To the Point
FEMA, Disaster Relief and the Politics of Global Warming
President Obama is promising federal help to victims of Hurricane Irene. House Republicans say it'll have to be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the federal budget...
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenPresident Obama is promising federal help to victims of Hurricane Irene. House Republicans say it'll have to be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the federal budget. We hear about disaster relief in the short term and the long-term politics of global warming. Also, Vermont responds to its worst natural disaster since the 1920’s, and what's really happening in the Middle East.
Banner image: Billy Stinson (L) comforts his daughter Erin as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irene August 28, 2011 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesVermont Responds to Worst Natural Disaster since the 1920's
Irene may have bypassed New York City but, in Vermont, two months worth of rain fell in less than 24 hours. It's the worst disaster since epic flooding in 1927, as we hear from Matt Sutkoski, weather reporter for the Burlington Free Press .
Read the story7 minDisaster Relief and the Politics of Global Warming
Climate scientist won't attribute a given weather disturbance to global warming, but the consensus is that rising temperatures will lead to bigger and stronger storms.
Read the story36 minThe Causes and the Progress of the 'Arab Spring'
Three years ago, Robin Wright's book, Dreams and Shadows , predicted a "budding culture of change" in the Middle East.
Read the story8 min
