In brief: California to get quake disaster aid
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in northern California because of the Napa Valley earthquake, releasing emergency federal funding for the state.
The White House announced the move in a statement Thursday night.
It comes nine days after Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter to Obama requesting the declaration.
The magnitude-6.0 quake struck in the state’s famed wine country on Aug. 24. A 65-year-old woman died Wednesday from injuries during the quake.
A preliminary assessment by the governor’s office found $87 million in earthquake costs that could be eligible for federal reimbursement.
Strict abortion law coming to Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In 30 days, Missouri’s abortion rules will rank among the most stringent in the country.
Abortion opponents spoke ecstatically, saying the new law would give women more time to reflect on a difficult decision. Abortion rights advocates called the action outrageous and degrading.
The Missouri law will require a woman to wait 72 hours after an initial visit with an abortion provider before the procedure can happen. The law allows no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. That triples the current waiting period of 24 hours.
The longer waiting period will be the second-most stringent in the country behind South Dakota. The only other state with a 72-hour waiting period is Utah, but it allows exceptions for rape and incest and for girls 14 or younger.
Government deficit lowest since 2008
WASHINGTON – The federal government ran a lower budget deficit this August than a year ago, remaining on track to record the lowest deficit for the entire year since 2008.
The August deficit was $128.7 billion, down 13 percent from the $147.9 billion deficit recorded in August 2013, the Treasury Department said Thursday in its monthly budget report.
With just one month left in the budget year, the deficit totals $589.2 billion, 22 percent below last year’s 11-month total.
The Congressional Budget Office expects the government to run a sizable surplus in September that will allow the government to close out the budget year with a deficit of $506 billion, the lowest since 2008.