Author: WeWorldMedia-admin

Legal Services, Disaster Case Managers Available to Survivors

Published: 6 August 2025
Categories: FEMA News

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

AUSTIN, Texas – Unexpected legal issues may arise after a disaster that can leave individuals and families devastated. If you are facing legal issues resulting from the July storms and flooding in Central Texas, you can get free legal advice.

Flood survivors can also receive assistance from the Disaster Case Management program, where a case manager can help you access a broad range of resources and keep your recovery moving forward.

FEMA funds the disaster legal services program, managed by the State Bar of Texas. The bar’s toll-free hotline connects low-income, elderly and other vulnerable flood survivors with legal aid providers in their area. Survivors can get advice on how to replace lost documents. Lawyers can also answer insurance questions and advise about landlord-tenant issues, home repair contracts and contractors.

The hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-504-7030. If there’s no answer, leave a message. People who qualify for assistance will be matched with Texas lawyers who can provide free, limited legal help. For more information, visit TexasBar.com. 

FEMA also funds the Disaster Case Management program, which provides help to eligible flood survivors from Burnet, Guadalupe, Kerr, Kimble, McCulloch, Menard, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis and Williamson counties. Voluntary, faith-based and community organizations may refer survivors to a case manager. That person becomes their single point of contact as they build and

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NSF invests in AI-ready test beds to accelerate U.S. leadership

Published: 6 August 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced over $2 million in planning grants to support the development of artificial intelligence-ready test beds — real-world environments that will accelerate the design, evaluation and deployment of AI technologies across sectors critical to America’s economy and prosperity.

The initiative is a joint effort led by the NSF directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (NSF CISE) and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP), implementing a priority issued in the White House’s recent AI Action Plan to invest in secure, real-world settings that allow researchers to prototype new AI systems and translate them to the market.

“The AI-ready test beds program is uniquely NSF,” said Ellen Zegura, NSF acting assistant director for CISE. “It leverages critical, existing test environments to drive AI progress. This initiative not only builds the foundation for new breakthroughs in AI research but also helps bridge the gap between research and applications by connecting researchers with real-world challenges and enabling them to explore how AI can be most effectively applied in practice.”

As AI systems become increasingly integrated into areas ranging from emergency response to wireless networks, evaluating their reliability and performance beyond controlled settings is essential to developing long-term, impactful solutions that benefit the nation. NSF’s test bed investments ensure that AI breakthroughs are tested for impact, scalability and built to serve the public

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Petroleum prices reacted to economic and geopolitical uncertainty in the second quarter

Published: 6 August 2025
Categories: US Energy Information Administration

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

In-brief analysis

August 6, 2025

Data source: CME Group, Bloomberg L.P.
Note: Refinery margin is calculated as the 3-2-1 crack spread on the U.S. Atlantic Coast, which represents the price of two barrels of gasoline and one barrel of distillate fuel oil minus three barrels of Brent crude oil. 2Q25=second quarter of 2025

Energy prices—along with other globally traded commodities, equities, and currencies—were more volatile in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25) amid significant uncertainty from concerns over economic growth as well as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The geopolitical uncertainty has affected crude oil prices and refinery margins, and shifting government policies have affected biofuel compliance credit prices.

Crude oil prices
After adjusting for inflation, the Brent crude oil price decreased from nearly $75 per barrel (b) at the beginning of April to $64/b in

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