USDA designates Pointe Coupee Parish as a disaster area

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Pointe Coupee Parish as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by severe storms and flooding that occurred in August. Farmers and ranchers in Avoyelles, Concordia, Iberville, St. Landry, St. Martin, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes also qualify for national disaster assistance because their areas are contiguous.

Flood victims face major challenges as early voting begins

As Keith and Felicia Scott looked at the ruins of their flooded-out house in North Carolina, the mould growing up the walls and the loose floorboards lying waterlogged at their feet, the presidential election was about the furthest thing from their minds. "I know it's something we need to focus on, but it's kind of hard to focus on that when you've got all this going on," said Keith Scott, a 49-year-old state prison employee who lives outside Lumberton, one of the areas inundated by Hurricane Matthew nearly two weeks ago.

Pence visits firebombed office, defends ‘rigged’ claims

Republican vice presidential hopeful Mike Pence is condemning the firebombing of a North Carolina Republican campaign office as an "act of political terrorism." The Indiana governor made a surprise stop Tuesday at the Orange County Republican headquarters, encouraging local GOP officials and volunteers as he stood among stacks of Donald Trump campaign signs left charred by a Molotov cocktail.

Climate Alarmists Try To Redefine What A Hurricane Is So We’ll Have More Of Them

This op-ed from IBD points out what we have been saying for years, that even though there is no trend in hurricane frequency of intensity, alarmists like Mashable's Andrew Freedman are trying to get the definition of a hurricane redefined, so that the trend will become a positive one. Recall that hateful science blogger Greg Laden asked Should There be a Category 6 for Hurricanes? after super typhoon Haiyan hit in 2013, something that ABC news opined had " already happened " without one shred of evidence to back up that opinion for a Category 6 storm.

BRICS leaders discuss how to shape global trade, finance

Leaders of BRICS countries, from left, Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South African President Jacob Zuma raise their han... . Leaders of BRICS countries, from left, Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma leave after a gr... Four people were killed and nine were injured on Saturday after an out-of-control pickup truck plunged off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and plowed into crowd gathered at a festival below, authorities said.

The Latest: Northwest tribe says sea wall holding amid storm

Law enforcement sought Saturday to reassure immigrants in a diverse western Kansas community of their safety after three men were accused of plotting to target Somali immigrants there. Law enforcement sought Saturday to reassure immigrants in a diverse western Kansas community of their safety after three men were accused of plotting to target Somali immigrants there.

Road to recovery could test patience of Matthew victims

Tiajuana Williams lives in a one-story apartment building in Princeville, North Carolina, that was flooded by a river bulging with rainwater from Hurricane Matthew. Before driving out of town in her Honda Civic ahead of the storm, she hurriedly packed a small bag with little more than a change of clothes.

Amid corruption, Maryland prisons chief seeks solutions

When Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Stephen Moyer took over Maryland's ailing prison system, he had one goal: combat corruption. Maryland's prisons chief has fought corruption by aggressively investigating bad behavior and rigorously screening new corrections officers.

Police groupa s endorsement of Trump stirs debate among ranks

A national police organization's endorsement of Donald Trump has exposed a divide within the ranks of law enforcement: Can they support someone who calls himself the law-and-order candidate but was caught on tape bragging about sexually predatory behavior toward women? And what about Trump antagonizing the very minority communities that police agencies need to win over amid turmoil over police shootings of unarmed black men? Last month, the national Fraternal Order of Police endorsed the New York businessman, saying he's the one candidate who takes time to understand the issues facing law enforcement. Now, some officers - particularly African-Americans - are questioning whether Trump is worthy of the endorsement.

Flooded Louisiana gets bulk of $500M in federal disaster money

Louisiana's worst-flooded parishes will receive more than 87 percent of $500 million that Congress allocated for housing repairs, HUD announced Thursday . when the federal government announced the Pelican State would receive more than 87 percent of that first tranche of community development block grants.