Rick Perry's Texas gets plenty of money from the feds

The first rule of asking for extra federal dollars in Texas is to never make it seem like you are asking for extra federal dollars.

For Gov. Rick Perry, this is a tricky line to walk. Because as much as the Republican presidential candidate bashes the federal government in his campaign speeches, Texas gets a lot of money from the feds — and a lot of it is going to the health care system he insists Texas can handle on its own.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69072.html#ixzz1f1r4apHi

Irene Will Be A CAT 4 Hurricane When It Arrives In The U.S.

Irene Will Be A CAT 4 Hurricane When It Arrives In The U.S.: According to The Miami Herald, as of 5 a.m. Tuesday, Irene had sustained winds of 100 mph placing it firmly in the Category 2 class of hurricane.
Gathering speed throughout the week the storm is expected to hold wind speeds of 135 mph Thursday when it hits U.S. waters.

All The Candidates’ Federal Spending | Swampland

All The Candidates’ Federal Spending | Swampland: All of the governors, however, also have records of looking for federal funds to help balance their budgets, and in the case of Romney that includes the more than $300 million he lobbied for to pay for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Like most governors in office, he did what he could to use the federal government to balance his books. The biggest accomplishment in this regard was his success in convincing the Bush Administration to allow Massachusetts to keep getting nearly $400 million a year in special Medicaid reimbursements that were slated for elimination in 2003. His pitch: I will use the money to help fund a grand new experiment in state-based universal healthcare. (Don’t forget: Even the Bush Administration was excited by experiments with individual mandates back then.)

How Texas Gov. Perry Pursued Federal Aid He Now Decries | Swampland

How Texas Gov. Perry Pursued Federal Aid He Now Decries | Swampland: For the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill, for instance, Texas lobbyists successfully pushed to include an additional $47.5 million a year for four years, to help reimburse the cost of health care for undocumented immigrants. In 2005, the lobbyists fought to restore $200 million in funding for No Child Left Behind that had been cut by the Senate. About $14.5 million of that money was directed to Texas for “innovation programs.” The Texas lobbying operation also supported several earmarks, including direct funds for maintenance dredging in the Matagorda shipping channel and money to study the feasibility of a desalination project in Freeport.

All the Candidates Pork - TIME

I can't show the graphic but it is worth a look.

All the Candidates Pork - TIME: GOP presidential contenders want to cut federal spending. That wasn't always the case.

Dairy Herd Network - Texas drought hits $5.2 billion in losses - Latest News - Current Stories, Commentary, Markets

Dairy Herd Network - Texas drought hits $5.2 billion in losses - Latest News - Current Stories, Commentary, Markets: If you look back at 100 years of moisture levels, January 2011 until now is the driest period ever recorded. “The early to mid-50’s is the only time that comes close to being this dry and they had 2-inches more of moisture,” explains Kevin Lager, extension associate with the Texas AgriLife Extension.  “It’s going to take a lot of rain to catch up.” 

Texas Summary || EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Texas Summary || EWG Farm Subsidy Database: $24.4 billion in subsidies 1995-2010.
$14.9 billion in commodity subsidies.
$3.64 billion in crop insurance subsidies.
$2.77 billion in conservation subsidies.
$3.13 billion in disaster subsidies.

Emergency funds available | POLITICO 44

Emergency funds available | POLITICO 44: "President Obama on Friday declared a state of emergency in Texas, coming after months of pressure from officials and residents of the Lone Star State and its governor, Rick Perry, who questioned the political reasons as to why federal funds were not being made available to a red-hued state."

Texas Drought Declared Natural Disaster

Texas Drought Declared Natural Disaster: "Drought and wildfires have lead to the decision by the US Department of Agriculture to declare the entire state of Texas a natural disaster.

KCBD in Lubbock reports that in all, 213 counties in Texas have lost at least 30 percent of their crops or pasture."

Taxpayers face $1.7 billion bill as nuclear lab pensions soar - The Washington Post

Taxpayers face $1.7 billion bill as nuclear lab pensions soar - The Washington Post: "Lockheed Martin and other contractors that manage U.S. nuclear facilities stand to reap $1.7 billion in savings next year while the Energy Department pays for their ballooning employee pension costs."

Mississippi River Floods Take Toll On Poor -- How You Can Help (VIDEO)

Mississippi River Floods Take Toll On Poor -- How You Can Help (VIDEO): "On the banks of the river in Vicksburg, Miss., 12 people -- including infants and children -- live in one house.

As the Mississippi River continues to swell, floodwaters force them -- and other residents in the town -- to pack their things and head for higher ground, the Associated Press reports."

Cajuns told to leave home, but some hold out hope - CBS News

Cajuns told to leave home, but some hold out hope - CBS News: "HENDERSON, Louisiana - Army Corps of Engineers workers opened more floodgates at the Morganza Spillway in Louisiana Sunday, just upriver from New Orleans, bringing the total to four.
They're diverting millions of gallons per minute into the Atchafalaya Basin, sparing New Orleans while flooding thousands of square miles of Cajun country."

Even in an era of budget cuts, these government programs won’t die - The Washington Post

Even in an era of budget cuts, these government programs won’t die - The Washington Post: "Also unchanged: a program that pays cotton and peanut farmers to store their bales and bushels in warehouses. The idea is to let farmers keep their crop off the market while prices are low. The federal government will still budget $2 million a year, despite criticism from Obama and before him George W. Bush."

CIA recipe for invisible ink among newly released WWI-era documents - The Washington Post

CIA recipe for invisible ink among newly released WWI-era documents - The Washington Post: "Here’s the secret, according to one of the six oldest classified documents in possession of the Central Intelligence Agency:

“Mix 5 drams copper acetol arsenate. 3 ounces acetone and add 1 pint amyl alcohol (fusil-oil). Heat in water bath — steam rising will dissolve the sealing material of its mucilage, wax or oil.”

But there’s a warning for the intrepid spy: “Do not inhale fumes.”"

Can a laser bring down a plane? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine

Can a laser bring down a plane? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine: "The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are warning law-enforcement agencies to look out for laser-wielding terrorists. Lasers, a recent memo states, could be used to blind commercial airline pilots just prior to landing. Anyone who's ever used a laser pointer might be a bit skeptical of the alert, however, given how difficult it is to fix the beam on a stationary spot a few dozen meters away—to say nothing of a passenger jet zooming toward an airport runway. How feasible is this laser attack, really?"