Infographic: Lebanon is about to run out of water

More than 70 percent of Lebanon’s population faces critical water shortages, UN children’s agency warns.

By Mohammed Hussein and Mohammed Haddad

25 Aug 2021

Lebanon’s water supply system is on the verge of collapse. In July, a report published by UNICEF warned that most water pumping would gradually cease across the country within four to six weeks as the country’s power grid falters.

On August 21, UNICEF’s Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that “unless urgent action is taken, more than four million people across Lebanon – predominantly vulnerable children and families – face the prospect of critical water shortages or being completely cut off from safe water supply in the coming days.”

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Nationwide water shortages

Lebanon is facing a dire economic crisis worsened by political deadlock. Shortages of funding, fuel and supplies have affected water pumping, restricting people’s access to safe water. The country also hosts the largest per capita population of Syrian refugees in the world, providing shelter to 1.7 million people. The regions of Baalbek-Hermel and Bekaa, both with at least 40 percent Syrian refugee populations, are among the most vulnerable areas to water shortages in the country.

Al Jazeera)

In July, the North Lebanon Water Establishment announced a state of emergency, and began rationing the supply of water from pumping stations and wells in various Lebanese regions. On the same day, the Bekaa Water Establishment also announced water disruptions due to power outages at its pumping stations.

At least 70 percent of Lebanon’s population faces critical water shortages with many people at risk of running out of water in the coming days, according to UNICEF.

(Al Jazeera)

Clean water no longer affordable

Lebanon is battling an economic meltdown that has left more than half of its population in poverty. The financial crisis has led to severe shortages of basic necessities including food, clothing, medicines and fuel. On average, food items today cost about 10 times more than they did in 2019.

The country’s currency, the Lebanese pound – or lira – has lost more than 90 percent of its value in less than two years.

In 2019, 1,000 Lebanese pounds could buy four litres of bottled water. Today, a 500ml bottle costs that much – an eight-fold price increase.

(Al Jazeera)

Without electricity to power water pumps and money for maintenance, the public water supply system could collapse. UNICEF estimated that water costs could increase by 200 percent a month when securing water from alternative or private water suppliers if the public system collapses. The UN agency said it needed $40m a year to secure the minimum levels of fuel, chlorine, spare parts and maintenance required to keep critical systems operational.

The world’s most expensive fuel

Lebanon has faced months of severe fuel shortages that have led to long lines at petrol stations and plunged the small Middle Eastern country into darkness. On August 11, Lebanon’s central bank said it could no longer finance fuel imports at heavily subsidised exchange rates and would switch to market rates.

The government objected, refusing to change official selling prices, creating a standoff that left importers in limbo and caused supplies to dry up across the country.

Following an emergency meeting on August 21, Lebanese officials decided to increase the price of fuel by 66 percent in an attempt to ease the crippling fuel shortages.

Lebanon now has the highest petrol and diesel costs in the world, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com. One litre of petrol costs $4.25 ($16 per gallon) on average, while one litre of diesel costs $3.27 ($12.39 per gallon).

(Al Jazeera)

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

CYBERWARFARE

Tech companies pledge billions in cybersecurity investments

1 of 5
Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna listen as President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting about cybersecurity in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)


WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of the country’s leading technology companies have committed to investing billions of dollars to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and to train skilled workers, the White House announced Wednesday following President Joe Biden’s private meeting with top executives.

The Washington gathering was held during a relentless stretch of ransomware attacks that have targeted critical infrastructure and major corporations, as well as other illicit cyber operations that U.S. authorities have linked to foreign hackers.

The Biden administration has been urging the private sector to do its part to protect against those increasingly sophisticated attacks. In public remarks before the meeting, Biden referred to cybersecurity as a “core national security challenge” for the U.S.

“The reality is most of our critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and the federal government can’t meet this challenge alone,” Biden said. “I’ve invited you all here today because you have the power, the capacity and the responsibility, I believe, to raise the bar on cybersecurity.”

After the meeting, the White House announced that Google had committed to invest $10 billion in cybersecurity over the next five years, money aimed at helping secure the software supply chain and expand zero-trust programs. The Biden administration has looked for ways to safeguard the government’s supply chain following a massive Russian government cyberespionage campaign that exploited vulnerabilities and gave hackers access to the networks of U.S. government agencies and private companies.

Microsoft, meanwhile, said it would invest $20 billion in cybersecurity over the next five years and make available $150 million in technical services to help local governments upgrade their defenses. IBM plans to train 150,000 people in cybersecurity over three years, Apple said it would develop a new program to help strengthen the technology supply chain, and Amazon said it would offer to the public the same security awareness training it gives to employees.

Top executives of each of those companies were invited to Wednesday’s meeting, as were financial industry executives and representatives from the energy, education and insurance sectors. A government initiative that at first supported the cybersecurity defenses of electric utilities has now been expanded to focus on natural gas pipelines, the White House said Wednesday.

Though ransomware was intended as one aspect of Wednesday’s gathering, a senior administration official who briefed reporters in advance said the purpose was much broader, centered on identifying the “root causes of any kind of malicious cyber activity” and also ways in which the private sector can help bolster cybersecurity. The official briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The meeting took place as Biden’s national security team has been consumed by the troop withdrawal in Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghan citizens. That it remained on the calendar indicates the administration regards cybersecurity as a major agenda item, with the administration official describing Wednesday’s meeting as a “call to action.”

The broad cross-section of participants underscores how cyberattacks have cut across virtually all sectors of commerce. In May, for instance, hackers associated with a Russia-based cyber gang launched a ransomware attack on a major fuel pipeline in the U.S., causing the pipeline to temporarily halt operations. Weeks later, the world’s largest meat processor, JBS, was hit with an attack by a different hacking group.

In both instances, the companies made multimillion-dollar ransom payments in an effort to get back online.

Biden on Wednesday pointed to a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June when he said he made clear his expectation that Russia take steps to rein in ransomware gangs because “they know where (the hackers) are and who they are.”

T-Mobile hit with class actions after data breach

25 August 2021


A pair of lawsuits have been filed against US telecom T-Mobile following a cyber-attack affecting more than 53m customers and prospective customers.

One of the actions, Espanoza v T-Mobile USA, accuses the company of putting plaintiffs and class-action members at considerable risk by not adequately protecting them as a result of negligent conduct.

The complaint alleges data thieves can fraudulently apply for unemployment and other benefits, open financial accounts, take out loans, obtain driver’s licenses and commit other crimes in T-Mobile customers’ names, FOXBusiness news reported.

In the other lawsuit, Durwalla v T-Mobile USA, victims are said to have already spent as much as 1,000 hours addressing privacy concerns stemming from the attack earlier this month, including reviewing financial and credit statements for evidence of unauthorised activity.

The lawsuits seek compensatory damages, reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs for the efforts to repair any damage from the fraud and improvements to T-Mobile’s data security systems, among other actions.

In a 20 August update, the company said it has worked around the clock on the forensic analysis and investigation into the cyber-attack against its systems and taken measures to protect customers and others whose information may have been exposed.

“Our investigation is ongoing and will continue for some time, but at this point, we are confident that we have closed off the access and egress points the bad actor used in the attack,” it added.

Among customer support it is providing are two years of free identity protection services and recommending eligible customers sign up for free scam-blocking protection

State Department reportedly hit by serious cyberattack


BY DUNCAN RILEY

The U.S. State Department is said to have been hit by a serious cyberattack that was reported to the Department of Defense Cyber Command, according to Fox Business.

The details of the type of attack, exactly when it happened and what data may have been stolen were not revealed. Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich said on Twitter Aug. 21 that she believed that the breach happened a “couple of weeks ago” and that the stolen data did not affect operations to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies from Afghanistan.

The State Department has neither denied nor confirmed the report. “The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to ensure information is protected,” a spokesperson said. “For security reasons, we are not in a position to discuss the nature or scope of any alleged cybersecurity incidents at this time.”

Reuters reported separately that a knowledgeable source had told it that the department has not experienced significant disruptions and has not had its operations impeded in any way. That does not rule out that a cyberattack of some sort has taken place.

The news comes weeks after a bipartisan report from the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found that federal agencies continue to suffer shortcomings in their cybersecurity posture. Notably, the State Department could not provide documentation for 60% of sample employees who had access to the agency’s classified network. Further, the department was found to leave thousands of accounts active after employees have left the agency.

“The recent cyberattack against the U.S. State Department is a reminder that anyone can and will be hit,” Sam Curry, chief security officer at cybersecurity firm Cybereason Inc., told SiliconANGLE. “Overall, the State Department’s networks are big and they are presumably getting attacked by nation-states, terrorists, and other adversaries on a daily basis.”

But he added that without more data on the recent attack, it would be premature to make assumptions on the motives or groups involved. “While the State Department isn’t likely to disclose any further details of this attack, public and private sector security teams, as well as U.S. allies, should be on high alert,” he said.

Image: State Department

93% increase in cyberattacks targeting the UK's education sector

by Check Point Research Published: 23 August 2021 


93% increase in cyberattacks targeting the UK's education sector

As back-to-school begins, Check Point Research (@_CPResearch_) found the education sector to have the highest volume of cyber attacks for the month of July. Cyber criminals are seeking to capitalize on the short-notice shift back to remote learning driven by the Delta variant, by targeting people of schools, universities and research centers who log-in from home using their personal devices.

Global education sector saw a 29% increase in cyber attacks, and an average of 1,739 attacks a week, in July, compared to first half of 2021

Top 5 most attacked countries were India, Italy, Israel, Australia and Turkey

UK/Ireland/Isle-of-Man region experienced a 142% increase in weekly cyber attacks targeting the education sector; East Asia region marked a 79% increase

Check Point Research (CPR) sees an increase in cyberattacks against the global education sector, as back-to-school season gets underway. During the month of July, the education sector experienced the highest volume of cyber attacks compared to other industry sectors that CPR tracks, with an average of 1,739 cyber attacks documented per organization each week, marking a 29% increase from the first half of 2021.

Most Targeted Countries: India, Italy, Israel, Australia and Turkey

The table below shows the number of weekly cyber attacks in July on the education sectors for India, Italy, Israel and Australia, as well as the percent increases compared to the first half of 2021.


Ranking

Country

# of Weekly Cyber Attacks in July

% Change from H1


1
India
5,196
+ 22%


2

Italy
5,016
+ 70%


3
Israel
4,011
+ 51%


4
Australia
3,934
+ 17%


Weekly attacks per organizations by country (July 2021 compared to first half of 2021)

Tom Kendrick, EMEA security evangelist at Check Point Software:

“Cyber criminals are looking to capitalise on this year’s back-to-school season. We found that the education sector was attacked significantly more compared to other industries in the month of July. Schools, universities and research centres make for attractive targets to cyber criminals because they are often under resourced from a security perspective. The short-notice, on-and-off shift to remote learning exacerbates the security risk. With so many students logging on from their home networks using their personal devices, the current back-to-school season presents a range of new security threats that many aren’t prepared to address. Organisations in the education sector should be proactive in their protection strategies. It’s important to constantly change and strengthen your passwords and use technologies that prevent cyber attacks, such as ransomware.”

Cyber Safety Tips for Academia, Staff and Students
Strengthen passwords. Passwords matter - it is a good idea to review and strengthen passwords that you use for logging onto remote resources, such as email or work applications.

Be phishing-aware:be wary of clicking on links that look in any way suspicious and only download content from reliable sources that can be verified. Remember that phishing schemes are a form of social engineering so if you receive an email with an unusual request, check the sender’s details carefully to make sure that you are communicating with colleagues, not cyber criminals.

Reduce attack surface: A common approach in information security is to reduce the attack surface. For endpoints, you need to take full control of peripherals, applications, network traffic, and your data. You need to encrypt data when it is in motion, at rest, and in use. It is also important to make sure you enforce your corporate policies to achieve endpoint security compliance

Use Anti-ransomware. This technology allows you to detect signs of ransomware and uncover running mutations of known and unknown malware families by using behavioral analysis and generic rules
Contain and remediate. Contain attacks and control damage by detecting and blocking command and control traffic and prevent the lateral movement of malware by isolating infected machines. You can then remediate and sterilize your environment by restoring encrypted files, quarantining files, kill processes, and sterilizing the full attack chain.

HARRIS CALLED CHINA A BULLY

Harris' Vietnam stunt an insult to Hanoi's wisdom: Global Times editorial

By Global Times

Published: Aug 25, 2021 


Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

US Vice President Kamala Harris is continuing her trip of sowing discord in Vietnam. She told Vietnamese leaders that "we need to find ways to pressure, raise the pressure… on Beijing… and to challenge, its bullying and excessive maritime claims." The Associated Press (AP) published a report entitled "Harris calls on Vietnam to join in opposing China 'bullying.'"

The US has been dreaming to incite Vietnam to confront China. For Washington, it couldn't be better if a new war between Beijing and Hanoi breaks out. Harris proposed to elevate the US' relationship with Vietnam from a "comprehensive partnership" to a "strategic partnership." She expressed support for sending Vietnam an additional US Coast Guard cutter, "to help defend its security interests in the South China Sea," AP reported on Wednesday.

During her trip, Harris also announced the launch, in Hanoi, of a new Southeast Asia regional office of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that the US will provide an additional 1 million doses of the coronavirus vaccines to Vietnam.

The US wants to use "bread and circuses" to lure Vietnam into a strategic confrontation with China that Vietnam simply cannot afford. This means that Washington is treating Vietnamese people as fools. Such an attempt is an insult to Vietnam's basic political wisdom.

The interactions between Beijing and Hanoi didn't stop over the past two days. The COVID-19 vaccines from the Chinese People's Liberation Army to aid the Vietnamese military arrived in Hanoi on Monday, one day before Harris' arrival. Moreover, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told the Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo on Tuesday that Vietnam does not align itself with one country against another, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Sharp-sighted Vietnam is trying to gain advantages from both China and the US by staying "neutral." It tilts toward the US strategically to exert pressure on China so that it can hold more bargaining chips over maritime disputes with China. On the other hand, Hanoi is vigorously developing comprehensive economic cooperation with Beijing. It is carefully maintaining a balance between the two countries' disputes and the overall bilateral relationship. In this way, it can make the US constantly enhance its investment in Vietnam with the slim hope of undermining China-Vietnam ties. Obviously, Vietnam has benefited a lot from the situation in the South China Sea.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner - only that China has a trade surplus with Vietnam. China and Vietnam treat each other on an equal footing and mutually benefit. In comparison, the US, a country that wishes to make use of Vietnam the most, has gained some superficial closeness with its ex-enemy, yet the US' trade deficit with Vietnam is the third largest for the US. Washington's goal of transforming Hanoi into an actual ally against Beijing remains unattainable.

Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian country that shares both land and maritime borders with China. The total economic scale of Vietnam is roughly the same as that of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Acting as a pioneer in US strategy against China is equivalent to strategic suicide for Vietnam. Seducing or compelling Vietnam to "commit suicide" is wishful thinking of the US.

From the examples of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries, it is clear how ineffective the US strategic containment against China is. It is, to some extent, more like psychological comfort and self-entertainment of US elites. Many of the US maneuvers can hardly harm China's momentum of rapid development, nor can they push other countries to turn their cooperation with China into confrontation.

The public opinions in the US and some other Western countries have strategically overstated Harris' trip to Singapore and Vietnam. She has been too busy buffering the negative impact of the US' humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. As China grows stronger, Southeast Asian countries have been gradually shifting their previous stance between China and the US, as well as moving toward China. The US cannot change the major trend. Whether Harris comes or not, the trend has already taken shape.

https://apnews.com/article/health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-vietnam-1fcaf1dbb2fc2a7e1259a02b3ed58b2b

Viet Nam News

President Phúc, VP Harris vow to further cooperation on COVID-19 response, economic ties

Update: August, 25/2021 - 

Vietnamese State President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (right) and US Vice President, in masks, had a meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese State President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and visiting US Vice President Kamala Harris expressed pleasure at the blossoming bilateral ties during their talks on Wednesday in Hà Nội.

The Vietnamese Head of State said he highly valued the Việt Nam-US comprehensive partnership, which in the past 25 years has been flourishing, creating greater substance and effectiveness across all areas of bilateral, regional and global cooperation, thanks to efforts on both sides, in line with the wishes of the peoples of the two countries, and the wish the late President Hồ Chí Minh has conveyed in his letter to US President Harry Truman 75 years ago.

Phúc reiterated Việt Nam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversified relations, proactive and active international integration in both depth and scope, and that the country always strives to become a good friend, a trusted partner, and a responsible member in the international community.

He said Việt Nam considered the US one of the key partners and wished to together with the US to more substantive, fruitful, long-lasting, and sustainable bilateral ties; build and strengthen mutual trust as foundation for both sides to actively enhance exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefits, based on mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political system of each country, for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and in the world.

The visiting US Vice President Kamala said she was honoured to be the first incumbent US Vice President to have visited Việt Nam and thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their warm welcome in the context of the current COVID-19 outbreaks.

The US Vice President expressed continued support for a strong, prosperous and independent Việt Nam.

“Our relationship has come a long way in a quarter of a century, we have managed programmes that deal with our war legacy issues, growing economic ties, shared principles like upholding the rules-based international order and jointly addressing global challenges such as the pandemic and the climate crisis,” Harris said, adding that the Việt Nam-US partnership has produced tangible results.

The US Vice President said the US backed Việt Nam’s expanding role in ASEAN and in the region.

She expects the visit to further deepen the Việt Nam-US Comprehensive Partnership.

The two leaders agreed that Việt Nam and the US have many common points and large room for further cooperation in areas such as economics-trade-investment, security-defence, addressing war legacies, healthcare, education, science and technology.

President Phúc stressed the importance of economic and trade ties and appreciated how the countries – in a constructive spirit – have reached agreements on currency, towards more harmonious trade relations where both sides gain benefits.

The Vietnamese head of State affirmed Việt Nam welcomed the US decision to host APEC 2023 and pledged to work with the US to make sure the event will be a success.

The two leaders said Việt Nam and the US shared concerns over climate responses and the resolution to follow through with their respective Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and implement robust measures in terms of clean and renewable energy.

The two leaders also stressed cooperation in COVID-19 responses and post-pandemic recovery.

Vice President Kamala Harris said she is grateful for Việt Nam’s donations of masks and personal protective gear in early 2020 when the US needed them.

The US Vice President also expressed appreciation for Việt Nam’s efforts in fighting the pandemic and reaffirmed the US’ support for Việt Nam in COVID-19 response.

She asked the two sides to closely work together to support each other’s enterprises, especially major corporations, ensuring their production and the supply chains could go on undisrupted in face of COVID-19 outbreaks.

President Phúc thanked the US Government and people for timely COVID-19 assistance, especially the donation of five million doses of Moderna vaccines and other medical supplies.

On the occasion, Vice President Kamala Harris also announced the US’ decision to donate another 1 million doses of Pfizer vaccines to Việt Nam, as the country is facing supply constraints.

​

President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and US Vice President Kamala Harris. — VNA/VNS Photo 

​

The US Vice President also thanked Việt Nam for its efforts in locating American soldiers missing in action during the war.

President Phúc appreciated the US’ commitment for increased budget for addressing war legacies, including decontamination of Agent Orange/dioxin at Biên Hoà Airbase and other hotspots, clearing up unexploded ordnance, supporting the disabled, and supporting Việt Nam in identifying the remains of dead Vietnamese soldiers in the war through DNA technology.

The two welcomed the setting up of the US CDC Southeast Asia regional office in Hà Nội, which aims to support Việt Nam and other countries in the region with public health issues, and the signing of the lease for new campus of the US Embassy in Hà Nội and a property lease for a new Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC.

President Phúc lauded the US’ efforts to strengthen cooperation with the region, its support for intra-regional solidarity and ASEAN’s centrality, and suggested that the US bolster cooperation with ASEAN as well as promote the ASEAN-US strategic partnership, the US-Mekong Partnership, and the Friends of the Lower Mekong forum.

The two sides agreed to boost cooperation within the frameworks of the United Nations as well as other multilateral forums, contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, security and development in the region and the world, pledged commitments to ensure security, freedom of navigation and overflight, and uphold the idea that all disputes in the South China Sea (known in Việt Nam as the East Sea) should be resolved in a peaceful manner on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as soon complete the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international law.

On the occasion, President Phúc extended greetings from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Nguyễn Phú Trọng to US President Joe Biden, saying that the President and the General Secretary invite Joe Biden to visit Việt Nam in the future. — VNS

 

Việt Nam and US delegations held talks at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

US CDC Southeast Asia Regional Office launched in Hà Nội

Update: August, 25/2021 - 

Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh (left) and US Vice President Kamala Harris at the launch ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh 

HÀ NỘI — US Vice President Kamala Harris launched the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention Southeast Asia Regional Office in Hà Nội, at a ceremony on Wednesday during her three-day visit to the country. 

The new Regional Office, based in Ngô Quyền Street in downtown area of Việt Nam's capital city, is one of the four in the world.

It will strengthen CDC’s ability to meet its mission of protecting Americans and people of the region by responding more rapidly to health threats wherever they occur and building key relationships to tackle shared health priorities.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh said: “Over the past 20 years, healthcare cooperation has been a highlight in the ties between the US and the region and this is also a key area of cooperation in the Việt Nam-US comprehensive partnership."

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Southeast Asian countries and the US have worked closely together to combat this pandemic, mitigate its consequences and foster economic recovery."

“We welcome the US decision to open this office in Hà Nội to show the development and vast potential of the Việt Nam-US comprehensive partnership. Việt Nam stands ready to facilitate the effective operation of this office.

“We are also convinced that the US’s CDC regional office in Hà Nội will work closely with partners within and outside the region in pursuit of the crucial goal of ensuring the best health care services for the people,” he said.

US Vice President Kamala Harris said: “It is one of four such offices in the entire world, and a true testament for our commitment to this important region.

“In this new era, our world is interconnected and interdependent. Partnership is therefore essential. We must all be willing to take on the challenges together. Let's take them on together to create opportunities together. That is why we launch this CDC office and our work together is so very important.”

The US has pledged US$500,000 to the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund to support the purchase of more vaccines and provided more than US$150 million in emergency assistance to the region, she said.

“With the launch of this office, we intend to build on these efforts and help to grow the public health infrastructure across Southeast Asia,” the Vice President said.

“We are working to train health professionals in the field of epidemiology. And that training programme has actually been in place in Asia since 1980.

“We are also investing in research and supporting the creation of emergency management systems. And we are working with all of you to develop the next generation of healthcare professionals.”

The Southeast Asia regional office is led by a Regional Director who is the most senior CDC official in the region and serves as the CDC Director’s representative, responsible for ensuring a coordinated and cohesive approach to the agency’s global health strategy.

An initial priority for the Southeast Asia regional office is the coordination of COVID-19 activities across the region, with support from Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.

Priority areas of focus also include expanding regional public health laboratory training, developing innovative programmes to improve health for mobile and migrant populations, and expanding the reach of One Health (animal health) operations in and across countries in the region.

It also prioritises working towards the elimination of diseases such as measles, rabies, and malaria, and supporting US Government foreign policy initiatives in the region including the Indo-Pacific Strategy, US ASEAN Health Future, and the Lower Mekong Initiative.

Southeast Asia comprises of 11 countries and is home to over 687 million people and has a long history of working on health security issues because of significant experiences with emerging infectious diseases. — VNS

US pledges additional 1 million Pfizer vaccine doses to Việt Nam

Update: August, 25/2021 - 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) yesterday held talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris during her three-day visit to Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — The US will donate an additional one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Việt Nam, said US Vice President Kamala Harris during talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Wednesday.

The vaccines will start arriving within the next 24 hours. 

With the additional donation, the total vaccines given by the US has reached 6 million doses.

Harris also committed an additional US$23 million in technical assistance and programmatic support to assist Việt Nam’s efforts to fight the pandemic, bringing the total assistance provided since the start of the pandemic to nearly $44 million.

This assistance will accelerate equitable access to and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, strengthen Việt Nam’s health system to respond to COVID-19, and build capacity to detect and monitor COVID-19 and future disease threats. USAID also provided the Vietnam Red Cross $1 million to reduce the impacts and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities, according to the White House.

Vice President Harris highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese Government in controlling and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, affirming that the United States will continue to provide substantive support for Việt Nam to effectively respond to the pandemic and disease risks, maintaining the global supply chain without disruption.

Welcoming the US Vice President to Việt Nam, PM Chính said the visit is more significant against the grim backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, as well as in Southeast Asia and in Việt Nam.

He affirmed Việt Nam perseveres with the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification of international relations to be a good friend, a reliable partner and a responsible partner of the international community.

“Việt Nam attaches great importance to the relations with the US, one of our most important partners. Việt Nam wishes to continue developing the Comprehensive Partnership and add substance, effectiveness with a long-term view towards stability to this relationship on the basis of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political system in the interest of mutual benefit,” he said.

Chính thanked US President Joe Biden, US Vice President Harris and the US people for donating such a vast quantity of vaccines and medical hardware to Việt Nam in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

The US support is extremely timely and invaluable as the pandemic is developing in complex ways in the south of Việt Nam, including HCM City, he said.

US Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her pleasure to visit Việt Nam for the first time and emphasised that the US attaches importance to the Comprehensive Partnership with Việt Nam on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and each other's political institutions.

She reaffirmed that the US will support a strong, independent, and prosperous Việt Nam and is committed to continuing to promote deeper, more stable and solid relations in the future.

PM Chính emphasised that Việt Nam considers economy and trade as a pillar and driving force of Việt Nam - US relations.

He proposed the two sides continue to strengthen co-operation within the framework of the Việt Nam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), and at the same time consider the possibility of establishing a new economic and trade co-operation framework to promote harmonious and sustainable trade cooperation.

“The Vietnamese Government is always ready to create all favourable conditions for US companies to do business in Việt Nam and wants the US to facilitate Vietnamese businesses to invest in the US.”

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the support and long-term commitment of the US to help Việt Nam overcome the consequences of the war in Việt Nam, including Agent Orange/dioxin decontamination projects, which had long-term effects on many Vietnamese families.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister proposed the US side increase the provision of scholarships to Vietnamese students and continue to promote co-operation in science - high technology, focusing on the medical and health sciences, especially the pharmaceutical industry, agricultural biotechnology, post-harvest technology, space innovation and co-operation for civil purposes.

US Vice President Kamala Harris said Việt Nam is one of the US' top 10 trading partners. That is a big area of focus for US in Southeast Asia and, in particular, in Việt Nam.

Harris affirmed that the relationship between the two countries in economy and security is being strengthened.

She emphasised that the US Government will continue to prioritise promoting co-operation with Việt Nam in economy - trade, climate change, science - technology, cooperation in civil space, and health.

She said the US will continue to support Việt Nam in overcoming war consequences, strengthening Việt Nam-US co-operation in United Nations peacekeeping activities, and enhancing the capacity of maritime security as well as development co-operation.

While exchanging views on international and regional situations, the two leaders affirmed ASEAN's central role in the East Sea, Mekong and Myanmar issues, and emphasised the principle of respecting international laws in handling regional issues.

“Our two countries share a common vision for the future of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“We are grateful for Việt Nam's constructive leadership in upholding freedom of the seas.  And we will continue to work with you to push back against threats to the rule-based international order,” Harris said.

Regarding climate change issues, PM Chính said that this is a global issue, so a global approach is needed.

Việt Nam is determined and strongly committed to responding to climate change, developing a sustainable and green economy, and gradually reducing carbon emissions in line with the country’s development conditions. — VNS

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính welcomes US Vice President Kamala Harris. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

USA

CARES Funding for Rural Assisted Living Gets Protections Within Infrastructure Bill

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed in the Senate on Tuesday, August 10, won't tap into unused Covid relief funds that were allocated for rural assisted living facilities.

by Liz Carey

August 17, 2021

DAILY YONDER

Republican Senator Rob Portman from Ohio, the top Republican negotiator on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, is seen arriving for the August 10 vote on the bill. Portman was among the Senators who successfully pushed for assisted living facilities' funding to be protected within the bill. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

When a bipartisan group of senators worked to craft an infrastructure bill last month, they came close to taking money away from rural assisted living facilities to help pay for it.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was sent to the Senate floor on August 1 and is aiming to provide $1.2 trillion in funding for roads, bridges, public transportation, airports, and other infrastructure needs.

However, thanks to action by several Congresswomen in rural states, money for assisted living facilities is safe and ready to be allocated, despite being authorized for disbursal more than a year ago.

Among the sticking points in the negotiations over the infrastructure legislation, according to U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona), was how to pay for it. Republicans insisted that any new funding should be paid for with money already in the budget.

That meant using $210 billion from unused Covid-19 aid programs, the senators said. And as of late July, that had included unused Provider Relief Funds, money allocated through the CARES Act to help assisted living facilities absorb losses due to Covid-19.

Using those funds presented a problem to rural assisted living facilities, said Maggie Elehwany, senior vice president of Public Affairs with Argentum, a non-profit organization representing the interests of long-term care facilities, including assisted living facilities.

“We thought that was really unconscionable at a time when we’ve got these variant cases going up and hospitalizations going up,” Elehwany said. “But moreover, for the assisted living folks that I work with, they have received just a small fraction of what they were supposed to receive from the Provider Relief Fund. They’ve been really underfunded and now half are operating at a loss. They keep being promised that more relief is coming.”

The American Hospital Association, and other healthcare groups, joined Argentum in opposing the use of Provider Relief Funds to pay for the infrastructure bill, as well as cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

“Congress recognized that hospitals and health systems needed relief from Medicare cuts during the pandemic and we appreciate the recently provided delay through the end of this year in the two percent mandatory reductions,” a group of nine healthcare organizations wrote to Senate Leaders Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).

“Unfortunately, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework lists a continuation of mandatory sequestration as an offset for the infrastructure agreement. Medicare funds should not be used to pay for roads and bridges.”

The AHA group argued that additional cuts to the Medicare program were not sustainable and that more funding to combat Covid-19 was needed as the Delta variant threatened communities across the country. Healthcare organizations are still waiting on some of the funds to arrive, they said.
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Argentum estimates that through the second quarter of 2021, assisted living facilities in 15 states will lose upwards of $2.4 billion in uncompensated losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Personal protective equipment and other costs associated with protecting patients and caregivers are sending these facilities to the brink of financial disaster, Elehwany said.

“During the pandemic, the communities providing assisted living went above and beyond to protect their seniors and caregivers and ensure they had access to the PPE, staffing, care, and services needed to keep people safe,” said James Balda, Argentum president & CEO, in a statement. “Now, without federal intervention, many communities could be at risk of closing due to the steep and uncompensated costs stemming from the pandemic.”

Nationally, senior living providers have incurred approximately $22.5 billion in losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Those losses are expected to grow to nearly $30 billion through the first half of 2021.

Just two percent of the billions allocated to assisted living facilities have been provided to them, Elehwany said.

“Congress appropriated the funds to target frontline caregivers, and to provide them with some relief so they could care for Covid patients and keep vulnerable populations safe,” she said. “A lot of the money went out the door quickly, but the difficulty was that assisted living folks weren’t on the radar to get that funding.”

Part of the problem, she said, was that assisted living facilities and other long-term care facilities don’t get federal dollars through Medicare and Medicaid, which are operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Rural hospitals and rural nursing homes that had accounts with Medicare and Medicaid saw money deposited directly into their accounts soon after the CARES Act was passed, she said. But those in assisted living facilities, with no ties to the federal government, were forced to wait for months as requirements were laid out for the money they would receive and forms were developed for facilities to apply for the funds.

The lack of help from the federal government, she said, means many assisted living facilities, especially those in rural areas, are facing closure.

“We anticipated the funding coming at the end of last year, and now, here we are… seven months later… still waiting for that (funding) to be released. It’s just so absolutely unbelievable,” Elehwany said.

Battling the Delta Variant

The funding takes on new significance, Elehwany said, as assisted living facilities anticipate another ramping up of expenses facing the Delta variant.

For rural areas already struggling with an insufficient number of places to care for aging populations, further closures of assisted living facilities would only exacerbate the problems, she said.

“The aging population is exploding. In 2034, we’re going to have more older citizens than we have children. That trajectory is only going to continue… In many rural States, (like) West Virginia and rural Pennsylvania, they already have a much older per capita older population,” she said. “There are not enough of these facilities now, and as our population continues to age, there’s no way there’s going to be enough in the future.”

By August 2, Elehwany said, language included in the bill had secured the funding for assisted living facilities, however. The move came from four senators, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Washington), Krysten Sinema (D-Arizona) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire).

Now it’s up to HHS to release those funds, she said.

“HHS is committed to distributing these funds to providers as quickly and equitably as possible to address lost revenues and increased expenses attributable to COVID-19 while maintaining strong safeguards for taxpayer dollars,” the HHS spokesperson said in an email.

According to the spokesperson, there were $24 billion in unallocated funds from the $178 billion Provider Relief Fund determined by the CARES Act, as well as another $8.5 billion allocated to rural healthcare providers in the American Rescue Plan.

USA

Six Out of 10 Rural Counties Lost Jobs in Last Two Decades

Counties with economies based on recreation were the most likely to gain jobs from 2000 to 2019. Counties with higher education levels also performed better.

by Bill Bishop and Robert Cushing

August 24, 2021

DAILY YONDER

The Daily Yonder's coverage of rural economic issues, including workforce development and the future of work in rural America, is supported in part by Microsoft.

Full-page version of map.

Half of all U.S. counties lost jobs over the last two decades, according to figures supplied by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Rural America lost jobs between 2000 and 2019. But the trend in jobs isn’t just a rural vs. urban story.

The nation as a whole gained 20.2 million jobs from 2000 to 2019, a 14.8 percent increase.

But the federal employment figures point out is that there are two different countries — one that is gaining jobs and people and another that is losing both. The division between those two countries is created not only by the difference between the city and the countryside, but by the structure of local economies and local levels of education.

We compared job totals in 2000 to those in 2019, before the employment markets were shattered by the onset of Covid-19. We looked at three factors that seem to have an effect on job creation over the past 20 years: metropolitan status, local economic types, and residents’ education levels.
The Bigger the City, the Bigger the Job Growth

We broke U.S. counties into several categories, based on the size of the metropolitan area they were in and whether they were in the central city or in the suburbs. (The county types are in the list at the bottom of this article.)

What we found is that, broadly speaking, the bigger the city, the bigger the percentage increase in jobs. As cities got smaller, so did the percentage growth in jobs. And in nonmetropolitan counties, which lost jobs from 2000 to 2019, the more remote the county, the bigger the loss in jobs.

The graph shows the percentage change in employment from 2000 to 2019 by county type. ("Major metro" counties are in a metropolitan area with a population of more than 1 million. "Medium-sized metro" counties are in a metropolitan areas with a population of 250,000 to 1 million. "Small metro" counties are in a metropolitan area with a population under 250,000. "Nonmetro (rural)" are counties that are not part of a metropolitan area.) (Daily Yonder/Bureau of Labor Statistics/Office of Management and Budget)

The areas that saw the biggest percentage growth – and the most jobs -- during the (nearly) 20-year period were the suburban counties in the country’s major metropolitan areas. Examples of this kind of county are the suburbs of big cities like Houston, Portland (Oregon), and Atlanta. These big-city suburbs added nearly 8.1 million jobs, an increase of 20.9% over 2000.

The next biggest gain was in the central counties of these major metropolitan areas. These counties added 6.7 million jobs -- a 17.6% increase -- since 2000. Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix), and Harris County, Texas (central Houston), alone gained 1.2 million jobs in the two decades.

In medium-sized metropolitan areas, the central counties, not the suburbs, had a bigger rate of job growth. In the central counties of medium-sized metros, jobs increased by 15.6% since 2000. In the suburbs of medium-sized metros, jobs grew by 14.1%

Small metropolitan areas (including both the central counties and suburban counties) had an 11.1% increase in jobs.

Nonmetropolitan, or rural, counties had a decrease in employment of 1.1%. The decline was slightly worse in counties that didn’t touch a metropolitan area than in counties that were adjacent to a metropolitan area.

Six out of 10 rural counties lost jobs over these two decades. Some 29 percent of urban counties lost jobs. Out of 3,134 counties in the nation, 1,572 had fewer jobs in 2019 than in 2000.

The map above shows changes in jobs in both rural and urban counties. Dark red counties are rural and lost jobs. Light red counties are rural and gained jobs since 2000.

Dark blue counties are urban areas that lost jobs. Light blue counties are urban areas that gained jobs.

(Not surprisingly, this map looks remarkably similar to maps showing population gains and losses over the last few decades.)
Local Economies

Job losses and gains reflected local economies and industries. For example, counties largely dependent on farming lost nearly 3% of their jobs in the two decades, a decline of 44,000 jobs. Counties with manufacturing economies scratched out a small 5.3% increase in jobs. (These designations come from the USDA’s Economic Research service; if you roll your mouse over the map, you will find what kind of industry dominates each county.)

It is no wonder that the Great Plains in the map above show large number of counties that lost jobs. And the largest job losers among urban counties were the old Midwestern manufacturing towns, such as Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis.

The biggest job gainers in rural America were recreation counties, such as Gallatin County, Montana, and Hawaii County, Hawaii. In fact, the counties, urban and rural, with the fastest growing job base over the last two decades, according to the USDA Economic Research Service, were places with strong recreation economies. Across the country, recreation counties increased their jobs by just over 25% from 2000 to 2019.

Daily Yonder/Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census

Education Levels

Job gains were also affected by local education levels. The higher the percentage of adults with college degrees in 2019, the larger the job gains over the previous two decades.

Counties with 23% or less of the adult population having B.A. degrees in 2019 increased their jobs by just 6% since 2000. Those where more than 40% of the adults had B.A. degrees had a 21.4% increase in jobs over the two decades.
Types of Metropolitan/Nonmetropolitan Areas

Here are the six categories we used for our analysis of jobs by county metropolitan status:

Major metropolitan areas central cities – the core counties of metropolitan areas with more than 1 million residents.

Major metropolitan areas suburbs – the suburban counties of metropolitan areas with more than 1 million residents.

Medium-sized metropolitan areas central cities – the core counties of metropolitan areas with 250,000 to 1 million residents.

Medium-sized metropolitan areas suburbs – the suburban counties of metropolitan areas with 250,000 to 1 million residents.

Small metropolitan areas – all counties comprising metropolitan areas with fewer than 250,000 residents.

Nonmetropolitan (rural) counties – counties that are not part of a metropolitan statistical areas.

Bill Bishop is the founding co-editor of the Daily Yonder and currently reports for and advises the Daily Yonder as a contributing editor.

Robert Cushing is a retired professor of sociology at the University of Texas Austin.

FOODSTAMPS USA
SNAP Benefits Increase Will Help Rural Areas, Experts Say
The USDA-run food assistance program, which on average benefits the rural population more than its urban and suburban counterparts, helps families get healthier nutrition and serves as a powerful economic driver.

by Kristi Eaton August 25, 2021

DAILY YONDER

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack holds up a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefits Transfer (SNAP EBT) card during a press briefing at the White House. USDA, which runs the program, announced the increase to the amount paid out to the enrollees for the first time in the SNAP's history. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)


The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that the monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit will increase on average by $36.24 per person, per month, or $1.19 per day.

Experts in hunger alleviation say this will have a positive benefit for rural community members in the U.S. who use the program at higher rates than those in metropolitan areas.

The changes go into effect October 1, 2021.

This is the first time there has been a cost adjustment to the plan since it was introduced in 1975, according to the USDA. In its re-evaluation, USDA was driven by the latest available data on four factors identified in the 2018 Farm Bill: current food prices, what Americans typically eat, dietary guidance, and the nutrients in food items.

According to the USDA, more than 1 in 8 Americans – or about 42 million – use the program each month. According to the American Community Survey from 2012-2016, 16% of rural homes used SNAP, compared to 15% in small towns and 13% in metro areas.

Research has shown that cost is the biggest barrier to eating healthfully while utilizing SNAP.

Increasing the benefit amount will stretch the food dollar of low-income families who will be able to purchase healthier foods, said Abby Gold, program leader in Health & Nutrition at the University of Minnesota Extension. “Participating in SNAP helps to extend wages to pay for needs other than food. SNAP delivers assistance quickly and effectively to people recovering from natural disasters or economic crises,” she said.

There are 353 persistently poor counties in the United States (comprising 11.2% of all U.S. counties). The large majority (301 or 85.3%) of the persistent-poverty counties are nonmetro. Persistent poverty also demonstrates a strong regional pattern, with nearly 84% of persistent-poverty counties in the South, comprising more than 20% of all counties in the region. Most of the 301 nonmetro persistent poverty counties (267 or 88.7%) also had high poverty (a rate of 20% or higher) on average for 2015-19, suggesting that the geography of nonmetro persistent poverty changed little over the last decade.

“Too many of our fellow Americans struggle to afford healthy meals,” said Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services in a statement. “The revised plan is one step toward getting them the support they need to feed their families.”

Access to healthy and nutritious food has consistently remained a barrier for rural Americans, said Alison Cohen, senior director of programs at WhyHunger.

“In comparison to urban or metropolitan areas, rural regions are often less equipped to handle rising hunger needs due to factors including the lack of public transportation, limited awareness and access to SNAP enrollment sites, as well as awareness about SNAP and support in the application process,” Cohen said. “SNAP is one of the best tools available to reduce hunger, in addition to being an economic multiplier for local businesses. Its increase will benefit rural households but enrollment in SNAP is key.”

Temporary SNAP boosts during Covid-19 have helped mitigate food hardship and stimulate economic activity, said Ellen Vollinger, legal director for the Food Research & Action Center.

“Unfortunately, a 15% SNAP boost in place since January 2021 will sunset after September 30, 2021,” Vollinger said. “Moreover, SNAP Emergency Allotments that have increased SNAP benefits to the maximum amount for households of their size expire when pandemic health declarations end — well in advance of the end of the economic crisis caused by Covid-19.”

Vollinger thinks more can be done with the SNAP program.

She said policymakers should continue Covid-19 temporary SNAP benefit boosts until economic recovery has taken hold as well as replace the Thrifty Food Plan with the Low Cost Food Plan as the basis for SNAP benefits; remove the cap on the SNAP shelter deduction so families with children can better afford both food and housing; and close participation gaps, including for college students, older Americans, immigrant households, unemployed individuals, and working families making their way up the economic ladder.

Vollinger notes that each $1 in SNAP benefits during a downturn generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity.

Amazon offering £1000 “golden hello” to new hires as it becomes latest to face staff shortage crisis

24th August 2021
Ben Stevens

Amazon is offering new warehouse workers a £1000 joining bonus as it becomes the latest retailer to grapple with a staff shortage crisis.

Amazon is advertising for a range of full-time and part-time warehouse staff across the UK, with pickers and packers capable of lifting up to 50lbs reportedly “urgently needed”.

According to the Evening Standard, job adverts posted on Indeed are aiming to entice new hires by offering “golden hellos” of £1000 to anyone joining between now and September 18.

Staff are not required to have any previous training, can start immediately, and will be offered flexible hours at up to £11.10 and hour, rising to £22.20 for overtime.

READ MORE: 1 in every 153 US workers now works for Amazon

The online giant, which has already hired around 20,000 new UK employees since the start of the pandemic, I understood to be looking for new staff in Croydon, Erith, Enfield, Hemel Hempstead, Luton and further outside of London in Redruth, Hull, Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Southampton and Liverpool.

While Amazon has not commented on why it has begun offering the new bonuses, it comes as the retail industry continues to face major staff shortages both on the shop floor and in their supply chains.

However, aside from the ‘pingdemic’ crisis and other pressures on retail staff due to Brexit, a recent New York Times article revealed that Amazon has a staff turnover rate in the US of 150 per cent.

The rate of staff turnover is so severe, that some executives are reportedly concerned Amazon will run out of eligible workers.

THE GAME IS AFOOT WATSON

California family found dead on trail had 'no obvious cause of death.' Could toxic algae be responsible?


By Yasemin Saplakoglu

The bodies were found on Tuesday on a remote hiking trail.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A family was recently found dead on a hiking trail along the Merced River in a remote area of the Sierra National Forest in California. There were no signs of damage to their bodies.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that toxic algal blooms may be to blame. But is that the likeliest explanation? One researcher told Live Science, that while possible, that scenario would be unusual.

After a friend reported the family missing, searchers discovered the bodies of John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter Miju and their dog, Oski on Tuesday (Aug. 17) in Mariposa County, along the Hite Cove Trail near Devil Gulch.

"This is a very unusual, unique situation," Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "There were no signs of trauma, no obvious cause of death. There was no suicide note. They were out in the middle of a national forest on a day hike." What's more, the couple were known to be avid hikers, according to the Chronicle.

Related: The 5 most poisonous substances: Polonium to mercury

Investigators briefly considered the possibility that the family may have been exposed to toxic fumes from nearby abandoned mines.

As many as half a million abandoned mines may dot the U.S., according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Back when these mines were in operation, their operators could just simply abandon them without removing hazards.

Abandoned mines can accumulate many different lethal gases, including methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide and toxic levels of carbon dioxide. If people breathe in these gases, their muscles stop responding normally, thinking becomes clouded and a person can become unconscious and die. What's more, these chemicals are often odorless and there are no other warning signs that you're breathing them in, according to the BLM.

When the bodies were found, the area was briefly designated a hazmat site — or an area that may have "hazardous materials" to a person's health; the designation was lifted the next day, according to NPR.

The Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese told The Fresno Bee that he didn't believe the deaths were connected to a nearby mine. The nearest known mine was over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away from the bodies; still, because that area had a community of mines, there could be some that we don't know about, Briese said. In the mid-19th century, an area around Hites Cove held a hard-rock gold mine, where certain techniques are used to extract "hard" minerals holding metals like gold, according to The Associated Press.

Toxic algae

Briese also said investigators were considering toxic algae blooms as a possible cause, and that the U.S. Forest Service had recently posted warnings about toxic algae at the start of the trail near Hites Cove, where the bodies were found, according to the Fresno Bee.


Such blooms are caused by algae or cyanobacteria that grow in the water and can release toxins that can sometimes poison animals, such as cattle or dogs, according to The California Department of Public Health. These toxins can get into the body through ingestion, through the skin or even through inhalation.


People who swim, wade or participate in other aquatic activities in water laced with cyanobacterial toxins can develop health effects such as skin rashes, diarrhea and vomiting (if they ingest the toxins), or develop problems with the liver, kidneys or nervous system. But there are no known human deaths connected to drinking or wading in such contaminated water, according to the California Department of Public Health.


Indeed, Alan Wilson, a professor at the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at Auburn University in Alabama, said that it's unusual for people to die from algal blooms. "There are reports, but they're usually kind of anecdotal reports," Wilson told Live Science. "I get more people calling me this time of year normally for pet or livestock deaths."


Dogs tend to be more susceptible to the algal toxins, in part because they get into the water and then get out and lick their fur, potentially ingesting a high dose of toxins, he said. "Human exposure when swimming is fairly low, we don't ingest tons of water."


In this case, if this family were to be exposed to such toxins, it would likely be from toxic algal mats and not blooms, he said. While algal blooms are not attached to anything, algal mats cling onto the bottom of water, such as on rocks.


The Merced River doesn't look particularly deep and the water moves, which would make it hard for algae to build up and form algal blooms like it does in lakes, he added. But algal mats, because they're clinging onto the rocks, wouldn't flow down the stream.

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On July 13, the Sierra National Forest posted a warning on their Facebook page about toxic algal mats in the Merced River near Hites Cove. "The Sierra National Forest (SNF) would like to inform those visitors who like to enjoy this area of the Merced River and SNF, not to swim, wade or allow their pets to enjoy the water," due to these mats, the agency warned.

The trail the family was hiking, the Savage Lundy Trail, snakes along the Merced River. On Thursday (Aug. 19), the State Water Resources Control Board said they were testing waterways in the area for such toxic algae, according to The Fresno Bee.

"The fact that it was two adults, a kid and a dog," makes this a really unusual situation, he said. "You think that even if people were exposed they're not all going to be exposed at the same rate." Investigators are hoping that autopsies and toxicology tests will ultimately reveal more about what happened in this tragic story.

Originally published on Live Science.