Hurricane relief concert attended by 5 living former presidents raises $31M so far
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The five living former presidents have attended a concert to benefit victims of hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Barack Obama, George W.
Texas prisoners donate $53,000 to victims of Hurricane Harvey
TEXAS – Thousands of inmates in Texas have been visiting their prison's commissary -- not for a can of Sprite or a roll of tissue paper, but to donate money to Hurricane Harvey victims.In one month, 6,663 inmates raised more than $53,000, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark told CNN.At prison commissaries, inmates use funds from electronic accounts to buy food, personal hygiene products and miscellaneous items such as paper and pens.
UWM grad, Wisconsin Lutheran College student stock van and head to Texas for Harvey relief
MILWAUKEE -- An area student and recent graduate filled a van and are heading to Texas to help Hurricane Harvey victims.Curtis Piek, a junior at Wisconsin Lutheran College, and recent University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate, Alex Pier, are making the trip together.The two met at an organization where Pier works and had the idea for the trip.
House set to pass $36.5B for hurricane, wildfire relief
WASHINGTON — The House is on track to backing President Donald Trump's request for billions more in disaster aid, $16 billion to pay flood insurance claims and emergency funding to help the cash-strapped government of Puerto Rico stay afloat.Thursday's hurricane aid package totals $36.5 billion and sticks close to a White House request, ignoring — for now — huge demands from the powerful Florida and Texas delegations, who together pressed for some $40 billion more.Yet President Donald Trump criticized the U.S. territory early Thursday, saying it shouldn't expect federal help to last "forever." In a series of tweets, the president said "electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes" and blamed Puerto Rico for its looming financial crisis and "a total lack of accountability."He tweeted: "We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!"A steady series of disasters — massive flooding in Texas, hurricane damage in Florida, and a humanitarian crisis in hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico — could be putting 2017 on track to rival Hurricane Katrina and other 2005 storms as the most costly set of disasters ever.
Health officials watching mosquitoes in Texas after Harvey
DALLAS — Health officials in Texas will be on watch in coming weeks for any increases in mosquito-borne diseases including the West Nile and Zika viruses after Harvey's heavy rains and flooding brought water that filled ponds and ditches and crept into trash and debris that piled up."We're not out of the woods.
Hurricane Nate forms, heads to central Gulf of Mexico
MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Nate gained force as it continued rapidly moving over the central Gulf of Mexico early Saturday after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 21 deaths.
Nursing home that had 12 people die lays off all workers
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- A Florida nursing home that had 12 patients die after Hurricane Irma has laid off 245 workers.The Sun Sentinel reported the layoffs Friday for the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills.
White House seeks $29B for disaster aid, flood insurance
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday asked Congress for $29 billion in disaster aid to cover ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts and to pay federal flood insurance claims.The request comes as the government is spending almost $200 million a day for emergency hurricane response and faces a surge in flood claims for federally insured homes and businesses slammed by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told lawmakers in officially submitting the request that the federal flood insurance program "is not designed to handle catastrophic losses like those caused by Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
5 former presidents to attend storm recovery concert
WASHINGTON — All five living former U.S. presidents will attend a hurricane relief concert at Texas A&M University later this month.That's according to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, which issued a statement Wednesday saying "all ticket sales and other proceeds" from the October 21 event will go to storm recoveries in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean.
"Very devastating:" Business owners with ties to Mexico, Puerto Rico step up after disasters
MILWAUKEE -- The husband and wife owners of a Milwaukee security company have ties to both Mexico and Puerto Rico, and they're working to help the victims of two natural disasters.Feeling the weight of two natural disasters, the owners of JC Public Safety will drive to help families in Mexico and Puerto Rico."Anything you can bring over here will be appreciated," Jose Carrasquillo said Sunday, October 1st.
Pres. Trump scoffs at "politically motivated ingrates" who questioned commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey — President Donald Trump on Sunday scoffed at "politically motivated ingrates" who had questioned his administration's commitment to rebuilding Puerto Rico after a pulverizing hurricane and said the federal government had done "a great job with the almost impossible situation."President Trump's latest tweets sought to defend Washington's attentiveness to recovery efforts on a U.S. territory in dire straits almost two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck.
Flesh-eating bacteria from Harvey-flooded home kills woman
HOUSTON - Four weeks after the storm, Hurricane Harvey's destruction continues.
Irma recovery: Florida Keys will open to visitors Oct. 1
KEY WEST, Fla. — Florida Keys officials say the island chain hit hard by Hurricane Irma will reopen to tourists Oct. 1.Officials made their announcement Monday, more than two weeks after the Category 4 storm made landfall in the Florida Keys.
Hurricane victims call sex hotline after FEMA mistakenly tweets wrong number
Several Hurricane Irma victims called a 1-800 number for help and were offered phone sex instead of hurricane relief assistance.The Miami Herald reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region 4 office accidentally tweeted the number Wednesday, which offered assistance to people dealing with damaged roofs.The number was supposed to be a “1-888” number, not a “1-800” number.“Welcome to America’s hottest talk line.
Speaker Paul Ryan, lawmakers tour Irma-damaged Keys, pledge funding
MIAMI — House Speaker Paul Ryan promised to get federal funding for the victims of the Irma-ravaged Sunshine state as he and a group of bipartisan congressional leaders assessed the damage Wednesday.Ryan, along with Sen.
"Business with a heart:" Colectivo donates 50% of sales to Harvey, Irma relief efforts
MILWAUKEE -- Thousands of people in Milwaukee are helping support Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey relief efforts without even realizing it -- and it all starts with a cup of coffee.A craving for caffeine brought Charlie Uihlein to Colectivo Coffee Wednesday, September 20th, but his order will also do good for others."They're a business with a heart," said Uihlein.
Empty shelf: 80 books, board games missing from classroom turned shelter after Irma
DUNEDIN, Florida — A Florida teacher found an empty bookshelf when she returned to her classroom, which had served as a shelter for Hurricane Irma evacuees.Martha Hereford-Cothron tells the Tampa Bay Times her heart sank when she saw 80 books and a few board games were gone from her classroom at Highland Middle School.
Delaware North Sportservice donating 42K pieces of clothing for victims of Harvey
HOUSTON -- Delaware North Sportservice – a leading food service provider for stadiums across the country – will be donating more than 42,000 pieces of clothing (baby, toddler, youth and adults) from all of the stadiums that operate retail for in support of victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Wisconsin National Guard soldiers return home after assisting in Hurricane Irma relief efforts
WISCONSIN -- Wisconsin National Guard troops are headed home after helping in the recovery efforts for Hurricane Irma in Florida.The troops have been gone for almost a week.A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Refueling Wing boarded by 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers at Homestead Air Reserve Base, in Florida on Friday, September 16th.