your dharm, everything will take care of itself. And lo and behold, I'm getting choked up a little bit, because when I showed up and opened that Contrails and saw that quote, I knew that Mom and Dad had prepared me, had prepared me for the challenges that would come, not just the Academy, but everything from 9/11 to deploying to Iraq to raising a family and making sure they have everything they need to prosper. So, all that brought me to an institution that honestly brought out the flavor and gave me in the same opportunity that this country gave my father. So, it's just been a pinch-me career, and it's just an honor to be here with you today and with the entire AOG team talking about this.   Naviere Walkewicz 05:36 That's amazing. I mean, I, thinking about what you just said, that your parents came and they pursued a dream. What was that like in your household? What did that look like?   Dr. Chaudhary 05:45 Here's what it looked like. My dad — he actually came to this country with about $165, $80 of which went to his tuition. He was at University of Missouri, and then he eventually went to University of Minnesota. The rest he used to get a house and fill the fridge. And so, when he was looking for an opportunity to serve, he wanted to be in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and serve as a fed and so he didn't get that chance. So, what he did, he literally drove, put me and my brother and my mom in a car and drove to Washington. When he drove to Washington, he dropped us off at the Lincoln Memorial and walked up the stairs of the Capitol. Two senators from Minnesota, one was walking out, Sen. Walter Mondale. He said hello to him. He didn't know him from Adam. And then he went to the office of Hubert Humphrey and he sat down with him, and he told his story to Hubert Humphrey and Hubert Humphrey said, “This is what America is all about.” And he was kind enough to give my dad a shot in Minneapolis. And he spent his entire career, 25 years, as a federal inspector in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   Naviere Walkewicz My goodness.   Dr. Chaudhary It's an incredible story. But you know what? It all came together about a year and a half ago when I was confirmed and during my swearing, and it was honored to have Sec. Kendall swear me in, but to have my dad walk up the front steps of the Pentagon with my mom and I. We go up the stairs, and I said, “Dad, would you turn around for a second?” And he turned around. I said, “You know, you can see the Lincoln Memorial and you can see the Capitol.” And I said, “Look what you've done in one generation.” That is the embodiment of the American dream. And as he was kind of — I'm getting choked up — he wiped the tears from his eyes. He realized that that that what this country has given to us is something that we've got to always think about giving back and giving back, and that's really what my career has always been about, giving back to the country that has given my family everything.   Naviere Walkewicz 07:59 That is amazing. Wow. I mean, I'm almost without words, because I can see what your dad has instilled in you, made possible, but instilled in you as a servant leader as well. I'm just… that's pretty impressive. So, tell me about your mom, because it sounds like she also instilled some pretty incredible traits in you and some beliefs in how to treat people. What did that look like in, her leadership in your life?   Dr. Chaudhary 08:26 What can I say about my mom? She's a pillar of the community back in Minneapolis. She runs a nonprofit called Seva. In Hindi, seva means service, to serve, serve your fellow citizens, serve your nation. And again, I told you about her, her enduring quote, “If you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself.” So, in that nonprofit, she is actually bringing cultural-specific services, health services, to the Asian American community. One thing she did during Covid was incredible. She pulled together a meal team, and she served somewhere around 20,000 seniors. And it wasn't just Asian Americans, anybody in the Minneapolis community that was struggling, that couldn't get food, that was having a tough time. And then, as you know, after the George Floyd tragedy occurred, the town, the city went through a tough time, and there was an area right around one of the police stations where the riots were going on and everybody was fleeing when. When the community was fleeing, she was mobilizing her team to go in. They were going in and they were rescuing people from shelters to get them to a safe place. And two days later, she brought a team into the community that was still smoldering and set up meal stations to just give people sandwiches, bread, whatever — to just make everybody feel good and move forward, and that's what America is about. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the times and differences, but we realize that America is more than just Washington. America is about neighbors and neighbors caring for each other. So, where did I learn that? I learned that from my mom, but the Air Force Academy brought it out, and I applied that every single day, whether it was a mission launching GPSs, doing engineering — tough engineering problems, or flying missions into the CENTCOM AOR, where we had to bring crews to bear to execute incredible missions. And so, reflecting on that — boy, you're really tearing me up today…   Naviere Walkewicz No, not at all…   Dr. Chaudhary …because you're bringing this all out of my heart, and it's just an honor to be here and humbling to tell the story. But I know that there are thousands and thousands of grads out there that have just as inspiring stories, and that's why I love to come to AOG. That's why I like to spend time with our cadets today, which was just as incredible. I went down to Jacks Valley and got to see the assault course as well. Luckily, I didn't have too many flashbacks.   Naviere Walkewicz I was going to say, did you have your rubber ducky with you?   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, I did not. They didn't push me through it, but the demo was incredible. And I know our secretary was equally impressed with the cadets and the caliber of students that are here, the caliber of our cadets, and how I'm so optimistic for the future of our Air Force and Space Force.   Naviere Walkewicz 11:33 Absolutely. And I can share, based off of what you shared about your mom and dad, there's no reason why you're [not] able to take on a job that almost seems impossible with the scope and breadth of what you're responsible for. So, I can't wait to get into that as well. Can we go to when you're at the Academy? I want to know more about you as a cadet, because as interesting as you are as an adult, what were you like as a cadet?   Dr. Chaudhary 11:54 There's a lot that I really shouldn't disclose. Okay, so we've got to be really, really careful. So, me and my classmates, we have this thing called “mutually assured destruction.” You know stories about me, I know stories about you. Just leave it there. But let me tell you, the Academy was just the honor of a lifetime. But you know what — going through it with your classmates is something. I was just having lunch with our cadets today. I was a grad of Delta Tau Deuce, and to spend time with them and tell them stories, and hear about their stories, about what Deuce is like these days, was absolutely just, I was just blown away with it. But yep, I was primarily in Deuce. I had the just pleasure of beaing a squadron commander and having peers that really care for each other, peers that I keep in touch with. To this very day, I have them up on text.   Naviere Walkewicz Oh, wow.   Dr. Chaudhary And we share with each other. We have challenges. We go through it together, but I will tell you one story about why your cadet story matters, and you don't realize it until the balloon goes up. When I graduated from pilot training, I graduated essentially the day after 9/11 and I was actually in the planning room when 9/11 happened, and within a few weeks — I did my check ride that day — within a few weeks, I was at Charleston Air Force Base, and my squadron commander had me look out the window and said, “We don't have time to mission qual you. We don't have enough pilots. We're going to marry you up with a crew to go down range.” And you know what he did? He married me up with two people, one who was my classmate from the Class of 1993,   Naviere Walkewicz Really?   Dr. Chaudhary Two was a member of my squadron from Deuce, and he was a new aircraft commander. We had an experienced first pilot, and I didn't know nothing from nothing. I was a brand-new co-pilot. And so, getting ready for that, for those missions, a new environment for me, required something that our squadron commander knew that if I put three Academy graduates together, the bond that they've had in their years was going to carry them through toughest conditions, in unknown conditions. And sure enough, we clicked and did well. But to anybody who's a current cadet and listening in and wondering, “Hey, is this bonding — is what's going on now, the time that we have together here in the Academy going to amount to anything?” I'm here to tell you, it does and through my own life experiences, and quite honestly, in a number of missions, we fly working it together as a team. The bonds we create as cadets carry over for decades.   Naviere Walkewicz 14:54 So maybe you can share some of those bonding moments at the Academy. You said you were a squadron commander. What were some of the lessons you learned from a leadership aspect, in leading your peers, but also while still trying to bond with them?   Dr. Chaudhary 15:08 Yeah, when you look back, sometimes you're separated by age and rank, right? You got age and you got rank and your peer groups kind of set you that way. At the Academy, it's completely different because your peers, as a senior, you're all peers and colleagues, and to take on a leadership role is what I would say is the toughest challenge of all. To lead a team of peers and colleagues can be challenging. And there's challenges that really kind of come with everything like that, but to me, you can't do it without collaboration, without consulting folks and being inclusive in how you give people a voice. Now the jury is out — I'm not going to judge whether I was successful or not. Probably not, you know? But I will say we did one thing: It was gonna be we were gonna be the athletic squadron of the year. We were a beast. In fact, we decided that we were gonna go for one thing: We were the athletic squadron. And so, we did.   Naviere Walkewicz That's impressive!   Dr. Chaudhary We kicked some serious buttt. So, back in the day, you do what was called a sweep. So, if you swept all your sports and intramurals that day, you would, the next day, you would get Mitch's Mountains. And so, the lore of Mitch's Mountains was incredible. And today, interestingly enough, we had what I would call Mitch's Mountain version 2.0 — probably half the calories and twice the caffeine. I don't know what it is. But I actually whipped out a picture of an old Mitch's Mountain. And I show them, they're like, it was really funny, because to see the look in their eyes and to see an original Mitch's Mountain, it was like, oh, you know they looked at and they're like, “That's what a Mitch's…” And they're like, “There's an Oreo cookie on top!” I'm like, for us, “Ok, this is a nice 2.0” and everything, like you gotta go back to…   Naviere Walkewicz 17:05 So, how many of those did you get? If you were actually the athletic squadron, you must have swept multiple days.   Dr. Chaudhary 17:12 You see the love handles on me right now? That was the one challenge. Because, you know, [you‘ve] got to stay in shape. But we kicked some serious butt; we would sweep all the time. I was actually on the water polo team…   Naviere Walkewicz 17:25 …we share that. I did not enjoy it. It sounds like you might.   Dr. Chaudhary 17:30 I don't know. So, I'm a decent swimmer. I'm pretty good. Grew up in Minnesota, tons of lakes. I could say I'm a decent swimmer, but I can tell you I am not a water polo player. So, what they used me for in water polo…   Naviere Walkewicz Were you the buouy?   Dr. Chaudhary I was the anti-buoy, because whoever was the good player, they'd say, “Go and put your arms over that one and get them underwater,” so that our fellow water polo teammate could go in and score. And so, probably one of my most beloved plaques in my life is my water polo plaque because we were Wing champs.   Naviere Walkewicz Oh, my goodness!   Dr. Chaudhary We ran the tables and were Wing champs, and that plaque still sits on my desk. It's one of my most beloved things. You know, my wife, she's getting ready to toss it. I'm like, “No, no, not that!”   Naviere Walkewicz Not the water polo plaque!   Dr. Chaudhary She's like, “Oh, what about this graduation plaque from the Academy?” You can get rid of that, but don't get rid of my water polo plaque. That is beloved. So anyways, I was asking cadets today, “What's Deuce like?” I'm like, “So are you guys a training squadron?”   Naviere Walkewicz What are they like?   Dr. Chaudhary They're like, “We're the standards squadron.” And I'm like, “Wow, that's impressive.” I'm like, “What about Mach One? Are they the training?” So, they're like, “Mach One. Nah, not really.” They're like, “We're No. 1 in SAMIs. We're No. 1 is…? I'm like, “Oh, wow, they still have SAMIs and stuff like that.” Have fun. Yeah, that was a haze for me. Triple threats were always a haze, yes, so I never liked that, because well…   Naviere Walkewicz 18:49 Maybe the Deuce team does now.   Dr. Chaudhary 18:53 Mach One, they loved it. I've got friends from Mach One. They're gonna kill me, but yeah, they love it. They're all into it. Cleaning their rooms and Deuce would be on the corner going, “Would Mach One please go to bed?” So anyway, sorry. But yeah, it was an interesting time, you know, talking with some of our cadets.   Naviere Walkewicz 19:26 I love these stories. So, were you this happy as a cadet?   Dr. Chaudhary 19:31 No, I was not a happy cadet. I was a surviving kid. I was trying to get through the next day. And honestly, to me, it was always a wonder to be there, and I was always grateful for being there to serve. I was in a tough major, aero major, and honestly, it didn't come right away to me. And so I was not one of those sterling cadets that just rocks the house and everything. I was on the Comm List for a good portion of the time, but the academics took some time for me. I spent a lot of time in the aero lab. And, you know, the cool thing is, …  I did projects and drag reduction, and we we tested these winglets on the tips of wings, and we did flow visualization. I had this professor. His name was Tom Yechout, and I was talking to some aero majors today. They're like, “You know, Tom Yechout?” And I'm like…   Naviere Walkewicz He's still there.   Dr. Chaudhary “He teaches controls here” I go, “Well, he taught me flight controls as well.” But he supervised me, and one time, I think, maybe at the last reunion, he brought me to the cabinet, and he opened up the cabinet and he showed me the hardware that we used for our project.   Naviere Walkewicz 20:39 From your class?   Dr. Chaudhary 20:43 Yeah.   Naviere Walkewicz That's amazing!   Dr. Chaudhary And here's why I'm telling you that: When in my interview with Sec. Kendall, he sat me down and he was talking about, “Hey, in your in your team, we're doing some drag reduction activities.” And he's like, “What do you know about blended wing body aircraft?” And it turns out, not only had I done some research on that, I had done a project at Staff College and to me, you know, my message to cadets out there who are working on a project who are wondering, “Hey, is this going to amount to anything? Does this matter?” I'm here to tell you that it does, because the type of work that goes on at this Academy is literally out of this world. We got folks who are working with SpaceX. I went down and that we're actually doing a project called the blended wing aircraft, which is like a big flying manta ray. It's going to reduce fuel consumption by roughly 30% to reduce fuel for fuel consumption across our Air Force and extend our range.   Naviere Walkewicz How are we going to do that?   Dr. Chaudhary Well, we're going to build a prototype in 2027. One of my sections is operational energy, and we have a team dedicated to reducing drag on aircraft, finding efficiencies. Why is this important? Well, it's because in Great Power Competition, we know that our adversaries are going to come after our logistics and fuel — our resources. And as a logistician, you know that. Our adversaries are targeting our installations, they're going to target our fuel resources. So, what's the best thing we can do? We can be as efficient as we can with our fuel and flying C-17s, is one thing you get to know real quick that if you land at an austere location, you're going to drain that fuel bladder almost instantly. And what does that mean? That means less sorties. That's less fire missions if you're flying Apache's out of there. That means less fuel for generators if you lose power. That means less ability to get your CAPs in the air, and we've got to embody that as a department and be ready for what that challenge holds for us. So getting efficient with our field, to me, isn't something that we're going to do because we're nice. We're going to do it because it's going to be an imperative. It's going to be a strategic imperative, and we've got to be ready for that. And so, we've been working hard at those things. The blended wing body aircraft is a long-term thing that it's been out there for a long time, but we've got to proof it. And so, it's really cool…   Naviere Walkewicz It's almost full-circle for you.   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, it's incredible. And we just were at this, at the plant for Jet Zero. We did a visit there to spend some time with them and look at look at their production facility. And what do I see when I walk in the conference room? Five cadets sitting on the end of the table, learning, taking notes, interacting with the top systems engineers. And interestingly enough, one of those cadets had come and visited me and spent the summer — actually, three of them. She was part of a team of three that came and visited my organization and worked on the impacts of strategic temperature changes and how it will affect payloads for tanker aircraft. And so, they did this research, presented me this paper, and now here I am seeing them at industry being on the leading edge. And to me — let me tell you that filled me with so much optimism and excitement for the future, and most importantly, what we're producing here at the Air Force Academy, a top-notch engineering school that is regarded across the industry. So, a little turn to academics there, but big shout out to what we're doing across our academic programs. I just think we're on the right track, and we need to keep up the momentum.   Naviere Walkewicz 24:30 No, that's huge. I was actually going to ask you, how are you leveraging some of our cadets in some of the things you're doing? But it sounds like they're already doing it.   Dr. Chaudhary 24:40 Check! Done. They're rocking the house. Just, just leading the way. It's awesome.   Naviere Walkewicz 24:43 That's amazing. Yeah. So, let's talk about — and I'm really curious — so, after you graduate the Academy, did you know you always wanted to be a pilot, by the way? Did you know you wanted to fly?   Dr. Chaudhary 24:50 I can't remember a day where I wasn't drawing airplanes. And you're asking me about when I was younger. You know, “What kind of kid were you?” I was a kid who was drawing airplanes. OK, I was the kid with the airplane books. I was a kid who was checking out every single airplane book and library and learning about them and trying to understand them and wanting to know more. And so naturally, it was just — I can't think of a day where I didn't want to be an aerospace engineer, be a pilot. And you know, sometimes the ebb and flow of demand for the Air Force —there was a time of reduction in pilots for the for the Academy, and I didn't get that opportunity then and it was a bummer. But you know, if you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself. And so, I landed at Los Angeles Air Force Base where we launched this program. I got to launch rocket programs. And you may have heard of this particular payload: It's called GPS.   Naviere Walkewicz 25:44 I might have heard of that one, yes…   Dr. Chaudhary 25:47 …and it was the first time we were doing it. And we're young lieutenants, and we're at Los Angeles Air Force Base, and I was getting the responsibility for third-stage engines and ordnance systems and some of the avionics, and my boss said, “We don't have time. We're launching rockets every single month. I need you to go out to this corporation called Thiokol, and I want you to buy that rocket.” And by the way, he said it in a way that was like, “Don't screw this up,” right?   Naviere Walkewicz The undertone was there.   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, we've had that don't-screw-it-up moment. And so that was one of them. And so, the one thing that I remember is that our Academy demands a lot, and it demands a lot for a reason. Because leaders will be demanding a lot of brand new officers. Now the jury's out as to how well I did, but we had three we had three successful missions, and we delivered full operational capabilities for our department. And to me, I look back on that. I, believe it or not, still keep in touch with the captain who welcomed me, who brought me on the team and, in 2018, I got the incredible opportunity to let the last Delta II rocket go. And I brought my wife and my daughter with me, and that kind of brought the whole band back together. And it was cool to have kind of the old space cowboys and in the room again going, “Well, let's, let's let this rocket go for one last time.”   Naviere Walkewicz That is really cool.   Dr. Chaudhary And the best part of it was, after that rocket went and you felt the rumble — the rumble of a rocket, there's nothing like it in the world. When you feel the rumble go into your stomach — I leaned over my daughter. I go, “What do you think?” She said, “I am doing that.”   Naviere Walkewicz 27:34 I was just going to ask you, did it bleed over into your daughter?   Dr. Chaudhary 27:38 Now, she's a cadet at Georgia Tech. She just finished field training, and of course, like every good Academy graduate should do, buck the system. So, she bucked the system with her dad and said, “I'm gonna do ROTC and go to Georgia Tech. So, good luck this weekend against Navy. I'll kind of vote for you, but just want to let you know the Academy is a lot easier than Georgia Tech.” So, she and I jaw back and forth, but watching her grow has been really cool. And I got a chance to take her up and fly and get her ready for her career. She wants to be a pilot. And let me tell you, we got nothing on this next generation. They are ready for technology. They are ready for the leading edge, and we've just got to enable them. Honestly, we've got to get the hell out of the way and let them in. There's one situation, we had new avionics on the aircraft. I won't bore you with the details, but it allows you to deconflict from traffic. It's a GPS-based instrument, and I was kind of flying with her one time a few years ago, and I said, “All right, well, this is what is so, you know that little piece, you know 2,000 below you, positive means 2,000 above you. It's closing it…” She's like, “Dad, Dad, Dad, stop, stop!”   Naviere Walkewicz 28:58 She knew…   Dr. Chaudhary 29:00 She knew how to interact with that technology, and honestly, I didn't. I was learning how to interact with that technology. So, we've got to really make sure that we're blazing a path for our next generation, but at the same time, make sure that that we're not getting in their way. And I think sometimes we do that as grads. We're like, “I was like this when I was there…” You know? I was at Mitchell Hall today, and I saw the 0-96 up there and it's memorialized. And I walked by that thing…   Naviere Walkewicz 29:32 Did you scan the QR code to fill one out?   Dr. Chaudhary 29:33 Yeah, I did not do the QR code. I was like, that's too much for me. But when you look at it, you know, I thought, I'm like, that's probably where that thing ought to be right now. It's a great remembrance of why it's important, why standards are important, and then the example of how it paid off in combat conditions and saved a life was pretty important. But I'll be honest with you, we find other ways today with this next generation. I can remember flying one mission and we lost SATCOMMS with a particular field, and we were roughly maybe six hours out for Iraq in the combat zone, and we didn't know the status of the field. And one of the things you need to do is make sure the field's not under attack. So, before we did that, we're like, “Hey, how do we get our 30-minute… You know, it just wasn't happening. But you know what we're doing. We had brevity codes. And all along the line, all the C-17s that were lined up miles after miles going all the way back to Azerbaijan at 30,000 feet. We're all on. We're communicating. … We're using brevity code, so, we're not giving anything away. We're using our brevity code, and we're saying this is the status of the field. And we're relaying, we're literally relaying a half world away. That's a testament to our pilot corps, testament to duty. And so it's really in the spirit of that 0-96 there that we've adopted. So, when people say, “Oh, that tradition is going to ruin us, you know, we're going to lose standards.” I could tell you that, even though we got rid of that thing, that we're still an effective force. And I think we have to understand that a little more and as we kind of move through a period of change at USAFA — I was talking to our cadets about, “Hey, what do you think about the changes?” and, “Yeah, well, restrictions, but I understand on the importance.” I'm going to hearken back to 1991 or so, when the first Gulf War kicked off, and we were cadets when that thing kicked off, and almost instantly we moved into BDUs. We started wearing those every day. We started creating the warfighter mindset. We sealed off to make sure that we had good security. We canceled a lot of passes, and you  know what we did? We moved from a fourth-class system to a four-class system. Sound familiar? Sound familiar? That was after the war kicked off. Think about that. After the war kicked off. Our superintendent is trying to do it before the war kicks off, to make sure that we're ready, ready to fight the fight and get into it. So, I have a lot of respect for our superintendent and taking this step. I do agree that we've got to get execution right. Sometimes you get some growing pains with those things, but I think we've got to step back in the grad community and digest a little bit and get behind some of the changes that have been going on. And I was talking to some cadets last night, I go, “What do you think of this?” And they're like, “We understand it. It hurts a little bit.” Because the expectations … the environment that we're in has now changed. And you know, honestly, I'll shoot straight from the hip and say that sometimes it feels like the goal post is being moved on you, because you meet one standard, and then they move again. Yeah, you know, things get tough, but we're a resilient institution, and when you get down to the brass tacks of who we are as grads, the core of what we do and execute our mission will never go away. And we've just got to blaze a path for our next generation to be successful.   Naviere Walkewicz 33:24 Absolutely. Well, speaking of blaze a path — and I think some of our listeners want to hear sometimes, you know they have times when they fail at things in leadership. How do you grow from that? Can you share a time when you experience failure and what it looked like, to help inspire them through that.   Dr. Chaudhary 33:42 Yep. Well, worst day of my life was when I failed a check-ride. I failed a simulator check-ride in the C-17. And it hurt. It hurt bad. I had aspirations in my career. I was like, “What's this gonna mean for me?” But you know some really smart folks, and that's when you turn to people who you really go to for advice, and it's like, you know, “Ravi, there are those who have and those who will.” So honestly, I just needed a smack in the head. They're like, “Get over it, man. You know, whatever you failed check-ride. Go out there, clean that thing up and those ups and downs in a flying career occur.” I'm being 100% honest with you, my failures are stacked up right next to my successes. And so, I think, to me, the failures were the things that helped me grow, grow through things and sometimes you think, “OK, well, that failure was unfair. I got, you know, I got a raw deal out of that.” Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but you keep moving forward. Keep taking one step after another. Now I'm not a football guy. I love football. Watch about I never played football, but I do know what running back coaches say. I think, I'm not sure, they say, “Above all, always keep your legs moving. Don't ever up when you're running. Keep your legs moving.” And so, to me, I've always taken that advice. I've given that advice to other people too, especially when they come to me with challenges.   Naviere Walkewicz 35:09 That's great advice. So maybe we can talk about your role now a little bit. And so, can you actually explain what you do? It might actually be shorter to say what you don't do, because when I look at the description, it's quite a bit. We have listeners that are parents and that maybe don't have a lot of military background and really understand. So, I think it's wonderful to share with the full community.   Dr. Chaudhary 35:31 Yeah, let me talk about the position. So, the job is one of those long titles. It's the assistant secretary for energy, installations and the environment. First thing first. I'm not a military member. I am a presidential appointee, so my job is as an appointee, a Senate-confirmed appointee. That means that you go through a hearing like you see in TV, and you get voted on, right? You get the vote. I was lucky enough to have after a period of being held, I had a bipartisan vote. And so that was pretty neat to have that. But my role specifically is to ensure that our installations are ready for the fight, for the future fight, and for current conditions. Things that I lose sleep over: Right now we're in a decade of consequence that our secretary and chief regularly say that decade of consequence includes great power competition in which China and Russia seek to shape the world order in ways that that work to their advantage, in autocratic manner, and so we've got to be ready for that, and that includes establishing an important deterrence. So, my job is to make sure installations are strong and present an approach of deterrence, and when deterrence failed, be ready to win. So, what does that mean for us? That means ensuring that our installations have power capabilities, that have strong runways, that have strong hangars, strong facilities, and included in which — families live on installations as well — to ensure we have top-notch housing. So, you'll see me reaching across all those areas, but importantly enough, making sure that those installations have the right power is critical. Our adversaries have declared their intent and have the capacity to go after our critical infrastructure, and that's the one thing that keeps me up at night: making sure that we have critical redundancies and opportunities to if somebody comes after our infrastructure tries to cut our power, we have redundant capabilities, that our control systems are cyber hardened. And you mentioned earlier, both kinetic and cyber threats. So roughly in the past two decades, as China has modernized our CENTCOM theater has really shaped an environment in which CONUS installations are under threat a little bit, but not entirely. We could be relatively confident that Grand Forks would be generally safe from ISIS from a major attack. In Great Power Competition, all of that goes out the window. Our adversaries, to include Russia and China, know how to go after critical infrastructure. They know how to employ cyber capabilities, and that's why we've got to make sure that we are pursuing cyber hardened energy control systems that protect you from those threats, and the ability to island from the local grid when we need to. So, here's one thing we're doing. I'm on a march over the next five years to bring 20 or so micro grids across our most critical installations. A micro grid — it's kind of like a power bar. You plug it in the wall and you can plug in renewable energy, you plug in wind, geo, you know, all kinds of things into that — solar — to build critical redundancies. So ultimately, building those redundancies allows you to harden your capabilities at the installation and micro-reactors give you the ability to manage and distribute power where you need it. Now we can also put in battery storage. So, battery storage allows you to — when the balloon goes up, boom, put in a firewall with the local community and get the jets out of town. Keep your employed in-place mission moving and build critical redundancies. Then once the jets are out of town, plug back in and share that power with a local community, because we know that our adversaries are going to be driving civil disruption to affect the efficiency of our installations as well, too. So that dynamic is really complex.   Naviere Walkewicz Wow, and the time is compressed.   Dr. Chaudhary And the time is compressed, so we won't have time to react as quickly. So, we've got to prepare for an all-new environment in our installations. And it goes right back to the Hap Arnold quote. We've got to make sure that they're ready to ensure our operations are effective. And I was recently at Eielson Air Force Base, and what we're doing at Eielson is really novel. We're going to put in a small, modular micro-reactor, a small baby nuclear reactor.   Naviere Walkewicz Is there a small version of that?   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, there is a small version, but it hadn't been developed yet, and we decided that we're going to push on with this new capability and bring it to Eielson Air Force Base. The key is to now — back in the day, we used to do something, proof it military-wise, and then see if it's viable in the in the commercial market, right? Not anymore. We're going to do it all concurrently. So, we're going to pursue a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license. We've been engaging the local community. They love it, including tribal nations, who know that power advantages are going to be important for sharing in the community. And so that will be the first micronuclear reactor in any installation. We're looking to award in the spring or sooner, and then get this thing up and running in 2027. Why is this important at Eielson? And you're like, “Whoa, it's way up in Alaska.” Eielson is a critical entry point for the INDOPACOM theater.   Naviere Walkewicz I was gonna say, where it's located…   Dr. Chaudhary It's where the one of the highest concentrations of our 5th-gen fighter force is at. It's where we do air defense, and it's where our mobility forces will be moving from Fort Wainwright all the way down range. So that's a critical node, and there's a few more of those that we've got to really, really stay focused on. So, energy and, by the way, a happy Energy Action Month as well. This month is Energy Action Month where we're looking at how we can improve power consumption across our Air Force and be more efficient. And bringing these micro-grids online is going to be a crucial, crucial aspect of that.   Naviere Walkewicz 42:07 Well, something I've learned about you is that you're not afraid to push the envelope, push the speed, but do it, like you said, concurrently and to find some solutions. And I don't know that there's anyone else that could do it just like are you're doing it.   Dr. Chaudhary 42:19 It's not me, it's my team. I have an incredible team of folks that refuse to accept anything [less] than excellence in our department. In fact, we have a saying in our organization that, “We eat no for breakfast.” So, I dare you to tell us no and that we can't do something. One of our coolest announcements recently that we were told “no” to for roughly three years, was a new apartment complex at Edwards Air Force Base. So, some folks may not know this, but Edwards Air Force Space is very isolated, and it's located in the desert, and so it takes roughly 45 minutes to get to the base once you get through the gate. And so, isolation of our military members, especially our junior enlisted, has been around for roughly four decades or more. And when we said, “Hey, let's do a venture-backed business model that allows us to bring state of the art departments not in MILCOM timeline like right now, timeline…” And so, we just announced an all-new venture commercial apartment complex that we just broke ground on, and we're going to start building, hopefully done by 2026 and these are timelines that allow us to move the Air Force forward aggressively. Another thing that we're doing is, I just announced a $1.1 billion investment in our dormitories and CDCs. As you know, quality of life is so critical. Back to this: If we're going to be, say that we're the number, have the number one installations in the world, we've got to live up to it, and that means our families need that too, as well. So, you've heard a lot about the GAO reports, everything from mold to decrepit housing. We're going to fix that, we're going to get ahead of it, and we're going to stay ahead of it. And so that's why our secretary, in our most recent president's budget, announced this. All we need is a budget now, yeah, and so, so our secretary is pressing hard for that, and we know that once that budget is approved, we can get working on these things and start changing quality of life and start upping our game in our installations.   Naviere Walkewicz 44:23 Well, I'm gonna take one of those leadership nuggets as “just eat no for breakfast,” but we're gonna learn more about your final takeaway lessons. Before we do that with you. Dr Chaudhary, I wanna thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. The podcast publishes Tuesdays in both video and audio, and it's available on all your favorite podcast platforms, watch or listen to all episodes of Long Blue Leadership at longblueleadership.org. Dr Chaudhary, this has been incredible. If you might leave our listeners with one thing, what would you like to share with them when it comes to leadership, or maybe just some lessons or anything about you that you'd like to share?   Dr. Chaudhary 44:57 Love what you do. Love our nation. I love my country because it's given me and my family everything. And I want everybody to believe that, you know, sometimes we get in these periods where we feel divided right across the spectrum, and it doesn't matter what your affiliation is, sometimes you just feel that. But I want folks to remember that America is not about what goes on entirely in Washington. It's about neighbors. It's about what you do for your neighbors. And to me, that's our biggest strength as a nation. You know, many years ago, our forefathers felt that the values of equality, fair treatment and self-determination would be enough to topple an empire, and it is. We should believe that too, and I want everybody to know that. So, it's an honor to be here. But before I go, I want to say thank you for just an intriguing hour. It's an honor to be here, and I want to give you my personal challenge coin…   Naviere Walkewicz Oh my goodness…   Dr. Chaudhary …and say thank you so much. It embodies a lot of what we do, military family housing, airfields, of course our beautiful 5th-gen fighter aircraft and our wind power and capabilities as a symbol of what we've got to do for installation school.   Naviere Walkewicz 46:16 That is an honor, sir. Thank you. Thank you so much. Oh my goodness, thank you.   Dr. Chaudhary 46:20 It was a great hour, and just a pleasure to spend time with…   Naviere Walkewicz 46:26 It was my pleasure. There's so much I wanted ask you and I know we're limited on time … Is there anything we can do for you?   Dr. Chaudhary 46:36 Just keep doing what you do. Keep making sure that our grads out there have a voice, have a say, and can contribute to all this institution has to offer our nation. And so, you're doing it, and I can't thank you enough for it.   Naviere Walkewicz 46:49 Thank you very much.     KEYWORDS Air Force, Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, leadership, installations, energy, community service, innovation, military, great power competition, sustainability, Air Force Academy, leadership, aviation, innovation, energy solutions, GPS, pilot training, military standards, personal growth, resilience     MORE FROM DR. CHAUDHARY ON THE FOR THE ZOOMIES PODCAST with C1C ANDREW CORMIER '25     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation      

Nidhi Bouri, DAA at USAID Bureau for Global Health, joined us to speak to the U.S. response to the dangerous mpox outbreak (clade 1b) centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, boosted by President Biden's commitment at UNGA to $500m in support, including 1 million vaccine doses. Much better data is urgently needed on the needs for diagnostics and vaccines. Tensions remain high among Africa CDC, WHO, and other key institutions with proven response capability, most notably Gavi, UNICEF and the Global Fund. Much is not known about modes of transmission, and the durability and efficacy of the Jynneos vaccine for clade 1b. As the virus inevitably lands in the United States, communications will be critical. Some important progress was seen in the High Level Meeting on anti-microbial resistance. The Marburg outbreak in Rwanda is of acute concern for multiple reasons: no vaccine, little testing, little knowledge of the pattern of spread. It is crunch time, as multiple replenishments converge. “Let's be clear, there is not enough money.”

Tommy talks to Jeff Jackson, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Federal Insurance at FEMA

Upstream was recently at GreenBiz's Circularity 24 conference in Chicago, where as part of The Reusies, we organized a special panel discussion on the “secret sauce” to scaling circular systems. Bringing together thought leaders from multiple corners of the reuse and circular economy movement, Upstream's CEO Crystal Dreisbach engaged panelists in a rich discussion about the key ingredients to make reuse an irresistible dish. Tune into this recording to learn from Caroline Vanderlip, Founder & CEO at Re:Dish; Elizabeth Balkan, Director of ReLoop North America; Jennie Romer, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at the US EPA; and Nicole Cerroni, VP of Sustainability at L'Oreal. Resources: Watch the video recording of the panelRe:DishReLoopL'OrealThe Reusies

CGIAR SEMINAR SERIES Famines and Fragility: Making humanitarian, developmental, and peacebuilding responses work Co-organized by IFPRI, CGIAR, and Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) 14:30 TO 16:15 CET JUN 11, 2024 - 9:30 TO 11:15AM EDT Globally, the number of people facing crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity has more than doubled since 2017. The 2024 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), which informs the Global Network Against Food Crises on where humanitarian and developmental assistance is most needed, reported 282 million people in 59 food crisis countries faced crisis-levels of acute food insecurity and more than 700,000 people suffered famine in 2023. These numbers have increased with the crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti. Conflict and fragility are major drivers of food crises, often compounded by weather extremes and economic shocks. Sound understanding of these drivers and of the structural factors underlying fragility is needed for timely and appropriate crisis responses and for preventative action. However, no one size fits all. Food crisis conditions and drivers vary greatly across countries, and crisis responders continue to face challenges to effective action along the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding (HDP) nexus. As the sixth policy seminar in the CGIAR series on Strengthening Food Systems Resilience, this seminar will take stock of what we know about key drivers of protracted food crises and persistent fragility and about the obstacles to successful HDP action. Speakers will discuss: recent trends in acute food insecurity and their causes; the severity and dynamics of acute malnutrition in rapidly developing food crises, with a focus on new methods of collecting evidence; building resilience to economic shocks in fragile, conflict-affected food crisis countries; and ways to adapt humanitarian assistance, social protection, and livelihood rebuilding programs for fragile contexts with vast numbers of displaced people. Opening Remarks Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI and Managing Director, Systems Transformation Science Group, CGIAR Hendrik Denker, Deputy Head of Division 123, Food and Nutrition Security, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Panel I - Protracted Food Crises: How to break the vicious circle of conflict, climate shocks and economic crises? Global Food Crises and Fragility: Trends and drivers Sara McHattie, Global Coordinator, Food Security Information Network (FSIN) Anticipating and Dealing with Food Crisis Risks: The role of preventative lending windows Sarah Simons, Program Manager, Partnerships & Quality Team, Agriculture and Food Global Practice, The World Bank Addressing Food Crises Through the Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding (HDP) Nexus: Challenges and opportunities Mia Beers, Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Panel II – Lessons for Research and Policy from Four Hotspots of Hunger, Famine, and Fragility Famine in Gaza: Questions for food crisis risk monitoring and preventive action in fragile and conflict-ridden contexts Rob Vos, Director Markets, Trade, and Institutions, IFPRI Methodological Innovations for Understanding Myanmar's Current Food Crisis and Post-Conflict Reconstruction Derek Headey, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI Sudan's Imminent Famine: What do we know and what can be done to prevent a major humanitarian disaster? Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow, and Sudan Country Strategy Support Program Leader, IFPRI Moderator Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/famines-and-fragility-making-humanitarian-developmental-and-peacebuilding-responses-work Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

Federal workplaces aren't what they used to be, not with a third or half of employees teleworking at least some part of the week. Since only a few people telework 100% of the time, that creates difficulties in managing office space. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with someone dealing with this issue, EPA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Infrastructure and Extramural Resources, Dan Coogan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal workplaces aren't what they used to be, not with a third or half of employees teleworking at least some part of the week. Since only a few people telework 100% of the time, that creates difficulties in managing office space. Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with someone dealing with this issue, EPA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Infrastructure and Extramural Resources, Dan Coogan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brittany Brown, Acting Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, joins Mike Shanley to discuss the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI). OTI has been an ongoing effort for 30 years, and Brittany shares some of their successes with working in other countries. Localization is a large aspect of the work that OTI is focused on, by working with local partners and change makers to ensure that everyone has a buy-in on the project a grant is funding. OTI partners with the National Security Council, State Department, and DOD in a variety of ways, and with someone from the OTI team on the Administration this year, they are seeing success with educating the government on impacts of certain decisions.   IN THIS EPISODE: [1:17] Brittany covers some of the key successes and lessons learned across 30 years of OTI.  [4:00] Brittany shares an example of the OTI's work in Libya.  [6:30] Brittany shares about the work that has been done in Columbia. [9:55] How does OTI work with local partners and what lessons can they share with other parts of USAID to best implement localization agendas and engage local partners? [18:22] Brittany explains how OTI engages with the National Security Council. [18:22] How does OTI work together with the State Department and DOD? [20:50] What are some of the innovations and challenges that OTI has come up with?  [23:00] Brittany shares what initiatives and strategies she is excited about looking forward to with OTI.  [28:22] Brittany talks about how impactful it is when everyone works together on a project.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:  [3:30] OTI goes to countries to create a collaborative model, where everyone has buy-in. It isn't only the U.S. Government that determines what they need, instead it is the country requesting what they need, and then everyone working together to make that happen.  [24:00] One of the reasons that OTI is an important organization is because they are limited and can be very targeted in the places they are engaging. They typically only have around 15 programs happening at any moment.  [27:26] None of us are as smart as all of us thinking together. There are a lot of creative ways that can help get things done better and differently than before, and those ideas will come with everyone working together.  QUOTES: [5:00] “We started asking the displaced people, what would it take for you to return? What is it, what do you need to return to Sirte, and then we immediately started doing the things they were asking for. So that meant we were just restoring regular services. It meant just government services, it meant sewage and trash collection, it meant running water, access to running water, it meant schools actually had to be functioning. It meant healthcare systems had to be stood up. We had to start cleaning up graffiti and signage that was left over from the ISIS occupation to make people feel like they actually had a future for themselves and their kids” - Brittany Brown [12:44] “We don't have the brilliant ideas. It's actually the people who live in these communities and understand the local context, the local dynamics about what is happening, and it's using systems that already exist in these countries.” - Brittany Brown [27:25] “I think government bureaucrats get a bad rap for not being innovative and creative in these different ways. Everytime I interact with anyone in this building at the state department, anywhere else, there are these big, brilliant change makers in government that are thinking about how we do things better. They also are very open to ideas from the outside.” - Brittany Brown RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHY:  Brittany Brown serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS). She was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to also serve as the Director for the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in CPS. Prior to OTI, Brittany worked as the Chief of Staff at the International Crisis Group after more than a decade in the U.S. Government, working for a range of government agencies, including USAID, the U.S. Departments of Justice, State, and Defense, and both the Obama and Trump White Houses. She served on the staff of the National Security Council as the acting Senior Director for African Affairs under the Trump Administration, and as the National Security Council's Horn of Africa Director under President Obama. Brittany began her government career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Before joining the U.S. Government, she worked with juvenile detainees and children in the foster care system. She also managed a GED program for women awaiting trial at Chicago's Cook County Jail. She holds a Bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

HYBRID POLICY SEMINAR Sudan at a Crossroads: Food Systems, Hunger, and Humanitarian Aid During Civil Conflict MAY 2, 2024 - 10:00 TO 11:30AM EDT In April 2023, Sudan descended into a violent civil war that has displaced more than 8 million people, destroyed critical infrastructure, and left half the country's population in need of humanitarian assistance. More than one year later, the unresolved conflict threatens agricultural production, agroprocessing, and trade, exacerbating Sudan's status as a failed state. Sudan's trajectory is therefore relevant for the broader community of scholars and practitioners working to enhance food systems and food security in fragile states facing complex humanitarian emergencies. This IFPRI policy seminar will reflect on urgent data, analytical, and policy needs to mitigate food insecurity and revitalize food systems in Sudan. Several interrelated issues will be addressed, including options for policy engagement in the absence of a legitimate government, the viability of balancing immediate humanitarian needs with longer-term investments in agricultural development, and possible post-conflict scenarios that might affect priority-setting for the food system. The event will bring together researchers from IFPRI's Sudan country program, conflict analysts, humanitarian donors, and country experts in a hybrid format. Welcome Remarks Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit (DSG), IFPRI Overview Remarks from USAID Tyler Beckelman, Deputy Assistant Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Africa Bureau Sudan's Conflict and Complex Emergencies Alex de Waal, Professor and Executive Director, World Peace Foundation, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University Food Security Before and During the War: Evidence from National Rural Household Survey Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance (DSG) Unit and Sudan Country Strategy Support Program Leader, IFPRI Shocks, Coping, and Livelihood Strategies due to the War Oliver Kiptoo Kirui, Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance (DSG) Unit, Sudan Country Strategy Support Program, IFPRI Economic Costs of the War and Recovery Options Karl Pauw, Senior Research Fellow, Foresight, Policy, and Modeling (FPM) Unit, IFPRI Local and External Competencies for Peacebuilding in Sudan Ibrahim Elbadawi, Managing Director of the Economic Research Forum and former Sudan Minister of Finance Closing Remarks Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR; Director General, IFPRI Moderator Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit (DSG), IFPRI More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/sudan-crossroads-food-systems-hunger-and-humanitarian-aid-during-civil-conflict Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

It is not often that the host of the Disaster zone Podcast learns about an organization that has the depth and breadth of International SOS, and not had any background on the organization before this podcast recording. Based on the guest's experience with the federal government in multiple high-level positions, you will find this podcast of great interest. Josh Dozor is General Manager, Medical and Security Assistance Services servicing the Americas at International SOS where he is responsible for the oversight and delivery of assistance services. Josh oversees the integration and delivery of international operations, medical teams, security, and a global assistance network in the Philadelphia Assistance Center, one of 26 around the world. In this capacity, International SOS provides a variety of essential services for its clients around the global including medical advice and referrals, evacuations, repatriation, international travel, and domestic workforce resilience missions.Prior to joining International SOS, he spent 13 years with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), most recently serving as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Response, where he led an organization responsible for coordinating the federal operational response to all threats and hazards to deliver capabilities needed to save and sustain lives, minimize suffering, and protect property in a timely and effective manner. Prior to his service at FEMA, he served as the Director of Preparedness Policy for the White House Homeland Security Council. In this capacity, he developed and coordinated the administration's policies and programs related to homeland security preparedness assistance, communications, planning, and doctrine.Josh began his government service with the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology within the House of Representatives Majority Committee on Homeland Security.  He holds a Juris Doctorate from the Widener University Law School, Wilmington, Del. and a Master's Degree in Public Health and Homeland Security from the Pennsylvania State University. Dynamis, a leading provider of information management software and security solutions, is a sponsor of this podcast. Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com.

Listen Up Home Buyers—Jeff Jackson With FIMAVictoria: Hi, I'm Victoria Ray Henderson, the host of the NABA podcast, Listen Up Homebuyers. So happy to have back for a second round of conversations, Jeff Jackson, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Federal Insurance Directorate. He leads flood insurance operations for the National Flood Insurance Program at FEMA. And Jeff, I want to thank you so much for being a guest again on Listen Up Homebuyers.Jeff: Thanks. It's great to be back.Victoria: So glad to have you. I'd like to start with a very general question. What should every homebuyer know about flood insurance?Jeff: The most important thing to know is then that in all but the rarest of cases, flood risk is not insured through your homeowner's insurance policy. If you want to have coverage for water that comes from the outside and comes inside your house, so not stink backups, not toilet backups. Those kinds of things, but water coming in from the outside, it requires a separate flood insurance policy. You can either buy that from the National Flood Insurance Program, which is through FIMA, or there often are a number of private flood insurance policies that you can buy as well.Victoria: So if somebody lives in an area that isn't by the coast, isn't necessarily by a creek or a river, what do they need to know about flood insurance?Jeff: Well, it floods everywhere. There have been in the last little bit under 25 years, 99% of the counties in America have flooded. So, it's happening somewhere in your county. And what I would say is it's not always readily apparent just by looking around and seeing the distance to the nearest water source, although that's an extremely important factor. Changes in our built environment, the more we see paving, the more we see development of what was traditionally green space can raise our flood risk as well. And so there can be an illusion that you don't have flood risk when in actuality, you're at least perhaps moderately risky. And that certainly is an area when you get there, you would at least want to strongly only consider buying a flood insurance policy.Victoria: Okay. So as you know, I only work for people buying homes as an exclusive buyer broker. So the first thing that we typically do when they're going to be buying a home is see how well they're qualified to obtain a mortgage. At what point should a home buyer be looking at the risk that could be potentially there in a house of interest?Jeff: I would say it's when you get that listing from your broker and you see a list of houses, it's good to go look them up on the FIMA maps to see if it's a place where you would have to buy flood insurance. And we certainly went over this the last time I was here. But for the folks who are checking in for the first time, if you are in a high-risk area, what's called a special flood hazard area, and you have a federally backed mortgage, which is most mortgages, then you're required to buy. For everyone else, it's an option to buy, and for those where it's required, certainly as you go through the lending process, that will be made clear to you.But really, getting back to the heart of your question, it's when you walk through the door of the house for the first time. It's everything from knowing if it's in a high-risk area as you go and choose to look at the listing, as well as when you walk through the property, look around and look for what are there any signs of water in this house? Are there stomp pumps? Has clearly work been done because there's a drainage issue in a basement? Many places have that. So you don't have to be scared away that it's a matter of going in and learning as much as you can about the property so that you make a decision about whether or not to purchase it, and then if you do purchase it; First, do you have to buy, have flood insurance? And then second, should you choose to buy flood insurance?Victoria: Right, I always tell people that I'm working with that when we go into a house, the first thing I'm going to tell you is everything that's wrong with it. And I go straight to the basement because we both live in the greater Washington, D.C. area, and we have a lot of wet basements, a lot of issues, along the Potomac River. Just last week, I'm working with clients in Old Town, Alexandria, and they were interested in a condominium, and I checked the flood maps, and it's in an A.E. flood map. Walk me through what your advice would be for a homebuyer in that situation if they really wanted to put an offer in on a place like that.Jeff: The first thing I would do is reach out to your insurance agent and get a quote, not just for homeowners insurance, but also for flood insurance. If you're in that A.E. zone, that's one of the zones that is required to purchase if you have a federally backed mortgage. So I would go get a flood quote and factor that in, the cost of that in, when you're determining the affordability of the house, and as you're comparing it to other properties, perhaps where you might not have to buy a flood insurance policy and make that part of your buying decision, the more you can learn about a property, including from the cost perspective. But your number one trigger should be, have your insurance agent on speed dial. So, when you see that house, you know that Saturday is coming, you're getting excited about going and looking at all these properties, you know for that one, you would have to factor in cost.Victoria: When people are looking at properties and it's zoned X, but they aren't that far from a zone A.E., you had mentioned that typical flood insurance isn't covered in most homeowners insurance. Is that correct?Jeff: That's right.Victoria: Yeah. So, if you are anywhere near an A.E., would your advice be to go ahead and look into flood insurance?Jeff: I would go ahead and do it for a couple of reasons. The FIMA flood maps are really a regulatory product designed to decide when we as a country and particularly looking out for the mortgage holders' interest, when we're going to say, hey, we need you to go ahead and purchase this insurance because your high risk. If you're just outside of the high-risk area, you're not no risk, and that's the biggest myth that we have to bust here as we teach folks about flood risk in America. You're probably at medium risk. Medium to medium high is a good way of characterizing it.What we know over time is it only takes about an inch of water that can quickly get you up to around a $25,000 cost repairing your home. So, in that circumstance, I certainly would buy a policy. It really gives you peace of mind. It is an expense and I know with housing being so expensive and insurance costs are rising, it's not exciting to add an additional expense into the household budget to be sure. But we talk to people every year who do have the coverage and who do experience a loss. And they look at, let's say, a $50,000 or $60,000 flood loss, which is pretty common.Victoria: Okay.Jeff: Not average, but common, and so if you don't have the coverage, you're looking at covering that, putting things on a credit card, taking it out of your home equity. If you just bought the property, depending upon the size of your down payment, you may not have a lot of equity, and it really can set you back. People get set back decades and don't financially or don't financially recover at all. So particularly for the people in that situation that you described, it would be a great investment. Your home is your biggest investment for most of us, and this certainly will help you protect that investment.Victoria: Is it possible to give kind of an average, and we're not going to hold you to this, but an average cost for flood insurance? So people have some idea of what they'd be looking at.Jeff: Our average cost is a little bit over $800 right now.Victoria: Okay.Jeff: But it can range and particularly for those who are just outside of a high-risk area, it's going to be a little bit more than that probably. But the average cost right now is just a little bit over $800. The National Flood Insurance Program was created because we have an insurability problem in America, as well as an affordability problem. We haven't unfortunately solved the affordability problem in all these years, but the NFIP is here and we'll sell a policy to anyone in any of the 22,600 participating communities. So that availability problem that we see with, you know, we see insurers pulling out of places like California. We see people dropping people in Florida, insurers dropping people in Florida.With the NFIP that we're going to be there and we're going to continue to sell you the insurance. It is going to be at a risk-based price. That's the affordability piece of things, and it's one of the reasons why certainly for those who can afford to do so, we encourage you to buy, and for those that can't afford it, we continue to advocate to Congress to provide some type of assistance, and we're hopeful that one day that'll be in place as well.Victoria: On this podcast, we're going to include some links so that people can learn more, from the FIMA maps and regarding the flood insurance that you're talking about. Is there anything else that you would like consumers to know and specifically, again, people who are buying homes, anything that you could share with your expertise?Jeff: One is that the FIMA flood map is a snapshot in time. It may be some vintage and certainly has to be reevaluated to make sure it continues to represent the flood picture every five years, but a lot can happen in five years. Maps get updated on a priority order. And so, it's not uncommon to see a 10-year-old map that probably is pretty close to what the risk is. But if you're expecting fine line gradations and risk, that's not really what it's designed to do. It's designed to say it's tremendously helpful for the folks in your community who manage the floodplain, particularly at the county level. It's an important technical product for them. It's important for realtors and it certainly important to help you learn if you have to buy.What it's not great at is a nuanced view of risk, and so I caution against over-reliance on the flood maps, and I think the way you look at it is the right way to think about it, which is not just, am I in or am I out of the high risk zone? But how close am I to water sources? And then give some thought and have some conversation around what have been the changes to the built environment? Say, every map will have a date on it. What's the environment? What's happened since that map was put into place? That certainly is one thing.The second thing I would say is for many years, there's been a school of thought, which is that if you don't have to buy the insurance, you don't need it, you don't need to talk about it. I caution against anybody, gives you a very dismissive, oh, you don't need that, and so we don't need to bother to talk about it. I think that's a thinking that's a little bit behind the times and is certainly not where I would want to be as a consumer in terms of getting service from whoever would be giving me that advice. So I would counsel against you don't need it. I think there are a number of great agents. There are a number of great insurance agents who will help talk you through a nuanced conversation. I think somebody who's willing to get in a conversation with you is where I would want to be as a buyer.Victoria: Yeah, I think exclusive buyer brokers like myself, and we're all over the country, one of the first things we want to do is educate and inform, which is why I have you on this podcast, because people need to know what the risks are, and then they can make a decision based on that. I live in the Washington area, and every summer, I end up flocking to the beach, just like everybody does. Sometimes I drive along that strip, that little narrow strip of Ocean City and Lewis, Delaware, and then Dewey and Rehoboth and just think, this is a pretty risky area.Jeff: Yeah, it certainly is, there's been so much evolution in the science of catastrophe modeling and learning all the flooding events that potentially could happen. The more I talk to those experts, the more that I learn is that the amount of time we're in a home is infinitesimally small. It's just minute, and you'll hear owners of homes say, I've been here for 10 years, I've been here for 15 years, and it's never flooded. So, it's probably not likely to flood. And while previous flooding experience is important, it's just such a small amount of time. I mean, the way the water patterns work, 100 years is just beginning to get to the point where you really get a keen sense of how water is moving around and what the risk is in a particular area.And then that's on top of the fact that we change things so much. I mean, we're fortunate to live in these areas where things are getting torn down and things are getting rebuilt and we need additional parking. And so, there's got to be an extra lot. And so, there's all these things that sort of hopefully will move us away from maybe the people selling us the property had it for 15 years and it never flooded there. I wouldn't let that be the end of my inquiry.Victoria: No, definitely not. I mean, it's the biggest financial commitment you're going to make in your life until you, I guess, do it again. But you don't want to make a mistake like this.Jeff: We have a great website called FloodSmart.gov. It has all kinds of information about flood insurance policies, and that's important, but also just about flood risk in America. So, it's a great resource to go out and learn a little bit. Encourage your listeners to go check that out and we've got some videos on that as well. So, go check that out.Victoria: Great. Jeff Jackson is the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Federal Insurance Directorate. He leads flood insurance operations for the National Flood Insurance Program at FIMA. Jeff, it is such a pleasure to talk to you again about flood insurance here on Listen Up Homebuyers.Jeff: It was great to be with you. Thanks.FEMA flood insurance Listen Up, Home Buyers! The podcast offering advice and tips from true buyer agents. Host and Producer, Victoria Ray Henderson is the owner and broker of HomeBuyer Brokerage in the Washington D.C. area. Victoria is and a member of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents.

Jeff Jackson has served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Federal Insurance Directorate within Resilience since 2020. In this role, Jeff leads flood insurance operations for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at FEMA. The NFIP currently has approximately 4.7 million policyholders across the nation. The program collects over $3.5 billion in revenue annually. During […]

What is the National Flood Insurance Program? How does it work? What is being done to modernize and transform the program and how it operates? How is innovation and technology helping? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Jeff Jackson, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Federal Insurance Directorate at FEMA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What is the National Flood Insurance Program? How does it work? What is being done to modernize and transform the program and how it operates? How is innovation and technology helping? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Jeff Jackson, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Federal Insurance Directorate at FEMA.

In the second episode of Season 15 of Star Wars: In a Galaxy, Eli, Jacob, and special guest Buck O'Brien discuss the second forty minutes of Solo: A Star Wars Story (40:00 - 1:20:00). Among their discussion: – Glup Shittos galore! – Excellent acting from Donald Glover*, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Paul Bettany. – "The Calrissian Chronicles" and hype for more Lando Calrissian adventures in the Lando film! – Galaxy's Edge cross-promotion baybeeeeeee – Han and Qi'ra's rapidly changing relationship. – THERM SCISSORPUNCH! – What did George write? – The Deputy Assistant Administrator to the Vice-Admiral of the Federation of Trade Route Allocation and Monetization. Follow Buck on Twitter: @TheBiRepublic Follow Buck elsewhere: @Highball2814 The next episode of Star Wars: In a Galaxy will release on December 1, 2023. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads: @InaGalaxyPod Follow our spinoff trivia show on Twitter: @inagalaxytrivia Follow Eli everywhere: https://linktr.ee/_ochifan327 Leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple and Spotify! It really helps! You can email us at swinagalaxy@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inagalaxy/message

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is John Rabin. Mr. Rabin currently serves as the FEMA Assistant Administrator for Response, where he is responsible for the delivery of a coordinated Federal emergency management response to state, local, tribal and territorial communities that have been impacted by natural disasters, acts of terrorism or other emergencies. This includes the leadership and management of the National Urban Search and Rescue System, Disaster Emergency Communications, the National Response Coordination Center and numerous national planning, warning and reporting organizations. He was on the ground in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands for Hurricanes Irma and Maria, leading the region in complex lifesaving and life-sustaining operations. Mr. Rabin also served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for National Preparedness. In this role, he led the day-to-day operations that provided the guidance, training, exercises and programs to prepare the Nation to prevent, protect from, respond to and recover from all hazards. A volunteer firefighter and EMT, he is also a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

Join host Michael Shanley on The Aid Market podcast as he sits down with former Senior USAID Official, Chuck Pope.  In this episode, Chuck provides a deep dive into pivotal trends shaping USAID's approach, covering topics such as the emphasis on localization, the innovative New Partnerships Initiative, and the expanding role of Small Business Utilization.  The conversation extends to the intersection of artificial intelligence in aid efforts, offering a glimpse into the transformative potential that technology brings to the forefront. IN THIS EPISODE: [02:00] Chuck describes the catastrophic staffing crisis at the USAID [06:42] What changes does Chuck expect to see in light of the current global context  [11:02] Chuck's helpful 4-part infographics solution:  what's the problem, what's the proposed solution, what's the policy, and what's the precedent [13:05] Chuck discusses the context relating to localization and discusses the New Partnerships Initiative [26:34] Chuck discusses partnering with veteran owned US small businesses [35:32] Chuck summarizes his views on Ukraine and Zelensky's administration and that the US should defend Ukraine [49:07] Chuck shares what happens if there is a government shutdown on September 30th and how essential and non-essential employees are determined [55:15] How does the 2024 election affect USAID    KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Even with Republican Leadership in 2025, the localization agenda will continue. USAID's biggest problem is staffing.   RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Mike Shanley - LinkedIn Pope International -  Website Chuck Pope - LinkedIn Chuck Pope - Email   BIOGRAPHY:    Pope International | Integrated Development Solutions was founded and is led by Charles S. “Chuck” Pope, a former USAID Foreign Service Contracting Officer and senior leader at the Agency. Chuck started his development career in Russia, becoming a Russian speaker and spending most of his career either in the former Soviet Union or countries with historical ties to Russia. His overseas tours in the Foreign Service were in Russia, Afghanistan, Tanzania and India. As a senior Contracting Officer, Chuck supported previous versions of current initiatives like Localization and Private Sector Engagement and personally signed the New Partnerships Initiative into force. Chuck served on both COVID-19 task forces as an acting Deputy Assistant Administrator and Chief of Operations in the Global Health Bureau. His final senior leadership assignment at the Agency before retirement last year was as Senior Regional Advisor for the Middle East. Chuck's company embodies his strong belief in seeking, forming, and nurturing partnerships by providing the following high-quality services to its partners: International Aid & Development; Business Development; Acquisition & Assistance Support; Capacity Building, Capture Management; Compliance and risk Management; Program & Project Management; and Course & Curriculum Development. Partner with him today at https://pope.international/  

@AidKonekt and @Konektid CEO @Mike Shanley was joined by Gillian Caldwell, Chief Climate Officer and Deputy Assistant Administrator at USAID, along with Greg Shanahan, Operational Climate Change and Sustainability Officer, to delve into the crucial subject of climate change. Our guests shed light on USAID's investments in climate, and how partners can best be positioned in the market to support these crucial projects.     IN THIS EPISODE: [02:39] Gillian discusses USAID's climate strategy and what they have learned early on [09:00] Gillian talks about how she sees key partners working together and the their approach to climate mitigation and adaptation activities [14:07] Greg shares how USAID approaches sustainability internally in their operations [20:34] Discussion on how climate strategy and localization strategy work together, how important projects are being implemented and how focus groups involving partners have been valuable [31:23] Gillian and Greg highlight the strategies they see in the future and they answer questions from listeners about how targets and their progress are being shared, Power Africa, youth engagement, and will AI play a role in meeting climate strategies [48:15] Discussion on how the private sector can step up and participate in the adaptation    KEY TAKEAWAYS: Update on first year of USAID climate strategy implementation USAID is also focused on reducing the climate impact of its internal operations Climate strategy is implemented through the framework of USAID's localization focus   RESOURCES:   Aid Market with Mike Shanley - LinkedIn USAID - Gillian Caldwell - Website Gillian Caldwell - Twitter Climate Strategy - Website BIOGRAPHIES:   Gillian Caldwell serves as the Chief Climate Officer and is responsible for directing and overseeing all climate and environment work across the agency. She also serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator, overseeing DDI's Center for Environment, Energy, and Infrastructure and the Office of Environmental and Social Risk Management. Ms. Caldwell has worked to protect human rights and the environment throughout her career. Prior to joining USAID, she served as the CEO of Global Witness, which has a focus on tackling climate change and deploys investigations into corruption and natural resource extraction to drive systems change worldwide. From 2007-2010, she launched and led 1Sky, a highly collaborative cross-sector campaign with over 600 allied organizations to pass legislation in the U.S. to address the climate crisis. Gillian also has extensive experience consulting in the areas of strategic planning and organizational development with over 70 non-profits, foundations, and universities. Ms. Caldwell has a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Georgetown University, where she was recognized as a Public Interest Law Scholar. She has received a series of awards recognizing her work as a leading global Social Entrepreneur.     GREG SHANAHAN - Senior management analyst / internal consultant and operational climate/sustainability team lead with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). I began my career as an educator, a role through which I immediately took on significant responsibility and rapidly grew my leadership and management skills in a fast-paced, dynamic, and people-centric environment. Following my interest in public policy and administration, I joined the U.S. Government as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) and have been a civil servant in several federal agencies, including USDA, ED, HHS, and USAID. I'm passionate about solving complex problems in collaborative, multicultural, inclusive, and globally-minded organizations with a measurable social impact. I also enjoy helping others grow and work toward achieving their goals. I'm a high performer who drives results through strong interpersonal and cross-functional relationships, data-driven decisions, clear communications, and exceptional organization. I enjoy traveling, learning new things, and spending quality time with family and friends in my free time. Networking is a professional value of mine. I enjoy meeting new people, learning about others' career paths and interests, and helping others on their journeys. Please reach out if you're keen to connect.  

Recorded: September 14, 2021    Join us for a virtual conversation with USAID's COVID Task Force. We look forward to hosting this event with their team to update the USAID partner community on their important work. This is also a great opportunity for new USAID partners to learn more about this crucial initiative. Learn more about USAID's COVID response here: https://www.usaid.gov/coronavirus Panelist Bios: Shanda Steimer, Director, Center for Nutrition at USAID Shanda Steimer is a career member of the United States Foreign Service with more than 20 years of development experience. Ms. Steimer has worked for USAID since 2002 and is currently detailed to the USAID COVID-19 Task Force, serving as the Pillar Lead for Programs and Strategic Planning. She is a health officer by background and has served in Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Uganda, Washington and Zambia, managing a diverse range of USAID portfolios primarily in health, but also in education, Feed the Future, Energy, Food for Peace and the Environment. Before joining the Task Force, Ms. Steimer was the Director for the Center for Nutrition in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security. Prior to joining USAID, Ms. Steimer worked for various international organizations, the private sector and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea. Ms. Steimer has a Master of Public Health degree in maternal and child health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Stephanie Fugate, Program Operations, COVID-19 Task Force at USAID Stephanie Fugate is currently the Program Operations/Management/Budget Lead for the USAID COVID Task Force (on detail from her role as Division Chief, Professional Development and Training). With over 15 years in international development, in both the public and private sector, she has served as Branch Chief/Supervisory Contracting Officer with USAID's Special Initiatives and Development Partners division, and Contracting Officer with USAID's Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance. She also held the role of USAID's first Coordinator for the Acquisition and Assistance Innovation Lab and remains a USAID Agency Innovation Advocate (AIA) to this day. Previously she held Contracting and Program Officer roles with the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance/Revenue Administration and Policy team which sits within the Treasury's International Affairs bureau where she was assigned to the Africa and Caribbean regions. Prior to joining the public sector, she worked for Chemonics International, Inc. where she was a Business Development Manager for the Africa region focused mainly on Eastern and Southern Africa. Ms. Fugate is a member of the NCMA Board of Advisors and holds a BA in International Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a MA in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University. Chuck Pope, A&A Strategy Lead, COVID-19 Task Force at USAID Charles S. “Chuck” Pope is the Senior Regional Advisor for the Middle East at USAID. Prior to that, he served as Chief of Operations in the Global Health Bureau providing senior leadership to the COVID-19 Response and current and future Supply Chain programming. Previous to that, he served the bureau as Deputy Assistant Administrator leading policy, programs, planning, innovation and systems. He started his career overseas in Russia as a Peace Corps volunteer attached to Moscow City Administration (Zelenograd Prefecture) working on NGO development. Afterwards, he went to work for IREX in Central Asia on the State Department's Internet Access and Training Program. IREX would later promote Chuck to Regional Director of the Caucasus overseeing all programs in the region. Peace Corps subsequently hired him as Administrative Officer to restart the program in Uzbekistan, which had been closed following 9/11. The program would grow to become one of the largest Peace Corps posts, with Chuck also serving a stint as acting Country Director. After his tour, the Peace Corps put Chuck in charge of training new Administrative Officers for overseas assignments. During this time, he also served the agency as the Financial and Administrative Officer of the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts, the historic deployment of the Peace Corps domestically. Chuck joined USAID's Foreign Service in 2007 and has served in Russia, Afghanistan, Tanzania and India. Prior to public service, Chuck grew up on his family's farm in Kansas and was an accomplished athlete, winning collegiate national championships as both a player and a coach, and garnering all-American accolades at the junior college level before going on to start at Baylor University as center on the football team.   ABOUT THE HOST:   The podcast is hosted by Mike Shanley, Founder and CEO of Konektid International and AidKonekt Data, the leading USAID partner support firms that help clients to grow their USAID funding portfolios. Mike has nearly two decades of experience in working with USAID projects and funding opportunities. His USAID funding expertise has been recognized by the largest aid and development associations, partners, and conferences, including by USAID, Devex, British Expertise International, AidEx, and by the Society for International Development-US where he also serves as Board Member.   Websites: Konektid International: www.konektid.com AidKonekt Data: https://www.aidkonekt.com/usaid-biz-dev Connect with Mike Shanley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konektid-usaid-specialists/

 Join our conversation with Randy Tift, former USAID Chief A&A Policy Officer, and Chuck Pope, former USAID Senior Regional Advisor for the Middle East and A&A Strategy Lead on the COVID-19 Task Force, on what's next for USAID. We will hear their thoughts on recent USAID trends and what to expect in the coming months and years from the Agency. Topics will include Ukraine, COVID funding, New Partnerships Initiative, localization, and much more. Panelist Bios: Randy Tift Prior to rejoining USAID in October 2017, J. Randall (Randy) Tift served on the US Congressional staff and in field-based operations in global development, and as a policy manager in international affairs focused on relief and development, human rights, and national security. Randy was the Chief Acquisition and Assistance Policy Officer for USAID (through January 2021) and served as the co-Senior Leader Champion for Effective Partnering and Procurement Reform (EPPR) for USAID's Transformation. EPPR is an on-going effort, launched in February 2018, to reform program design, partnering approaches and delivery mechanisms for USAID. Through EPPR and the New Partnerships Initiative, USAID has enabled effective locally-led development, adaptive and collaborative programs, and diversification of the USAID partner base. From 2006-2017, Randy was Senior Adviser and Senior Director for Policy at World Vision in Washington, DC. In this role, Randy managed WV policy engagement in crisis response, operational risk, program effectiveness in fragile states, civil society strengthening, human rights, counter-terrorism, and other issues affecting WV brand, mission, and message. He coordinated US donor support for field programs promoting local advocacy and policy change as a critical driver of development outcomes in over 40 countries. From 1995-2005, Randy managed international development programs in the Balkans. As Chief of Party in Serbia, Randy managed the $50 million USAID Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program, supporting post-conflict civic participation, income generation, and reconstruction assistance to Serbia. He earlier served as USAID Senior Adviser for Democracy and Governance in Romania, managing a portfolio of a dozen US and local implementing partners building new coalitions for reform, promoting programs to remove barriers to free enterprise and economic growth, and strengthening Romanian democratic institutions. Prior to this, Randy served as coordinator of a US Congressional assistance program in the Romanian Parliament. Chuck Pope Charles S. “Chuck” Pope is excited to be Precision Talent Solutions' inaugural Chief International Development Officer (CIDO). He recently retired from USAID as a commissioned foreign service officer after a more than 20 year distinguished career with postings to Russia, Afghanistan, Tanzania and India leading overseas acquisition and assistance efforts. Prior to retiring, he held a number of senior leadership positions at the Agency: Senior Regional Advisor for the Middle East, Chief of Operations in the Global Health Bureau and Deputy Assistant Administrator in the same bureau leading policy, programs, planning, innovation and systems. He started his career overseas in Russia as a Peace Corps volunteer attached to Moscow City Administration (Zelenograd Prefecture) working on NGO development. Afterwards, he went to work for IREX in Central Asia on the State Department's Internet Access and Training Program. IREX would later promote Chuck to Regional Director of the Caucasus overseeing all programs in the region. Peace Corps subsequently hired him as Administrative Officer to restart the program in Uzbekistan, which had been closed following 9/11. The program would grow to become one of the largest Peace Corps posts, with Chuck also serving a stint as Country Director. After his tour, the Peace Corps put Chuck in charge of training new Administrative Officers for overseas assignments. During this time, he also served the Agency as the Financial and Administrative Officer of the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts, the historic deployment of the Peace Corps domestically. Prior to public service, Chuck grew up on his family's farm in Kansas and was an accomplished athlete, winning collegiate national championships as both a player and a coach, and garnering all-American accolades at the junior college level before going on to start at Baylor University as center on the football team. He currently resides on a horse farm outside of DC that also functions as a therapeutic riding center for Wounded Warriors and individuals with special needs.   ABOUT THE HOST: The podcast is hosted by Mike Shanley, Founder and CEO of Konektid International and AidKonekt Data, the leading USAID partner support firms that help clients to grow their USAID funding portfolios. Mike has nearly two decades of experience in working with USAID projects and funding opportunities. His USAID funding expertise has been recognized by the largest aid and development associations, partners, and conferences, including by USAID, Devex, British Expertise International, AidEx, and by the Society for International Development-US where he also serves as Board Member. Connect with Mike Shanley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konektid-usaid-specialists/

Do the Safer Choice Programs reach internationally? Join Cleanfluencer Angela Brown and her guest Jennie Romer, EPA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention, as they take you on a journey to explore the global impact of Safer Choice Programs.  Discover the availability of Safer Choice products worldwide and be captivated by the program's influence beyond borders. Learn how Safer Choice is actively addressing the global plastic crisis and find out how you can contribute by adopting innovative, concentrated solutions. Watch as Angela is surprised as Jennie reveals the countries the program covers and the remarkable scope of its influence. Don't miss out on this opportunity to uncover the secrets behind Safer Choice's worldwide impact.  SAFER CHOICE PROGRAMS REACH CHAPTERS ------------------ 0:00 - Are Safer Choice products available in England? 0:33 - How are Safer Choice partner companies addressing the issue of single-use plastics? 0:48 - What are the benefits of using concentrated solutions and diluting them ourselves? 1:08 - How does the Safer Choice Program ensure the safety of different ingredients in cleaning products? 1:27 - What role does the EPA play in providing consumer guidance and assurance? 1:40 - Where can Safer Choice products be readily found for purchase? 1:59 - Aside from the United States, which countries have significant coverage by the Safer Choice Program? RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company -  https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ *** LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE CLEANING LEADS *** https://housecleaning360.com SPONSORSHIPS & BRANDS ------------------- Today's #AskaHouseCleaner sponsor is #SavvyCleaner training and certification for house cleaners and maids. (https://savvycleaner.com/join) And your host today is #AngelaBrown - https://g.page/r/CbMI6YFuLU2GEBI/review *** ADVERTISE WITH US ***  We do work with sponsors and brands. If you are interested in working with us and you have a product or service that makes sense for the cleaning industry, here's how to work with us -https://savvycleaner.com/brand-deals *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING – Cleaning tips and strategies for your short-term rental  https://TurnoverCleaningTips.com  FUNNY CLEANING SHIRTS – Incentive and thank-you gifts for house cleaners and maids. https://FunnyCleaningShirts.com  HOARDING WORLD - Helping you change your relationship with stuff https://HoardingWorld.com CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #SaferChoicePrograms #HouseCleaners #SustainableCleaning #EcoFriendlyAlternatives #GreenCleaning #NonToxicCleaners #SaferCleaningProducts #EnvironmentalImpact #PlasticCrisis #ConcentratedSolutions #ResponsibleCleaning #ConsumerChoices #CleaningPractices #ProductLabels #ChemicalTesting #AngelaBrown #AskAHouseCleaner #SavvyCleaner #CleaningIndustry #CleaningTraining #HousekeepingTips #HealthyCleaning #CleaningSolutions

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Design for the Environment" program takes center stage in this captivating video. Join Cleanfluencer Angela Brown and guest Jennie Romer, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention, as they explore the program's vital role in safeguarding our health and the well-being of our planet.  This discussion sheds light on the EPA program's focus on pollution, landfills, waterways, and the ecological impact of cleaning products. Angela and Jennie highlight the importance of collective action and offer viewers insights into their role in creating a cleaner world. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how the Design for the Environment program can inspire positive change and contribute to a sustainable future. The video description includes links to the Environmental Protection Agency's additional resources and valuable insights. Tune in to discover how you can be part of the solution. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CHAPTERS ------------------ 0:00 - How does the Design for the Environment program promote human health and environmental protection? 0:38 - Can you explain how the Design for the Environment program addresses ecological and human exposures? 1:05 - What are some of the environmental endpoints considered by the Design for the Environment program? 1:39 - Could you provide examples of how the Safer Choice program's concentrates can help reduce pollution caused by single-use plastics? 1:53 - What role do cleaning business owners and professionals play in implementing the Safer Choice program? 2:07 - Can you explain the benefits of using concentrates and diluting them compared to ready-to-use bottles regarding environmental impact? RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company -  https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ *** LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE CLEANING LEADS *** https://housecleaning360.com *** ADVERTISE WITH US ***  We do work with sponsors and brands. If you are interested in working with us and you have a product or service that makes sense for the cleaning industry here's how to work with us -https://savvycleaner.com/brand-deals *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING – Cleaning tips and strategies for your short-term rental  https://TurnoverCleaningTips.com  CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #EPA #DesignForTheEnvironment #EnvironmentProtection #SustainableLiving #GreenCleaning #EcoFriendly #CleaningTips #NonToxicCleaning #CleaningSolutions #CleaningIndustry #HouseCleaners #CleaningBusinesses #EnvironmentalAwareness #CleanLiving #HealthyHomes #GreenSolutions #CleaningInspiration #EcoConscious #Sustainability #CleanEnvironment #CleaningProfessionals  #CleaningTrends #HouseCleaning #SaferCleaning #CleaningGoals #CleanHome #CleanLiving #AskAHouseCleaner #AskAngelaBrown #SavvyCleaner #JennieRomer

Join Cleanfluencer Angela Brown as she explores the EPA's Safer Choice Chemical Program. Her guest, Jennie Romer, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention, unveils the program's extensive reach and collaboration with prominent and niche cleaning brands. Discover the convenience of finding Safer Choice-certified products and stay tuned for an exciting update on the program's upcoming rebrand of the "Design for the Environment" label. If you're a house cleaner or own a cleaning business, this video is a must-watch for valuable insights on how the Safer Choice Chemical Program can help you access safer and more reliable cleaning products. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, Ask a House Cleaner has something for everyone. From basic cleaning techniques to affordable tips and tools, Angela and her guests share simple solutions to clean any living space. EPA'S SAFER CHOICE CHEMICAL PROGRAM ------------------ 0:00 - How extensive is the reach of the EPA's Safer Choice program? 0:16 - Where can Safer Choice-certified products be found in physical stores? 0:38 - What is the main label used for Safer Choice-certified products? 0:48 - What is the current status of the rebranding process for the "Design for the Environment" label? RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company -  https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ *** LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE CLEANING LEADS *** https://housecleaning360.com SPONSORSHIPS & BRANDS ------------------- Today's #AskaHouseCleaner sponsor is #SavvyCleaner training and certification for house cleaners and maids. (https://savvycleaner.com/join) And your host today is #AngelaBrown - https://g.page/r/CbMI6YFuLU2GEBI/review *** ADVERTISE WITH US ***  We do work with sponsors and brands. If you are interested in working with us and you have a product or service that makes sense for the cleaning industry, here's how to work with us -https://savvycleaner.com/brand-deals *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING – Cleaning tips and strategies for your short-term rental  https://TurnoverCleaningTips.com  FUNNY CLEANING SHIRTS – Incentive and thank-you gifts for house cleaners and maids. https://FunnyCleaningShirts.com  HOARDING WORLD - Helping you change your relationship with stuff https://HoardingWorld.com CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #SaferChoiceChemicalProgram #EPA #SaferCleaningProducts #DesignForTheEnvironment #CleanLiving #CleaningTips #HealthyCleaning #GreenCleaning #EcoFriendlyCleaning #CleaningSolutions #HouseCleaning #CleaningBusiness #CleanHome #PollutionPrevention #SafeCleaning #SustainableCleaning #CleaningIndustry #CleaningExperts #CleanEnvironment #CleanLivingTips #ChemicalSafety #CleaningInspiration #CleaningGoals #NaturalCleaning #CleaningHacks #CleaningEducation #askangelabrown #askahousecleaner #savvycleaner

What are Safer Choice Cleaning Chemicals, and are they easy to find? Cleanfluencer Angela Brown teams up with Jennie Romer, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at the EPA, to explore the transformative potential of Safer Choice products. Join us as Angela and Jennie delve into the world of cleaning chemicals, uncovering the truth behind labels and the importance of transparency. Discover the vast array of Safer Choice-certified options in stores, offering ingredient safety, performance, and packaging excellence. Don't miss this empowering conversation between two influential voices in the cleaning industry. Tune in to gain valuable insights and make informed choices for a safer and healthier cleaning experience. SAFER CHOICE CLEANING CHEMICALS CHAPTERS ------------------ 0:00 - Do all cleaning chemicals actually deliver what their labels promise? 0:33 - Can you explain what the Safer Choice label represents and how it distinguishes certain products?  0:46 - How can consumers identify Safer Choice products in stores?  0:58 - What does it mean when a product carries the Safer Choice label?  1:12 - Do viewers already have Safer Choice products or Safer Choice-certified products in their homes or businesses?  1:30 - Are there specific criteria and standards set by the EPA that need to be met? 1:48 - Are there multiple brands to choose from regarding Safer Choice products?  RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company -  https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ *** LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE CLEANING LEADS *** https://housecleaning360.com SPONSORSHIPS & BRANDS ------------------- Today's #AskaHouseCleaner sponsor is #SavvyCleaner training and certification for house cleaners and maids. (https://savvycleaner.com/join) And your host today is #AngelaBrown - https://g.page/r/CbMI6YFuLU2GEBI/review *** ADVERTISE WITH US ***  We do work with sponsors and brands. If you are interested in working with us and you have a product or service that makes sense for the cleaning industry, here's how to work with us -https://savvycleaner.com/brand-deals *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING – Cleaning tips and strategies for your short-term rental  https://TurnoverCleaningTips.com  FUNNY CLEANING SHIRTS – Incentive and thank-you gifts for house cleaners and maids. https://FunnyCleaningShirts.com  CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #SaferChoice #CleaningChemicals #EcoFriendlyCleaning #GreenCleaning #CleaningProducts #HouseCleaners #CleaningBusinesses #CleanerFuture #SustainableCleaning #IngredientSafety #ConsumerSafety #CleaningIndustry #TrustedBrands #HouseholdCleaning #EPAStandards #CertifiedProducts #CleaningTips #CleaningHacks #CleanLiving #CleaningInspiration  #CleaningExperts #CleaningCommunity #CleanHomeHappyHome #CleaningGoals #CleaningMotivation #CleanEnvironment #CleaningEducation #CleaningBestPractices #askangelabrown #askahousecleaner

What is the Safer Choice labeling, and what does it mean for your cleaning business? Join host Angela Brown and special guest Jennie Romer, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at the EPA, in this exclusive YouTube interview as they dive into the world of cleaning products and explore how the Safer Choice program is revolutionizing the industry. Get ready for an engaging conversation as Angela and Jennie discuss the importance of the Safer Choice labeling for house cleaners and cleaning companies. Gain valuable insights into the meticulous process behind certifying these products and learn how they can enhance the health and safety of your home or workplace. Don't miss this chance to hear firsthand from Jennie Romer, an expert in pollution prevention, as she shares her expertise and sheds light on the Safer Choice program's impact. Tune in now and be part of this fascinating discussion that will empower you to make informed choices for a cleaner and safer environment! SAFER CHOICE LABELING CHAPTERS ------------------ 0:00 - How does the Safer Choice Labeling differ from other labels regarding chemical evaluation? 0:15 - What is the significance of the Safer Chemical Ingredient List for Safer Choice products? 0:33 - Why does the Safer Choice Labeling focus on the entire formulation rather than specific chemicals? 0:53 - How does the Safer Choice Labeling save consumers time and effort in product selection? 1:04 - How does the Safer Choice Labeling provide variety while maintaining safety standards? 1:20 - How does the Safer Choice Labeling promote agreement and safety between homeowners and house cleaners? 1:37 - Why is it beneficial to have a label that offers fragrance-free options? RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company - https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ *** LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE CLEANING LEADS *** https://housecleaning360.com SPONSORSHIPS & BRANDS ------------------- Today's #AskaHouseCleaner sponsor is #SavvyCleaner training and certification for house cleaners and maids. (https://savvycleaner.com/join) And your host today is #AngelaBrown - https://g.page/r/CbMI6YFuLU2GEBI/review *** ADVERTISE WITH US ***  We do work with sponsors and brands. If you are interested in working with us and you have a product or service that makes sense for the cleaning industry here's how to work with us -https://savvycleaner.com/brand-deals *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join FUNNY CLEANING SHIRTS – Incentive and thank-you gifts for house cleaners and maids. https://FunnyCleaningShirts.com CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #SaferChoiceLabeling #EPA #CleaningProducts #HouseCleaners #SafetyStandards #ChemicalFreeCleaning #PollutionPrevention #EcoFriendlyCleaning #SustainableCleaning #GreenCleaning #CertifiedProducts #HealthierHomes #InformedChoices #LabelingTransparency #CleaningIndustryRevolution #AskaHouseCleaner #AskAngelaBrown #SavvyCleaner

Have you ever wondered how certain cleaning chemicals make it onto the EPA's Safer Choice Chemical List? Join Cleanfluencer Angela Brown and the EPA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention as they discuss the process behind the EPA's renowned program.  Learn about the meticulous evaluation and management of the Safer Choice Chemical List. With a team of biologists, toxicologists, and professionals dedicated to ensuring safety, the EPA's Safer Choice program strives to protect you and your loved ones from potential hazards. Let's explore the safer side of cleaning together! Don't miss out on this eye-opening video highlighting the importance of informed decision-making in the cleaning industry. Watch until the end to learn valuable insights and precautions to safeguard your health, especially when dangerous chemical experiments are gaining popularity. SAFER CHOICE CHEMICAL LIST CHAPTERS ------------------ 0:00 - How many cleaning chemicals are evaluated on the Safer Choice list? 0:18 - Can companies claim to be on the Safer Choice list, or is there a rigorous evaluation process? 0:42 - How often is the Safer Choice chemical list reviewed and updated? 1:02 - Are there any emerging chemicals of concern that have been addressed by the Safer Choice program? 1:07 - Are PFAS Chemicals commonly encountered in the cleaning industry? 1:57 - Can you share an example of a successful case where a chemical was phased off the Safer Choice list and replaced with a safer alternative? 2:22 - How does the Safer Choice program ensure ongoing monitoring of listed chemicals? 2:40 - What expertise does the team behind the Safer Choice program possess? 3:40 - Can parents and educators encourage safe scientific experimentation while discouraging dangerous chemical mixing? RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company - https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ SPONSORSHIPS & BRANDS ------------------- Today's #AskaHouseCleaner sponsor is #SavvyCleaner training and certification for house cleaners and maids. (https://savvycleaner.com/join) And your host today is #AngelaBrown - https://g.page/r/CbMI6YFuLU2GEBI/review *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING – Cleaning tips and strategies for your short-term rental  https://TurnoverCleaningTips.com  FUNNY CLEANING SHIRTS – Incentive and thank-you gifts for house cleaners and maids. https://FunnyCleaningShirts.com  CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #SaferChoiceChemicalList #EPAProgram #SaferChemicals #ChemicalEvaluation #ChemicalManagement #HouseCleaners #CleaningCompanies #ToxicologicalAssessments #CleaningIndustrySafety #InformedDecisionMaking #ChemicalSafetyPrecautions #HealthHazards #CleaningIndustryInsights #SaferCleaningPractices #ChemicalExperiments #CleaningProductRegulations #CleaningProductCertifications #AskAngelaBrown #SavvyCleaner #AskAHouseCleaner

In the final episode of season one, host Jeff Berckes begins by speaking with Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency, Benita Best-Wong. The season has covered the programs and successes of the first 50 years of the Clean Water Act, and culminates with perspectives from Best-Wong and excerpts from previous guests about the biggest clean water challenges for the next 50 years. About our guest: Benita Best-Wong is the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In this role she provides oversight and management of the office's budget and operations as well as assisting the Assistant Administrator in policy development and implementation. Best-Wong has worked in the environmental field for over 30 years, and has served in leadership positions in the Office of Wastewater Management and the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. She began her EPA career in the Office of Water in 1990 and has also worked in Region 2 as a water permit writer and a manager of the Region's geographical programs.  Follow us @cleanwaterpod on Twitter to keep up with the latest podcast news! Learn more about NEIWPCC at neiwpcc.org.

Learn more about the EPA's Safer Choice Program, led by Jennie Romer, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention. This video sets the stage for an exciting exploration of the program's mission, impact, and benefits for house cleaners. In this opening installment, we get to know the Deputy Assitant Administrator—an accomplished lawyer focusing on plastic pollution prevention policies, a background in biology, and a deep-rooted passion for safeguarding the environment. Her diverse experiences, including her time at the Surfrider Foundation and as a dedicated mom, add a personal touch to her expertise. EPA'S SAFER CHOICE PROGRAM CHAPTERS ----------------------- 0:00 - How does your background as a lawyer specializing in plastic pollution prevention policies contribute to your work at the EPA's Safer Choice Program? 0:22 - Have you worked on green marketing claims cases that relate to the products we see in grocery stores? 0:46 - Could you share some insights from your experience and how it adds value to your understanding of the cleaning industry? 0:58 - What exactly is the Safer Choice label, and how does it differentiate cleaning products with safer ingredients? RESOURCES ------------------ Safer Choice Program by the EPA - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer... FAQ about the Safer Choice Program - https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/frequ... RECOMMENDED READING:  Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics - https://amzn.to/41Rqhn8 How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company -  https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h *** BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN *** How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company -  https://amzn.to/3jHk4GL The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - https://amzn.to/3zxfN0h (When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.) *** RATE THIS PODCAST ***  https://ratethispodcast.com/askahousecleaner  *** TRAINING & CLEANING CERTIFICATION*** https://savvycleaner.com/join *** MOST REQUESTED LIST OF CLEANING STUFF I USE *** https://www.Amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown  SOCIAL MEDIA --------------- *** CONNECT WITH ANGELA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ***  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AskAngelaBrown Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/AskAngelaBrown Twitter: https://Twitter.com/AskAngelaBrown Instagram: https://instagram.com/AskAngelaBrown Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/AskAngelaBrown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AskAngelaBrown TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@askangelabrown Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/AngelaBrown URL: https://AngelaBrown.com NEED MORE CLEANING HELP? ------------- *** GOT A QUESTION FOR A SHOW? *** Please email it to Angela[at]AskaHouseCleaner.com Voice Mail: Click on the blue button at https://askahousecleaner.com  *** PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANERS PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProfessionalHouseCleaners/ *** VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING FACEBOOK GROUP *** https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRBO.Airbnb.Cleaning/ *** LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET MORE CLEANING LEADS *** https://housecleaning360.com SPONSORSHIPS & BRANDS ------------------- Today's #AskaHouseCleaner sponsor is #SavvyCleaner training and certification for house cleaners and maids. (https://savvycleaner.com/join) And your host today is #AngelaBrown - https://g.page/r/CbMI6YFuLU2GEBI/review *** ADVERTISE WITH US ***  We do work with sponsors and brands. If you are interested in working with us and you have a product or service that makes sense for the cleaning industry, here's how to work with us -https://savvycleaner.com/brand-deals *** SAVVY CLEANER BRANDS ***  SAVVY CLEANER - House Cleaner Training and Certification – https://savvycleaner.com/join VRBO AIRBNB CLEANING – Cleaning tips and strategies for your short-term rental  https://TurnoverCleaningTips.com  FUNNY CLEANING SHIRTS – Incentive and thank-you gifts for house cleaners and maids. https://FunnyCleaningShirts.com  HOARDING WORLD - Helping you change your relationship with stuff https://HoardingWorld.com REALTY SUCCESS HUB - Helping you sell your home fast https://realtysuccesshub.com CREDITS -------------------------- Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: https://savvycleaner.com Show Host: Angela Brown Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland #EPA #SaferChoiceProgram #CleaningSolutions #GreenCleaning #EcoFriendlyLiving #SustainableCleaning #HealthyHome #PollutionPrevention #EnvironmentalProtection #CleanerLiving #SaferIngredients #HouseCleaners #CleanerCompanies #ResponsibleCleaning #PlanetFriendly #CleanerChoices #GreenLiving #EcoConscious #CleaningIndustry #SustainabilityPractices #PlasticPollutionPrevention #SafeCleaning #CleanerEnvironment

A discussion with the U.S. EPA's Office of Water Deputy Assistant Administrator Bruno Pigott. So much is happening in the water space at the EPA these days, from lead and copper water supply pipe replacement programs to newly proposed PFAS Drinking Water regulations, the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), and much more.  I had the opportunity to catch up with Bruno to discuss these topics and how the agency is responding to threats on human health and the environment in this episode.  Check it out! Thanks to our Sponsors: Cascade Environmental, E-Tank, and the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. #pfas #drinkingwater #cleanwater #epa #environment #safety #dataanlytics

Joe spoke with Steven Cook, former Deputy Assistant Administrator at the Office of Land and Emergency Management at the EPA on the Ohio chemical spill, and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland on the debt limit debate and working with Republicans on spending cuts. Plus, our politics panel, Bloomberg Politics Contributors Jeanne Sheehan Zaino & Rick Davis on entitlements and the budget, and Nikki Haley's official campaign launch with controversial Pastor John Hagee.... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Harry Bader, Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) at USAID. In this podcast, they discuss USAID's new Supply Chain Integrity and Freedom program (SCIF).

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people in high-risk disaster areas across the US have been dropped from their insurance policies, leaving them both physically and financially vulnerable. At the same time, premiums have sky-rocketed, making insuring homes and businesses out of reach for many. And federal insurance and relief programs have come under scrutiny for payouts that contribute to inequality.   The insurance industry wasn't set up to account for climate change, which is increasing the frequency, scale and severity of disaster claims. From Hurricane Ian flooding communities across the coast of Florida to fires in the Pacific Northwest, and further storm damage from Puerto Rico to Nova Scotia, we've seen frequent and fierce weather take lives and devastate communities. As more people and property face loss due to extreme weather events, who will pay to protect and rebuild communities? And what policies are being constructed to help the insurance industry stay afloat?  Guests: Junia Howell, Urban Sociologist, University of Illinois Chicago Simon Young, Senior Director, Climate and Resilience Hub, Willis Towers Watson Carolyn Kousky, Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy, Environmental Defense Fund; author of Understanding Disaster Insurance: New Tools for a More Resilient Future Umair Irfan, Climate and Covid Reporter, VOX Eric Letvin, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, FEMA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people in high-risk disaster areas across the US have been dropped from their insurance policies, leaving them both physically and financially vulnerable. At the same time, premiums have sky-rocketed, making insuring homes and businesses out of reach for many. And federal insurance and relief programs have come under scrutiny for payouts that contribute to inequality.   The insurance industry wasn't set up to account for climate change, which is increasing the frequency, scale and severity of disaster claims. From flooding in Appalachia to fires in the Pacific Northwest to hurricanes wreaking havoc from Puerto Rico to Nova Scotia, we've seen frequent and fierce weather take lives and devastate communities. As more people and property face loss due to extreme weather events, who will pay to protect and rebuild communities? And what policies are being constructed to help the insurance industry stay afloat?  Guests: Junia Howell, Urban Sociologist, University of Illinois Chicago Simon Young, Senior Director, Climate and Resilience Hub, Willis Towers Watson Carolyn Kousky, Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy, Environmental Defense Fund; author of Understanding Disaster Insurance: New Tools for a More Resilient Future Umair Irfan, Climate and Covid Reporter, VOX Eric Letvin, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, FEMA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introduction of Jeffrey Jackson the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Federal Insurance Directorate within the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) at FEMA the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Jackson leads flood insurance operations for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at FEMA. :52 FEMA's top priority is education1:05 Everyone is at risk of flooding. Flood is the most common natural disaster in America1:15 98% of counties in America flooded to some degree last year. Where it rains, it can flood.1:32 updating the way we price insurance, rate insurance policies1:42 Last year, insurance policies changed for the first time in the history of the program based on the individual risk of your property2:10 Houston is a prime example of climate change3:10 First-time buyers need to learn about the community and where the property of interest sits within the neighborhood3:48 Your homeowner's insurance does not always include flood -call your insurance agent to learn about flood insurance4:30 Based on the characteristics of the home, how likely your property is to flood, giving homeowners transparency of their risk5:03 FEMA would love for everyone to have flood insurance. Every home is at risk of flood6:20 If you don't have flood insurance, borrowing funds or home equity loans is the option6:57 Mitigation, there are things to do to lower your risk7:39 Kentucky-heartbreaking to see what flooding has done to communities 1-2% of the residents had flood insurance8:41 Insurance puts you on a better trajectory for recovery8:55 After a disaster, one in four small businesses never comes back9:20 FEMA affordability program working with Congress so they can consider passing affordability legislation10:21 Victoria shares a story about looking at a property in Riverdale Maryland11:08 What do the letters on the FEMA Map mean?11:19 V zones are coastal high risk A zones are river and high risk but you can't just look at a map and make an informed decision12:00 40% of all FEMA claims come from outside the high-risk area12:35 the FEMA maps are a snapshot in time12:47 If you're close to a high-risk zone, chances are you will be at risk even if the rating is X or considered low risk for flooding13:35 Home buyers, look at the FEMA map to see the flood rating of the property of interest. Also, contact an insurance agent to understand the real risk (if you are next to a high-risk area)14:00 Encourage informed buyers! There is much to learn but the flood risk of a property should be on the list15:30 How to move ahead if you want to purchase a home in a high-risk flood area15:54 Floodsmart.gov is the place to start learning about flood insurance and mitigation16:30 Elevating a home can make a difference17:02 Before you purchase a home, gather all the information available to make an informed decision18:01 Know your risk before you buy and have a plan in place for flood loss19:36 Be wary of people who want you to look past information regarding flood20:15 FEMA sees how much climate change is impacting our country21:00 Not just rivers and coast, flood risk is impacted by rain, mudslides and the more development the flood risk goes up21:30 We need to up our IQ on flood risk22:45 Flood insurance policies issued by the National Flood Insurance programs23:21 The higher the price, the more at risk you are of flood23:30 Low-risk properties flood every single dayFEMA links for more informationFlood Insurance | FEMA.govFEMA Flood Map Service Center | Welcome!FloodSmart | Welcome to the NFIP | FloodSmartFloodSmart | Why Buy Flood Insurance?FloodSmart | How Are Flood Insurance Rates Determined?FloodSmart | Flood Preparation and What To Do After A Flood

Bruno Pigott, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water at the Environmental Protection Agency, calls attention to new drinking water guidance that considers exposure to PFAS chemicals from all sources of exposure; Margret Cooke, Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, discusses a steep increase in opioid related overdose deaths; ASTHO has job openings for people interested in a career in public health; and ASTHO's Health Equity Summit 2022 is next Wednesday, July 27th. EPA Webpage: EPA Announces New Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFAS Chemicals, $1 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Strengthen Health Protections EPA Webpage: Drinking Water Health Advisories (HAs) ASTHO Webpage: Careers at ASTHO ASTHO Health Equity Summit Registration

This week, I sat down with Jake Li, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pesticide Programs, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and my colleague, Jim Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant here at B&C. My guests have much in common -- they both have served (or in Jake's case is serving) in senior policy positions in this space at EPA, and they both have a keen understanding of the legal, policy, and commercial implications of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Enacted almost 50 years ago, the ESA is intended to preserve and protect imperiled species. As anyone in this space knows, implementing the ESA and balancing the need for pesticide use has proven to be a challenging issue for decades. Our conversation today covers what the Administration is doing to balance wildlife protection and responsible pesticide use, what the federal Interagency Working Group is doing in this regard, and consider how the ESA Workplan is helping EPA's Pesticide Program meet its ESA obligations. ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL  AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW. ©2022 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.  All Rights Reserved

Welcome to our one-off special episode of The Readout. Recent events have put aid, China and the Indo-Pacific squarely on the map for many Australians. So there was no better a time for The Lab to host Anka Lee, USAID's acting Deputy Assistant Administrator and Senior Advisor for the PRC, at our Situation Room just last week. He was in Australia on behalf of USAID who are creating a policy on countering China's growing influence.The Situation Room is a Chatham-house style discussion with 25 provocateurs from the region, academia, development practice and Government. So we didn't record the whole event. But with his permission, we're bringing you Anka Lee's opening address and a flavour of the discussion in this special episode.He dives into the challenges that USAID is trying to solve when it comes to China and development, and what principles they'll take into developing a response. The Lab's own Bridi Rice then tackles what all of this means for Australia and how our own narratives determine where to from here.To learn more about The Readout and the work of the Development Intelligence Lab, head over to devintelligencelab.com and find us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

On January 26, USIP and the Alliance for Peacebuilding hosted a plenary panel discussion to address the relationship among climate change, conflict and fragility, and consider strategies for the international community to address the peace and security implications of these issues as well as the ongoing pandemic. Speakers Ambassador Frederic Gateretse-Ngoga, introductory remarks Head of Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division, African Union Commission Polly Byers CEO, Karuna Center for Peacebuilding Gillian Caldwell Agency Climate Change Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID Patrick Youssef Regional Director, Africa, International Committee of the Red Cross Andrew Revkin, moderator Director, Initiative on Communication Innovation and Impact, The Earth Institute, Columbia University   For more information about this event, please visit: https://www.usip.org/events/peacecon10  

Stephen Murphy worked his up way from his start as a police officer in a small West Virginia town to the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the DEA. During his 37 years in law enforcement Steve was stationed all around the world, most notably as one of the two Americans present and involved in the hunt for the largest cocaine distributor in the world, Pablo Escobar. Murphy was present during the chase and eventual shooting resulting in the death of Escobar, and took all the photographs seen in the media following the event. Instead of accepting that he would never again work a drug trafficking case the size and scope of Escobar's, Murphy continued to aggressively pursue local and international drug dealers just as he had pursued Escobar. His work ethic, conviction, integrity and charcater assisted him in climbing the ranks within DEA before his retirement in July 2013. Murphy continues to serve in law enforcement roles, and lectures around the country on drug trafficking trends, security-related challenges and what it was like to pursue a criminal the magnitude of Escobar. He has appeared on a variety of television specials on Escobar's death. Along with Javier Peña, he serves as a subject matter expert and senior consultant for the hit Netflix series Narcos. Now, looking forward, Steve is back again with his DEA Narcos partner Javier Peña to lead an investigation into a history making cold case. Just prior to World War II, the worlds most high-tech commercial airliner with secret military grade engines was on a seemingly routine mission - but was it? On board Pan Am Airways flight 229 Hawaii Clipper were fifteen passengers and crew bound for Hong Kong from San Francisco with three million dollars (46 million today) in goldbacked bank notes. Why? Allegedly ransom for missing aviatrix Amelia Earhart. The plane -missing. The crew - allegedly murdered by rogue Japanese agents and buried on a remote Pacific Island. If Steve and Javier can find the remains of these fifteen Americans - the start date of World War II may have to be changed in our history books.

In the third episode of a three-part series, Making A Difference: Inspirational Women Leaders in Environmental and Energy Law and Policy, D.C. Bar EENR Community Co-Chair Kathryn Caballero and Cathy Pagano of the Board of the Women's Bar of Association of DC interview Alejandra Nunez, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mobile Sources at the Environmental Protection Agency. Ale shares the important work of the Office of Air and Radiation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sources and minimize pollution in minority and low-income communities, her international career path, and advice for mentoring others focused on law and policy careers. Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

This week we are joined by Chris Frey, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science Policy in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development. We discuss the important role of the EPA and what to expect during the Biden presidency.

POLICY SEMINAR Towards Resilient Livelihoods, Food Security, and Nutrition for All: Confronting the Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 Co-Organized by IFPRI, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank MAR 23, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns continue to have devastating effects around the globe, including in rural areas of developing countries, where people have been affected by livelihood and supply disruptions, income shocks, and food and nutrition insecurity. While the overall impacts are becoming clear, less attention has been paid to the differential impacts on men and women and their ability to cope with the multiple shocks associated with the pandemic. For example, women tend to experience more lingering income shocks and have greater difficulty accessing food than men. Understanding these gender differences can offer important insights to decision-makers designing and implementing policies and programs aimed at providing much needed relief to the most vulnerable communities. At this seminar, researchers from IFPRI, the World Bank, and the Center for Global Development will share insights from phone surveys in 7 countries on the gendered impacts of COVID-19, discuss operational entry points to mitigate negative gendered impacts, and highlight the extent to which policies and programs addressing COVID-19 incorporate a gender lens. Panelists will also discuss the challenges of learning about the impacts in real time, given difficulties in reaching rural women. Panelists: Elizabeth Bryan, Senior Scientist, Environment and Production Technology Division, IFPRI Patricia Van de Velde, Gender Focal Point for the Food and Agriculture Practice, The World Bank Megan O’Donnell, Assistant Director, Gender & Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Global Development Moderator: Greg Collins, Deputy Assistant Administrator and USAID Resilience Coordinator, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID Links: IFPRI Resources And Analyses Of COVID-19 Impact: https://www.ifpri.org/covid-19 United States Agency For International Development (USAID): https://www.usaid.gov/ CGIAR COVID-19 Hub: https://a4nh.cgiar.org/covidhub/ More on the seminar: https://www.ifpri.org/event/towards-resilient-livelihoods-food-security-and-nutrition-all-confronting-gendered-impacts Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

Sarah Moffat is joined by Renee Wynn, former Chief Information Officer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for an inspiring talk about how she navigated her career to become the longest-serving CIO in NASA history. Renee shares her best tips for how to be seen and heard, how to ask great questions, and why it's important to have your own personal board of directors. Ms. Wynn's insights, candor, and advice is so poignant and relevant. Renee discusses why she believes being a life-long learner is critical for any leader and how to respond, rather than react, in situations. If you're wondering about whether or not its okay to get emotional and be vulnerable at work, we talk about that, too! You can reach Renee on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-wynn-8935a24/.Renee's BioRenee P. Wynn retired April 30th as the NASA Chief Information Officer after 30-years of federal service. She recently started her own business, RP Wynn Consulting, LLC to continue to serve the federal government in a different way.As the NASA CIO, Ms. Wynn led the effort to collaborate with the complex NASA mission programs to improve NASA's global cybersecurity posture and continuously transform IT management. Ms. Wynn oversaw an IT Portfolio of more than $2B and provided global IT services to more than 60,000 customers, including operations in Russia to support launches to the International Space Station.  Ms. Wynn led the effort to overhaul NASA's cybersecurity posture and went from “high risk” to “managing risk” in 4 years, this includes space operation and communication systems.   Ms. Wynn joined NASA in July 2015 as Deputy Chief Information Officer and became the Chief Information Officer in September 2015. Ms. Wynn came to NASA from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where she had served as the Acting CIO and Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information since July 2013. At EPA, Ms. Wynn had served as the Deputy CIO and Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information from April 2011 to July 2013.  Ms. Wynn spent 25 years with EPA before joining NASA. Ms. Wynn had been working in the federal CIO community since 2011 and has brought her experience working on national policy matters, information systems development, program management plus legislative and budget formulation skills to good use in her role as CIO. Ms. Wynn was recently selected as a 2020 National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Fellow.  Fellows are nominated and selected from a slate of highly qualified individuals.  A Fellow will serve for two years to support NAPA's efforts to address current and emerging issues to the government.  Ms. Wynn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from DePauw University, Indiana.

Measuring the return on investment for communications and marketing initiatives is essential across all industries today but how does data-driven decision making differ for non-profits, especially for those operating in the public policy arena? Today’s guest on WVU Marketing Communications Today is Ann DeFabio Doyle, Vice President of Communications for The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-partisan, global research and public policy organization. Ann and host Susan Jones will discuss how mission-driven non-profits use data to make a difference in their work and how Pew has created new communications initiatives to reach key audiences. About Susan's guest: Ann DeFabio Doyle directs Pew’s communications efforts to advance the organization’s policy and information goals worldwide. Her portfolio encompasses strategic planning, institutional media, public opinion research, and all digital, creative, and advertising programs. She also oversees Living Facts, an initiative to share facts about America and Americans, and Pew’s podcast, “After the Fact.” Before joining Pew, Ann served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Her government service also includes work at the U.S. Department of Treasury, where she was the Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of International Affairs. She also directed communications for the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution and served at Burson-Marsteller, where she led large-scale public education campaigns. Ann started her communications career at Bank of America in San Francisco. Ann holds an M.A in International Relations from the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in English from the University of Washington. ___________________________________________ WVU Marketing Communications Today is hosted by Susan Jones from West Virginia University which is a program on the Funnel Radio Channel.     

Measuring the return on investment for communications and marketing initiatives is essential across all industries today but how does data-driven decision making differ for non-profits, especially for those operating in the public policy arena? ----more---- Today’s guest on WVU Marketing Communications Today is Ann DeFabio Doyle, Vice President of Communications for The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-partisan, global research and public policy organization. Ann and host Susan Jones will discuss how mission-driven non-profits use data to make a difference in their work and how Pew has created new communications initiatives to reach key audiences. About Susan's guest: Ann DeFabio Doyle directs Pew’s communications efforts to advance the organization’s policy and information goals worldwide. Her portfolio encompasses strategic planning, institutional media, public opinion research, and all digital, creative, and advertising programs. She also oversees Living Facts, an initiative to share facts about America and Americans, and Pew’s podcast, “After the Fact.” Before joining Pew, Ann served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Her government service also includes work at the U.S. Department of Treasury, where she was the Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of International Affairs. She also directed communications for the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution and served at Burson-Marsteller, where she led large-scale public education campaigns. Ann started her communications career at Bank of America in San Francisco. Ann holds an M.A in International Relations from the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in English from the University of Washington. ___________________________________________ WVU Marketing Communications Today is hosted by Susan Jones from West Virginia University which is a program on the Funnel Radio Channel.     

In this live episode from the 25th Annual Joint Conference of the Kentucky Telecom Association and Tennessee Broadband Association, we speak with Shawn Arner, Deputy Assistant Administrator with the USDA, Hilda Legg, Tyler Campbell, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Telecom Association, Levoy Knowles, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Broadband Association

The National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) is the central hub of activities for the federal response to disasters and emergencies. Here we bring in representatives from across the federal government to coordinate the overall federal response and recovery. On this episode, we got a special walking tour of the NRCC from Josh Dozor, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for FEMA’s Response Directorate, just as we stood up in response to the potential effects of Tropical Storm and later Hurricane Dorian.

The National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) is the central hub of activities for the federal response to disasters and emergencies. Here we bring in representatives from across the federal government to coordinate the overall federal response and recovery. On this episode, we got a special walking tour of the NRCC from Josh Dozor, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for FEMA’s Response Directorate, just as we stood up in response to the potential effects of Tropical Storm and later Hurricane Dorian.

This week we are talking about jobs. Yes, employment with FEMA and the reserve corps. We are excited to have Daniel Alexander on the show to talk about FEMA operations and how they can serge when needed with the FEMA Reserves. If you are looking to break into FEMA, you must listen to this show. Guest BioDaniel T. Alexander is currently the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Field Operations Directorate. Mr. Alexander is responsible for developing, maintaining, and deploying a disaster workforce that is well trained, educated, and prepared to support disaster survivors and first responders. In his current capacity, Mr. Alexander provides the infrastructure and delivery systems required to ensure the Agency can meet its requirements for National Preparedness in the Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas.Prior to his appointment with the Field Operations Directorate, Mr. Alexander was the Director of the National Integration Center within FEMA’s National Preparedness Directorate. He was responsible for the policy and doctrine development and technical assistance provided to support the implementation of the National Preparedness System and the National Incident Management System across the nation. In this role, Mr. Alexander led the development of new national emergency management initiatives, including the rollout of the National Qualification System. Mr. Alexander served as the Deputy Director for Operational Coordination and Senior Advisor to the Assistant Administrator in the Field Operations Directorate of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery. Here he was responsible for directing all policy development and performance evaluation for FEMA’s disaster field operations activities. He also served as the principal advisor to the Assistant Administrator regarding the Directorate’s management of disaster workforce, field leadership, operational assessments, and federal interagency coordination activities. Prior to that, Mr. Alexander served as an Assistant Director in FEMA’s Office of Federal Disaster Coordination, where he had management responsibilities over the 10 Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinators across the country. Previously, he served as both a Federal Coordinating Officer and Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for FEMA Region VIII in Denver, CO, after coming to FEMA in 2011. Before that, Alexander served as the Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for the City and County of Denver. In this capacity, Alexander managed the City and County’s emergency management program, homeland security grant initiatives, including the Urban Area Security Initiative. Alexander was appointed as the Vice-Chair of FEMA Region VIII’s Regional Interagency Steering Committee, the Governor’s Homeland Security Senior Advisory Committee, and was appointed as a subject matter expert to FEMA’s National Integration Center’s Emergency Management Workgroup. He also served on President Obama’s Policy Advisory Committee on the National Security Information Program for State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities. Before that, Alexander served as the Homeland Security Director for the City of Milwaukee, managing the City’s emergency management and homeland security programs and spent approximately 13 years as a law enforcement officer with the Milwaukee Police Department.Mr. Alexander is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and did some post-graduate work in the Ph.D. Program in Urban Studies. Mr. Alexander has taught extensively in both undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of Criminal Justice, Research Methods, Urban Studies, and Homeland Security.Todd is an active member of the International Association of Emergency Managers and is the Region 9 representative on the University and Colleges Caucus.Todd is an avid reader. Some of his favorite topics are leadership, emergency management, history, and spy thrillers.Links LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-alexander-13734914/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FEMA/Twitter: https://twitter.com/femaWebsite: https://careers.fema.gov/find-jobAdvertisersTitan HST https://www.titanhst.com/

The U.S. natural gas industry is enjoying a burst of good fortune lately, with record production, a growing share of electric power markets and exports to other countries. But with increasingly dire reports of climate change, gas, like coal before it, is getting more scrutiny for its carbon and methane emissions.   In this episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless is joined by Karen Harbert, the President and CEO of the American Gas Association. Karen’s new to the job, having joined AGA in April after heading the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute. Before that, she was an Assistant Secretary for Policy and International affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy under President George W. Bush and a Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at the U.S. Agency for International Development.   In the private sector, Karen worked to develop infrastructure in countries in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Her arrival at AGA comes as the gas industry like other energy sectors vies to establish its role in U.S. energy market amid growing concerns over climate change. Karen and Bill talked about that as well as the Green New Deal, methane, carbon taxes, carbon sequestration and more.

Please join the CSIS International Security Program and Project on Prosperity and Development for a discussion on pursuing effective and conflict-aware stabilization in light of the new Stabilization Assistance Review framework, released by the U.S. administration in June 2018.    3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Keynote Dr. Denise Natali, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State Moderator: Erol Yayboke, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Project on Prosperity and Development, Project on U.S. Leadership in Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Panel Discussion Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Director and Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University Frances Brown, Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Robert Jenkins, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development Moderator: Melissa Dalton, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, International Security Program, and Director, Cooperative Defense Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies This event is made possible by support from Chemonics International.

Yemen: Most of us don't know where that is but we Americans have been participating in a war there since 2015. In a surprise move, the 116th Congress recently put a resolution on President Trump's desk that would LIMIT our participation in that war. In this episode, learn about our recent history in Yemen: Why are we involved? When did our involvement start? What do we want from Yemen? And why is Congress suddenly pursuing a change in policy? In the second half of the episode, Jen admits defeat in a project she's been working on and Husband Joe joins Jen for the thank yous. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE CD131: Bombing Libya CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL? Additional Reading Article: Hurricane Michael upgraded to a Category 5 at time of U.S. landfall, NOAA, April 19, 2019. Article: US carries out first airstrikes in Yemen in nearly 3 months by Ryan Browne, CNN, April 1, 2019. Article: The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi by Joyce Lee and Dalton Bennett, The Washington Post, April 1, 2019. Article: Trump revokes Obama rule on reporting drone strike deaths, BBC News, March 7, 2019. Article: US carried out 36 airstrikes in Yemen last year by Andrew Kennedy, The Defense Post, January 7, 2019. Article: See no evil: Pentagon issues blanket denial that it knows anything about detainee abuse in Yemen by Alex Emmons, The Intercept, January 7, 2019. Report: Senate bucks Trump's Saudi approach by Jeff Abramson, Arms Control Association, January/February 2019. Article: Saudi strikes, American bombs, Yemeni suffering by Derek Watkins and Declan Walsh, The New York Times, December 27, 2018. Article: The wooing of Jared Kushner: How the Saudis got a friend in the White House by David D. Kirkpatrick, Ben Hubbard, Mark Landler, and Mark Mazzetti, The New York Times, December 8, 2018. Report: Saudi lobbyists bout 500 nights at Trump's DC hotel after 2016 election by John Bowden, The Hill, December 5, 2018. Article: Hidden toll of US drone strikes in Yemen: Nearly a third of deaths are civilians, not al-Quaida by Maggie Michael and Maad al-Zikry, Military Times, November 14, 2018. Article: Jamal Khashoggi's friends in Washington are in shock by Scott Nover, The Atlantic, October 12, 2018. Report: Catastrophic Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle, National Weather Service, October 10, 2018. Article: Yemen's President Hadi heads to US for medical treatment, Aljazeera, September 3, 2018. Article: Bab el-Mandeb, an emerging chokepoint for Middle East oil flows by Julian Lee, Bloomberg, July 26, 2018. Report: YEM305: Unknown reported killed, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, March 29, 2018. Article: Yemen: Ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh killed, Aljazeera, December 10, 2017. Article: In Yemen's secret prisons, UAE tortures and US interrogates by Maggie Michael, AP News, June 22, 2017. Report: Yemen: UAE backs abusive local forces, Human Rights Watch, June 22, 2017. Article: What we know about Saudi Arabia's role in 9/11 by Simon Henderson, Foreign Policy, July 18, 2016. Report: Yemen: Background and U.S. relations by Jeremy M. Sharp, Congressional Research Service, February 11, 2015. Article: How al Qaeda's biggest enemy took over Yemen (and why the US government is unlikely to support them) by Casey L. Coombs and Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept, January 22, 2015. Report: Yemen protests erupt after fuel price doubled, Aljazeera, July 30, 2014. Article: U.S. charges saudi for 2002 oil tanker bombing by MAREX, Feburary 6, 2014. Report: "Between a Drone and Al-Qaeda": The civilian cost of US targeted killings in Yemen, Human Rights Watch, October 22, 2013. Article: Yemen: Opposition leader to be sworn in Saturday by Reuters, The New York Times, December 7, 2011. Article: Yemen's Saleh signs deal to give up power by Marwa Rashad, Reuters, November 23, 2011. Article: Yemen's leader agrees to end 3-decade rule by Kareem Fahim and Laura Kasinof, The New York Times, November 23, 2011. Article: Yemeni president's shock return throws country into confusion by Tom Finn, The Guardian, September 23, 2011. Article: Yemen: President Saleh 'was injured by palace bomb', BBC News, June 23, 2011. Article: Government in Yemen agrees to talk transition by Laura Kasinof, The New York Times, April 26, 2011. Article: Hundreds take to streets in Yemen to protest by Faud Rajeh, The New York Times, February 16, 2011. Article: U.S. plays down tensions with Yemen by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, December 17, 2010. Article: Cables depict range of Obama diplomacy by David E. Sanger, The New York Times, December 4, 2010. Article: Yemen's drive on Al Qaeda faces international skepticism by Mona El-Naggar and Robert F. Worth, The New York Times, November 3, 2010. Article: Op-Ed: The Yemeni state against its own people by Subir Ghosh, Digital Journal, October 11, 2010. Roundtable Summary: Reform priorities for Yemen and the 10-Point agenda, MENAP, Chatham House, February 18, 2010. Article: As nations meet, Clinton urges Yemen to prove itself worthy of aid by Mark Landler, The New York Times, January 27, 2010. Article: After failed attack, Britain turns focus to Yemen by John F. Burns, The New York Times, January 1, 2010. Resources Congress.gov: S.J.Res.54 - A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress Govtrack: S.J.Res. 7: A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by ... Congress IMF.org: Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Middle East Institute: Addressing the Crisis in Yemen: Strategies and Solutions Open Knowledge Repository: Leveraging Fuel Subsidy Reform for Transition in Yemen US Dept. of Treasury: International Monetary Fund Sound Clip Sources House Proceedings: Yemen Resolution Debate, 116th Congress, April 4, 2019. Congressional Record Sound Clips: 1:06:30 Rep. Michael McCaul (TX):This resolution stretches the definition of war powers hostilities to cover non-U.S. military operations by other countries. Specifically, it reinterprets U.S. support to these countries as ‘‘engagement in hostilities.’’ This radical reinterpretation has implications far beyond Saudi Arabia. This precedent will empower any single Member to use privileged war powers procedures to force congressional referendums that could disrupt U.S. security cooperation agreements with more than 100 countries around the world. 1:14:30 Rep. Barbara Lee (CA): Yes, Madam Speaker, I voted against that 2001 resolution, because I knew it was open-ended and would set the stage for endless wars. It was a blank check. We see this once again today in Yemen. We must repeal this 2001 blank check for endless wars. Over the past 18 years, we have seen the executive branch use this AUMF time and time again. It is a blank check to wage war without congressional oversight. 1:21:30 Rep. Ro Khanna (CA): My motivation for this bill is very simple. I don’t want to see 14 million Yemenis starve to death. That is what Martin Griffith had said at the U.N., that if the Saudis don’t stop their blockade and let food and medicine in, within 6 months we will see one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world. Senate Floor Proceedings: Yemen Resolution Debate, 115th Congress, 2nd Session, December 12, 2018. Congressional Record Pt. 1 Congressional Record Pt. 2 Sound Clips: 7:09:00 Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT): Finally, an issue that has long been a concern to many of us—conservatives and progressives—is that this war has not been authorized by Congress and is therefore unconstitutional. Article I of the Constitution clearly states it is Congress, not the President, that has the power to send our men and women into war—Congress, not the President. The Framers of our Constitution, the Founders of this country, gave the power to declare war to Congress—the branch most accountable to the people—not to the President, who is often isolated from the reality of what is taking place in our communities. The truth is—and Democratic and Republican Presidents are responsible, and Democratic and Republican Congresses are responsible—that for many years, Congress has not exercised its constitutional responsibility over whether our young men and women go off to war. I think there is growing sentiment all over this country from Republicans, from Democrats, from Independents, from progressives, and from conservatives that right now, Congress cannot continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibility. 7:14:45 Sen. Bob Corker (TN): I have concerns about what this may mean as we set a precedent about refueling and intelligence activities being considered hostilities. I am concerned about that. I think the Senator knows we have operations throughout Northern Africa, where we are working with other governments on intelligence to counter terrorism. We are doing refueling activists in Northern Africa now, and it concerns me—he knows I have concerns—that if we use this vehicle, then we may have 30 or 40 instances where this vehicle might be used to do something that really should not be dealt with by the War Powers Act. 7:49:06 Sen. Todd Young (IN): We don’t have much leverage over the Houthis. We have significant leverage over the Saudis, and we must utilize it. 7:58:30 Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK): The Sanders-Lee resolution is, I think, fundamentally flawed because it presumes we are engaged in military action in Yemen. We are not. We are not engaged in military action in Yemen. There has been a lot of discussion about refueling. I don’t see any stretch of the definition that would say that falls into that category. 8:01:00 Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK): Saudi Arabia is an important Middle Eastern partner. Its stability is vital to the security of our regional allies and our partners, including Israel, and Saudi Arabia is essential to countering Iran. We all know that. We know how tenuous things are in that part of the world. We don’t have that many friends. We can’t afford to lose any of them. 8:04:30 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): It is important to note some-thing that we take for granted in the region—this now long-term detente that has existed between the Gulf States and Israel, which did not used to be something you could rely on. In fact, one of the most serious foreign policy debates this Senate ever had was on the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia back in the 1980s. The objection then was that by empowering Saudi Arabia, you were hurting Israel and Israeli security. No one would make that argument today because Saudi Arabia has been a good partner in trying to figure out a way to calm the tensions in the region and, of course, provide some balance in the region, with the Iranian regime on the other side continuing to this day to use inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric about the future of Israel. So this is an important partnership, and I have no interest in blowing it up. I have no interest in walking away from it. But you are not obligated to follow your friend into every misadventure they propose. When your buddy jumps into a pool of man-eating sharks, you don’t have to jump with him. There is a point at which you say enough is enough. 8:06:00 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): Muhammad bin Salman, who is the Crown Prince, who is the effective leader of the country, has steered the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia off the rails. Folks seem to have noticed when he started rounding up his political opponents and killing one of them in a consulate in Turkey, but this has been ongoing. Look back to the kidnapping of the Lebanese Prime Minister, the blockade of Qatar without any heads-up to the United States, the wholesale imprisonment of hundreds of his family members until there was a payoff, the size of which was big enough to let some of them out. This is a foreign policy that is no longer in the best interests of the United States and cannot be papered over by a handful of domestic policy reforms that are, in fact, intended to try to distract us from the aggressive nature of the Saudis’ foreign policy in the region. 8:08:15 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): I am appreciative that many of my colleagues are willing to stand up for this resolution today to end the war in Yemen. I wish that it weren’t because of the death of one journalist, because there have been tens of thousands who have died inside Yemen, and their lives are just as important and just as worthwhile as Jamal Khashoggi’s life was, as tragic as that was. But there is a connection between the two, which is why I have actually argued that this resolution is in some way, shape, or form a response to the death of Jamal Khashoggi, for those who are primarily concerned with that atrocity. Here is how I link the two: What the Saudis did for 2 weeks was lie to us, right? In the most bald-faced way possible. They told us that Jamal Khashoggi had left the consulate, that he had gotten out of there alive, that they didn’t know what happened, when of course they knew the entire time that they had killed him, that they had murdered him, that they had dismembered his body. We now know that the Crown Prince had multiple contacts all throughout the day with the team of operatives who did it. Yet they thought we were so dumb or so weak— or some combination of the two—that they could just lie to us about it. That was an eye-opener for a lot of people here who were long-term supporters of the Saudi relationship because they knew that we had trouble. They knew that sometimes our interests didn’t align, but they thought that the most important thing allies did with each other was tell the truth, especially when the truth was so easy to discover outside of your bilateral relationship. Then, all of a sudden, the Saudis lied to us for 2 weeks—for 2 weeks—and then finally came around to telling the truth because everybody knew that they weren’t. That made a lot of people here think, well, wait a second—maybe the Saudis haven’t been telling us the truth about what they have been doing inside Yemen. A lot of my friends have been supporting the bombing campaign in Yemen. Why? Because the Saudis said: We are hitting these civilians by accident. Those water treatment plants that have been blowing up—we didn’t mean to hit them. That cholera treatment facility inside the humanitarian compound—that was just a bomb that went into the wrong place, or, we thought there were some bad guys in it. It didn’t turn out that there were. It turns out the Saudis weren’t telling us the truth about what they were doing in Yemen. They were hitting civilian targets on purpose. They did have an intentional campaign of trying to create misery. I am not saying that every single one of those school buses or those hospitals or those churches or weddings was an attempt to kill civilians and civilians only, but we have been in that targeting center long enough to know—to know—that they have known for a long time what they have been doing: hitting a lot of people who have nothing to do with the attacks against Saudi Arabia. Maybe if the Saudis were willing to lie to us about what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, they haven’t been straight with us as to what is happening inside Yemen, because if the United States is being used to intentionally hit civilians, then we are complicit in war crimes. And I hate to tell my colleagues that is essentially what the United Nations found in their most recent report on the Saudi bombing campaign. They were careful about their words, but they came to the conclusion that it was likely that the Saudi conduct inside Yemen would amount to war crimes under international law. If it is likely that our ally is perpetuating war crimes in Yemen, then we cannot be a part of that. The United States cannot be part of a bombing campaign that may be—probably is— intentionally making life miserable for the people inside of that country. 8:14:00 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): There is no relationship in which we are the junior partner—certainly not with Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia can push us around like they have over the course of the last several years and in particular the last several months, that sends a signal to lots of other countries that they can do the same thing—that they can murder U.S. residents and suffer almost no consequences; that they can bomb civilians with our munitions and suffer no consequences. This is not just a message about the Saudi relationship; this is a message about how the United States is going to interact with lots of other junior partners around the world as well. Saudi Arabia needs us a lot more than we need them, and we need to remind folks of that over and over again. Spare me this nonsense that they are going to go start buying Russian jets or Chinese military hardware. If you think those countries can protect you better than the United States, take a chance. You think the Saudis are really going to stop selling oil to the United States? You think they are going to walk away from their primary bread winner just because we say that we don’t want to be engaged in this particular military campaign? I am willing to take that chance. We are the major partner in this relationship, and it is time that we start acting like it. If this administration isn’t going to act like it, then this Congress has to act like it. 8:44:15 Sen. Mike Lee (UT): Many of my colleagues will argue—in fact some of them have argued just within the last few minutes—that we are somehow not involved in a war in Yemen. My distinguished friend and colleague, the Senator from Oklahoma, came to the floor a little while ago, and he said that we are not engaged in direct military action in Yemen. Let’s peel that back for a minute. Let’s figure out what that means. I am not sure what the distinction between direct and indirect is here. Maybe in a very technical sense—or under a definition of warfare or military action that has long since been rendered out- dated—we are not involved in that, but we are involved in a war. We are co-belligerents. The minute we start identifying targets or, as Secretary James Mattis put it about a year ago, in December 2017, the minute we are involved in the decisions involving making sure that they know the right stuff to hit, that is involvement in a war, and that is pretty direct. The minute we send up U.S. military aircraft to provide midair refueling assistance for Saudi jets en route to bombing missions, to combat missions on the ground in Yemen, that is our direct involvement in war. 8:48:00 Sen. Mike Lee (UT): Increasingly these days, our wars are high-tech. Very often, our wars involve cyber activities. They involve reconnaissance, surveillance, target selection, midair refueling. It is hard—in many cases, impossible—to fight a war without those things. That is what war is. Many of my colleagues, in arguing that we are not involved in hostilities, rely on a memorandum that is internal within the executive branch of the U.S. Government that was issued in 1976 that provides a very narrow, unreasonably slim definition of the word ‘‘hostilities.’’ It defines ‘‘hostilities’’ in a way that might have been relevant, that might have been accurate, perhaps, in the mid-19th century, but we no longer live in a world in which you have a war as understood by two competing countries that are lined up on opposite sides of a battlefield and engaged in direct exchanges of fire, one against another, at relatively short range. War encompasses a lot more than that. War certainly encompasses midair refueling, target selection, surveillance, and reconnaissance of the sort we are undertaking in Yemen. Moreover, separate and apart from this very narrow, unreasonably slim definition of ‘‘hostilities’’ as deter- mined by this internal executive branch document from 1976 that contains the outdated definition, we our- selves, under the War Powers Act, don’t have to technically be involved in hostilities. It is triggered so long as we ourselves are sufficiently involved with the armed forces of another nation when those armed forces of another nation are themselves involved in hostilities. I am speaking, of course, in reference to the War Powers Act’s pro- visions codified at 50 USC 1547(c). For our purposes here, it is important to keep in mind what that provisions reads: ‘‘For purposes of this chapter [under the War Powers Act], the term ‘introduction of United States Armed Forces’ includes the assignment of members of such Armed Forces to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular or irregular military forces of any foreign country or government when such military forces are engaged, or there exists an imminent threat that such forces will become engaged, in hostilities.’’ In what sense, on what level, on what planet are we not involved in the commanding, in the coordination, in the participation, in the movement of or in the accompaniment of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the civil war in Yemen? 9:57:15 Sen. Richard Blumenthal (CT): In March of this year, I led a letter to the Department of Defense with my colleague Senator JACK REED of Rhode Island, along with many of our colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, stating our concern regarding U.S. support for Saudi military operations against the Houthis in Yemen and asking about the DOD’s involvement, apparently without appropriate notification of Congress, and its agreements to provide refueling sup- port to the Saudis and the Saudi coalition partners. We were concerned that the DOD had not appropriately documented reimbursements for aerial re- fueling support provided by the United States. Eight months later—just days ago— the Department of Defense responded to our letter and admitted that it has failed to appropriately notify Congress of its support agreements; it has failed to adequately charge Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for fuel and refueling assistance. That admission 8 months after our inquiry is a damning indictment. These errors in accounting mean that the United States was directly funding the Saudi war in Yemen. It has been doing it since March of 2015. Video: Trump: Khashoggi case will not stop $110bn US-Saudi arms trade, The Guardian, October 12, 2018. Donald Trump: I would not be in favor of stopping from spending $110 billion, which is an all-time record, and letting Russia have that money, and letting China have that money. Because all their going to do is say, that's okay, we don't have to buy it from Boeing, we don't have to buy it from Lockheed, we don't have to buy it from Ratheon and all these great companies. We'll buy it from Russia and we'll buy it from China. So what good does that do us? Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward Middle East, House Foreign Affairs Committee, C-SPAN, April 18, 2018. Witnesses: David Satterfield: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Wess Mitchell: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Sound Clips: 18:00 David Satterfield: We all agree, as does the Congress, that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is unacceptable. Last month, the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided $1 billion to Yemen's humanitarian response appeal, and this complements the US government pledge of $87 million and more than $854 million contributed since beginning of fiscal year 2017. 19:45 Wess Mitchell: Turkey is a 66 year member of the NATO alliance and member of the defeat ISIS coalition. It has suffered more casualties from terrorism than any other ally and hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees. It supports the coalition through the use of Incirlik air base through its commitment of Turkish military forces against Isis on the ground in (Dibick? al-Bab?) And through close intelligence cooperation with the United States and other allies. Turkey has publicly committed to a political resolution in Syria that accords with UN Security Council. Resolution 2254. Turkey has a vested strategic interest in checking the spread of Iranian influence and in having a safe and stable border with Syria. Despite these shared interests, Turkey lately has increased its engagement with Russia and Iran. Ankara has sought to assure us that it sees this cooperation as a necessary stepping stone towards progress in the Geneva process, but the ease with which Turkey brokered arrangements with the Russian military to facilitate the launch of its Operation Olive Branch in Afrin district, arrangements to which America was not privy, is gravely concerning. Ankara claims to have agreed to purchase, to, to purchase the Russian S 400 missile system, which could potentially lead to sanctions under section 231 of CAATSA and adversely impact Turkey's participation in the F-35 program. It is in the American national interest to see Turkey remains strategically and politically aligned with the west. Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward Yemen, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, C-SPAN, April 17, 2018. Witnesses: Robert Jenkins: Deputy Assistant Administrator at USAID Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, & Humanitarian Assistance David Satterfield: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Robert Karem: Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Nominee and former Middle East Adviser to Vice President Cheney Sound Clips: 9:30 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Well, Yemen has always faced significant socioeconomic challenges. A civil war, which began with the Houthis armed takeover of much of the country in 2014 and their overthrow of Yemen's legitimate government in January 2015, has plunged the country into humanitarian crisis. 17:25 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Our first witness is acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, Ambassador David Satterfield. Ambassador Satterfield is one of the most distinguished, one of our most distinguished diplomats. He most recently served as director general, the multinational force and observers in the Sinai peninsula and previously served as US Abassador to Lebanon. 17:45 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Our second witness is Robert Jenkins, who serves as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for USA ID Bureau for Democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance. Mr. Jenkins, recently mark 20 years at USAID and previously served as the Director of Office of Transition Initiatives. 18:15 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Our third witness is Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Robert Kerem. Prior to his Senate confirmation last year, Mr. Karem served as National Security of Staff of Vice President Cheney and then as National Security Advisor to the House, majority leader's Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy. 20:15 David Satterfield: US military support serves a clear and strategic purpose to reinforce Saudi and Mrid self defense in the face of intensifying Houthi and Iranian enabled threats and to expand the capability of our Gulf partners to push back against Iran's regionally destabilizing actions. This support in turn provides the United States access and influence to help press for a political solution to the conflict. Should we curtail US military support? The Saudis could well pursue defense relationships with countries that have no interest in either ending the humanitarian crisis, minimizing civilian casualties or assisting and facilitating progress towards a political solution. Critical US access to support for our own campaign against violent extremists could be placed in jeopardy. 30:00 Robert Karem: Conflict in Yemen affects regional security across the Middle East, uh, and threatens US national security interests, including the free flow of commerce and the Red Sea. Just this month, the Houthi, his attack to Saudi oil tanker and the Red Sea threatening commercial shipping and freedom of navigation and the world's fourth busiest maritime choke point, the Bab el Mandeb. 32:00 Robert Karem: The Defense Department is currently engaged in two lines of effort in Yemen. Our first line of effort and our priority is the fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS in Yemen, two terrorist organizations that directly threaten the United States, our allies and our partners. To combat AQIP, AQAP, and ISIS, US forces in coordination with the UN recognized government of Yemen are supporting our regional key counter terrorism partners in ongoing operations to disrupt and degrade their ability to coordinate, plot and recruit for external terrorist operations. Additionally, US military forces are conducting airstrikes against AQAP and ISIS in Yemen pursuant to the 2001 a authorization for the use of military force to disrupt and destroy terrorist network networks. Our second line of effort is the provision of limited noncombat support to the Saudi led coalition in support of the UN recognized government of Yemen. The support began in 2015 under President Obama and in 2017 president Trump reaffirmed America's commitment to our partners in these efforts. Fewer than 50 US military personnel work in Saudi Arabia with the Saudi led coalition advising and assisting with the defense of Saudi territory, sharing intelligence and providing logistical support, including aerial refueling. 35:45 Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): Mr. Karem. I'm gonna Start with you. Um, in regards to the US military assistance that we give to the kingdom, you said that is to embolden their capacity and to reduce noncombatant casualties. Last March, the CENTCOM commander General Votel stated that the United States government does not track the end results of the coalition missions. It refills and supports with targeting assistance. So my question to you is, how do you determine that we are effectively reducing the non combatant casualties if we don't in fact track the results of the kingdoms military actions? Robert Karem: Senator, thank you. Um, it's correct that we do not monitor and track all of the Saudi aircraft, um, uh, a loft over Yemen. Uh, we have limited personnel and assets in order to do that. Uh, and CENTCOM's focus is obviously been on our own operations in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Syria. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): I understand that, but my question is, our stated mission is to reduce noncombat and casualties. If we don't track, how do we determine that? Robert Karem: So I think one of our stated missions is precisely that. Um, there are multiple ways that I think we do have insight into, uh, Saudi, uh, targeting behavior. Um, we have helped them with their processes. Um, we have seen them implement a no strike list. Um, and we have seen their, their, their uh, capabilities, uh, improved. So the information is based upon what the Saudis tell you, how they're conducting the mission rather than the after impact of the mission. I think our military officers who are resident in Saudi Arabia are seeing how the Saudis approach, uh, this, this effort that took getting effort. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): But you know, obviously the proof is in the results and we don't know whether the results are, there are not fair statement. Robert Karem: I think we do see a difference in how the Saudis have operated in Yemen, how they operate. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): I understand how they operate but we don't know whether in fact that's been effective. The United Nations Security Council panel of experts on Yemen concluded in recent reports that the cumulative effect of these airstrikes on civilian infrastructure demonstrates that even with precaution, cautionary measures were taken, they were largely inadequate and ineffective. Do you have any information that disagrees with that assessment? Robert Karem: Senator, I think the assessment of, uh, our central command is that the Saudi, uh, and Emirati targeting efforts, uh, have improved, um, uh, with the steps that they've taken. We do not have perfect understanding because we're not using all of our assets to monitor their aircraft, but we do get reporting from the ground on what taking place inside Yemen. 40:15 Sen. Rand Paul (KY): Ambassador Satterfield. I guess some people when they think about our strategy might question the idea of our strategy. You know, if your son was shooting off his pistol in the back yard and doing it indiscriminately and endangering the neighbors, would you give hmi more bullets or less? And we see the Saudis acting in an indiscriminate manner. They've bombed a funeral processions, they've killed a lot of civilians. And so our strategy is to give them more bombs, not less. And we say, well, if we don't give him the bomb, somebody else will. And that's sort of this global strategy, uh, that many in the bipartisan foreign policy consensus have. We have to, we have to always be involved. We always have to provide weapons or someone else will and they'll act even worse. But there's a, I guess a lot of examples that doesn't seem to be improving their behavior. Um, you could argue it's marginally better since we've been giving them more weapons, but it seems the opposite of logic. You would think you would give people less where you might withhold aid or withhold a assistance to the Saudis to get them to behave. But we do sort of the opposite. We give them more aid. What would your response be to that? David Satterfield: Senator, when I noted in my remarks that progress had been made on this issue of targeting, minimizing or mitigating civilian casualties, that phrase was carefully chosen into elaborate further on, uh, my colleagues remarks, uh, Robert Karem. We do work with the Saudis and have, particularly over the last six to nine months worked intensively on the types of munitions the Saudis are using, how they're using, how to discriminate target sets, how to assure through increased loiter time by aircraft that the targets sought are indeed clear of collateral or civilian damage. This is new. This is not the type of interaction… Sen. Rand Paul (KY): And yet the overall situation in Yemen is a, is a disaster. David Satterfield: The overall situation is extremely bad. Senator. Sen. Rand Paul (KY): I guess that's really my question. We had to rethink...And I think from a common sense point of view, a lot of people would question giving people who misbehave more weapons instead of giving them less on another question, which I think is a broad question about, you know, what we're doing in the Middle East in general. Um, you admitted that there's not really a military solution in Yemen. Most people say it's going to be a political solution. The Houthis will still remain. We're not going to have Hiroshima. We're not going to have unconditional surrender and the good guys win and the bad guys are vanquished. Same with Syria. Most people have said for years, both the Obama administration and this administration, probably even the Bush administration, the situation will probably be a political solution. They will no longer, it's not going to be complete vanquished meant of the enemy. We're also saying that in Afghanistan, and I guess my point as I think about that is I think about the recruiter at the station in Omaha, Nebraska, trying to get somebody to sign up for the military and saying, please join. We're going to send you to three different wars where there is no military solution. We're hoping to make it maybe a little bit better. I think back to Vietnam. Oh, we're going to take one more village. If we take one more village, they're going to negotiate and we get a little better negotiation. I just can't see sending our young men and women to die for that for one more village. You know the Taliban 40% in Afghanistan. Where are we going to get when they get to 30% don't negotiate and when we it, it'll be, it'll have been worth it for the people who have to go in and die and take those villages. I don't think it's one more life. I don't think it's worth one more life. The war in Yemen is not hard. We talk all about the Iranians have launched hundreds of missiles. Well, yeah, and the Saudis have launched 16,000 attacks. Who started it? It's a little bit murky back and forth. The, the Houthis may have started taking over their government, but that was a civil war. Now we're involved in who are the good guys of the Saudis, the good guys or the others, the bad guys. Thousands of civilians are dying. 17 million people live on the edge of starvation. I think we need to rethink whether or not military intervention supplying the Saudis with weapons, whether all of this makes any sense at all or whether we've made the situation worse. I mean, humanitarian crisis, we're talking about, oh, we're going to give my, the Saudis are giving them money and I'm like, okay, so we dropped, we bomb the crap out of them in this audience. Give them $1 billion. Maybe we could bomb last maybe part of the humanitarian answers, supplying less weapons to a war. There's a huge arms race going on. Why do the Iranians do what they do? They're evil. Or maybe they're responding to the Saudis who responded first, who started it? Where did the arms race start? But we sell $300 billion a weapons to Saudi Arabia. What are the Iranians going to do? They react. It's action and reaction throughout the Middle East. And so we paint the Iranians as the, you know, these evil monsters. And we just have to correct evil monster. But the world's a much more complicated place back and forth. And I, all I would ask is that we try to get outside our mindset that we, uh, what we're doing is working because I think what we're doing hasn't worked, and we've made a lot of things worse. And we're partly responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.  48:30 David Satterfield: The political picture on the ground in Yemen has changed radically with the death, the killing of a Ali Abdullah Saleh, uh, with the fragmentation of the General People's Congress. All of that, while tragic in many of its dimensions, has provided a certain reshuffling of the deck that may, we hope, allow the United Nations to be more effective in its efforts. 1:05:45 Sen. Todd Young (IN): Approximately how many people, Mr. Jenkins require humanitarian assistance in Yemen? David Jenkins: 22 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): What percent of the population is that? David Jenkins: Approximately 75% was the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance increase from last year. It increased by our, we're estimating 3.5 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): And how much has it increased? David Jenkins: About 3.5 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): Okay. How many are severely food insecure? David Jenkins: 17.8 million. Sen. Todd Young (IN): How many children are severely malnourished? David Jenkins: 460,000 Sen. Todd Young (IN): How many people lack access to clean water and working toilets? David Jenkins: We estimate it to be around 16 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): Does Yemen face the largest cholera outbreak in the world? David Jenkins: It does. Sen. Todd Young (IN): How many cholera cases have we seen in Yemen? David Jenkins: A suspected over a 1 million cases. Sen. Todd Young (IN): And how many lives has that cholera outbreak claim? David Jenkins: Almost 2100. 1:46:00 Robert Jenkins: I do know that the vast majority of people within that, the majority of people in need, and that 22 million number live in the northern part of the country that are accessible best and easiest by Hodeidah port, there is no way to take Hodeidah out of the equation and get anywhere near the amount of humanitarian and more importantly, even commercial goods into the country. Hearing: Violence in Yemen, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North America, C-SPAN, April 14, 2015. Witnesses: Gerald Feierstein: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Former Ambassador to Yemen (2010-2013) Sound Clips: 1:45 Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (FL): On September 10th of last year, President Obama announced to the American public his plan to degrade and destroy the terrorist group ISIL. While making his case for America's role in the fight against ISIL, the president highlighted our strategy in Yemen and held it up as a model of success to be emulated in the fight against ISIL. Yet about a week later, the Iran backed Houthis seized control of the capital and the government. Despite this, the administration continued to hail our counter-terror operations in Yemen as a model for success, even though we effectively had no partner on the ground since President Hadi was forced to flee. But perhaps even more astonishingly in what can only be described as an alarmingly tone deaf and short sighted, when Press Secretary Ernest was asked at a press briefing if this model was still successful after the Yemeni central government collapsed and the US withdrew all of our personnel including our special forces, he said yes, despite all indications pointing to the contrary. So where do we stand now? That's the important question. President Hadi was forced to flee. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition of over 10 Arab nations and Operation Decisive Storm, which so far has consisted of airstrikes only, but very well could include ground forces in the near future. 4:45 Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (FL): Iran has reportedly dispatched a naval destroyer near Yemen in a game of chicken over one of the most important shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden. This area is a gateway between Europe and the Middle East and ran was not be allowed to escalate any tensions nor attempt to disrupt the shipping lanes. 13:30 Rep. David Cicilline (NJ): I think it's safe to say that the quick deterioration of the situation in Yemen took many people here in Washington by surprise. For many years, Yemen was held up as an example of counter-terrorism cooperation and it looked as if a political agreement might be achieved in the aftermath of the Arab spring. The United States poured approximately $900 million in foreign aid to Yemen since the transition in 2011 to support counter-terrorism, political reconciliation, the economy and humanitarian aid. Now we face a vastly different landscape and have to revise our assumptions and expectations. Furthermore, we risk being drawn deeply into another Iranian backed armed conflict in the Middle East. 17:30 Rep. Ted Deutch (FL): Following the deposition of Yemen's longtime autocratic Saleh in 2011, the US supported an inclusive transition process. We had national dialogue aimed at rebuilding the country's political and governmental institutions and bridging gaps between groups that have had a long history of conflict. Yemen's first newly elected leader, President Hadi made clear his intentions to cooperate closely with the United States. 18:00 Rep. Ted Deutch (FL): Yemen, the poorest country on the peninsula, needed support from the international community. The United States has long viewed Yemen as a safe haven for all Qaeda terrorists, and there was alarming potential for recruitment by terrorist groups given the dire economic conditions that they faced. In fact, the US Department of Homeland Security considers al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the affiliate, most likely the al Qaeda affiliate, most likely to attempt transnational attacks against the United States. 18:30 Rep. Ted Deutch (FL): While the national dialogue was initially viewed as successful, the process concluded in 2014 with several key reforms still not completed, including the drafting of the new constitution. The Hadi government had continued to face deep opposition from Yemen's northern tribes, mainly the Shiite Iranian backed Houthi rebels, over the past year. The Houthis, in coordination with tribes and military units still loyal to Saleh, began increasing their territorial control, eventually moving in to Sanaa. Saleh had long been thought to have used his existing relationship to undermine the Hadi government. Houthis are well trained, well funded, and experienced fighters, having fought the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia in 2009. 23:15 Gerald Feierstein: I greatly appreciate this opportunity to come before you today to review recent developments in Yemen and the efforts that the United States is undertaking to support the government of Yemen under president Rabu Mansour Hadi and the Saudi led coalition of Operation Decisive Storm, that is aimed at restoring the legitimate government and restarting the negotiations to find peaceful political solutions to Yemen's internal conflict. 26:45 Gerald Feierstein: To the best of our understanding, the Houthis are not controlled directly by Iran. However, we have seen in recent years, significant growth and expansion of Iranian engagement with the Houthis. We believe that Iran sees opportunities with the Houthis to expand its influence in Yemen and threatened Saudi and Gulf Arab interests. Iran provides financial support, weapons training, and intelligence of the Houthis and the weeks and months since the Houthis entered Sanaa and forced the legitimate government first to resign and ultimately to flee from the capitol, we have seen a significant expansion of Iranian involvement in Yemen's domestic affairs. 27:30 Gerald Feierstein: We are also particularly concerned about the ongoing destabilizing role played by former President Saleh, who since his removal from power in 2011 has actively plotted to undermine President Hadi and the political transition process. Despite UN sanctions and international condemnation of his actions, Saleh continues to be one of the primary sources of the chaos in Yemen. We have been working with our Gulf partners and the international community to isolate him and prevent the continuation of his efforts to undermine the peaceful transition. Success in that effort will go a long way to helping Yemen return to a credible political transition process. 42:00 Gerald Feierstein: From our perspective, I would say that that Yemen is a unique situation for the Saudis. This is on their border. It represents a threat in a way that no other situation would represent. 52:30 Gerald Feierstein: I mean, obviously our hope would be that if we can get the situation stabilized and get the political process going again, that we would be able to return and that we would be able to continue implementing the kinds of programs that we were trying to achieve that are aimed at economic growth and development as well as supporting a democratic governance and the opportunity to try to build solid political foundations for the society. At this particular moment, we can't do that, but it's hard to predict where we might be in six months or nine months from now. 1:10:00 Gerald Feierstein: When the political crisis came in Yemen in 2011, AQAP was able to take advantage of that and increase its territorial control, to the extent that they were actually declaring areas of the country to be an Islamic caliphate, not unlike what we see with ISIL in Iraq and Syria these days. Because of our cooperation, primarily our cooperation with the Yemeni security forces, uh, we were able to, uh, to defeat that, uh, at a significant loss of a life for AQAP. Uh, as a result of that, they changed their tactics. They went back to being a more traditional terrorist organization. They were able to attack locations inside of, uh, inside of Sanaa and and elsewhere. But the fact of the matter is that, uh, that we, uh, were achieving a progress in our ability to pressure them, uh, and, uh, to keep them on the defensive as opposed to giving them lots of time. And remember in 2009 in 2010, uh, we saw AQAP mount a fairly serious efforts - the underwear bomber and then also the cassette tape effort to attack the United States. After 2010, uh, they were not able to do that, uh, despite the fact that their intent was still as clear and as strong as it was before. And so a while AQAP was by no means defeated and continue to be a major threat to security here in the United States as well as in Yemen and elsewhere around the world, nevertheless, I think that it was legitimate to say that we had achieved some success in the fight against AQAP. Unfortunately what we're seeing now because of the change in the situation again, inside of Yemen, uh, is that we're losing some of the gains that we were able to make, uh, during that period of 2012 to 2014. That's why it's so important that we, uh, have, uh, the ability to get the political negotiation started again, so that we can re-establish legitimate government inside of Sanaa that will cooperate with us once again in this fight against violent extremist organizations. 1:16:45 Rep. Ted Yoho (FL): How can we be that far off? And I know you explained the counter-terrorism portion, but yet to have a country taken over while we're sitting there working with them and this happens. I feel, you know, it just kinda happened overnight the way our embassy got run out of town and just says, you have to leave. Your marines cannot take their weapons with them. I, I just, I don't understand how that happens or how we can be that disconnected. Um, what are your thoughts on that? Gerald Feierstein: You know, it was very, it was very frustrating. Again, I think that, if you go back to where we were a year ago, the successful conclusion of the National Dialogue Conference, which was really the last major hurdle and completion of the GCC initiative, Houthis participated in that. They participated in the constitutional drafting exercise, which was completed successfully. Uh, and so we were in the process of moving through all of the requirements of the GCC initiative that would allow us to complete successfully the political transition. I think there were a combination of things. One, that there was a view on the part of the Houthis that they were not getting everything that they wanted. They were provoked, in our view, by Ali Abdullah Saleh, who never stopped plotting from the very first day after he signed the agreement on the GCC initiative. He never stopped plotting to try to block the political transition, and there was, to be frank, there was a weakness in the government and an inability on the part of the government to really build the kind of alliances and coalition that would allow them to sustain popular support and to bring this to a successful conclusion. And so I think that all through this period there was a sense that we were moving forward and that we believed that we could succeed in implementing this peaceful transition. And yet we always knew that on the margins there were threats and there were risks, and unfortunately we got to a point where the Houthis and Ali Abdullah Saleh, my personal view is that they recognized that they had reached the last possible moment, where they could obstruct the peaceful political transition that was bad for them because it would mean that they wouldn't get everything that they wanted, and so they saw that time was running out for them, and they decided to act. And unfortunately, the government was unable to stop them. Hearing: Targeted Killing of Terrorist Suspects Overseas, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, C-SPAN, April 23, 2013. Sound Clips: 44:30 Farea al-Muslimi: My name as you mentioned, is Farea al-Muslimi, and I am from Wessab, a remote village mountain in Yemen. I spent a year living with an American family and attended an American high school. That was one of the best years of my life. I learned about American culture, managed the school basketball team and participated in trick or treat and Halloween. But the most exceptional was coming to know someone who ended up being like a father to me. He was a member of the U S Air Force and most of my year was spent with him and his family. He came to the mosque with me and I went to church with him and he became my best friend in America. I went to the U.S. as an ambassador for Yemen and I came back to Yemen as an ambassador of the U.S. I could never have imagined that the same hand that changed my life and took it from miserable to a promising one would also drone my village. My understanding is that a man named Hamid al-Radmi was the target of the drone strike. Many people in Wessab know al-Radmi, and the Yemeni government could easily have found and arrested him. al-Radmi was well known to government officials and even local government could have captured him if the U.S. had told them to do so. In the past, what Wessab's villagers knew of the U.S. was based on my stories about my wonderful experiences had. The friendships and values I experienced and described to the villagers helped them understand the America that I know and that I love. Now, however, when they think of America, they think of the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads ready to fire missiles at any time. What violent militants had previously failed to achieve one drone strike accomplished in an instant. 1:17:30 Farea al-Muslimi: I think the main difference between this is it adds into Al Qaeda propaganda of that Yemen is a war with the United States. The problem of Al Qaeda, if you look to the war in Yemen, it's a war of mistakes. The less mistake you make, the more you win, and the drones have simply made more mistakes than AQAP has ever done in the matter of civilians. News Report: Untold Stories of the underwear bomber: what really happened, ABC News 7 Detroit, September 27, 2012. Part 1 Part 2 Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward Yemen, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, C-SPAN, July 19, 2011. Witnesses: Janet Sanderson: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Daniel Benjamin: State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator Sound Clips: 21:00 Janet Sanderson: The United States continues its regular engagement with the government, including with President Ali, Abdullah Saleh, who's currently, as you know, recovering in Saudi Arabia from his injuries following the June 3rd attack on his compound, the acting president, Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the opposition, civil society activists, and others interested in Yemen's future. We strongly support the Gulf Cooperation Council's initiative, which we believe would lead to a peaceful and orderly political transition. The GCC initiative signed by both the ruling General People's Congress party and the opposition coalition, joint meeting parties. Only president Saleh is blocking the agreement moving forward and we continue to call on him to sign the initiative. 22:30 Janet Sanderson: While most protests in Yemen have been peaceful over the last couple of months, there have been violent clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators and between protesters and government security forces and irregular elements using forced to break up demonstrations. The United States is strongly urged the Yemeni government to investigate and prosecute all acts of violence against protesters. 27:00 Janet Sanderson: We strongly believe that a transition is necessary, that an orderly, peaceful transition is the only way to begin to lead Yemen out of the crisis that it has been in for the last few months. 34:30 Daniel Benjamin: Really, I just want to echo what ambassador Sanderson said. It is vitally important that the transition take place. 1:02:15 Daniel Benjamin: The the view from the administration, particularly from a DOD, which is doing of course, the lion's share of the training, although State Department through anti-terrorism training is doing, uh, uh, a good deal as well, is that the Yemenis are, uh, improving their capacities, that they are making good progress towards, uh, being, able to deal with the threats within their border. But it is important to recognize that, uh, uh, our engagement in Yemen was interrupted for many years. Uh, Yemen, uh, did not have the kind of mentoring programs, the kind of training programs that many of our other counter-terrorism partners had. Um, it was really when the Obama administration came into office that a review was done, uh, in, in March of, uh, beginning in March of 2009, it was recognized that Yemen was a major challenge in the world of counter terrorism. And it was not until, uh, December after many conversations with the Yemenis that we really felt that they were on-board with the project and in fact took their first actions against AQAP. This, as you may recall, was just shortly before the attempted, uh, December 25th bombing of the northwest flight. So this is a military and a set of, uh, Ministry of Interior that is civilian, uh, units that are making good progress, but obviously have a lot to learn. So, uh, again, vitally important that we get back to the work of training these units so that they can, uh, take on the missions they need to. Press Conference: Yemen Conference, C-SPAN, January 27, 2010. Speakers: David Miliband - British Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton - Secretary of State Abu Bakr al-Kurbi - Yemeni Foreign Minister Sound Clips: 3:30 David Miliband: And working closely with the government of Yemen, we decided that our agenda needed to cover agreement on the nature of the problem and then address the, uh, solutions across the economic, social, and political terrain. Five key items were agreed at the meeting for the way in which the international community can support progress in Yemen. First, confirmation by the government of Yemen, that it will continue to pursue its reform agenda and agreement to start discussion of an IMF program. The director of the IMF represented at the meeting made a compelling case for the way in which economic reform could be supported by the IMF. This is important because it will provide welcome support and help the government of Yemen confront its immediate challenges. 11:45 Hillary Clinton: The United States just signed a three year umbrella assistance agreement with the government of Yemen that will augment Yemen's capacity to make progress. This package includes initiatives that will cover a range of programs, but the overarching goal of our work is to increase the capacity and governance of Yemen and give the people of Yemen the opportunity to better make choices in their own lives. President Saleh has outlined a 10 point plan for economic reform along with the country's national reform agenda. Those are encouraging signs of progress. Neither, however, will mean much if they are not implemented. So we expect Yemen to enact reforms, continue to combat corruption, and improve the country's investment in business climate. 15:45 Abu Bakr al-Kurbi: This commitment also stems from our belief that the challenges we are facing now cannot be remedied unless we implement this agenda of reforms and the 10 points that her exellency alluded to because this is now a priority number of issues that we have to start with, and I hope this is what will be one of the outcomes of this meeting. 16:30 Hillary Clinton: One of the factors that's new is the IMF's involvement and commitment. the IMF has come forward with a reform agenda that the government of Yemen has agreed to work on. 24:30 Hillary Clinton: We were pleased by the announcement of a cease fire, um, between the Saudis and the Houthis. That should lead, we hope, to broader negotiations and a political dialogue that might lead to a permanent, uh, end to the conflict in the north. It's too soon to tell. The Daily Show with John Stewart: Terror 2.0 by Yemen - Sad Libs, CC.com, January 6, 2010. The Daily Show with John Stewart: Terror 2.0 by Yemen, CC.com, January 4, 2010. Community Suggestions See Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

In this month’s episode we welcome two guests from the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  Eric Letvin, FEMA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator of Mitigation and John Ingargiola, Lead Physical Scientist of FEMA’s Building Science Branch join us to discuss pre-disaster mitigation, a prevalent topic after the series of tragic natural disasters in 2017.  Episode Duration: 00:24:14 Related article: IBHS selects Roy Wright as new CEO and President  Additional resources: Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program   Flood Mitigation Assistance Program National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program  

Jim Peters serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator and Acting Global Water Coordinator in USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3). Jim’s career with the Agency has spanned more than 20 years, and prior to his current role with USAID, he served as Deputy Mission Director for USAID/Pakistan. In this podcast, Jim speaks with Global Waters … Continue reading Jim Peters on Water Improvements in Kenya and the U.S. Government Global Water Strategy →

Dr. Erin Albert welcomes back Joseph T. Rannazzisi Deputy Assistant Administrator (RETIRED), Office of Diversion Control, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for the final segment of the 3 part series.  About Joseph T. Rannazzisi Joe Rannazzisi, JD, RPh, began his career with the U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) in 1986. He served as a staff pharmacist at the Veterans Administration for the 18 months preceding his employment with DEA. During his DEA career, he served as a Diversion Investigator (Indianapolis), Special Agent/Criminal Investigator (Indianapolis/Detroit), Clandestine Laboratory Coordinator (Detroit), Homicide Task Force Supervisor (Detroit), Staff Coordinator (Domestic Operations-Headquarters), Section Chief (Dangerous Drugs and Chemicals Section-Headquarters), Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Detroit), and Deputy Chief (Office of Enforcement Operations-Headquarters). In January 2006 he was appointed to Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of Diversion Control, a position he held until his retirement in October 2015. In this capacity, Mr. Rannazzisi was responsible for overseeing and coordinating major pharmaceutical and chemical diversion investigations; the drafting and promulgating of regulations; establishing drug production quotas; and conducting liaison with the pharmaceutical industry, international governments, state governments, other federal agencies, and local law enforcement agencies. He earned a BS degree in pharmacy from Butler University and a JD degree from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. He is a Registered Pharmacist in the State of Indiana and a member of the Michigan State Bar Association. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joseph T. Rannazzisi Deputy Assistant Administrator (RETIRED), Office of Diversion Control, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Joe Rannazzisi, JD, RPh, began his career with the U.S. Drug Enforcement(DEA) in 1986. He served as a staff pharmacist at the Veterans Administration for the 18 months preceding his employment with DEA. During his DEA career, he served as a Diversion Investigator (Indianapolis), Special Agent/Criminal Investigator (Indianapolis/Detroit), Clandestine Laboratory Coordinator (Detroit), Homicide Task Force Supervisor (Detroit), Staff Coordinator (Domestic Operations-Headquarters), Section Chief (Dangerous Drugs and Chemicals Section-Headquarters), Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Detroit), and Deputy Chief (Office of Enforcement Operations-Headquarters). In January 2006, he was appointed to Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of Diversion Control, a p

Joseph T. Rannazzisi Deputy Assistant Administrator (RETIRED), Office of Diversion Control, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Joe Rannazzisi, JD, RPh, began his career with the U.S. Drug Enforcement(DEA) in 1986. He served as a staff pharmacist at the Veterans Administration for the 18 months preceding his employment with DEA. During his DEA career, he served as a Diversion Investigator (Indianapolis), Special Agent/Criminal Investigator (Indianapolis/Detroit), Clandestine Laboratory Coordinator (Detroit), Homicide Task Force Supervisor (Detroit), Staff Coordinator (Domestic Operations-Headquarters), Section Chief (Dangerous Drugs and Chemicals Section-Headquarters), Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Detroit), and Deputy Chief (Office of Enforcement Operations-Headquarters). In January 2006, he was appointed to Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of Diversion Control, a position he held until his retirement in October 2015. In this capacity, Mr. Rannazzisi was responsible for overseeing and coordinating major pharmaceutical and chemical diversion investigations; the drafting and promulgating of regulations; establishing drug production quotas; and conducting liaison with the pharmaceutical industry, international governments, state governments, other federal agencies, and local law enforcement agencies. Mr. Rannazzisi earned a BS degree in pharmacy from Butler University and a JD degree from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. He is a Registered Pharmacist in the State of Indiana and a member of the Michigan State Bar Association. Mr. Rannazzisi's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-rannazzisi-35a35a58/ Careers at DEA: https://www.dea.gov/careers/agent/mobile/diversity.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian Holmes is Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, and the Agency’s first-ever Global Water Coordinator. In his capacity as Global Water Coordinator, Holmes has been responsible for overseeing the Agency’s water programming portfolio since 2011. As he departs from the Agency in January 2017, Holmes sat down with … Continue reading Christian Holmes on WASH Accomplishments and Lessons Learned →

TOPICFinance Strategies, Sustainable Development, and Future Benefits IN THIS EPISODE[01:11] Shalini Vajjhala is introduced. [02:10] Shalini tells about the moment when the idea of re:focus partners came into existence. [05:27] Shalini shares what re:focus partners is and the work it takes on. [06:56] Does Shalini have a favorite project or a project she thinks was particularly innovative or successful? [09:20] Shalini discusses the progress of her favorite project and how it is being financed. [11:05] Shalini explains if the majority of RE.bound projects are in post-catastrophe situations. [16:24] Is there a catastrophe bond currently in place? [17:22] Shalini elaborates on the financial flow of the catastrophe bonds. [19:00] Shalini discusses the insurance policy transaction. [21:40] Has the insurance industry been receptive or supportive? [23:10] How does this work impact low-income communities? [27:48] Has re:focus developed any reports about the results of Hurricane Katrina? [28:55] Shalini shares where people can learn more about re:focus partners. [29:17] Shalini provides one change that would lead to smarter, more sustainable, and more equitable communities. [29:52] Shalini states the action listeners can take to help build a more equitable and sustainable future. [30:35] Shalini shares what disaster preparedness and community resilience look like 30 years from now. GUEST/ORGANIZATION Shalini Vajjhala is the Founder and CEO of re:focus partners. Shalini has an interdisciplinary background with over a decade of experience in green design, engineering, economics, and policy. Before starting re:focus partners, Shalini served as Special Representative in the Office of Administrator Lisa Jackson at the US Environmental Protection Agency. In this position, she led the US-Brazil Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability (JIUS) announced in March 2011 by Presidents Obama and Rousseff. The JIUS was a signature initiative of the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), demonstrating how environmental protection can serve as a driver for economic growth and job creation in building the greener economies and smarter cities of the future. Previously, Shalini served as Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of International & Tribal Affairs at the US EPA and as Deputy Associate Director for Energy and Climate at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. She joined the Obama Administration from Resources for the Future, where she was awarded a patent for her work on the Adaptation Atlas. Shalini received her Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy and B.Arch in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. re:focus partners are social entrepreneurs with expertise in public policy and sustainable development. They design integrated resilient infrastructure systems — including water, waste, and energy projects —and develop new public-private partnerships to align public funds and leverage private investment for vulnerable communities around the world. TAKEAWAY QUOTES“My work has taken a number of really interesting turns over the last few years, most of which look much more coherent in hindsight than I could have ever planned them out to be, but the common thread is actually working with communities on designing both policy systems and actual infrastructure services for the most vulnerable.” “A lot of environmental mandates are really difficult to comply with for cities that are really trying to do the right thing. So take, for example, a city like Philadelphia that was dealing with a failing stormwater system—the systems that are designed to manage sewers and storm flows—and Philly did something really creative: they actually announced that they were going to try to move to 100% green infrastructure.” “re:focus was really born out of trying to build a new approach for how governments could work with the private sector, with new investors, and with communities directly to...

Christian Holmes is Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment, and the Agency’s first Global Water Coordinator. Mr. Holmes is responsible for overseeing the Agency’s global water portfolio. In observance of World Water Day’s 2016 theme — water and jobs — Mr. Holmes talks with Global Waters Radio about the … Continue reading Christian Holmes on Water, Jobs, and Gender Equity →

Nils Daulaire, former Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spoke about “Negotiating Act Three for Global Health on the World’s Stage,” in a live webcast on January 28. Dr. Nils Daulaire served in the Obama Administration as Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as the United States Representative on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, as well as Alternate U.S. Board Member to the Global Fund. Earlier, he served in the Clinton Administration as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development. For over a decade, Dr. Daulaire was president and CEO of the Global Health Council, which led policy and advocacy efforts to improve maternal and child health, reproductive health and family planning, HIV/AIDS and infectious disease control in the poorest populations around the world. Earlier in his career, Dr. Daulaire worked for the John Snow Public Health Group, much of the time resident in Nepal where he conducted groundbreaking field research on community-based management of childhood pneumonia and vitamin A deficiency. He comes to Harvard following a year as Senior Visiting Scholar on Global Health Security at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and previously was a clinical professor of global health at the University of Washington and visiting professor of community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine as well as the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Daulaire has worked with over 50 countries around the globe and speaks seven languages.