Hurricane aid request seen as insufficient

WASHINGTON— In its third emergency aid request since August, the White House on Friday asked Congress to approve $44 billion for ongoing hurricane recovery efforts, a figure seen as insufficient on both sides of the aisle.

At the same time, the White House asked lawmakers to consider a lengthy list of spending cuts to offset the cost of disaster relief, noting in a letter that the administration “believes it is prudent to offset new spending.”

While the cuts are likely to prove controversial, prominent Democrats and Republicans are criticizing the size of the aid request. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R Texas, called it “wholly inadequate.”

Advocates for Puerto Rico in Congress also were not pleased.

“Moving forward without significant changes will only hinder the Puerto Rican government’s capacity to address the situation on the ground and will contribute to further suffering on the island,” said Democratic Reps. Jose E. Serrano and Nydia M. Velazquez of New York and Luis V. Gutierrez of Illinois, cochairs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Task Force on Puerto Rico.

Tax bill brings warning

WASHINGTON— As Republicans march forward with their $1.5 trillion tax bill, budget experts are warning about what they say are an alarming array of accounting gimmicks intended to mask the true cost of the tax cuts.

The maneuvers come in many forms, like phasing in certain cuts over a period of years and making some cuts “temporary” with the full expectation that they will never actually be allowed to expire. Some experts say the cuts, if accurately accounted for, could translate into slower economic growth and bigger budget deficits in the long run.

“In some ways, this whole bill is a gimmick,” said Stan Collender, a former staff member for Democrats on the House and Senate budget committees.

Jackson has Parkinson’s

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, announced Friday that he has Parkinson’s disease.

Rev. Jackson, 76, said he had found it “increasingly difficult to perform routine tasks” and get around in recent years. After initially resisting because of his work, he said, he relented and sought medical testing.

Rev. Jackson was diagnosed with the disease in 2015, according to a statement released by Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. “Since that time, Northwestern has been treating Rev. Jackson in an outpatient setting,” the statement said.

Air crew grounded

SPOKANE, Wash. — Members of the aircrew who used their U.S. Navy warplane this week to create vulgar skywriting images above the town of Okanogan, Wash., have been grounded, the U.S. Navy said Friday.

An electronic warfare plane from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in western Washington state created skywritings in the shape of male genitals over the rural community on Thursday. Witnesses took photos and placed them on social media platforms, where they were widely viewed.

“The actions of this aircrew are wholly unacceptable and antithetical to Navy core values” said a statement issued Friday by NAS Whidbey Island.