Allianz warns of risk, confirms US Justice Department probe
The Allianz financial services company is warning that lawsuits brought by U.S. investors against the company could end up having a material impact on its future financial results.
The major German company made the disclosure Sunday, noting that it received a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for documents and information related to the company’s Structured Alpha Funds business, which is at the center of the investor lawsuits. The Securities and Exchange Commission launched its own probe into the matter last year.
RABIES VACCINE DISTRIBUTION BY AIR AND ON GROUND PLANNED FOR ERIE COUNTY
RABIES VACCINE DISTRIBUTION BY AIR AND ON GROUND PLANNED FOR ERIE COUNTY
Oral rabies bait prevents deadly virus in skunks, raccoons, foxes and other wildlife
ERIE COUNTY, NY— In coordination with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services, the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) will participate in a wildlife vaccination program for rabies using aircraft and on-the-ground deliver to distribute bait.
Helicopters will drop bait to suburban towns and villages and open areas of the city of Buffalo from July 31 through August 4. Fixed wing aircraft will distribute vaccine packets to rural areas between August 17 and August 20. All distributions are weather-dependent. Ground and hand-baiting began on July 28 with Erie County Department of Health vector control staff and USDA personnel in more densely populated urban areas. In 2020, this program resulted in the distribution of more than 267,000 vaccine packets in Erie County.
Residents who come in contact with wildlife vaccine packets can call the NYSDOH Rabies Information Line (888) 574-6656 with questions or concerns.
Do NOT disturb vaccine packets. Most packets are eaten within four days; almost all baits will be gone within a week. If packets are not found and eaten, they will harmlessly dissolve and exposed vaccine will become inactivated. If you must move a vaccine packet, wear gloves or use a plastic bag or paper towel to pick it up. Place any damaged baits in the trash; throw intact baits into a wooded area or other raccoon/wildlife habitat.
Residents should WASH HANDS IMMEDIATELY if they come into direct contact with the vaccine or packets, then call the NYSDOH Rabies Information Line at (888) 574-6656. Additional recommendations include:
Supervise children’s outdoor activities during bait distribution and for one week afterward.
Confine dogs and cats indoors and observe leash laws during the bait distribution interval and for one week afterward.
This will increase the probability of raccoon vaccination and decrease the chance of pets finding the baits.
Baits and vaccines are not harmful to domestic animals. However, an animal may vomit if it consumes several baits.
Residents should not risk being bitten while trying to remove bait from your pet’s mouth.
Image of bait packet with quarter coin to indicate size; provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Image of Wildlife Rabies Vaccination Zones 2021
Image of helicopter used for wildlife vaccine distribution, 2020.
ECDOH, Rabies Information: https://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=rabies-information
ECDOH, Environmental Health: 716-961-6800 (For emergencies after regular business hours: 716-961-7898)
Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources Announces Updated Computer Models are Released for Key California Water Projects
San Luis Reservoir on May 29, 2019
Credit: DWR file photo
August 1, 2021 - The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) have released the next versions of two computer models that simulate operations of the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP). Water managers use the models – CalSim II and CalSim 3 – to examine project operations under various assumptions for hydrologic conditions, project facilities and regulatory requirements.
“Having the ability to model events in a virtual world is a tremendous help in drought planning and improving sustainability of our water resources,” said Erik Reyes, DWR’s Supervising Engineer. “These highly complex and extensive models allow for studying a number of key changed conditions, including climate change.”
A beta version of CalSim 3 was originally released in 2017 for public comment. Since then several changes have been made to the model, including the full incorporation of the San Joaquin River, updated integration of groundwater and surface water interaction and new areas of simulation coverage in upstream watersheds. Both CalSim 3 and CalSim II, which are being updated from the last public release in October 2019, include refinements to the depiction of many regulatory criteria.
“The inclusion of enhanced physical modeling in CalSim 3, particularly the implementation of stream-groundwater interaction, represents a great stride forward in analytical capabilities for Central Valley Project and State Water Project planning studies,” stated Derya Sumer, Reclamation’s Water Supply and Operations Analysis Branch Chief.
These and other improvements enhance the ability to model the ever-changing conditions that dynamically affect the projects, including impacts to infrastructure, operating or regulatory criteria, land uses and climate change.
The models and preliminary documentation are available here. Full documentation is expected to be made available in November 2021.
For more information about these benchmark studies or to provide comments, you may contact Erik Reyes, California Department of Water Resources, erik.reyes@water.ca.gov, (916) 653-5569; or Derya Sumer, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, dsumer@usbr.gov, (916) 978-5188.
Source: CA. DWR