Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the Oklahoma tornado yesterday. The tornado, which touched down at 2:56 p.m. yesterday outside Oklahoma City, left massive destruction in its wake and took the lives of at least 24 people. On average, over a thousand tornadoes strike throughout the U.S. …
The world’s second-largest reinsurer, Swiss Re, reports “that natural catastrophes and man-made disasters cost the insurance industry $77 billion in 2012.” The report noted this figure covered “more than 300 catastrophes and disasters caus[ing] the loss of 14,000 lives and $186 billion.” These disasters included many of the 112 events …
Amid a slew of resignations from the Obama Administration, Janet Napolitano recently announced that she will be remaining in her post as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for President Obama’s second term. The news shouldn’t have come as a surprise to many, as Napolitano had long been …
A good test of whether the 113th Congress is likely to take budgeting seriously will come early this week, when the House considers the remainder of its Hurricane Sandy relief legislation. House conservatives are proposing several amendments that would cut enough spending to offset the $17 billion base bill (H.R. …
A California town spent tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds on miscellaneous office expenses and is attempting to bill the federal government for the costs, according to a federal watchdog’s report. In the wake of a damaging flood, the town of San Anselmo spent taxpayer funds ostensibly marked …
Leaders from New Jersey and New York blew up yesterday after House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) postponed a vote on an aid package related to Hurricane Sandy. But the bill is so loaded with pork projects that these officials should consider directing their anger at the Obama Administration, which is …
Federal watchdogs warn in a new report that a pilot Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program designed to keep Hurricane Sandy victims in their homes may be highly susceptible to waste, fraud, and abuse. The administration of FEMA’s Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program “requires increased vigilance to monitor the expenditure of public funds,” …
Many Americans will find it difficult to return to their daily routines today. The massacre at a Connecticut elementary school Friday, in which 26 people were murdered in an act of senseless violence, including 20 small children, has left the country shocked. The Heritage Foundation expresses its condolences to the …
Last week, President Obama issued a request for $60.4 billion for Hurricane Sandy response and recovery. Yet as the fiscal cliff continues to loom nearby, many on Capitol Hill are asking exactly where that money would come from. While House Speaker John Boehner (R–OH) has indicated that he is still …
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and a snowy Nor’easter, grassroots rescue and support endeavors across New England came to the rescue. They presented a vivid contrast between the sluggish response of a government bureaucracy and the helping hand of neighbors and community groups that comprise the bedrock of our …
