AP-9th NewsMinute,295

 Irene woes for East Coast ... Federal disaster aid is way short ...

Father accused of dumping son off on neighbors

     NEWFANE, Vt. (AP) - Some communities along the East Coast fear

their headaches from Hurricane Irene have just begun. In Vermont,

there are people still stranded because of flooding. And all along

the East Coast, places with destroyed and damaged boardwalks,

restaurants and other tourist attractions are concerned that

travelers won't be coming out for Labor Day - just six days away.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Many lawmakers are criticizing the Obama

administration for failing to ask for more disaster aid for FEMA.

Damage from Hurricane Irene alone could run into the billions of

dollars and there's less than $800 million in the federal

government's disaster aid account. FEMA has had to freeze

rebuilding projects from disasters as far back as Hurricane Katrina

in 2005.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Vice President Dick Cheney is defending

the practice of waterboarding. Cheney, who's promoting a new book,

tells NBC's "Today" show that there's no contradiction in

advocating harsh interrogation tactics against suspected U.S.

enemies and opposing the same practices when used against

Americans. Cheney says, "These are not American citizens."

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Attorneys for Tucson shooting suspect Jared

Loughner say prison officials shouldn't force their client to take

drugs for his mental illness. That's what they'll be telling an

appeals court in San Francisco today. Prosecutors say prison

officials should be able to make the decision. Loughner is accused

of killing six people and wounding 13, including Congresswoman

Gabrielle Giffords.

     NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stock futures are falling a day after the

Dow Jones industrial average rose by 254 points. Stocks got a

strong start to the week as it became clear that Tropical Storm

Irene caused far less damage than many had feared. Today, investors

will get updates on consumer confidence and home prices.

     TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man previously convicted of fraud

has pleaded guilty to new charges involving a $21 million Ponzi

scheme.

     Federal prosecutors in Tampa say 61-year-old James Davis Risher

of Sanibel pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud and money laundering

charges. Risher faces up to 50 years in federal prison.

LARGO, Fla. (AP) - A judge gave a Tampa-area engineer the

maximum 15 years in prison for a drunken driving crash that killed

a 22-year-old man two years ago.

     The St. Petersburg Times (http://bit.ly/osRLOA ) reports that

41-year-old William Edward Storey tearfully apologized Monday to

the family of the victim, Daniel Harrell of Land O'Lakes.

     Authorities said Storey's blood alcohol level more than twice

the legal limit when he slammed into the back of a pickup truck

driven by Harrell on Interstate 275 in August 2009.

MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Katia has formed and is moving

quickly across the Atlantic.

     Katia has maximum sustained winds early Tuesday near 40 mph (65

kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says

strengthening is forecast and Katia is expected to be near

hurricane strength by late Wednesday or early Thursday.