Katrina Puts La. Unemployment at '80s Mark
Louisiana's unemployment rate has risen to 11.5 percent since Hurricane Katrina, with 234,000 jobs lost in September.
Senator Queries Slow SBA Hurricane Loans
The House Small Business Committee says that the response of the Small Business Administration to hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been unacceptable and is to launch an investigation.
Louisiana's Hurricane Death Toll Climbs
The death toll from Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana now stands at 1,053. About half have now been identified.
New Englanders Watch for Flooding
A nor'easter fuelled by Hurricane Wilma added to the levels of rivers in New England, causing concern. Snow fell on trees which had not yet shed their leaves.
Other stories
Panel ponders selling govt. land for mining
The U.S. House Resources Committee planned to discuss a budget package on Wednesday that would allow the sale of public land at $1,000 per acre to mining companies. Critics say that the price is too low and
U.S. Drops Plan for Nuclear Bunker-Buster
The Bush administration has dropped plans to develop a "bunker-buster" nuclear warhead from the Energy Department's budget for the 12 months beginning Oct 1. It will push for the development of a conventional weapon to penetrate hardened underground targets instead.
Democrats rap Bush's pick for State Department job
Senate Democrats say that the Bush administration's choice to oversee international refugee and population issues is as unqualified for the job as Michael Brown was to head FEMA, and that her anti-abortion stance would reduce her effectiveness.
EU lawmakers back cutting greenhouse gases in cars
The European Parliament plans to ban fluorinated gases from a variety of items, including from the air pockets in sports shoes. The refrigerant Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) 134a will be banned from new cars sold in the EU from 2017, and from new models introduced from 2011. HFCs were not banned from refrigerators, however.
Altruism lacking in chimpanzees, study shows
Whilst wild live in social groups and co-operate and hunt together, an experiment on groups in captivity found no evidence of altruism to unrelated members of the group.
Galapagos Volcano Erupts for Third Day
The 4,920-foot high Sierra Negra volcano continued to erupt, but posed no threat.
Half of Coral Reefs Could Be Destroyed
The World Conservation Union has issued a report saying that we could lose nearly half of all coral reefs to climate change in the next 40 years unless we take steps to protect them with additional marine protected areas, reducing the impact of pollution and overfishing.
Rare Asian Black-Tailed Gull Found in Vt.
A black-tailed gull from Asia has been attracting birdwatchers to Lake Champlain.
Organic pesticide can kill locusts, scientist says
Researchers have found that spraying juvenile locusts with an adult pheromone helps to control them, so there is less need to use environmentally harmful traditional insecticides.
Japan should introduce carbon tax in 2007: ministry
Japan's Environment Ministry says that Japan should introduce an environment tax on carbon produced by burning fossil fuels in January 2007. This would lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, which Japan is committed to under the Kyoto Protocol.
Mexico baby turtles thriving as poachers kept out
Armed guards have been used to protect endangered Olive Ridley turtles on Mexico's Pacific beaches, and so far about 13 million have reached the sea. About 13,000 are likely to survive to breed.
Lisbon's 1755 earthquake a warning for today
On November 1, 1755 there was an earthquake so strong that it rang Paris' church bells, devastated Morocco, and caused a tsunami from Norway to North America. Around round 70,000 people died. There will be a 4-day conference in the city starting on the 250th anniversary to discuss earthquakes.
Activists: Army Bent Truth on VX Disposal
Activists say that the Army has distorted facts about the disposal of VX waste. The deadly nerve agent is converted into a caustic substance called hydrolysate ready fro transportation to New Jersey for treatment and then disposal in the Delaware River. Several groups say it would be safer, cheaper and faster to destroy the waste where it is in the Newport Chemical Depot, Indiana.
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