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The Independent
7 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Not the ‘realest ID': Waffle House card won't get you through airport checkpoints, TSA warns X poster
In a lighthearted yet increasingly necessary clarification, TSA confirmed that, despite internet jokes, a Waffle House employee ID does not meet the standards of a federally recognized Real ID. The chatter started when Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci tweeted a bright-yellow laminated Waffle House ID with his name and meteorologist title on it this week, writing, 'TSA might want RealID, but I have the realest ID.' The post quickly went viral, racking up over 2.2 million views. It even caught the attention of the official TSA account two days later, which replied, 'Respectfully, no… Waffle House IDs will not suffice as a Real ID alternative (sorry).' The humorous exchange with the meteorologist and eatery super fan brings to mind the Waffle House Index, an informal metric used by FEMA to assess the severity of natural disasters, especially hurricanes, based on whether Waffle House restaurants in affected areas stay open. Since nearly all Waffle House locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on holidays, the chain is known for its disaster preparedness and resilience. As former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told the Wall Street Journal in 2011, "If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That's really bad. That's where you go to work." The Waffle House Index uses a simple three-color system to reflect the severity of a disaster's impact on a local area. A green rating means the Waffle House is fully operational and serving its full menu, indicating that the area has experienced minimal damage or disruption. A yellow rating signifies that the restaurant is open but operating on a limited menu, often due to power outages, staffing shortages, or supply chain issues, suggesting moderate impact but still-manageable conditions. A red rating means the Waffle House is completely closed, which is rare and typically signals severe damage, unsafe conditions, or significant infrastructure failure in the area. The ID kerfuffle recalls TSA's recent post about using Costco IDs at the airport security counter. "We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not," the TSA said in a post last week on social media. The TSA Costco post came a few days after Chowhound published an article titled, "How Your Costco Card Could Save You At The Airport." They later updated it to clarify that "TSA does not explicitly state you can use a Costco card as a form of identification.'
The Hill
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Environmental groups sue to block ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
A coalition of environmental groups on Friday sued over Trump administration plans to build a new detention center in the Everglades that critics have dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' The suit seeks to block the Trump administration from building the new facility on a Florida airfield, the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT) near Big Cypress National Preserve. 'This massive detention center will blight one of the most iconic ecosystems in the world,' Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. 'This reckless attack on the Everglades — the lifeblood of Florida — risks polluting sensitive waters and turning more endangered Florida panthers into roadkill. It makes no sense to build what's essentially a new development in the Everglades for any reason, but this reason is particularly despicable.' Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has cited the remote nature of the area — as well as its proximity to dangerous wildlife — as top features for tapping the area for construction. 'This 30-square mile area is completely surrounded by the Everglades. It presents an efficient, low-cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don't need to invest that much in the perimeter,' he said. 'If people get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons.' Environmental groups have argued the project violates the National Environmental Policy Act as well as procedures for rulemaking. 'The decision to construct a mass migrant detention and deportation center at the TNT Site was made without conducting any environmental reviews as required under NEPA, without public notice or comment, and without compliance with other federal statutes such as the Endangered Species Act, or state or local land-use laws,' they wrote in the suit filed in federal court in Florida. The facility is projected to cost about $450 million a year, which will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program that was used to house asylum-seekers during the Biden administration. The Trump administration is largely envisioning the facility as a series of tents along with the construction of other facilities, hoping to house as many as 5,000 migrants at the facility.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Officials declare emergency as wildfire rips through over 20,000 acres of US land: 'Danger and destruction'
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking the necessary steps to combat the latest extreme weather event in the state. As detailed by the Santa Fe New Mexican, Grisham declared an emergency in Grant County after a devastating wildfire that has "burned more than 24,000 acres north of Silver City." Known as the Trout Fire, the blaze has been burning since June 12 but is at least 41% contained and was ruled to have been caused by lightning. Grisham's declaration also authorized $750,000 in emergency response spending, which includes the deployment of the New Mexico National Guard. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also sent Grisham a Fire Management Assistance Grant, which the state can use to request "additional firefighting crews, fire engines, air support, sheltering assistance and personnel from federal or other entities," per the Santa Fe New Mexican. "New Mexicans are all too familiar with the devastation that comes from wildfires that bring danger and destruction to everything in their paths," Grisham said in a news release, per the Santa Fe New Mexican. "I appreciate our federal partners for taking this threat seriously and for doing their part in supporting the responders who are working their hardest to protect the community." As temperatures rise during the summer months, many areas are bracing for a difficult wildfire season, and a warming climate makes these disasters even more devastating. Rising global temperatures have caused wildfires to happen more frequently and persist for longer. In addition to the destruction caused by the Trout Fire, New Mexico residents are facing a potentially dangerous situation from the smoke polluting the air. This can cause respiratory issues and exacerbate health conditions such as asthma. Before Gov. Grisham's emergency declaration, New Mexico health and environment officials issued a smoke advisory for Grant and Catron counties due to the poor air quality caused by the Trout Fire and the Buck Fire, which has been burning near Aragon. The state's Department of Health and Environment Department warned that air quality as far south as Las Cruces could be affected by the ongoing blazes. "As smoke from the Trout and Buck fires affects communities in Grant and Catron counties, we urge residents to stay alert and take steps to protect their health," Cindy Hollenberg, Air Quality Bureau chief for the Environment Department, said in a release, per the Santa Fe New Mexican. Dr. Chelsea Langer, bureau chief of the state Department of Health's Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, advised residents in fire- and smoke-affected areas to limit outdoor activities and take other steps to protect their health. The Santa Fe New Mexican explained that low visibility indicates air quality is "unhealthy for young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung diseases, asthma or other respiratory illness." If you're in an area susceptible to wildfires, it's important to stay informed about critical climate issues and take local action. It's crucial to stay inside during times of poor air quality, but if you have to go outside, wearing masks like N95 or P100 can help protect you from breathing in smoke particles. Air purifiers can further improve your indoor air quality by capturing harmful particles. Protecting your health and the health of your loved ones should be the No. 1 priority during wildfire events. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Chicago Tribune
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Route 66: In St. Louis, a deadly twister crosses a long-standing divide
ST. LOUIS — There was no warning siren, only the sudden sound of what seemed at first like a locomotive speeding through her neighborhood a mile off Route 66. Lea Davis heard trees snapping. Glass shattering. The front door to her 122-year-old two-flat slammed open and shut. Open and shut. She thought to grab her partner, Reginald, who is blind, and run to the basement, but figured they might not make it in time. They could take shelter in the closet, she thought, or the bathtub. 'You didn't have much time to think,' Davis, 55 remembered of that May 16 afternoon. 'The only thing I could say was: Jesus, please save us. Please help us.' Three minutes later, the rising cacophony silenced. Davis walked to the front door to survey the remains of her Fountain Park neighborhood. 'As you can see, that's not very far away,' Davis said on a recent Thursday in June, pointing to a nearby pile of bricks that once formed the steeple at Centennial Christian Church, where her friend, 74-year-old Patricia Penelton, took her last breaths. 'It could have been us. Any of us.' The EF3 tornado that tore through Davis' neighborhood, its winds topping 150 miles per hour, cut a 23-mile path northeast across St. Louis and into southern Illinois. Five people in St. Louis were killed. Dozens more were injured. Thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged. A month later, the extent of damage and slow pace of recovery have once again put a spotlight on this city's long-standing racial and socioeconomic demarcation known as the 'Delmar Divide,' named for a main east-west artery called Delmar Boulevard that closely parallels a stretch of an early Route 66 alignment. South of Delmar is largely home to white residents. Neighborhoods to the north, like Fountain Park, are largely home to Black residents. 'The great Delmar Divide has been synonymous with all of the state, local (and) federal funding going to projects, plans, development, all south of Delmar Boulevard,' said north side native Cheryl Nelson, 61. 'Under numerous administrations, the north side of St. Louis has been devastated.' Nelson's friend and co-worker, Justina Cramer, said her rental home in the O'Fallon neighborhood first sustained brick and roof damage. The initial repair estimate came in at $50,000. While she and others waited for help from the local, state and federal government, the condition of her 109-year-old home deteriorated. Twice, she said, the blue tarp meant to protect her roof blew away in severe weather. The ensuing water damage caused portions of her ceiling to collapse. Her kitchen cabinets fell from the walls. Two weeks after the tornado, President Donald Trump approved Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's request for federal assistance, local media reported. 'Now we're dealing with: Do FEMA or don't do FEMA?' said Cramer, 43. 'They're not paying much.' Cramer is staying with her daughter for the time being. Some of her neighbors, she said, are living in tents in their front yards, in part to guard their homes against thieves looking to swipe copper wiring or historic St. Louis red bricks. 'I'm going to stay rooted in St. Louis city,' she said. 'Where we go from here is not a monetary value. It's not a building. It's a community effort and us being there for each other because St. Louis city was not there for us.' Over in the Fountain Park neighborhood, an orange sticker on Davis' front door marks that her home has been condemned. An electric company technician recently came and asked if she wanted the lights turned back on. But with water seeping from light switches on the wall, she knew that would likely start an electrical fire. Davis and her partner moved in with her son, for now. A man who lived in her building set up a tent on the front lawn. She wants to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency relief funds but needs to replace her identification card, which was lost in the storm. And to do that, she needs a copy of her birth certificate. 'I don't know how we come back from this one,' she said. Across the street sits the neighborhood's namesake park, with its fountain and an empty granite pedestal where a bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr. — reportedly the only King statue in the state — was felled by the storm. The day of the tornado, members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation's St. Louis chapter came out to help with cleanup. Other nonprofit groups soon joined and have had a daily presence in the park ever since. They've provided food, water, ice, clothing, basic medical care, art therapy, acupuncture. Their effort has been renamed the 314 Oasis. On that Thursday in June, Dr. LJ Punch and another volunteer filled small vials with lavender oil — aroma therapy for care kits. Nearby, a man sat in a chair under a tent providing much-needed shade from the summer sun. About a month before the tornado, Punch's nonprofit, Power4STL, learned it lost a roughly $1 million federal Department of Justice grant as part of the Trump administration's federal funding cuts. The 314 Oasis effort is currently without funding, he said. 'This is a moment of faith, to figure this out,' Punch said. 'I just don't think you can do this and then stop.' Recently, representatives from FEMA reached out to Punch, he said, and asked if they could use one of 314 Oasis' tents to help connect neighborhood residents to aid. 'When FEMA wants to borrow one of your tents, you say 'yes' because you want them here,' he said, pausing to let the irony of the moment sink in.
Al Jazeera
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Is ‘Alligator Alcatraz' detention centre funded by Florida hurricane money?
Florida and federal officials announced the state will build a new immigration detention facility dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' in the Everglades – an area of wetlands in the south of the state. Because the facility will be partly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), some Floridians are worried it will affect hurricane relief funds. Homeland Security's Secretary Kristi Noem 'is using FEMA funds to build her Alligator Alcatraz concentration camp in Florida. At the beginning of hurricane season', reads a June 23 X post, 'when we can't pay our bills or fund meals for kids and the elderly.' Another June 23 X post reads: 'Florida's building 'Alligator Alcatraz' by diverting FEMA shelter funds meant for housing and aid. They're not protecting anyone, they're stealing emergency relief money to build detention centers in a swamp. Cruelty is always the point.' These claims come after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a more-active-than-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The claims also follow President Donald Trump saying he wants to eliminate FEMA and have states handle preparation and response to hurricanes and other disasters. NPR reported that FEMA appears less ready to respond to disasters under Trump because of a management shake-up, employee departures and the cancellation of a programme that helped with disaster relief. The 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility gets its nickname from Alcatraz, the former maximum-security prison island in San Francisco Bay known for its isolation, security and minimal inmate privileges. The 'Alligator' part is because the 39-square-mile facility will be located remotely in the Everglades, a swampy region surrounded by alligators and pythons, where 'there's nowhere to go, nowhere to hide', according to a June 19 video posted by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. The facility would be six miles north of Everglades National Park. Governor Ron DeSantis's office told PolitiFact the facility will use temporary buildings and shelters similar to those used during natural disasters. The location will be the abandoned Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, which has an existing airstrip. The state will use the site under the governor's emergency powers. The Department of Homeland Security posted on June 23 on X that the facility is among its efforts to 'deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations. Alligator Alcatraz will expand facilities and bed space in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.' The government will allocate some FEMA funds to the facility, but it will not use disaster relief funds. The Florida Division of Emergency Management will build the facility for people arrested by Florida law enforcement for immigration law offences. A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) programme delegates to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specific immigration functions. Immigrants arrested in other states could also be transferred to the facility under Florida's custody. How FEMA will fund 'Alligator Alcatraz' A Noem spokesperson told PolitiFact on June 24 that the new Florida immigration detention facility will largely be funded by FEMA's Shelter and Services Program. Information about that programme is no longer available on FEMA's website, but a DHS spokesperson told us that FEMA has roughly $625m in that programme's funds that can be allocated to build the 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility. The DHS spokesperson also said that Florida will initially pay for the facility, and then will submit a reimbursement request to FEMA and DHS. DHS said the facility's total cost will be approximately $450m for one year. It is expected to open 30 to 60 days after construction, which started on June 23, according to The New York Times. It will open with 500 to 1,000 beds and is expected to have 5,000 beds by early July. Congress approved FEMA's Shelter and Services Program in fiscal year 2023 to give money to state and local governments and nonprofit organisations that provide migrants with temporary shelter, food and transportation. The programme uses money Congress gave Customs and Border Protection, and is administered by FEMA. Before then, including during the Trump administration, migrants received help through another FEMA programme, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which is for people facing homelessness and hunger. FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund, which is primarily used after natural disasters, is funded separately by Congress. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump falsely claimed the Biden administration was stealing millions from FEMA's disaster aid fund to help migrants. The Shelter and Services Program funding does not come at disaster victims' expense. PolitiFact previously reported that in fiscal year 2024, which started in October 2023 and ended in September 2024, Congress directed US Customs and Border Protection to give FEMA $650m for the Shelter and Services Program. From fiscal years 2021 to 2024, Congress allocated about $1.5bn combined for both the Shelter and Services Program and the Emergency Food and Shelter program. The Trump administration stopped funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter program. 'Alligator Alcatraz' is just one of the ways Florida is planning to detain, process and deport immigrants illegally in the US. Earlier this year, Florida offered to build immigration detention sites. The state's 'Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan' says it identified several locations in the northeastern and south-central regions of the state that could serve as detention centres. The report said that to make the detention and deportation process 'seamless', the locations 'are typically' near airstrips. DeSantis said during a June 25 press conference that Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, a training base for the Florida National Guard, soon will be formally announced as an immigration detention facility.
