NJ Topics Natural Disasters And Weather

National Journal Coverage
Moniz_confirmation

Senate Confirms Energy Secretary, Stalls on EPA and Labor Nominees

The Senate unanimously confirmed Obama’s choice for Energy but nominees for EPA administrator and Labor secretary are still on hold.
Obama Holder

Scandals Tailor-Made For GOP Base

George W. Bush lost control of Congress when voters lost trust of his ability to manage government. Obama faces the same threat in 2014.
Reconcile Restaurant

The Cajun Comeback

Eight years after Katrina, New Orleans is finding new ways to address old problems. Scenes from a turnaround. 
Oil refineries

What If Oil Lasts Forever?

New technology and a little-known energy source suggest that fossil fuels may not be finite. This would be a miracle—and a nightmare.
Evidence

Is There Such Thing as Too Much Evidence?

Assembling the case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev won't be as simple as it appears from the news.
Boston marathon explosion

6 Tragedies That Sparked Legislation

When tragedy strikes this country, Americans react with grief, anger, hope, and sometimes legislation.
Moneyball

Can a 'Moneyball' Approach Turn Around New Orleans Schools?

Scores are rising as teachers track data and look for patterns to improve classroom learning.
New Orleans, Startup City

Is New Orleans America's Next Great Innovation Hub?

The Big Easy doesn't want fewer bachelor parties. It just wants more bachelor's degrees. 
Café Reconcile in New Orleans

The New Orleans Restaurant That Offers a Life-Changing Experience

Café Reconcile brings at-risk teens into the workforce—and serves the best red jambalaya in town. 
Brain

Play of the Day: The $100 Million Map

Fast forward to 4:45 to see Colbert’s psyche break over the BRAIN Initiative.
Charles Schumer

Could Chuck Schumer Be Well-Set to Chair Senate Banking Committee?

The departure of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson after 2014 could set off a future chain of musical chairmanships. One of the leading contenders for the influential post is the chamber’s No. 3-ranking Democrat,  Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York. Could the "senator from Wall Street" become the "chairman from Wall Street?"
Fred Upton

Upton, Waxman Launch Debate on Biofuels Mandate

For the first time since President Obama won the White House in 2008, the top Republican and Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are working collaboratively on a controversial piece of energy policy: the renewable-fuels standard.
Chris Christie

Why Chris Christie’s Troubles With the Base Won’t Hurt His Presidential Prospects

He was snubbed from CPAC, but that could benefit him—both in New Jersey and for 2016.
Superstorm Sandy House

Obama Administration Reaches Out to Local Governments to Spread Its Climate Message

President Obama used his Inaugural Address and State of the Union speech to issue the boldest, clearest call to action on climate change ever voiced by a sitting U.S. president—but don’t expect him to barnstorm across the country with that message.
Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Waste in the Age of Climate Change

Concerns about global warming are giving a boost nuclear power. And that's bringing new focus—and a possible solution—to the problem of radioactive waste.

Chris Christie's Record-Breaking Poll Numbers

It's good to be New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. A new Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday shows the Republican with a sky-high approval rating of 74 percent -- the highest a Garden State governor has ever recorded in the 17-year history of the Quinnipiac poll -- and he leads his likely...
John Kerry applauds Obama at State of the Union

Obama Cites Storms, Drought to Build Case For Climate Action

Fifteen years ago, when President Clinton raised the specter of climate change in his State of the Union address, he spoke of a “gathering crisis” that would need to be stopped “at some point in the next century.” Now scientists say that crisis is starting to arrive – and President Obama has noticeably shifted his rhetoric, describing an urgent problem that’s here now, already harming American people.
Nemo

Republicans Fear Blizzard Could Leave Them Without Mass. Senate Candidate

With a blizzard poised to blanket Massachusetts with over two feet of snowthis weekend, some Bay State Republicans are concerned that the storm could jeopardize the ability of state Rep. Dan Winslow and other GOP candidates to qualify for the ballot in the special election to replace Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Supercharged Technology Behind the Nemo Blizzard Emergency Alert

With Winter Storm Nemo bearing down on the Northeast, many Americans are bracing for a blast of snow — but some Thursday got a blast of a different kind instead.
Nemo

The Scary Truth About How Much Climate Change is Costing You

While policymakers fiddle, the threat of economic harm posed by rising sea levels, devastating storms, and drought is growing every day.

Report: Monster Snowstorm Threatens Mass. GOP's Ballot Access

The blizzard that is poised to dump two feet of snow on the eastern half of Massachusetts has some Bay State Republicans worried that none of their candidates in the upcoming Senate special election will be able to collect the 10,000 signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot by the Feb. 28 dead...
Super Bowl power

Louisiana, the Super Bowl of Politics

New Orleans was the center of the football world Sunday night, hosting its first Super Bowl since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.  But it also provided a platform for a series of ambitious Louisiana politicians — Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu — to showcase their governing aptitude in preparation for bigger campaigns ahead.
Biden Shotgun

Biden: Buy a Shotgun If You Want To Feel Safe

Vice President Joe Biden took his fight against gun violence to a video “hangout” Thursday, but ended up recommending the best gun to buy for anyone hoping to protect themselves after a natural disaster. “If you want to keep people away during an earthquake,” he said, “buy some shotgun shells.”
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

What Does Jay Rockefeller Have to Say Now That He Doesn't Have to Face Voters?

The West Virginia senator is a populist champion. Will he still champion coal?
Mount Rushmore

5 Reasons Why Obama Isn't Ready for Rushmore

While president's legacy includes "game-changers" like health care, Obama has yet to close the gap between good and great.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Why Hurricane Sandy Threatens House GOP More Than Fiscal Cliff

House Republicans have taken a political hit over their positioning on the fiscal cliff. But for campaign committee officials looking to hold the House, the controversy over funding for Hurricane Sandy, could do more to threaten the GOP's House majority.
Christie

Chris Christie May Be the Smartest Man in Politics

The smartest move in politics today is to move against Washington and the major political parties.

Boehner Agrees to Votes on Sandy Disaster Relief

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, reacting to criticism over his decision to adjourn the House without passing a $60 billion Superstorm Sandy aid bill, has agreed to take action on an aid package after all, lawmakers say.
Gregory Jaczko

NRC on Hot Seat a Year After Japan Disaster

While it may be easy to dismiss last year’s nuclear accident in Japan as an unpredictable act of God or even the result of irresponsible actors on the other side of the globe, the calamity raises the question, are U.S. nuclear plant operators and their regulators taking all possible threats seriously?
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