Earmarks were banished from Congress over a decade ago, but the funding for lawmakers' pet projects is marking a sudden return.

Like countless schools, the Sidewalk School went to virtual learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, but instead of being hampered by the change, it has blossomed. Like countless schools, the sidewalk school, as it became known, had to go to virtual learning because of the coronavirus pandemic. To be able to switch to distance learning, the teachers and students were outfitted with more than 200 Amazon tablets by The Sidewalk School for Children Asylum Seekers. She said she felt obliged to do something for the asylum seekers because the U.S. government had upended their lives. Previously, asylum seekers were allowed to remain in the United States with relatives or other sponsors while their cases proceeded.

It was really, really bad instead of apocalyptic, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said. Lauren Sylvester heeded the mandatory evacuation, leaving her townhouse in Lake Charles on Wednesday to stay with her mom in New Iberia. Between the evacuation order and the storm surge projections, she didnt want to take a risk. In the end, the city got maybe half the storm surge it could have received, he said. The worst storm surge is to the east of a hurricane's eyewall because of the combination of the storm's counterclockwise whirl and northward movement.

HOLLY BEACH, La. Hurricane Laura laid waste to the place, a low-cost paradise for oil industry workers, families and retirees, and it could be awhile before the good times roll again. Resident Robert Eggert hardly recognized Holly Beach, the area's official name, after he came back Thursday to check the damage. Life.Much of that stuff was still there after Laura pummeled the coast with winds up to 150 mph. Hundreds of people partied at Holly Beach in May for Go Topless Weekend on the Cajun Riviera, an annual gathering for Jeep enthusiasts that includes a bikini contest.

Victoria Nelson with her children Autum Nelson, 2, Shawn Nelson, 7, and Asia Nelson, 6, line up to board a bus to evacuate Lake Charles, La., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, ahead of Hurricane Laura. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)GALVESTON, Texas – Laura strengthened Wednesday into a menacing Category 4 hurricane, raising fears of a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters said would be "unsurvivable” and capable of sinking entire communities. In Lake Charles, National Guard members drove school buses around neighborhoods, offering to pick up families. By Wednesday afternoon, Laura had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) as it churned about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Lake Charles, Louisiana, moving northwest at 16 mph (26 kph). Forecasters predict winds will reach at least 145 mph winds but may weaken ever so slightly before landfall.

Hostess Carla Alexander disinfects a table at the Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Friday, June 26, 2020, in Houston. Texas was a terrible, terrible experiment because it experimented with peoples lives and this is where we are, Neff said. During a news conference Monday, Abbott said the goal has always been to reduce cases and keep people out of hospitals. But the first operation by the state to suspend the alcohol permits of establishments that ignored rules didnt happen until a week ago. Neff said he is worried about losing his bar and has worked to find other revenue streams, including selling cocktails to go, starting a podcast and holding a nightly virtual bar livestream.

When you do testing to that extent, youre going to find more cases, Trump said. Before the rally, Trump's campaign disclosed that that six staff members who were helping set up for the event had tested positive for the coronavirus. The Tulsa event was scheduled over the protests of local health officials as COVID-19 cases spiked in many states. Trump's campaign declared that it had received over 1 million ticket requests. Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh, dismissing the potential impact, said "leftists always fool themselves into thinking theyre being clever'' and he noted that rallies are general admission, with first-come-first served.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)The global coronavirus pandemic has created a huge need for health care in the U.S., but it also is delivering a devastating financial blow to that sector. All of this has forced hospitals, health systems and doctors to lay off staff, cut costs and hope a return to normal arrives soon. Health care provided the biggest drag on the U.S. economy in the first quarter. Nationally, the health care sector shed nearly 1.5 million jobs from February to April, or about 9% of its total, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even so, health care researchers expect hospitals, doctor's offices and surgery centers to rebound gradually.