Tag Archives: natural disasters

NBC News reports: Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted from its summit before dawn Thursday, shooting a dusty plume of ash about 30,000 feet into the sky. The explosion came at about 6 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) after two weeks of volcanic activity and the opening of more than a dozen fissures east of the crater that spewed lava into …

The Associated Press reports: The death toll from the mudslides that struck Southern California climbed to 15 on Wednesday as rescue crews searched for anyone trapped, injured or dead in the onslaught that smashed homes and swept away cars. The torrential rainstorm that set off the disaster cleared out and was no longer a hindrance as searchers made their way …

The Daily Beast reports: NBC News reported Wednesday morning that the Los Angeles wildfires ravaging the area near Bel-Air have now begun to consume Rupert Murdoch’s property. “This is the $30-million house and vineyard property that is owned by Rupert Murdoch,” NBC Los Angeles reported on the latest victim of the 125-acre Skirball fire. “And it looks like it is …

NBC News reports: Wildfires continued to explode across Southern California on Wednesday as dry conditions and roaring winds turned the region into a tinderbox, forcing thousands to evacuate. The Thomas Fire, as the blaze has been dubbed, put approximately 50,000 residents under a mandatory evacuation and burned more than 55,000 acres in the Ventura County area with no containment after …

The Los Angeles Times reports: A fast-moving, wind-fueled wildfire swept into the city of Ventura early Tuesday, burning 31,000 acres, destroying homes and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate. About 150 structures — including at least one large apartment complex — were consumed by flames, and many more were threatened as the fire crept about a quarter mile away from City …

Rolling Stone reports: The Simpsons‘ resident bartender Moe helped step up relief efforts for Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria with a video that both raised money and trolled Donald Trump. In the minute-long video, Moe personally addressed San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who clashed with Trump in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane. Moe also subtly mocked Trump, who …

The Washington Post reports: The Trump administration released a dire scientific report Friday detailing the growing threats of climate change. The report stands in stark contrast to the administration’s efforts to downplay humans’ role in global warming, withdraw from an international climate accord and reverse Obama-era policies aimed at curbing U.S. greenhouse-gas output. The White House did not seek to …

Talking Points Memo reports: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday said he welcomed all investigations into Whitefish Energy Holdings, an electric company based in his hometown that was recently awarded a $300 million contract to repair Puerto Rico’s badly damaged electricity infrastructure. “I had absolutely nothing to do with Whitefish Energy receiving a contract in Puerto Rico,” Zinke said in …

The Hill reports: A deal reached between the government and a small Montana energy company located in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown prohibits the government from reviewing labor costs or profits related to the company’s relief efforts in Puerto Rico, according to a leaked copy of the contract. A copy of the deal obtained by reporter Ken Klippenstein reveals that …

USA Today reports: A $300 million contract to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical infrastructure, which was awarded to a small, two-year-old Montana company that had only two employees when Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. territory, has sparked calls for an investigation from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. In addition to its size and relative inexperience, the fact that …

The Associated Press reports: The five living former presidents put aside politics and appeared together for the first time since 2013 at a concert on Saturday to raise money for victims of devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Democrats Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Republicans George H.W. and George W. …

I love when they do this. Via Mediaite: Following his speech announcing the decertification of Iran nuclear deal Friday, President Donald Trump made some informal remarks on a variety of subjects to the White House press pool. One of the subjects the President hit on was Puerto Rico. And yet again, Trump praised himself and his team for their work …

Talking Points Memo reports: After President Donald Trump continued his tirade against Puerto Rico Thursday morning, the mayor of San Juan shot back and said Trump’s comments sound like they were coming from “a ‘Hater in Chief,’” not the President. On Thursday morning Trump again criticized the U.S. territory’s debt and infrastructure issues. He tweeted that FEMA, the military and …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump served notice Thursday that he may pull back federal relief workers from Puerto Rico, effectively threatening to abandon the U.S. territory amid a staggering humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Declaring the U.S. territory’s electrical grid and infrastructure to have been a “disaster before hurricanes,” Trump wrote Thursday that it will be …

USA Today reports: “I don’t give a shit.” That’s one of the first things that Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, said to me, referring to her recent public exchanges with President Trump. In reference to his tweets calling her “nasty,” she went on to say, “This isn’t about me or politics. I’m not going to …

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: At least 14 wildfires in the North Bay and surrounding region ravaged mountainsides, homes, vineyards and farmland Monday. One person is confirmed dead and several others were severely burned. Major highways were shut down, and local officials requested help from around the region as Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. Information from authorities …

The Washington Post reports: As of Wednesday, half of Puerto Ricans had access to drinking water and 5 percent of the island had electricity, according to statistics published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency on its Web page documenting the federal response to Hurricane Maria. By Thursday morning, both of those key metrics were no longer on the Web page. …

Business Insider reports: The US economy in September lost more jobs than it created for the first time in seven years. Amid the damage caused by the hurricanes Harvey and Irma, nonfarm payrolls fell by 33,000, the Labor Department said Friday in its monthly report. Most of the losses occurred in the leisure-and-hospitality sector, where most employees can’t work remotely …

Via press release: Atlantic Records has announced this week’s release of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Almost Like Praying” (Feat. Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Camila Cabello, Pedro Capo, Dessa, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Alex Lacamoire, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Moreno, Ednita Nazario, Joell Ortiz, Anthony Ramos, Gina Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, PJ Sin Suela, Tommy Torres, and …

Mediaite reports: The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico that President Donald Trump has been beefing with decided to make a statement against the administration by wearing a t-shirt that read “NASTY” across the front — a way of re-appropriating the insult Trump used against her. During a Spanish speaking interview with Univision, Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz made a clear …