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Lawmaker calls for complete overhaul of FEMA, right now

By wire services
Published February 20, 2006

WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency should be dissolved and rebuilt before the upcoming hurricane season, a Democratic senator said Sunday.

"FEMA has become, to many people in America, and particularly the Gulf Coast, a joke, a four-letter word," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

He favored keeping the agency within the Homeland Security Department. FEMA was independent before it was folded into Homeland Security when the department was created after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"It's time for FEMA to go and to build something better, stronger within DHS to take its place," Lieberman said.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, in appearances on Sunday morning talk shows, warned against overhauling FEMA with hurricane season only three months away.

"Nature doesn't wait for us to do yet another reorganization," Chertoff told NBC's Meet the Press .

Lawmaker: Port security not protected in takeover

WASHINGTON - U.S. terms for approving an Arab company's takeover of operations at six major U.S. ports are insufficient to guard against terrorist infiltration, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said Sunday.

"I'm aware of the conditions and they relate entirely to how the company carries out its procedures, but it doesn't go to who they hire, or how they hire people," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said.

Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff defended the security review of Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates, the company given permission to take over the port operations. "We make sure there are assurances in place, in general, sufficient to satisfy us that the deal is appropriate from a national security standpoint," Chertoff said on ABC's This Week .

London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. was bought last week by DP World, a state-owned business. Peninsular and Oriental runs major commercial operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

Winner yet to claim record $365-million jackpot

LINCOLN, Neb. - Someone, somewhere held the winning ticket for the record $365-million Powerball jackpot, but likely wasn't in a rush to come forward, Nebraska lottery officials said Sunday.

It was the biggest jackpot on record for any lottery in the United States. Powerball is played in 28 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands - not in Florida.

[Last modified February 20, 2006, 04:01:08]