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Brian Naylor NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk.
Brian Naylor in 2018.
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Brian Naylor

Costs Of Irene Add Up As FEMA Runs Out Of Cash

Jarrid Gonyea and his wife, Michelle, check out damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene on Hurricane Road in Keene, N.Y., on Monday. The costs of the storm that stretched across the Eastern Seaboard are estimated to be in the billions. Hans Pennink/AP hide caption

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Hans Pennink/AP

Hurricane Irene Hits East Coast

Costs Of Irene Add Up As FEMA Runs Out Of Cash

It's not yet certain what the total cost of Hurricane Irene will be, but it's likely to add up to several billion dollars. That means tough choices for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has had to deal with a string of natural disasters this year.

Costs Of Irene Add Up As FEMA Runs Out Of Cash

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FEMA Deploys Support Teams As Irene Looms

Fen Rascoe boards up his parents' cottage as they prepare for Hurricane Irene on Thursday in Nags Head, N.C., which is under a mandatory evacuation order. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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National

FEMA Deploys Support Teams As Irene Looms

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, vilified for its performance in Hurricane Katrina, says it hasn't wasted any time in preparing for the worst storm to hit the East Coast in years.

FEMA Deploys Support Teams As Irene Looms

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New Rules Aim For More Passenger-Friendly Skies

Passengers wait in line at the United Airlines terminal at Chicago's O'Hare airport in 2009 after a computer malfunction caused long delays and the cancellation of some United flights. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

National

New Rules Aim For More Passenger-Friendly Skies

Passengers who get involuntarily bumped will be entitled to more compensation, and airlines face stiffer penalties for long tarmac delays on international flights, thanks to government rules that took effect Tuesday.

New Rules Aim For More Passenger-Friendly Skies

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National

FAA Deal Puts Off Reckoning On Delta Labor

After a two-week standoff, Congress and the Obama administration came up with a deal to reopen the Federal Aviation Administration and put thousands of people back to work. But the temporary solution does not resolve underlying issues — one of which is a union dispute involving Delta Air Lines.

FAA Deal Puts Off Reckoning On Labor, Other Issues

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Unionizing, Flight Subsidies Central To FAA Standoff

A provision attached to a Federal Aviation Administration budget extension would cut subsidies for flights to rural airports. Among the airports that could be affected is one in Ely, Nev., home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Economy

Unionizing, Flight Subsidies Central To FAA Standoff

The Federal Aviation Administration's budget is usually authorized for a number of years, but the most recent in a series of temporary extensions ran out in June. Democrats and Republicans are now split on how to reauthorize funding.

FAA Operations Up In The Air Amid Shutdown

A fence secures the perimeter of a half-completed 236-foot FAA control tower at Oakland International Airport. Construction has been halted because of the FAA shutdown. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

National

FAA Operations Up In The Air Amid Shutdown

Congress did not clear the bill authorizing the Federal Aviation Administration before it left for recess. The agency's partial shutdown is another thing adding to the country's debt. This month alone, it will cost the Treasury $1 billion in uncollected airline ticket taxes. Disputes in Congress over labor issues and subsidizing small airports are behind the standoff.

FAA Operations Up In The Air Amid Shutdown

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National

FAA Impasse Continues

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic Senate have been at odds over reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. The standoff now threatens to keep the agency closed through August and sacrifices a billion dollars in federal revenue being lost in ticket taxes while the FAA is offline.

FAA Impasse Continues

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Politics

Neither Side Showed Appetite For Passing House Bill

The Senate is expected to vote at noon Tuesday on the debt ceiling deal, after the House passed it Monday night by a convincing majority, 269 to 161. That included a lopsided majority of Republicans, while Democrats were split.

Neither Side Showed Appetite For Passing House Bill

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Politics

High Drama Dominates Debt Ceiling Talks

After several days of arm-twisting, the House on Friday approved a two-stage plan to raise the federal debt ceiling and make sharp cuts in federal spending. But the proposal was almost immediately rejected by the Senate, where Democrats introduced their own debt ceiling plan. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

High Drama Dominates Debt Ceiling Talks

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Economy

Conservatives, Progressives Discuss Debt Ceiling

Rep. Michelle Bachmann will vote against House Speaker John Boehner debt ceiling plan because it lifts the debt ceiling, and she has promised her fans she won't vote for that. As she speaks to National Press Club Thursday, MoveOn.org holds a rally opposing cuts to programs on Capitol Hill.

Conservatives, Progressives Discuss Debt Ceiling

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Politics

States Warily Watch Debt-Ceiling Impasse

States sell bonds to investors for everything from meeting day-to-day cash-flow needs to funding major capital improvements. A U.S. default on its debt, or a lowering of the country's bond rating, will have a ripple effect in states and communities across the nation.

States Warily Watch Debt-Ceiling Impasse

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With Modesty In Mind, TSA Rolls Out New Body Scans

The new Automated Target Recognition software eliminates passenger-specific images and replaces them with generic outlines. Courtesy of Transportation Security Administration hide caption

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Courtesy of Transportation Security Administration

National Security

With Modesty In Mind, TSA Rolls Out New Body Scans

Remember last year's uproar over the Transportation Security Administration's revealing body scans? Well, rigorous frisking is still de rigueur, but those body scans are getting a software upgrade. TSA says the scanners will now show only a gray, cookie-cutter image of your body.

With Modesty In Mind, TSA Rolls Out New Body Scans

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National

FAA In Limbo After Congress Misses Deadline

Today might be a good day to buy an airline ticket, because you won't have to pay any tax on it. The Federal Aviation Administration's authorization ran out Friday night when Congress failed to renew it. Air traffic controllers and other essential employees are still on the job, but 4,000 others have been laid off, and construction projects have come to a halt. It's because the House and Senate cannot agree on subsidies for commercial flights to rural areas.

FAA In Limbo After Congress Misses Deadline

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Debt Ceiling Debate Sparks New Round Of TV Ad Wars

Pedestrians stop to view the National Debt Clock in New York this April. The debt ceiling is becoming an election issue, as groups on both sides spend millions on TV ads. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Politics

Debt Ceiling Debate Sparks New Round Of TV Ad Wars

The debate over raising the debt ceiling has largely taken place in the halls of Congress and the White House briefing room. But there is another front in the battle — a war on the air. Advocacy groups from each side of the issue are spending millions on TV ads. One group alone, Crossroads GPS, has launched a $20 million campaign.

Debt Ceiling Debate Sparks New Round Of TV Ad Wars

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Many First Responders Still Struggle To Communicate

Firefighters in the nation's capital (shown near the White House in 2004) have some fairly sophisticated communication devices. But those devices use the same commercial networks as D.C.-area residents. In an emergency, those networks can get crowded. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

National

Many First Responders Still Struggle To Communicate

In the decade since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, public safety agencies have spent billions to improve their ability to communicate. But a proposal to give emergency workers their own dedicated national network on a chunk of unused airwaves is languishing. One stumbling block: House Republicans' skepticism about the costs.

Many First Responders Still Struggle To Communicate

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