• Minnesota Calls Special Session for Flood Relief
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Minnesota   |   August 23, 2012
• Gov. Mark Dayton has called the Legislature back into special session to provide $167.5 million in state aid to storm-ravaged parts of northeastern and central Minnesota.

• Tampa Mayor: Isaac Could Cancel Republican Convention
• Source: The Hill   |   Tampa, Fla.   |   August 23, 2012
• Tampa, Fla., Mayor Bob Buckhorn said he would have no problem delaying, canceling or moving the Republican National Convention in a worst-case scenario where a hurricane-strength storm hit the city.

• "Show Me Your Papers" Immigration Laws Ok'd in Alabama, Georgia
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   August 21, 2012
• The decisions were in line with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a similar Arizona law, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta continued to block other parts of the two Southern states' laws.
• 9 Comments

• U.S. Wildfires Biggest in a Decade
• Source: AP/CBS News   |   West   |   August 16, 2012
• Not only are more wildfires flaring up in the West this year than last, but the nation's fires have gotten bigger, said Jennifer Smith, of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

• Illegal Immigrants Get More Work Opportunities Under New Rule
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   August 10, 2012
• The work permits that young illegal immigrants can begin applying for next week under a new government policy will let American employers tap a generation of educated workers who have been confined until now to the shadowy corners of the economy.
• 1 Comments

• Arizona Immigration Ruling Backed By Appeals Court
• Source: AP/Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   August 9, 2012
• A federal appeals court has sided with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to throw out major parts of Arizona's tough crackdown on illegal immigrants.
• 1 Comments

• Fewer Immigration Laws Passing State Legislatures in 2012: Study
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   August 6, 2012
• The National Conference of State Legislatures found 41 states enacted 114 bills and adopted 92 resolutions relating to immigrants and refugees in the first six months of this year, a decline of 20 percent compared to the same period in 2011.
• 2 Comments

• Democrats Launch National Effort to Help Keep Dream Act Kids in U.S.
• Source: The Hill   |   Nation   |   August 6, 2012
• Democrats in both chambers have launched a national effort to enroll young illegal immigrants in a new program letting them stay in the country without threat of deportation. The program will help potential beneficiaries navigate applications, understand fees and avoid expensive scams.

• Drones and iPads May Aid Power Failures
• Source: New York Times   |   Nation   |   July 30, 2012
• Facing more frequent storms that cripple electric distribution systems over big areas, utility companies are drafting iPads and military-style aerial surveillance robots to get the lights back on faster.

• Minnesota to Fight FEMA Decision to Deny More Flood Aid
• Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune   |   Minnesota   |   July 26, 2012
• FEMA usually reserves those grants for disasters that cause serious damage to more than 500 homes, and the state counted only about 171 homes with serious damage.

• Emergency Sirens: A Dying Technology?
• BY: Government Technology   |   Nation   |   July 25, 2012
• As technology evolves and standards for radio systems change, are siren alerts for tsunamis, tornadoes and other natural disasters a thing of the past?
• 3 Comments

• Flood Early Warning System Keeps Austin, Texas, Prepared
• BY: Government Technology   |   Austin, Texas   |   July 20, 2012
• Technology incorporates multiple data sources and predictive modeling to help keep residents safe from floods in Austin, Texas.

• Colorado Asks FEMA for More Aid
• Source: Denver Post   |   Colorado   |   July 20, 2012
• Colorado's nine members of Congress said the destruction from two devastating wildfires.was worse than originally thought and that Colorado needs more federal help.

• Revised Cybersecurity Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate
• Source: The Hill   |   Nation   |   July 20, 2012
• The revised bill proposes to establish a multi-agency council, called the National Cybersecurity Council, that would assess the risks and vulnerabilities found in computer systems of critical infrastructure.

• Wildfires in West Strain Outdoor Tourism
• Source: Reuters   |   West   |   July 18, 2012
• Wildfires sweeping across the western United States are straining communities that depend upon the summer tourism season, as recreation sites catch fire, campgrounds close and outdoor activities such as river rafting are disrupted.