Residents across the San Francisco Bay Area were jolted awake by a moderate earthquake that was felt widely across the region. The 4.3 magnitude quake hit shortly before 3 a.m. Monday just east-southeast of Berkeley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No injuries or major damage was reported, but some businesses said windows were broken and merchandise tumbled from shelves. Bay Area Rapid Transit trains ran with delays for several hours as crews made safety inspections of the tracks systemwide. BART said trains returned to regular service around midday.
Disaster survivors are waiting longer for federal aid. A new Associated Press analysis found that it's taking more than a month, on average, for President Donald Trump to approve major disaster declarations after receiving requests. That's up from an average of less than two weeks during the 1990s and early 2000s. Those wait times had grown to about three weeks during the past decade. The delays mean individuals must wait longer for federal aid for living expenses, lodging, and home repairs. Delays also can hamper recovery efforts by local officials uncertain about federal reimbursement for cleanup and rebuilding costs.
An Associated Press analysis reveals that survivors of major natural disasters in the U.S. are waiting longer for federal aid. The AP found that it took less than two weeks, on average, for presidents to approve requests for major disaster declarations during the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to around three weeks in the past decade and now averages over a month during President Donald Trump’s current term. The delays mean individuals must wait longer for federal aid for living expenses, lodging, and home repairs. Delays also can cause uncertainty for local officials, leading some to pause or scale back recovery efforts.
Portuguese emergency services official raises death toll in Lisbon streetcar disaster to 17.
As President Donald Trump asserts more unilateral authority, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced that his department will take over managing Union Station from Amtrak. Meanwhile, lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia who are facing Trump’s hardline immigration agenda told a federal judge on Wednesday that the persecution and torture he might face if deported to Uganda supports his efforts to obtain U.S. asylum. As Trump seeks to expand deployments of the National Guard in Democrat-led cities and states, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows handling crime is now a relative strength for the president.
A top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration fights a federal judge’s order to shutter the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by a late October deadline. That’s according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press. Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie says in an email to a South Florida rabbi on Aug. 22 in regard to providing spiritual care at the facility that “we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days.”
Some employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who signed a public letter of dissent earlier this week were put on administrative leave Tuesday evening. That's according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press. More than 180 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter sent to the FEMA Review Council and Congress on Monday critiquing recent cuts to agency staff and programs, and warning that FEMA’s capacity to respond to a major disaster was dangerously diminished. The AP has confirmed that at least two of the signatories received notices Tuesday evening informing them they would be placed on leave indefinitely. FEMA did not immediately respond to questions on how many staff were put on leave.
Crews are cleaning up downed trees and electricity largely is restored after a powerful dust storm hit the Phoenix area. The storm was what's known as a haboob. It blackened skies and knocked out electricity for 55,000 customers late Monday afternoon. Drenching rain followed. Flights were halted at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. By Tuesday afternoon, things were mostly back to normal. The weather was warm and clear, with scattered thunderstorms expected to give way to hot and dry weather through the rest of the week.
Some FEMA employees who signed public letter of dissent are put on administrative leave.
More than 180 current and former FEMA employees have published a letter warning of potential disaster due to cuts in the agency. The letter coincides with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, highlighting concerns about management and capacity at FEMA. It warns that current practices echo conditions the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act aimed to prevent. The letter criticizes policies like expenditure approval and reassignment of staff to ICE. It calls for FEMA to be an independent Cabinet-level agency. Thirty-five signatories included their names, while 141 remained anonymous due to fear of suppression.