‘Big and vicious’: Hurricane Florence closes in on Carolinas

Hurricane Florence as seen from the ISS on Monday morning, Photo Date: 9/10/18 / Photo: Ricky Arnold / ISS / Forecasters at the University of Michigan predict that 2.4 million people will lose power from Hurricane Florence and some outages could be prolonged. That's about one-fourth the number who suffered outages from Hurricane Sandy, which hit a more populated area around New Jersey in 2012.

U.S. Senate votes to extend federal flood insurance program; critics urge private alternative

On the day it was scheduled to expire, the U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to extend the National Flood Insurance Program for four months through Nov. 30. The bipartisan vote for the extension was 86 to 12. Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise authored the bill that also passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, 366 to 52. It now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature or veto.

Army Corps proposes concrete and steel barrier wall to combat NYC floods

In an effort to protect New York's vulnerable areas from another Hurricane Sandy-like storm, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has proposed building a huge barrier, constructed from steel and concrete, that would stretch more than 2,150 square miles along the New York Harbor, sectioning off the harbor from the Atlantic Ocean. According to WNYC , the Army Corps is in the process of explaining the proposal in a series of public information sessions that began on Monday and will carry on through Wednesday.

US disaster-response force stretched thin as hurricane season starts

FILE PHOTO: Representatives from FEMA speak with a resident of the Staten Island borough neighborhood of New Dorp Beach about registering with the agency for financial assistance to help recover from the storm surge of Hurricane Sandy in New York, NY, U.S., November 15, 2012. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida last September, the top U.S. disaster-response official ordered all hands on deck.

Jeff Van Drew, Seth Grossman win primaries in New Jersey’s Second Congressional District

Amy S. Rosenberg is a staff writer. Most recent preoccupations: the epic drama of Atlantic City, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, local beach culture, shoobies, the fragile psyche of the Philadelphia sports fan, and Miss America.

Travis 75th: Travis’ fleet of aircraft adapts with nation’s needs

More than 35 different types of airplanes have called Travis Air Force Base home since its inception, with the mission shifting to meet the nation's defense needs. Since 2006, the base has hosted three separate airframes, all of which have cargo capability.

New York Corporate Leaders Create PAC to Boost Clout in Washington

Partnership for New York City , a civic group of more than 300 corporate chief executives, created a federal political-action committee to push for projects and legislation considered crucial to the economic future of the most populous U.S. city. The organization for several years has run a PAC empowered to make donations to state and local candidates.

The ‘go-to lawyer’ for insurers fighting flood claims is this Metairie attorney: report

Flood insurance -- the costs, benefits, risks and rewards of the federally backed program -- is a familiar topic to Louisianians. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Louisiana Flood of 2016 drove home its advantages as well as its outrages -- the latest being that as much as two thirds of the money paid by property owners for coverage goes to private insurance companies and the lawyers who are hired to fight claims.

Trump official accuses N.J. of ‘bullying’ on Gateway tunnel

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao ratcheted up the rhetoric over the Gateway Tunnel project , accusing proponents of waging a campaign to "bully the department" to approve funding. Chao made her comments at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday in response to a question from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who asked if she would support Gateway, which he called a project of "the upmost urgency."

Mostly positive FEMA reports under Obama removed Mostly positive FEMA reports under Obama removed

Twelve reports were rescinded by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General because they 'may have not adequately answered objectives and, in some cases, may have lacked sufficient and appropriate evidence to support conclusions.' In a rare move, the government watchdog for the Federal Emergency Management Administration has removed a dozen largely positive reports evaluating how the agency responded under President Obama to several disasters from 2012 to 2016, according to an internal memo obtained by USA TODAY.

Mostly positive FEMA reports under Obama removed

Twelve reports were rescinded by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General because they 'may have not adequately answered objectives and, in some cases, may have lacked sufficient and appropriate evidence to support conclusions.' In a rare move, the government watchdog for the Federal Emergency Management Administration has removed a dozen largely positive reports evaluating how the agency responded under President Obama to several disasters from 2012 to 2016, according to an internal memo obtained by USA TODAY.

Government watchdog purges mostly positive reports on FEMA from website

In a rare move, the government watchdog for the Federal Emergency Management Administration has removed a dozen largely positive reports evaluating how the agency responded under President Obama to several disasters from 2012 to 2016, according to an internal memo obtained by USA TODAY. Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate was tapped by President Obama to lead an interagency task force responding to the flood of unaccompanied children illegally crossing the U.S./Mexico border.

Brooklyn pol absent in Albany since bust – but still gets paid

Embattled Brooklyn state Assemblywoman Pamela Harris keeps getting paid as a lawmaker, but has been a no-show at the state Capitol ever since her indictment on federal corruption charges this year. Harris, a Democrat, has not attended a single Assembly session since her Jan. 9 arrest on charges that she misused $60,000 in federal and state funds on personal expenses like a cruise ship vacation and purchases at Victoria's Secret.

Powerful GOP Appropriations chair Frelinghuysen to retire

Veteran Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has announced he will not seek re-election. The New Jersey Republican was facing his first competitive re-election race in decades and joins a growing roster of GOP veterans who are heading for the exits.

In the Age of Big Climate Change we have to stop Farting Carbon

This past year is what the era of Big Climate Change looks like. We are only at the beginning of the massive changes we are making to our environment by farting 41 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere every year, but we can already see the shape of the future and it is alarming.

Puerto Rico Begins the Transition from Response to Recovery

As Puerto Rico begins to transition from the response phase to recovery, Michael Byrne, the Federal Coordinating Officer for Puerto Rico has been named as the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator . Byrne has more than 30 years of experience in disaster management and recovery program execution, including serving as the FDRC for Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and the FCO for Hurricane Sandy in New York and the 2011 Alabama tornadoes.

Cuomo, Schumer reflect on lessons learned 5 years after Sandy

Gov. Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer on Sunday reflected on Hurricane Sandy and said New York has come back stronger and smarter. During the joint appearance in Oceanside, L.I., to announce a Nassau County water treatment plant project, Cuomo invoked Winston Churchill's motto of "never given in" to say how New York tackled the aftermath of the devastating storm.