Trump holds call with Hawaii governor over hurricane response

Donald John Trump Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull ousted by party rivals CNN's Cuomo clashes with Kellyanne Conway over Cohen hush-money payments Lawmaker who pushed to impeach Nixon: Trump 'systematically' abusing power MORE on Friday held a call with Hawaii Gov. David Ige to offer support for island residents as Hurricane Lane lashed Hawaii with intense rain. Trump and Ige discussed preparedness and emergency response measures for the Category 2 storm, the White House said in a statement Friday evening.

Verizon makes changes as lawmakers decry firefighters’ woes

In this Aug. 7, 2018 file photo, firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire near Ladoga, Calif. A nationwide telecommunications company that slowed internet service to firefighters as they battled the largest wildfire in California history says it has removed all speed cap restrictions for first responders on the West Coast.

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.

The Daily 202: Puerto Ricans who fled to Florida after…

Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico last September and prompted a mass exodus of more than 100,000 residents to the mainland United States. The Category 4 storm destroyed much of the island's infrastructure, which was already decaying and crumbling amidst a financial crisis and a bankrupt territorial government.

Today in History: July 23, 2018

Today's Highlight in History: On July 23, 1829, William Austin Burt received a patent for his "typographer," a forerunner of the typewriter. In 1885, Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, died in Mount McGregor, New York, at age 63. In 1914, Austria-Hungary presented a list of demands to Serbia following the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serb assassin; Serbia's refusal to agree to the entire ultimatum led to the outbreak of World War I. In 1945, French Marshal Henri Petain, who had headed the pro-Axis Vichy government during World War II, went on trial, charged with treason.

Flooding Could Severely Damage Internet Infrastructure by 2035

US engineers have identified a problem nobody had ever expected to confront so soon: the approach of the flooded internet, caused by worldwide sea level rise. Within 15 years seawater could be lapping over buried fibre optic cables in New York, Seattle, Miami and other US coastal cities, according to a new study.

Senator meets with Crossroads leaders for Harvey recovery update

Sen. Ted Cruz met with leaders from throughout the Crossroads on Saturday afternoon to receive an update on Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Victoria County Judge Ben Zeller said Cruz reached out to him to set up a roundtable discussion in Victoria in order to get a better idea of what challenges residents continue to face almost a year after Hurricane Harvey struck the area.

Puerto Rico Morgue Moved Cadavers at 4 a.m. Amid Rising Scrutiny

Puerto Rico 's beleaguered forensic sciences department moved two corpses from stop-gap refrigerator trailers in the early hours of Tuesday, after there were complaints about a foul odor and before federal inspectors arrived. The grisly episode sheds new light on the challenges at the morgue, which has become a symbol of dysfunction in the bankrupt commonwealth .

Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season and Other Storm Emergencies?

Hurricane season is in full swing, running from June through November. Unfortunately, no one can stop a tropical storm or hurricane from happening and both types of weather events are increasingly impacting larger portions of the U.S. However, there are steps you can take that will help you weather a storm and better ensure the safety of your family.

FEMA says it underestimated devastation Hurricane Maria would have on Puerto Rico

In a long-awaited report on FEMA's response to 2017's hurricanes, the agency said it had underestimated how devastating a FEMA said its plans "did not anticipate the massive requirements to deliver electricity, telecommunications, and fuel sector utilities with air and sea movement" on Puerto Rico. Additionally, FEMA did not anticipate the "need to move critical pharmaceutical supplies off Puerto Rico to meet national demands."

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.

Old tweets reveal CNN reporter used to mock network: ‘CNN is really confused’

CNN's Oliver Darcy ridiculed his current employer before he worked there, but a CNN spokesperson said he was just doing his job. Old tweets sent by CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy in which he mocked his current employer for everything from its chyrons to accusing the network of allowing guests to make stuff up on its airwaves have been unearthed.

BRWC gets $156,648 grant for generators

BRWC Operations Manager Stephen Taylor and B-MPFD Chief Chris Jones show off a "check" that will be used to cover part of the cost of four diesel-powered standby generators to be placed at BRWC well sites. With them are BRWC board members Ralph Vincent and Tracy Coates; Kershaw County Director of Safety and Emergency Services Gene Faulkenberry; BRWC board members Kershaw Graham, Chover Baskins and Lynwood Horton; and BRWC staffers Heather Hall and Jania Anderson.

Judge extends housing for Puerto Rican hurricane evacuees

Hundreds of Puerto Rican hurricane evacuee families living in hotels across the U.S. can stay there for at least three more weeks, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Timothy Hillman in Massachusetts granted an extension of a restraining order temporarily blocking the evictions of the evacuees displaced by Hurricane Maria last September.

U.S. judge to hold hearing over Puerto Ricans facing eviction

A court hearing is set for Monday after a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking the eviction of hundreds of Puerto Ricans who fled the hurricane-ravaged island last year and have since been staying in hotels and motels across the nation. The last benefits of a federal aid program for Hurricane Maria evacuees from the island were to run out on Sunday morning, cutting off housing assistance for the group residing in U.S. mainland motels.