Deanne Criswell and the 121 major disasters she's managing as FEMA administrator
CBSN
Deanne Criswell, the first woman to head the agency charged with coordinating the federal government's response to disasters, waded into a flood of emergencies as soon as she was confirmed, including coordinating the delivery and administration of millions of COVID vaccines and helping those whose loved ones died of COVID. And now, she's addressing a ransomware attack that has slowed gas supply along the East Coast — all of this, on top of FEMA's usual preparation for hurricane and wildfire season.
In her first interview as Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, Criswell told CBS News the agency has been in "frequent communication" with all seven states suffering fuel shortages after a ransomware attack forced the shutdown of Colonial Pipeline, prompting a mass scramble to the gas pumps. "Right now there are no unmet needs that require FEMA's assistance," Criswell said. "But be assured that we will continue to communicate with them and be able to support as needed." FEMA has stood up dozens of mass vaccination sites nationwide to get COVID-19 shots into the arms of adults. As health officials gear up to vaccinate children as young as 12 years of age, FEMA says it will pivot its strategy from mass vaccination to a "hub-and-spoke model" that allows the disaster agency to reach Americans in more remote areas.Billions of cicadas are emerging across about 16 states in the Southeast and Midwest. Periodical cicadas used to reliably emerge every 13 or 17 years, depending on their brood. But in a warming world where spring conditions arrive sooner, climate change is messing with the bugs' internal alarm clocks.
Senate Democrats to unveil package to protect IVF as party makes reproductive rights push this month
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