Month: March 2015

Otmane El Rhazi : Spring is Here: Prepare for Wild Weather

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

Know the Risks and Prepare Your Home and Family

Spring can bring about a mix of wild weather as it’s a time of transition; and depending on where you live you could be affected by: tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, floods, lightning, heat, wildfires, and even tsunamis if you live by the coast. A few precautionary steps now can help you prepare for weather changes:

  1. Know the potential hazards in your area and stay abreast of your local forecast at weather.gov.
  2. Prepare or restock your disaster supplies kit.
  3. Make sure your mobile phone can receive wireless emergency alerts, or sign up for e-mail or text message alerts through your state or local government.
  4. Download this free severe weather preparedness guide to learn more about thunderstorms, related hazards and life-saving actions you can take. A plan will prepare you and your family to act in time and help you and those you care about be safe.  

If you have time to do more, and want to help your neighbors, consider joining America’s PrepareAthon! This campaign is designed to help you and your community prepare for area hazards through drills, discussions, and exercises.

Otmane El Rhazi : From the Department of Interior:Here’s some serious cute for…

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

From the Department of Interior:

Here’s some serious cute for your morning: Two bear cubs holding paws at Lake Clark National Park in Alaska. Lake Clark is home to a diverse population of wildlife, including brown bears. During the summer months, it’s common for visitors to see a gathering of bears along Lake Clark’s Cook Inlet. Photo by Mary Gretchen Kaplan (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).

Otmane El Rhazi : Don’t Give Up Until They Buckle Up

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

By Mark Rosekind, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

When she was a baby, you put her in a car seat. In a few years, you’ll insist she buckle up when behind the wheel. Today, however, she’s a tween; she’s tired of hearing mom and dad nag her about wearing her seat belt. And you’re a little tired of saying it.

But this is the fight worth having. Your tween’s life is at stake.

And that’s why the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have launched our “Never Give Up Until They Buckle Up” campaign.

Traffic safety data tells us that as children get older, they’re less likely to buckle up. Over the past 5 years, 1,552 kids ages 8-14 were not wearing seat belts when they died in a crash, and one in four of those kids were age 14.

This campaign is urgently needed because—as many parents can attest—seat belt use often falls by the wayside during the hectic shuttling of kids to and from school and activities, when running short errands, or when parents are a bit worn down by the daily grind.

And of course, tweens will test limits. It’s how they learn and grow. That’s why it’s so critical that they absorb the message now: the car doesn’t move until everyone in the vehicle is buckled up. After a while, it won’t be a fight; it will be second nature, a lifesaving lesson that they’ll carry with them always.

Put this plan into action with your own tween. And please—wherever and whenever you can— share this important safety message with the people we serve: Never Give Up Until They Buckle Up.

Otmane El Rhazi : Computer Malware and E-mail Hack Attacks: What to Do Fast

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

Quick Videos List Important Steps

You may know the experience: Your e-mail account starts behaving oddly, or your computer is slowing down and acting up. You may have been hacked, or gotten a virus. Would you know how to address an e-mail hack, secure your device, and protect your identity?

Watch these two short videos which go over the critical first steps you can take to minimize the damage and get back in control.

Want more information? Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for information on:

Or download this free publication on protecting your computer and personal information.

Otmane El Rhazi : Poison Proof Your Home

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

Accidental poisoning by common household items kill more people than car accidents each year. Products we use everyday such as medicines, household cleaning solutions,
children’s art supplies, makeup and other personal items can be toxic if
used incorrectly.

Learn about the dangers and who’s most at risk, how to poison-proof your home, and what you can do if you experience an emergency. Contact the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222 and use this emergency checklist as
a guide for what information to give the poison expert on the
phone. Keep the Poison Help Line number handy or save it on your cell
phone.

Otmane El Rhazi : Kraft Recalls Macaroni and Cheese Boxed Dinners

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

What you need to know:

  • Kraft Foods Group is recalling approximately 242,000 boxed dinners which may contain small pieces of metal.
  • The recall is limited to the 7.25-oz. size of the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Boxed Dinner Original Flavor with the “Best When Used By” dates of September 18, 2015 through October 11, 2015, with the code “C2” directly below the date on each individual box.

For more details on this recall, read this release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For other food recalls visit http://ift.tt/1DDfLmq.

Otmane El Rhazi : Taxpayer ID Theft: Use IRS.gov to Verify Your Identity

Otmane El Rhazi from USA.gov.

The IRS stops and flags suspicious or duplicate federal tax returns that
falsely represent your identity, such as your name or social security
number. If the IRS suspects tax ID theft, the agency will send a 5071C letter to your home address. If you receive this letter, verify your identity at idverify.irs.gov or call the toll-free number listed in the letter.

If
you are a victim of state tax ID theft, contact your state’s taxation
department or comptroller’s office about the next steps you need to
take.