HOUSTON (AP)  The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied nearly 650,000 applications for housing aid after Hurricane Ike hit southeast Texas, finding that nearly 90 percent of all claimants were ineligible for FEMA help. Those rejected and their attorneys say the ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - A massive effort to fix public works destroyed more than three years ago by the Gulf Coast hurricanes remains largely stalled, leaving more than $3.9 billion in federal aid unspent and key repairs far from complete. The scale of that ... [full story]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melting ice from global warming may raise sea levels even more than had been expected, an analysis suggests. Long-term melting of ice in Antarctica and other areas could raise sea levels by 16 feet to 17 feet, ... [full story]

  Property/casualty insurance rates declined 9% on average in January compared with rates a year earlier, MarketScout reported Thursday. The declines affected all of the lines monitored by the Dallas-based electronic insurance exchange, and ranged from 10% for business owners policies ... [full story]