• Rescuers use heat-seeking drones after tornado

    Rescuers use heat-seeking drones after tornado

    Mar 06, 2019 10:45 PM EDT

    ... District boasts a fleet of about 15 drones with varying capabilities, some with regular cameras, some with thermal-imaging ones. During last year's devastating wildfires in Northern California, thermal-imaging drones mapped areas where fires raged. The pictures were sent to firefighters' cellphones, helping them attack the flames efficiently ...

  • Trump picks former Alabama official to lead FEMA

    Trump picks former Alabama official to lead FEMA

    Feb 16, 2019 01:49 AM EDT

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he will nominate a former Alabama official to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Jeffrey Byard held several positions with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency before he joined FEMA in 2017 during the agency's response to Hurricanes Harvey in Texas and Irma in Florida ...

  • Lawmakers reach farm bill compromise, clearing way for vote

    Lawmakers reach farm bill compromise, clearing way for vote

    Dec 11, 2018 09:00 PM EDT

    ... final text. Negotiations were complicated in recent weeks when the White House asked Congress to make changes to the forestry section in response to deadly wildfires in California, giving more authority to the Agriculture and Interior departments to clear forests and other public lands. The final text doesn't significantly ...

  • Climate change consequences 'already being felt' in communities across U.S., new federal report says

    Climate change consequences 'already being felt' in communities across U.S., new federal report says

    Nov 23, 2018 07:20 PM EDT

    WASHINGTON — As California's catastrophic wildfires recede and people rebuild after two hurricanes, a massive new federal report warns that these types of extreme weather disasters are worsening in the United States. The White House report quietly issued Friday also frequently contradicts President Donald Trump. The National Climate Assessment was ...

  • Republicans block bid to extend election security grants

    Republicans block bid to extend election security grants

    Jul 19, 2018 04:37 PM EDT

    ... states and new spending is not needed. The amendment was defeated, 182-232, as the House debated a broader spending bill. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said Republicans' refusal to spend more money on election security "represents nothing less than unilateral disarmament" against Russia, citing the U.S. intelligence community ...

  • The 2018 hurricane season has begun. Here’s what to expect

    The 2018 hurricane season has begun. Here’s what to expect

    Jun 01, 2018 09:29 PM EDT

    ... likely caused more deaths when it hit Puerto Rico last September than previously thought. And Bloomberg reported today that towns and cities in Florida and Texas hit hard by Hurricanes Maria and Irma last year still don’t have emergency funding from the federal government, putting their own budgets into ...

  • Can Houston prevent disaster when the next storm comes?

    Can Houston prevent disaster when the next storm comes?

    Feb 06, 2018 11:35 PM EDT

    Otherwise, just putting people back in their homes the very way they were before is just funding for failure. Hari Sreenivasan: But, of course, these ideas will take time, political will, and money. The state of Texas has an $11 billion rainy day fund that Turner and Emmett want to ...

  • Judiciary will review sexual misconduct policies

    Judiciary will review sexual misconduct policies

    Jan 01, 2018 01:47 PM EDT

    ... in the 16-page report. Roberts spent most of the report talking about the judiciary's response to this year's devastating hurricanes, which affected Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and also mentioned wildfires in California Roberts praised judges and court employees in the Virgin Islands and ...

  • News Wrap: NY attorney general vows net neutrality lawsuit

    News Wrap: NY attorney general vows net neutrality lawsuit

    Dec 14, 2017 11:45 PM EDT

    ... try to reverse the FCC's decision. In Southern California, the devastating Thomas Fire is now the fourth largest in that state’s history.  The wildfires already scorched more than 242,000 acres, and still threatens communities north of Los Angeles.  It's now only 30 percent contained.  And today ...

  • News Wrap: House votes down Trump impeachment resolution

    News Wrap: House votes down Trump impeachment resolution

    Dec 06, 2017 11:45 PM EDT

    ... breakers, women who have shared accounts of harassment and abuse. The U.S. House of Representatives today voted down a resolution to impeach President Trump. Texas Democrat Al Green offered the proposal. He accused the president of promoting bigotry and racism. Most Democrats voted with Republicans to set the resolution ...