. Earth Science News .
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Greg Abbott, the arch-conservative leading the Harvey response
By Ivan COURONNE and Katie SCHUBAUER in Houston
Washington (AFP) Aug 31, 2017


Venezuela offers $5m aid for US hurricane victims
Caracas (AFP) Aug 30, 2017 - Venezuela on Wednesday offered $5 million worth of aid for people affected by hurricane Harvey in the United States, calling it a gesture of "solidarity" despite recent US sanctions against Caracas.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said funds would be made available from Citgo, the US subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA.

Washington has slapped sanctions on PDVSA, part of a series of measures against Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro over his handling of a deadly political crisis.

Arreaza cited a previous program under which Venezuela provided heating fuel to victims of the deadly hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"On the basis of that precedent, there will be direct support from Citgo, a contribution of up to $5 million to support families affected in Houston and Corpus Christi," Texas, he said on television.

"This is an expression of solidarity by Venezuela, beyond any political differences we have, in the face of a devastating phenomenon."

He also proposed that Citgo use some of its revenues to help rebuild homes damaged by the hurricane.

Venezuela is suffering an economic crisis that has caused shortages of food and medicine.

International powers accuse Maduro of dismantling democracy by taking over state institutions in order to resist opposition pressure for him to quit.

US thanks Mexico for Texas flood aid offer
Washington (AFP) Aug 30, 2017 - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson put aside controversy over US plans to build a wall on its southern border Wednesday and thanked Mexico for its offer of aid to flood-stricken Texas.

Tillerson was welcoming his Mexican counterpart Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray to talks on trade and security when he made the comments, even as deadly Storm Harvey made a second landfall.

"I want to thank the government of Mexico for its offer of assistance in the state of Texas," Tillerson, himself a Texan, said.

"They've offered a wide range of assistance, in coordination with the governor down in Texas and also with FEMA," he said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"It's very generous of the government of Mexico to offer their help at this very, very challenging time for our citizens down in Texas and now moving towards the border of Louisiana as well."

Videgaray replied: "You're very, very welcome."

Neither Tillerson nor Videgaray said how much aid was offered nor whether the US would accept. But a US official told AFP: "The State Department is working with FEMA and our foreign partners, including Mexico, to determine the best way forward." FEMA is the federal disaster management agency.

Ties between Washington and Mexico have been strained by President Donald Trump's insistence that America's southern neighbor will one day reimburse the cost of the planned border wall.

Mexican leaders have insisted they will not do that, but Videgaray and his ministerial colleagues frequently visit Washington to talk about trade and fighting organized crime.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been the ubiquitous face of the state's response to the havoc unleashed by Hurricane Harvey, but the arch-conservative hasn't always been the calm, reassuring figure he is today.

Residents and officials have hailed his leadership throughout the crisis, with Democrats casting aside their differences to work together against one of the worst disasters in the Lone Star state's history.

It has not always been this way. Prior to Harvey, one of Abbott's main claims to national fame was the staggering number of lawsuits he filed against the administration of then president Barack Obama -- more than 30, according to an analysis by the Texas Tribune.

Indeed, he reveled in being something of a liberal bogeyman in this largely conservative state that has in recent years become a testing ground for Republican policymakers looking to advance their hard right conservative agenda nationwide.

But since Harvey came crashing down on the Texas coast Friday night, he has made common cause with elected officials from both parties, holding press conferences in a commanding, unflustered voice to keep citizens abreast of the latest developments as multiple local, state and federal agencies undertake relief operations.

"We won't say congratulations," Donald Trump told him Tuesday on a visit to flood-stricken areas. "We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished. But you have been terrific."

Abbott effectively stifled an early potential controversy, declining to criticize the Democratic mayor of Houston for not evacuating the city ahead of the hurricane. Rather, Abbott insisted there was no question of revisiting decisions already taken and said it was more important to look ahead.

In emergency relief centers, most survivors appear satisfied.

"Excellent from what I can see," said Derryl Bodreaux, a 68-year-old Democrat who came to a convention center shelter because no food stores were open. "I've been here 66 years and I haven't seen anyone respond like they responded for this particular incident."

Some others said credit largely went to individual volunteers and private entities such as churches, but found little to fault the governor.

The mayors of the state's major cities such as Houston and Dallas, Democratic islands in a vast Republican ocean, have avoided speaking out against him.

-- 'True' American values --

The 59-year-old, who is a lawyer by training, was named to the Supreme Court of Texas in 1995 by then governor George W Bush. He entered the political fray in 2002 to become elected the state's attorney general.

At the heart of his message was the accident which, at the age of 26, left him paralyzed below the waist when a tree fell on him while he was out jogging. "It was the lesson of never, ever giving up," said Abbott, who since that time has used a wheelchair.

He transformed the post into a national springboard for defending conservative values, especially freedom of religious expression in public spaces, the right to bear arms, and reducing the powers of the federal government.

To this end, he enlisted the services of a brilliant lawyer by the name of Ted Cruz -- now a Texas senator and ex-rival of Trump in last year's Republican presidential primary.

One of Abbott's greatest successes was his defense of a Ten Commandments monument in front of Capitol building in Austin against a challenge in the Supreme Court by a citizen who had claimed it violated the separation of church and state.

"They really proactively sought to use the office to advance what they would describe as conservative values across the country," said Patrick Svitek, a political journalist for the Texas Tribune, adding that Abbott sought to bolster his reputation through his lawsuits against the federal government.

Elected governor in 2014, he has continued his obsession with making Texas a beacon for "true" American values -- unlike those of its eternal rival, California, a progressive bastion.

"Ever since Abbott took office, California has been his number one boogeyman to push various policies," added Svitek.

A major example is the fight against illegal immigration. In the state legislature he pushed a bill against so-called "sanctuary cities" -- Democratic municipalities where officials have refused to cooperate with federal authorities in cracking down on undocumented migrants.

The law was set to come into force Friday but was challenged in court, and was temporarily blocked late Wednesday. Over the summer, he also supported a "bathroom bill" pushed by Republican hardliners in the state legislature which would have prohibited transgender people from using the toilet of their choice, though that measure failed.

In polling, he is currently the most popular Republican in Texas.

It remains to be seen whether he can leverage the exposure from Harvey to secure a future of the national stage.

The last two men to hold his job -- George W Bush and Rick Perry, both ended up running for president.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'Katrina all over again:' New Orleans in solidarity with Houston
New Orleans (AFP) Aug 30, 2017
With memories and scars of Katrina still raw, New Orleans residents poured out love and donations Wednesday to victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, where devastation has reminded many of the epic 2005 storm. "This is beautiful. It's been overwhelming," said Father Tim Hedrick as a steady stream of parishioners and other residents of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish drove to St. Catherine of ... read more

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Two landslides kill 30 in China

After Harvey, misery piles on for Texas plant evacuees

Texas flood toll mounts amid chemical blast fears

'Katrina all over again:' New Orleans in solidarity with Houston

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Clamping down on causality by probing laser cavities

Rare-metals in the Himalayas: The potential world-class treasure

Why does rubbing a balloon on your hair make it stick?

Making 3-D printing safer

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Decoding coral DNA could help save reefs from extinction

Oil and water can mix under the right conditions, scientists say

Ecuador prison for Chinese fishers caught in Galapagos

Phoenix International receives $23.3M for deep-sea rescue vehicles

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
New findings on the past and future of sea ice cover in the Arctic

Warming the Antarctic 1 C vastly changes seabed life

Climate change pushed songbirds from Bahamas in the wake of the last ice age

Satellite photos reveal gigantic outburst floods

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Leaf sensors can tell farmers when crops need to be watered

To detoxify soil, just shoot lasers at it, study says

Scientists turn brewing waste into fresh yeast to make more beer

Soybean rust develops 'rolling' epidemics as spores travel north

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'Tsunami-sunk' Roman ruins discovered in Tunisia

Nigeria floods displace more than 100,000

'Bigger and stronger' storms on the horizon: experts

Texas flood disaster by the numbers

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
DRCongo troops chasing reporter 'force entry' at UN base

Angolans vote as Dos Santos ends 38-year rule

Death toll in SLeone flood disaster reaches 441

Africa Endeavor 2017 communications conference starts in Malawi

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Ape intelligence research poisoned by human ego, scientists argue

Elderly just as streetwise as young adults, research shows

Farming, cheese, chewing changed human skull shape

Both chimpanzees and humans spontaneously imitate each other's actions









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.