Puerto Rico: 3,000 Churches Damaged, Fewer Christians Left to Rebuild
The evangelical church in Puerto Rico won’t be the same after Hurricane Maria.
hurricane
FEMA criticized for plan to end storm aid in Puerto Rico
Plans by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to halt hurricane relief supplies to Puerto Rico drew criticism Tuesday from members of Congress and the mayor of the island’s largest city.
US hits record for costly weather disasters: $306 billion
With three strong hurricanes, wildfires, hail, flooding, tornadoes and drought, the United States tallied a record high bill last year for weather disasters: $306 billion.
FEMA chief: Puerto Rico still in emergency response mode
Nearly four months after two hurricanes hit this island, the chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s operations in Puerto Rico says he has never before had to continue emergency relief efforts like delivering food, water and temporary roofing so long after a natural disaster.
House GOP pushing $81B disaster relief for hurricanes, fires
House Republicans plan to unveil an $81 billion disaster aid package to help hurricane-ravaged communities and states hit by wildfires, almost double the amount requested by President Donald Trump last month.
U.S. Third-Quarter Growth Revised to Three-Year High of 3.3%
The U.S. economy’s growth rate last quarter was revised upward to the fastest in three years on stronger investment from businesses and government agencies than previously estimated, Commerce Department data showed Wednesday.
Puerto Rico seeks $94B for Maria disaster relief
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello unveiled a $94 billion disaster relief request to Congress on Monday to help the U.S. territory recover from Hurricane Maria.
Judge Gives FEMA 3 Weeks to Change Policy Banning Churches From Receiving Disaster Relief
A Houston federal judge has given FEMA three weeks to decide if its going to change its policy of denying disaster relief to religious institutions, rejecting FEMA’s attempt to delay a challenge by three Texas churches.
In Florida, all eyes on Puerto Rican voters after Maria
Javier Gonzalez has joined a human tide of more than 130,000 U.S. citizens arriving in Florida since Hurricane Maria wrecked Puerto Rico, grateful for a place to start over but resenting how their island has been treated since the disaster.
Trump Agrees to Pick Up 90 Percent of Puerto Rico Rebuilding Costs: Aide
President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed to expand the use of disaster aid to rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid and other infrastructure wrecked by Hurricane Maria, a senior White House official told Reuters.
Big rebound in October jobs expected after hurricanes hit September hiring
Economists expect job growth of 310,000 in October, a rebound after the impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma resulted in a 33,000 decline in September.
Fed keeps rates unchanged, remains on road to December hike
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and pointed to solid U.S. economic growth and a strengthening labor market while playing down the impact of recent hurricanes, a sign it is on track to lift borrowing costs again in December.
Five weeks after Maria most of Puerto Rico remains an island in the dark
More than a month after Hurricane Maria ravaged this island with 155-mph winds, three-quarters of the residents are still without power, lining up at banks for cash and gathering at shopping malls, hotels or government buildings just to charge their cellphones.
Fewest Jobless Claims Since 1973 Show Firm U.S. Job Market
Filings for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level since 1973 as workers affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma continued to return to their jobs, Labor Department figures showed Thursday.
Super Typhoon May Develop Later This Week and Threaten Japan
There is a chance for Lan to become a super typhoon between Friday and Sunday as it passes east of Taiwan and Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.
Ireland and UK on alert as Storm Ophelia nears
Storm Ophelia is set to bring ‘potentially deadly’ gusts of up to 80mph from the Atlantic to Ireland and parts of the UK.
Weeks after Hurricane Maria, forgotten Puerto Ricans plea for help
The burning question in many Puerto Rican residents’ minds remains: Where’s help from the government?
Hurricane Ophelia has intensified to Category 2 strength as it heads toward Europe
Hurricane Ophelia is the latest weather system to whip up winds and rain in the Atlantic. But the storm is heading east toward the northwest coast of Spain and then up to Ireland instead of crossing the Atlantic toward the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean.
House passes $36.5 billion disaster aid package
The House on Thursday passed a $36.5 billion disaster aid bill to help states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands recover from a string of natural disasters.
Unemployment claims fall to lowest level in 43 years, despite hurricanes
The total number of laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits fell to 1.89 million at the end of September, the Department of Labor reported Thursday, the lowest such mark in nearly 44 years.