Flying soon? Make sure you have a Real ID
After years of delay, Hoosiers and other state residents will need a Real ID to pass through airport security and enter federal government buildings starting on May 7. In Indiana, a black star cutout in the upper right-hand corner signifies if a driver's license is Real ID compliant.
The law establishing a Real ID passed in 2005, following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission to establish a national standard for government-issued identification, such as driver's licenses.
But implementation took longer than anticipated. Federal entities repeatedly extended the deadline for 14 years to give state motor vehicle departments time to comply, according to a 2022 NPR story.
An Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles spokesperson told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that Indiana started offering Real ID on Jan. 1, 2010. A recent CBS News analysis found that 81% of Indiana driver's licenses are compliant — which the agency attributed to 'slow and steady growth' over the years.
'Since the introduction of Real ID, the BMV has adhered to all federal mandates regarding the documentation required to apply for a Real ID credential,' said Sarah Dickerson, a communications and engagement manager, in a statement. 'We encourage Hoosiers who are interested to reference the Real ID Checklist on our website, since many specific documents are needed.'
Such documentation includes the following: proof of identity, proof of name or gender changes, proof of lawful status, proof of social security and proof of Indiana residency.
As detailed in a BMV list, this can include multiple other forms of identity, such as an unexpired U.S. passport, original birth certificate, social security cards, certificate of naturalization and more.
The requirements can be challenging for some to meet. For instance, a W-2 form can be proof of Indiana residency — but only if it includes the full, nine-digit social security number and not only the last four digits.
Married women or those who changed their name for another reason face another hurdle, especially those who married decades ago and must produce their original marriage certificate to prove their name change.
Dorothy Ballone, who changed her name seven decades ago, had her Real ID application rejected when she couldn't produce her original marriage certificate, she told a Rochester, New York TV station.
Neither the church where she got married nor the town hall kept records that far back.
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The rule also impacts those who transitioned to another gender, adoptees or couples who choose to hyphenate their last names.
The BMV documentation checklist includes a caveat at the bottom specifically for Hoosiers who fall into this category.
'If your current name does not match your identity document due to a name change … you may need to provide additional government-issued documents to support any or all name changes,' according to the footnote. 'For example, if you were born Jane Smith and then married Tom Cooper and your legal name is not Jane Cooper, you will need to bring your marriage license.'
Having a valid passport with your changed name would also meet the requirement.
Dickerson, with the BMV, urged Hoosiers in this category to work with their local branch to meet documentation requirements.
'Customers with complex situations face challenges similar to those they've had for years. This is seen more frequently with married women and those going through a divorce,' said Dickerson. 'Our branch staff are well-trained and skilled in completing Real ID transactions. Often, if a customer doesn't have all the proper documents, a staff member will explain what is needed to ensure they are able to complete the transaction next time.'
To learn more about Real ID and answer specific questions, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website or contact your local BMV branch.
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Los Angeles Times
13 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Months after the Jan. 7 fires, L.A.'s evacuation plans remain untested
Just before sunrise on Nov. 8, 2018, a power line fell from a wind-worn Pacific Gas & Electric transmission tower and whipped into the structure nestled in the Sierra foothills. An electric arc sent molten metal into the dry vegetation below. It ignited. Five minutes later, a PG&E employee spotted the fire while driving on a nearby highway and reported it. Within two hours of the sighting, the town of Paradise, seven miles away, sent its first evacuation order, but it was already too late. Within two minutes, flames were reported at the town's edge. Landing embers quickly ignited dozens of spot fires in town. With only four major roads out of town, the streets quickly gridlocked. Paradise burned. Sixty-four people died in Paradise during the agonizing seven-hour evacuation. Six of them were found in or next to their cars as they tried to evacuate. Marc Levine, a state legislator at the time, listened over radio to the horrific scenes of people, stuck in traffic, abandoning their cars to flee on foot. 'It made me think of the people falling from the World Trade Centers on 9/11,' he said. 'They were going to be incinerated or they were going to jump. … They knew they would die either way.' So, Levine wrote legislation requiring California cities and counties to analyze whether their roads could support a quick evacuation during emergencies such as fires, floods and tsunamis. Assembly Bill 747 passed in 2019. Yet, to date, the city of Los Angeles has failed to publicly report such an analysis, while fire safety advocates say L.A. County's evacuation analysis fails to meet the law's requirements. The Times reached out to nearly a dozen city, county and state agencies involved with evacuation planning. All either did not respond to requests for comment, could not to point to an evacuation analysis in line with the state's guidelines for AB 747 or indicated the responsibility for doing the work lie with other agencies. 'The fact that local government leaders would not do as much as they can to protect human life and safety is just shocking to me,' Levine said. In January, the streets of Pacific Palisades mirrored the scene that distressed Levine in 2018. Traffic was at a standstill on Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive — two of the only routes out of the burning landscape. When a spot fire exploded next to the route, police ran down the street, shouting at evacuees to run for their lives. Every year, dozens of evacuations are ordered in California, organized and completed without any casualties — or even a news story. In these cases, public safety officials have all the lead time that they need to organize a safe and orderly evacuation before a fire reaches a community. But it's the much more dire evacuation scenarios — when the lead time is shorter than the time it takes to evacuate, like in the Palisades — where emergency planning is both most important and often ignored. 'There's no incentive to ever present an evacuation plan that isn't very positive,' said Thomas Cova, a professor at the University of Utah who studies wildfire evacuation analysis. 'Why would an emergency planner — say some young upstart in an emergency operation center — ever want to present a plan to their colleagues that involves some people burning?' The chaos of these worst-case scenario evacuations often look nothing like the orderly phased evacuations cities often focus on. Unlike in 'blue sky' evacuations, smoke can hinder visibility and cause crashes. Often whole towns must leave at once. Power outages can prevent public safety officials from communicating with residents. It's why Marylee Guinon — president of the State Alliance for Firesafe Road Regulations, an advocacy group aimed at protecting and expanding the state's community fire safety requirements — suspects AB 747 is facing pushback from local governments. 'They don't want data that would tell them that it's going to be a nine-hour evacuation,' she said. All the while, the risk of fast-moving fires is growing. In a 2024 study, researchers from the University of Colorado in Boulder analyzed more than 60,000 fires documented by NASA satellites in the first two decades of the 21st century. By 2020, fires in California were growing, on average, four times faster than they were in 2001. AB 747 requires local governments to include their evacuation analyses in the safety element of their general plan — the long-term blueprint for future development of a city or county. The city of L.A.'s current safety element provides no such analysis. Instead, it simply lists evacuation planning as 'ongoing.' In a statement to The Times, the city's Planning Department, responsible for writing and revising the general plan, said details of evacuation routes are not made publicly available since 'large urban cities such as the City of Los Angeles are high profile targets for terrorist attacks.' The city did not immediately clarify what legal authority it has to keep the analysis private as California law generally requires safety elements to be public. 'It is a mystery how hiding evacuation route capacity and viability can save lives when community members are fleeing a natural disaster,' Levine said in an email to The Times. 'It is a dubious claim that terrorists could possibly be well positioned to take advantage of such a catastrophic situation.' Meanwhile, the county said it complied through an analysis it included in its 2025 safety element. However, fire safety advocates criticized the county's analysis as simplistic and failing to adequately determine whether quick and safe evacuations are feasible. The Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, which provides guidance on state planning laws, recommended that local governments use traffic software to simulate different evacuations to estimate how long they might take. Instead, the county grabbed a list of all roads in unincorporated areas within its borders and listed them as 'evacuation routes' so long as they were paved, public and not a dead end. The intent of the law is 'not 'just list the roads you have,'' Levine said. 'So I'm super disappointed that L.A. County is dismissive in this way. You would expect, particularly post this year's fires, Palisades and Eaton, they would take this far more seriously.' When pressed on their deviations from the state's guidance, both the city and county planning departments passed the buck to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which indicated in assessments that the two departments' safety elements were compliant. Cal Fire, however, said that its assessments were nonbinding and that complying with the law falls on the city and county. Yet, none of the local or state agencies directly responded to an inquiry from The Times asking them to explain the discrepancy between the guidance and the safety elements. The city and county both have detailed evacuation plans that coordinate how public safety officials in the emergency operations, police and fire departments would orchestrate a mass exodus. However, the analysis of roadway networks to estimate how long those evacuations — even if perfectly orchestrated — may take, is different. 'Historically, fire agencies put forth evacuation plans that are operationally driven,' said retired fire Battalion Chief Doug Flaherty. 'They talk about communications. They talk about unified command. … What is missing is an actual detailed, road-by-roadway capacity analysis of the time that it's going to take for people to safely evacuate the area.' For Guinon, the lack of follow-through from cities and counties across the state is indicative of a common trend in wildfire legislation. 'Virtually every piece of legislation that I dig into, I find out it was the result of a tragic catastrophe,' she said. 'This legislation comes out with really, really clear intent over and over, and then it gets forgotten.' Despite the complexity of simulating cars on a computerized network of roads to understand evacuation times, the scientific prowess exists — and the software to do it is widely accessible. When Flaherty, a Tahoe Basin resident, became frustrated with his area's lack of movement on the issue, he commissioned an evacuation study through his nonprofit, The retired fire battalion chief, with 50 years of emergency response planning experience under his belt, partnered with Leo Zlimen, fresh out of UC Berkeley and co-founder of the emergency management software startup Ladris. 'We fell into this wildfire space because everywhere we looked, people were [asking] 'draw a circle on the map and tell me how long it takes to get those people out,'' Zlimen said. 'And it turns out, that's actually a really complicated problem.' Ladris' software simulates realistic fire evacuations. It starts by taking a map of roads in a community and plopping little purple dots at virtually every home. Each one represents a vehicle. A fire starts on the map. It spreads. The purple dots get orders to flee, and the evacuation starts. The computer can play out a multihour evacuation in mere seconds, and it can account for an excruciating amount of detail. A roadblock, representing a falling tree or car crash, can stop purple dots from using a portion of the road. Some purple dots, not realizing how dire the situation is, wait an extra few minutes — or hours — to evacuate. The dots even wait their turn at stop signs, crosswalks and traffic lights. Ladris' program almost looks like a video game. Officials can test evacuation scenarios far in advance or in real time during an emergency. The company is also working to use artificial intelligence to help quickly configure scenarios so users can almost literally 'draw a circle on the map' and get an evacuation time. Flaherty said his detailed Tahoe Basin study, a comprehensive analysis based on Ladris' simulations, had a price tag just shy of $100,000 — roughly equivalent to the cost of installing one traffic light in town. 'In the scheme of things, it's very cost effective and reasonably priced,' he said. Another piece of software from Old Dominion University — simpler than Ladris' — is available to the public for free. It takes less than half an hour to set up a simulation in the program, called FLEET (for 'Fast Local Emergency Evacuation Times'). Consequently, it's been used not only by local governments making fire evacuation plans, but also by Scouting America troops interested in flood hazards and event planners wondering how bad the postgame traffic may be. Among those using FLEET simulations for evacuation planning: the town of Paradise. After the Camp fire, Paradise became an inadvertent experiment in how towns can better prepare for evacuations. After the disaster, it won a $199-million federal grant for infrastructure projects designed to rebuild Paradise into a more fire-safe town. Before the fire, the town's entire yearly budget was around $12 million. After the Camp fire, Paradise hired a traffic consulting firm that used FLEET. It found an evacuation would take over five hours under perfect conditions while utilizing all traffic lanes. It then used the modeling to understand what could be done to alter traffic flow to reduce that time. For Paradise — as is the case for many towns — a big problem is traffic bottlenecks: To evacuate, virtually the entire town has to use one of four main roads. The seemingly most straight-forward solution? Build more roads. However, these projects get complicated fast, said Marc Mattox, Paradise's public works director and town engineer. Often the roads that a municipality needs to improve evacuation would have to go through private property — a nonstarter for residents in the proposed path. Or, it's simply too costly. Although Paradise has received funds to widen two evacuation routes and connect three dead ends with the rest of town, a new evacuation route out of town would be prohibitively expensive. Mattox estimated such a route, navigating Paradise's steep ridges and canyons, would cost in excess of half a billion dollars. So, Paradise has also invested in a much cheaper, yet still effective tool to speed up evacuations: clear communication. Paradise installed signs all over town that proclaim when residents enter and exit different evacuation zones. The town is also looking into using a different color sign for private or dead-end roads that warn drivers to avoid them, as well as digital signs above key roadways that can display real-time evacuation information. In Southern California, Malibu — which completed an evacuation analysis after it suffered the Woolsey fire the same day as the Camp fire — has similar plans. Malibu is adding reflective markers to roadways to reduce the chances of crashes amid thick smoke. For neighborhoods with few evacuation routes and individuals with limited mobility, the city encourages evacuating whenever the National Weather Service warns of dangerous fire weather — well before a possible ignition. Los Angeles is much bigger than Malibu and Paradise — L.A. has a population of 3.9 million; Paradise's is just over 9,100. But evacuation experts said it's no excuse for letting California's rural towns take the lead on evacuation planning. Asked whether the sprawling labyrinth of L.A. roads would make doing these analyses more difficult, Zlimen smiled. 'Not really — no,' he said, noting Ladris has completed analyses in the San Francisco Bay Area. 'It's totally possible.' Guinon hopes the results of evacuation analyses can also help — or force — cities to make more responsible residential development plans in the first place. 'It's not rocket science,' she said. 'Let's just take on protection of our existing communities and let the chips fall where they may with new development: If it's unsafe, don't build it.'
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Business Upturn
VFW and Grunt Style Foundation Deliver Over 100 Tons of Relief to Texas Flood Victims
Hill Country, Texas, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hill Country Texas — 7/25/2025 The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Grunt Style Foundation have joined forces in an extraordinary partnership, delivering over 100 tons of critical relief to flood-ravaged communities across Central Texas. From Kerrville to Hunt, Comfort to San Saba, and Marble Falls to San Angelo, veterans once again led from the front—this time, not in combat, but in compassion. When historic flooding struck the region, it was veterans who activated the engagement. Mobilizing VFW Posts in each affected area, the coalition launched a coordinated effort to move massive quantities of food, water, clothing, bedding, and search-and-rescue essentials to local communities who had lost everything. 'This was veterans doing what they do best—rallying to the mission and getting the job done,' said Tim Jensen, Chairman of the Grunt Style Foundation and Marine Corps veteran. 'We didn't wait for permission. We just got to work.' The relief operation—unfolding in real time—saw an impressive logistics network built virtually overnight. From securing supplies to coordinating trucks, warehouses, and local volunteers, the partnership demonstrated what veteran-led community service looks like when purpose meets action. VFW National Commander-in-Chief Al Lipphardt stated, 'This response effort is the blueprint for how VFW Posts across the country can respond to future disasters. It's not just about service—it's about relevance. Our GWOT veterans want to serve again. This gives them that opportunity.' The sentiment of the VFW Commander in Chief was echoed by Texas VFW Chief of Staff, Greg Brannan and lead disaster coordinator for the Texas VFW. 'I am incredibly proud of our partnership with the Texas VFW and the Grunt Style Foundation, which proved vital in delivering rapid and effective disaster relief. The speed and precision our team demonstrated ensured that critical supplies reached veterans, their families, and the communities most in need without delay. This collaborative effort showcased not only our shared commitment but also our ability to act decisively when it matters most. The Central Texas response is more than a victory in crisis relief—it's the birth of a new operational model. One that fuses veteran experience with community needs. One that inspires younger generations of post-9/11 veterans to re-engage with VFW Posts by giving them purpose, mission, and leadership roles. As the waters recede, the work continues—clearing debris, rebuilding homes, restoring hope. And this partnership isn't going anywhere. Plans are already underway to formalize the model for use nationwide during future emergencies. Because when disaster strikes, America's veterans don't retreat—they engage. About Grunt Style Foundation: The Grunt Style Foundation is dedicated to the mental and physical wellness of our veterans, service members, and their families. Through community partnerships and direct aid, the Foundation provides rapid support and long-term solutions for those who've served. About the VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars is a nonprofit veterans service organization with nearly 1.5 million members. With Posts in communities across the United States and abroad, the VFW continues to advocate for veterans' rights and provide vital support to those in need. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Buzz Feed
War Preparation Advice That's Eerily Familiar
On the always loaded-with-inquiries subreddt r/NoStupidQuestions, Reddit user u/smilingspectre37 asked what they are supposed to do if a war actually starts. Here's what people had to say: "As someone who lived through the last 20-year war we were in [in the US], nothing really changes for us. For many of us, it will be far away and distant. We will complain about gas prices going up, or inflation skyrocketing, but until our friends and family come home under a flag, it won't feel real enough to care about." "If you're in America, keep going about your day. If you're in Jordan, get out quick." "I was running a Blockbuster Video on 9/11. I live on the West Coast, so everything had already happened by 10 a.m. Pacific time. I wasn't sure if the world was going to end or not. Called my district manager and asked, 'What are we doing?' He said, 'Open the store. Business as usual. So, that's probably your answer. Business as usual." "Imagine being one of the people in a city that actually has missiles being fired at it. American civilians have no point of reference for what it's like to actually live in a war zone. I say that as an American citizen with no point of reference at all. With that said, I'm still planning to have a lazy Sunday and go to work on Monday and get pissed off at the traffic." "Gas will go up, and it will be blamed on Biden." "You hide under a wooden desk in your classroom." "You do realize that we were at war for 20 years after 9/11. You grew up in a country at war, depending on your age." "Unless you're in the military, there is nothing for you to do but to keep living your normal routine. Unless there's an immediate threat to your area or an order to evacuate, life must go on. Everyone has to do their part to keep society running so that the soldiers have something to come home to." "You fire up Call of Duty and defend Burger Town." "I guess it really depends on where you live. I heard Israel is closing schools and businesses. I imagine tomorrow will be normal for most US citizens. I think COVID taught us that we don't really know how we'll handle a massive disruption and will figure it out along the way." "If you're in a NATO country, do the same thing you did during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars." "The number of people who have no idea that the mainland US is pretty much unreachable by any country except Russia and maybe China is really surprising." "America's surrounded by two oceans, and there will never be boots on the ground here. Just go on about your day, the soldiers will handle everything. You won't even know a war is happening if you don't watch the news." "Iran won't attack Americans directly, but you may suffer more 9/11 type strikes. And you have alienated all of your allies who helped you last time. Good luck." "Completely depends how bad things get." "On September 12, 2001, I went to school and then to work." "I'm from Ukraine. When the war started, my university didn't even stop lectures at first. And my uncle, with his girlfriend, was still working for their American company remotely (they had given them fewer working hours because of air alarms). Later, when attacks became more intensive, everyone's life went on hold for a certain period. However, when the situation in non-destroyed and occupied regions became more stable, everything returned to its working rhythm, albeit under the constant threat of bombs, drones, and repetitive air alarms. And this was the moment when I realized how humans survived many wars — they just never gave up. Now I'm not in my home country, but my friends and some relatives still are, and they got used to this sick rhythm of life." "What do you mean by 'if?' When a sovereign nation is being blown up by another, it's a war, no matter which more palatable words politicians are slinging." "Depends. Let's say it's a major war in the Middle East with Iran. You're American? You get to complain about prices going up. You're European? You experience very high inflation and a strain on the welfare system due to a huge influx of refugees. You're Iranian? You get bombed." "Love that Americans are finally thinking about what it might be like to live in an active warzone. Hate that y'all never considered that while you spent the last century causing it in other countries." "If you have the means to avoid dense areas, then yes, you would do so. If war were to occur in my country, my family would likely relocate to my sister's farm. While we live on the outskirts of our major city, we are close enough to a regional small plane airport, which would likely be used for supply runs. Hopefully, we'll have enough time to build another house on the land before we move, but we have access to a caravan." "First time?" "Whatever you do, please don't go out and buy all the toilet paper. That is so annoying." "Live your life and stay off of social media as much as possible." "People in Kyiv, Ukraine are still going to work. Do with that information what you will." Do you have any advice or general comments on what to do if your country is at war? Comment below.
