Trump to Visit Florida, Georgia 10/15 06:07
Trump to Visit Florida, Georgia 10/15 06:07 On Monday, President Donald Trump plans to visit Florida and Georgia and see the recovery effort for himself. Trump declared a state of emergency for Georgia late Sunday. MEXICO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Upon touring the damage in several towns along Florida's Panhandle, Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Brock Long called the destruction left by Hurricane Michael some of the worst he's ever seen. On Monday, President Donald Trump plans to visit Florida and Georgia and see the recovery effort for himself. Trump declared a state of emergency for Georgia late Sunday. In hurricane-flattened Mexico Beach, crews with backhoes and other heavy equipment scooped up splintered boards, broken glass, chunks of asphalt and other debris Sunday as the mayor held out hope for the 250 or so residents who may have tried to ride out the storm. The death toll from Michael's destructive march from Florida to Virginia stood at 17, with just one confirmed death so far in this town of about 1,000 people that took a direct hit from the hurricane and its 155 mph (250 kph) winds last week. Mayor Al Cathey estimated 250 residents stayed behind when the hurricane struck, and he said he remained hopeful about their fate. He said search-and-rescue teams in the beach town had already combed areas with the worst damage. "If we lose only one life, to me that's going to be a miracle," Cathey said. He said enough food and water had been brought in for the residents who remain. Even some cellphone service had returned to the devastated community. A framed portrait of Jesus was propped Sunday facing out of the window of Diana Hughes' home in Mexico Beach. She rode out the hurricane on the couch huddled with her dog and her ex-husband. The storm peeled off a small section of the roof and a few inches of water got in the single-story house. But the pickup truck wouldn't start after getting swamped with water. Hughes still had her home, but no way to leave it. "We need a generator, but we just lack transportation," Hughes said on her front porch. "We've got food and we've got water. But we've got to keep ice in the refrigerator so the food won't spoil. You can only eat so many crackers." Four days after the storm struck, a large swath of the Panhandle was suffering, from little beach towns to the larger Panama City to rural communities miles from where the hurricane came ashore. More than 190,000 homes and businesses in Florida were without electricity, along with about 120,000 in Georgia. "We are talking about poor people, many of them are older, miles from each other, isolated in many cases from roads, including some dirt roads that are cut off right now," Sen. Marco Rubio said on NBC's "Meet The Press." ''We haven't been able to reach those people in a number of days." In downtown Marianna, Florida, the facades of historic buildings lay in pieces on the ground across from the courthouse. Jill Braxton stopped with a pickup truck loaded with hay, saying many people in rural areas nearby had trapped animals and needed supplies for their livestock. "We're just trying to help some other people who may not be able to get out of their driveways for a couple of days," Braxton said. "There was a girl that had trapped horses, horses that were down, and horses that really needed vet care that could not get there. There's been animals killed. People lost their cows." Some victims stranded by the storm managed to summon relief by using logs to spell out "HELP" on the ground, officials in Bay County, which includes Mexico Beach, said in a Facebook post. Official said someone from another county was using an aerial mapping app, noticed the distress message and contacted authorities. No details were released on who was stranded and what sort of help was needed. Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Nelson said Tyndall Air Force Base on the Panhandle was heavily damaged, but he promised it would be rebuilt. The Florida Democrat and member of the Armed Services Committee said older buildings on the base were demolished, while newer ones will need substantial repairs. The base is home to some of the nation's most advanced fighter jets, and Nelson said some hangars were damaged severely. But he gave no information on how many planes were on the base during the storm or how many were damaged. In a statement Sunday night, the Air Force said that, "Not one Airman or family member was injured during Hurricane Michael." Of its aircraft the statement said that visually they all looked intact but that maintenance professionals will do a detailed assessment of the F-22 Raptors and other aircraft before they say with certainty that damaged aircraft can be repaired and sent back into the skies For the few residents remaining in Mexico Beach, conditions were treacherous. Steve Lonigan was outside his home, talking with neighbor Jim Ostman, when a loud cracking sound made both men jump. It was just a small wooden block shifting in the sand beneath the weight of the front end of Lonigan's camper trailer. "All this stuff is just dangerous," Ostman said, glancing at the destruction all around. "It's so unstable." Lonigan and his wife returned Sunday after evacuating to Georgia. Seawater surged into his home, leaving a soggy mess of mud and leaves, even though the house stands 12 feet (3.7 meters) above ground on concrete blocks. The single-story house had broken windows, and part of its roof and front steps were missing. Lonigan used a ladder to climb inside. "We've got a lot more left than other people," he said. "We were able to sleep in the bedroom last night." (KA)
Syria Reopens 2 Crossings With Jordan 10/15 06:10
Syria Reopens 2 Crossings With Jordan 10/15 06:10 QUNEITRA, Syria (AP) -- A vital border crossing between Jordan and Syria reopened on Monday for the first time in three years, promising to restore trade and movement between the two countries that had halted because of the war. Another crossing, between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, also reopened for U.N. observers who had left the area four years ago because of fighting there. The reopening of the crossings is a major boost to the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, restoring a commercial lifeline to the outside world. It also reinforces the Syrian government's message that it is slowly emerging victorious from the seven-year conflict. "The general mutual interest that these crossings create between the people is what lasts and therefore we look at this broadly," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said of the reopenings Monday. Al-Muallem's Iraqi counterpart, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, underscored the need to boost relations between the two neighbors and said Syria must find its way back to the Arab fold. The two spoke at a joint press conference in Damascus. "No one can marginalize Syria, and I raised the necessity of (Syria's) return to the Arab League," al-Jaafari said. The 22-member Arab League froze Syria's membership after the civil war erupted in 2011, followed by sanctions and the severing of diplomatic ties between the League and Damascus. Nearly 450,000 Syrians have been killed in the war, and the country has been devastated by the violence that drew the involvement of foreign militaries of regional and international powers, as well as foreign militias and militants. With crucial military assistance from Russia and Iran, the Syrian military has clawed its way back and recaptured key territory, including major cities, from the Syrian opposition in the past two years. On Monday, the Syrian flag was raised at the Quneitra crossing between Syria and the Israeli-held Golan at a ceremony Monday. U.N. observers and local notables from the Druze community, the predominant population in the area, gathered near the crossing. The U.N. observers had left the Quneitra crossing in 2014 for the first time since deploying there in 1974 to monitor a cease-fire and a demilitarized zone. Israel occupied the Golan Heights in 1967. "It is a day of victory," Youssef Jarbou, a Druze leader, told the Syrian Al-Ikhbariya TV from Quneitra. Syrian forces recaptured the Quneitra area in July. Russian military police deployed in the area, including on the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, setting up checkpoints in the area. Moscow said it planned to work closely with the U.N. force. Meanwhile, at the Naseeb crossing between Syria and Jordan, dozens of private cars lined up to cross from Jordan. Security personnel and dogs searched the vehicles. "Today is a feast, a feast for the whole Arab and Islamic nations and for the whole World, this crossing is vital for the whole Arab countries," said Mohammed Khalil, the first Syrian in line waiting to cross back into his country. Naseeb's reopening would bring major financial relief to Assad's government by restoring a much-needed gateway for Syrian exports to Arab countries. The resumption of commercial trade through the crossing will also be a diplomatic victory for Assad, whose government has been isolated from its Arab neighbors since the war began in 2011. Arab countries have boycotted the Syrian government since the early days of the war, freezing its membership in the 22-member state Arab League. "The Naseeb crossing is a vital lifeline for trade between the two brotherly countries Jordan and Syria through them to other Arab countries," Jordan government spokeswoman Jumana Ghunaimat said. Syrian rebels seized the crossing in 2015, disrupting a major trade route between Syria and Jordan, Lebanon and oil-rich Gulf countries. Syrian government troops recaptured it in July, after rebels reached an agreement with Russian mediators to end the violence in the southern province of Daraa and surrender the crossing. The crossing is also vital for Syria's neighbor Lebanon, providing its agricultural products a route to foreign markets. The recapture of Naseeb marked a major victory for Assad's forces, which have been on a winning streak since 2015 when Russia threw its military weight behind Damascus. The victory in southern Syria signaled the return of his forces to Daraa province where the uprising against him began seven years ago. (KA)
WH: Stern Action Over Journalist 10/15 06:11
WH: Stern Action Over Journalist 10/15 06:11 The White House is brushing aside threats by Saudi Arabia that it may economically retaliate for any U.S. punitive action imposed over the suspected murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pledging a "swift, open, transparent investigation" into his disappearance. WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is brushing aside threats by Saudi Arabia that it may economically retaliate for any U.S. punitive action imposed over the suspected murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pledging a "swift, open, transparent investigation" into his disappearance. Two leading Republican senators said Congress stands ready to act, including a possible halt of military sales, if President Donald Trump doesn't. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow declined to speculate on what Trump might do after the president promised "severe punishment" in a "60 Minutes" interview, if the U.S. determines that Khashoggi was indeed killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. On Sunday, the oil-rich kingdom suggested retaliation if the U.S. were to impose strict measures. Trump has said he does not want to halt a proposed $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia because, he maintained, it would harm U.S. manufacturers. "We will take stern action with the Saudis if necessary," Kudlow said. "The United States is the dominant energy player so we're in pretty good shape, in my opinion, with our energy boom to cover any shortfalls. We'll wait and see, but rest assured that when the president says we will take actions if we find out bad outcomes, he means it." Kudlow also said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would be attending a Saudi conference this week to address terrorist financing, but those plans could change as details of the investigation become available. "The president several times said we want a prompt, swift, open, transparent investigation," Kudlow said. Sens. Marco Rubio and Jeff Flake, members of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Congress was prepared to move quickly and firmly if Trump failed to adequately respond to the Oct. 2 disappearance of Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor who had written columns critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Rubio said U.S.-Saudi relations may need to be "completely revised" and stressed the U.S. would lose credibility on human rights if the Trump administration remained silent. He also said Mnuchin should skip the Saudi conference. "I don't think any of our government officials should be going and pretending it's business as usual until we know what's happened here," said Rubio, R-Fla. Rubio declined to rule out a halt to the arms sales, stressing that the U.S. must send a message to repressive governments worldwide, from Russia to Syria and China. "There's not enough money in the world for us to buy back our credibility on human rights if we do not move forward and take swift action," Rubio said. "Arms sales are important not because of the money but because it also provides leverage over their future behavior." Flake said if the Saudis did, in fact, kill Khashoggi, Congress might specifically curtail U.S. military aid to Saudi-led forces in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Gulf states in a military campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The U.S. provides weaponry, intelligence and logistical support for the bombing campaign. "I do think that arms sales will be affected. Certainly our involvement in Yemen with Saudi Arabia will be affected," said Flake, R-Ariz. More than 20 Republican and Democratic senators instructed Trump last week to order an investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance under legislation that authorizes sanctions for perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, torture or other gross human rights violations. The writer had been living in self-exile in Virginia for the past year. The lawmakers' letter was a preliminary step under the Global Magnitsky Act toward taking punitive action. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has reviewed the U.S. intelligence into what happened to Khashoggi, has said, "The likelihood is he was killed on the day he walked into the consulate." Turkish officials say that they fear Saudi agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi after he entered the consulate and that they have audio and video recordings of it. The kingdom has called the allegations "baseless" but has offered no evidence the writer left the consulate. Trump visited the kingdom on his first overseas trip as president and has touted arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Prodded Saturday to specify what type of "severe punishment" he could impose, Trump demurred. "Well, there are many things we can do. Would you like to speak up about that?" he said, turning to Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who was at the White House for the arrival of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from Turkey after nearly two years of confinement. "I don't want to put you on the spot, but if you guys would like to tell them some of the many things we can do. There's a big list." Lankford responded: "Yeah, there's a big list. Obviously, we have a long-standing partnership with Saudi Arabia in a lot of areas." He added, "Let's find out what did happen first." Rubio appeared on CNN's "State of the Union," NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation," Flake spoke on ABC's "This Week," and Kudlow also was on ABC and "Fox News Sunday." (KA)
Koreas Agree to Inter-Korea Railroad 10/15 06:13
Koreas Agree to Inter-Korea Railroad 10/15 06:13 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North and South Korea continued their push for peace Monday with high-level talks that resulted in a host of agreements, including a plan by the rivals for a groundbreaking ceremony this year on an ambitious project to connect their railways and roads. The agreements come amid unease in Washington over the speed of inter-Korean engagement. Many outsiders believe that U.S.-led efforts to rid the North of its nuclear-tipped missiles are lagging significantly behind the Koreas' efforts to move past decades of bitter rivalry. A series of weapons tests by North Korea last year, and an exchange of insults and threats between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, had many on the Korean Peninsula fearing war. But there has since been a surprising peace initiative, with three inter-Korean summits and a June meeting in Singapore between Trump and Kim. The U.S. and North Korea are working on plans for a second such summit. Still, there is widespread skepticism that North Korea will disarm. And, despite the fanfare for the proposed railway and road projects, the Koreas cannot move much further along without the lifting of international sanctions against North Korea, which isn't likely to come before it takes firmer steps toward relinquishing its nuclear weapons and missiles. South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with the North, said in a statement that the government will share details from Monday's meeting with the United States and other nations and will closely coordinate with them to avoid any friction over sanctions. The ministry said the rivals agreed Monday to hold general-level military talks soon to discuss reducing border tensions and setting up a joint military committee that's meant to maintain communication and avoid crises and accidental clashes. The Koreas also agreed to use their newly opened liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong to host talks between sports officials in late October to discuss plans to send combined teams to the 2020 Summer Olympics and to make a push to co-host the 2032 Summer Games. And the two countries will hold Red Cross talks at North Korea's Diamond Mountain resort in November to set up video-conference meetings between aging relatives separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and potentially expand face-to-face reunions between them. Monday's talks at the border village of Panmunjom were aimed at finding ways to carry out peace agreements announced after a summit last month between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said it was meaningful that the Koreas are getting faster in reaching agreements as their diplomacy gains traction. His North Korean counterpart, Ri Son Gwon, who heads an agency dealing with inter-Korean affairs, said "no group and no force will be able to prevent the path toward peace, prosperity and our nation's unification." At the most recent summit between Moon and Kim, the two leaders committed to reviving economic cooperation when possible, voicing optimism that international sanctions could end and allow such activity. They also announced measures to reduce conventional military threats, such as creating buffer zones along their land and sea boundaries and a no-fly zone above the border, removing 11 front-line guard posts by December, and demining sections of the Demilitarized Zone. Moon has described inter-Korean engagement as crucial to resolving the nuclear standoff and is eager to restart joint economic projects held back by sanctions if the larger nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea begin yielding results. However, South Korea's enthusiasm for engagement with its rival appears to have created discomfort with the United States, a key ally. Moon's government last week walked back a proposal to lift some of its unilateral sanctions against North Korea following Trump's blunt retort that Seoul could "do nothing" without Washington's approval. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha also said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed displeasure about the Koreas' military agreements. Kang was not specific, but her comments fueled speculation that Washington wasn't fully on board before Seoul signed the agreements. Trump has encouraged U.S. allies to maintain sanctions on North Korea until it denuclearizes to maintain a campaign of pressure against Kim's government. Experts say updating North Korean trains, which use rails that were first laid in the early 20th century, could take decades and cost tens of billions of dollars. In Monday's meeting, the Koreas also agreed to conduct joint inspections during late October of the North Korean portion of a railway that once connected Seoul and Sinuiju, before moving on to railways in the eastern section in early November. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project is planned for November or early December. Originally built by Japan, the Gyeongui line between Seoul and Sinuiju was separated at the end of World War II in 1945, when the Korean Peninsula was liberated from Japanese colonial rule and divided between a U.S.-controlled southern side and a Soviet-controlled north. The line was briefly reconnected during a previous era of rapprochement between the rivals in the 2000s. The Koreas in December 2007 began freight services between South Korea's Munsan Station in Paju and North Korea's Pongdong Station, which is near Kaesong where the Koreas once operated a joint factory park. But the line was cut again in 2008 when a new conservative government took over in Seoul. (KA)
Turkey: Joint Inspection at Consulate 10/15 06:14
Turkey: Joint Inspection at Consulate 10/15 06:14 ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkey and Saudi Arabia are expected to conduct a joint "inspection" on Monday of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, nearly two weeks after the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish authorities said. The announcement from an official at Turkey's Foreign Ministry comes as international concern continues to grow over the writer who vanished on a visit to the consulate on Oct. 2. American lawmakers have threatened tough punitive action against the Saudis, and Germany, France and Britain jointly called for a "credible investigation" into Khashoggi's disappearance. The Foreign Ministry official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations. Officials in Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Turkish officials have said they fear a Saudi hit team killed and dismembered Khashoggi, who wrote critically of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The kingdom has called such allegations "baseless" but has not offered any evidence Khashoggi ever left the consulate. Such a search would be an extraordinary development, as embassies and consulates under the Vienna Convention are technically foreign soil and must be protected by host nations. Saudi Arabia may have agreed to the search in order to appease its Western allies and the international community. President Donald Trump has said Saudi Arabia could face "severe punishment" if it was proven it was involved in Khashoggi's disappearance. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia warned that if it "receives any action, it will respond with greater action, and that the kingdom's economy has an influential and vital role in the global economy." "The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it, whether by threatening to impose economic sanctions, using political pressures or repeating false accusations," said the statement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The statement did not elaborate. However, a column published in English a short time later by the general manager of the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya satellite news network suggested Saudi Arabia could use its oil production as a weapon. Benchmark Brent crude is trading at around $80 a barrel, and Trump has criticized OPEC and Saudi Arabia over rising prices. Saudi media followed on from that statement in television broadcasts and newspaper front pages Monday. The Arabic-language daily Okaz wrote a headline on Monday in English warning: "Don't Test Our Patience." It showed a clenched fist made of a crowd of people in the country's green color. The Saudi Gazette trumpeted: "Enough Is Enough," while the Arab News said: "Saudi Arabia 'will not be bullied'." The Arab News' headline was above a front-page editorial by Dubai-based real-estate tycoon Khalaf al-Habtoor, calling on Gulf Arab nations to boycott international firms now backing out of a planned economic summit in Riyadh later this month. "Together we must prove we will not be bullied or else, mark my words, once they have finished kicking the kingdom, we will be next in line," al-Habtoor said. Already, international business leaders are pulling out of the kingdom's upcoming investment forum, a high-profile event known as "Davos in the Desert." They include the CEO of Uber, a company in which Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars; billionaire Richard Branson; JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon; and Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford. News that the CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, would pull out of the conference drew angry responses across the region. The foreign minister of the neighboring island kingdom of Bahrain, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, tweeted Sunday night that there should be a boycott of the ride-hailing app both there and in Saudi Arabia. Late Sunday, Saudi King Salman spoke by telephone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Khashoggi. Turkey said Erdogan "stressed the forming of a joint working group to probe the case." Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, said King Salman thanked Erdogan "for welcoming the kingdom's proposal" for forming the working group. The king also said Turkey and Saudi Arabia enjoy close relations and "that no one will get to undermine the strength of this relationship," according to a statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency. While Turkey and the kingdom differ on political issues, Saudi investments are a crucial lifeline for Ankara amid trouble with its national currency, the Turkish lira. Prince Mohammed, King Salman's son, has aggressively pitched the kingdom as a destination for foreign investment. But Khashoggi's disappearance has led several business leaders and media outlets to back out of the upcoming investment conference in Riyadh called the Future Investment Initiative. The Saudi stock exchange, only months earlier viewed as a darling of frontier investors, plunged as much as 7 percent at one point Sunday before closing down over 4 percent. On Monday, Riyadh's Tadawul exchange traded up around 2.5 percent. Concerns appeared to spread Monday to Japan's SoftBank, which has invested tens of billions of dollars of Saudi government funds. SoftBank was down over 7 percent in trading on Tokyo's stock exchange. Khashoggi has written extensively for the Post about Saudi Arabia, criticizing its war in Yemen, its recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of women's rights activists after the lifting of a ban on women driving. Those policies are all seen as initiatives of the crown prince. (KA)
Michael Destruction Reveals Weak Codes 10/15 06:17
Michael Destruction Reveals Weak Codes 10/15 06:17 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Unlike in South Florida, homes in the state's Panhandle did not have tighter building codes It was once argued that the trees would help save Florida's Panhandle from the fury of a hurricane, as the acres of forests in the region would provide a natural barrier to savage winds that accompany the deadly storms. It's part of the reason that tighter building codes --- mandatory in places such as South Florida --- were not put in place for most of this region until just 11 years ago. And it may be a painful lesson for area residents now that Hurricane Michael has ravaged the region, leaving sustained damage from the coast inland all the way to the Georgia border. "We're learning painfully that we shouldn't be doing those kinds of exemptions," said Don Brown, a former legislator from the Panhandle who now sits on the Florida Building Commission. "We are vulnerable as any other part of the state. There was this whole notion that the trees were going to help us, take the wind out of the storm. Those trees become projectiles and flying objects." Hurricane Andrew a generation ago razed Florida's most-populated areas with winds up to 165 mph (265 kph), damaging or blowing apart over 125,000 homes and obliterating almost all mobile homes in its path. The acres of flattened homes showed how contractors cut corners amid the patchwork of codes Florida had at the time. For example, flimsy particle board was used under roofs instead of sturdier plywood, and staples were used instead of roofing nails. Since 2001, structures statewide must be built to withstand winds of 111 mph (178 kph) and up; the Miami area is considered a "high velocity hurricane zone" with much higher standards, requiring many structures to withstand hurricane winds in excess of 170 mph (273 kph). Though Michael was packing winds as high as 155 mph, any boost in the level of safety requirements for builders helps a home avoid disintegrating in a hurricane. Tom Lee, a homebuilder and legislator, says past hurricanes have shown time and time again that the stricter codes help. He said during past hurricanes he looked at the damage by plane and could tell if a home was built before the new code. "The structural integrity of our housing stock is leaps and bounds beyond what it was," said Lee. The codes call for shatterproof windows, fortified roofs and reinforced concrete pillars, among other specifications. But it wasn't until 2007 that homes built in the Panhandle more than one mile from shore were required to follow the higher standards. And Hurricane Michael pummeled the region with devastating winds from the sea all the way into Georgia, destroying buildings more than 70 miles from the shoreline. Gov. Rick Scott said it may be time for Florida to boost its standards --- considered the toughest in the nation--- even further. "After every event, you always go back and look what you can do better," Scott said. "After Andrew, the codes changed dramatically in our state. Every time something like this happens, you have to say to yourself, 'Is there something we can do better?'" Mexico Beach, the Gulf Coast town destroyed by Michael, lacked a lot of new or retrofitted construction, said Craig Fugate, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a former emergency management chief for the state of Florida. The small seaside community had a lot of older mobile homes and low-income year-round residents working in the commercial fishing and service industries. "Quiet, idyllic, what I call 'Old Florida,'" Fugate said. "This is not a bunch of high rises or brand new developments." Bill Herrle, who owned a house near the shoreline in Mexico Beach until it was destroyed by the storm, said he wasn't sure it made a difference when the homes there were built. He said the storm took out his house built in the mid-80s as well as newer buildings put up recently. "It wiped out both the older and newer homes. It looks like my entire street is razed," said Herrle, who was not in Mexico Beach during the storm. David Prevatt, an associate professor of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida, said in an email Thursday that drone footage of the devastation in Mexico Beach showed structural damage to roofs and exterior walls, and damaged rafters and trusses, "indicating the strength of the wind that caused those failures." Prevatt noted the damage could have occurred at wind speeds lower than the 155 mph (250 kph) that the National Hurricane Center reported at Michael's landfall. That is, the homes could have been peeling apart before the eye and the hurricane's strongest core winds came ashore. Prevatt was preparing to lead a team to assess the damage. He said engineers will be asking how old the destroyed and damaged buildings were and under what version of the Florida building codes they were built. They also will be looking at the differences between the structures that survived and those that did not. (KA)
GOP Plays Blame Game in House Fight 10/15 06:18
GOP Plays Blame Game in House Fight 10/15 06:18 Republicans have begun to concede defeat in the evolving fight to preserve the House majority. NEW YORK (AP) -- Republicans have begun to concede defeat in the evolving fight to preserve the House majority. The party's candidates may not go quietly, but from the Arizona mountains to suburban Denver to the cornfields of Iowa, the GOP's most powerful players this midterm season are actively shifting resources away from vulnerable Republican House candidates deemed too far gone and toward those thought to have a better chance of political survival. And as they initiate a painful and strategic triage, the early Republican-on-Republican blame game has begun as well. GOP operatives connected to several vulnerable candidates complain that the committee responsible for electing House Republicans has failed to deliver on its promise to invest $62 million in political advertising across 11 states this fall, a promise detailed in a September memo that declared, "The cavalry is coming." The operatives spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution; vulnerable Republican candidates still hope to receive additional financial support over the three weeks before Election Day. But if the cavalry is coming, it's not coming for everyone. Already, the Republican operatives and spending patterns by both sides indicate GOP defeat in as many as a dozen House races --- halfway to the number Democrats need to seize the House majority this fall. Dozens more seats are in play. "We're starting to hone in on what are the races we can actually win. Sometime that requires a hard conversation," said House Speaker Paul Ryan's fundraising chief, Spencer Zwick. Even after a burst of enthusiasm that helped Republican Senate candidates in several states following the recent Supreme Court debate, some Republicans closely following the more complicated House battlefield fear the party may have already lost Congress' lower chamber. With 22 days to go, they're working furiously in an expanding political battlefield to limit their losses. Fundraising challenges make it harder. As of Friday, the National Republican Congressional Committee has spent or reserved $44.8 million of television advertising in competitive House races since the end of July, according to spending records obtained by The Associated Press. That's significantly less than the $62 million promised in last month's memo. A committee spokesman explained it would meet the original spending projection by including polling and online advertising, which is more difficult to track. Meanwhile, the Republican committee is expected to take out a sizable loan to help meet its commitments. A separate memo, circulated to donors in recent days by the super PAC associated with Ryan, noted that it's been forced to carry the bulk of this year's financial burden given weak fundraising by the Republican candidates themselves. Of more than 30 races considered pure toss-ups, the memo states, Ryan's super PAC is the sole spender in 14. "The GOP is now facing a green wave," wrote Corry Bliss, who leads the group, known as the Congressional Leadership Fund. "Democratic candidates are outspending Republican candidates in key races by $50 million." Indeed, Democratic candidates have outspent their Republican counterparts $116 million to $66 million across almost 80 competitive House districts since July, according to Friday's spending records. The Congressional Leadership Fund has helped make up the difference, having invested $93 million over the same period, backed by massive donations from Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. "This is going to be a devastating election for Republicans across the ballot," said Republican strategist Terry Sullivan, who called the party's fundraising issues a symptom of the GOP's broader challenge this fall. "Republican donors are smart folks," he said. "They're not going to give money to a losing cause." The Republican triage has been shaped by geography and demographics as much as by the candidates themselves. The GOP has a decent chance of preserving any House district that features a cornfield, pollsters and strategists say, pointing to less-educated rural voters who make up a significant portion of the Republican base. But where education and incomes are higher in suburban areas, Republicans are growing increasingly pessimistic. The NRCC in recent days has canceled plans to help at least three vulnerable Republican candidates: Rep. Kevin Yoder in suburban Kansas, Rep. Keith Rothfus in suburban Pittsburgh and businesswoman Lea Marquez Peterson in Tucson, Arizona. GOP strategists fear three open seats in the Pennsylvania suburbs and two more in suburban New Jersey are slipping away if they're not lost already. And Republicans haven't invested at all in a handful of other would-be competitive races, including Southern California's open seat to replace retiring Republican Rep. Darrell Issa and the seat of Iowa Republican incumbent Rep. Rod Blum, whose district features the state's northern suburbs and more than a dozen college campuses. Democrats canceled their advertising reserves in GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock's suburban Virginia district, a sign of confidence in light of public and private polling that gives the Republican incumbent little chance of winning. That's despite the NRCC spending nearly $5 million in the district since July. At the same time, the Republican super PAC has shifted money away from at least two other vulnerable Republicans, including suburban Denver Rep. Mike Coffman and Michigan Rep. Steve Bishop. Yet Coffman spokesman Tyler Sandberg notes that Democratic groups ramped up their spending by more than $1 million over the last week, evidence that the race is "trending back in Coffman's direction." Bishop noted that the NRCC has invested more than $3 million in his race despite one super PAC's recent decision to abandon the district. The Congressional Leadership Fund "has got lots of folks out there who really need help," Bishop said. "I'm confident that their decision to do what they've done is a decision based on the fact that I'm well-covered here." Bishop conceded that he's been badly outspent by his opponents: "Michigan's never seen this influx of money." It's not all bad news for Republicans. Polls suggest that Republican prospects have improved in several GOP-leaning states where Democrats face re-election, silencing recent concerns that Democrats could take the Senate majority this fall as well. And several vulnerable House Republicans coming into the election year --- a group that includes California Rep. David Valadao and Texas Rep. Will Hurd --- appear to be in strong shape as Election Day approaches. The debate over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh gave Republicans a big boost in enthusiasm, at least in the short term, according to Republican pollster Glen Bolger. Since then, the outlook for Republican candidates running in red states has improved --- but that's not necessarily the case for those in blue states, he added. Will it last? "I'm not going to sit here and tell you Republicans have zoomed far ahead," Bolger said. "Things are better." (KA)
Stocks Fade, Finish Lower 10/15 15:51
Stocks Fade, Finish Lower 10/15 15:51 After a wobbly day of trading, U.S. stocks fell for the seventh time in eight days Monday as technology companies continued to slide. NEW YORK (AP) -- After a wobbly day of trading, U.S. stocks fell for the seventh time in eight days Monday as technology companies continued to slide. Industrial and high-dividend companies rose, and the market's losses were limited relative to the steep losses it suffered last week. Stocks opened lower and repeatedly switched between small gains and losses before falling in the last hour of trading. Along with technology companies, health care and energy stocks and retailers also fell as the companies that have led the U.S. market higher this year continued to struggle. Defense contractors L3 and Harris made the biggest gains on the S&P 500 after announcing a deal to combine. Smaller companies fared better than the rest of the market and finished broadly higher. Jason Pride, chief investment officer for private clients at Glenmede, said that investors expect many years of powerful profit growth from technology-oriented companies like Apple, Amazon and Netflix. Over the last two weeks, Wall Street has started considering the possibility that interest rates will rise more quickly, taking a bigger chunk out of those critical future profits. "The more the company's valuation is dependent on some profit way ahead in time as opposed to the profits coming today, the more rate hikes should impact the valuation of that company," he said. Pride said the recent downturn is a healthy development for stocks. "A five to 10 percent pullback of that magnitude is very normal and very reasonable for this market to go through," he said. The S&P 500 index lost 16.34 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,750.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 89.44 points, or 0.4 percent, to 25,250.55. The Nasdaq composite skidded 66.15 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,430.74. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks added 6.42 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,553.09. The S&P 500 lost 4.1 percent last week, its third weekly loss in a row and its biggest since late March, as investors worried about rising interest rates and trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The technology companies that have led the market higher in recent years, including some of the world's most valuable companies, continued to decline. Apple gave up 2.1 percent to $217.36 and chipmaker Nvidia slipped 3.4 percent to $235.38. Netflix, which is scheduled to report its third-quarter results late Tuesday, fell 1.9 percent to $333.13. It's fallen 20.5 percent since disclosing weak user growth three months ago. Harris and L3 are combining to form L3 Harris Technologies, which will have annual sales of about $16 billion. That would make it the sixth-largest U.S. defense contractor and one of the top 10 globally. L3 gained 12.8 percent to $220.91 and Harris rose 11.9 percent to $173.25. Bank of America's third-quarter profit and revenue were better than analysts expected, but Wall Street was disappointed with the company's loan growth. The company has emphasized responsible growth recently, and like other banks, it's benefiting from last year's corporate tax cut and rising interest rates. Its stock slipped 1.9 percent to $27.92. Bond prices edged lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.16 percent from 3.14 percent late Friday. Rising bond yields often lead to losses for high-dividend companies because many investors think of them as alternatives to bonds. That pattern hasn't held up in the last few days as investors have been looking for relatively safe picks on the stock market. Germany's DAX jumped 0.8 percent and the FTSE 100 in Britain rose 0.5 percent. France's CAC 40 fell less than 0.1 percent. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 1.9 percent and the South Korean Kospi edged down 0.8 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.5 percent. Global stock indexes have been struggling this year as investors move money to the U.S. and out of Europe and Asia in response to faster economic growth in the U.S. and rising trade tensions. The losses the last few weeks for global markets have made it even worse. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong has fallen 22 percent since early January, meeting Wall Street's definition of a "bear market," or a decline of 20 percent from a recent peak. A number of other indexes have fallen at least 10 percent, known as a "correction." Those include the DAX and Kospi, which both peaked in late January, and the FTSE 100, the Ibex in Spain and the FTSE MIB in Italy, which peaked in May. U.S. crude rose 0.6 percent to $71.78 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the standard for international oil prices, added 0.4 percent to $80.78 a barrel in London. Natural gas prices continued to surge as the weather in the U.S. grew colder. They rose 2.6 percent to $3.24 per 1,000 cubic feet and have climbed almost 8 percent in October to reach their highest price since January. Wholesale gasoline edged up 0.1 percent to $1.94 a gallon and heating oil added 0.2 percent to $2.33 a gallon. In another sign investors were nervous about stocks, gold rose 0.7 percent to $1,230.30 an ounce and silver picked up 0.6 percent to $14.73 an ounce. Copper lost 0.4 percent to $2.79 a pound. The dollar fell to 111.88 yen from 112.01 yen. The euro rose to $1.1584 from $1.1563. (BE)
