Letters explaining the claims review process will start going out May 18 to policyholders who believe they were stiffed by their flood insurance companies after superstorm Sandy.a According to a news release from Congressman Chris Smith's office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which underwrites nearly all flood insurance coverage in the U.S., will begin sending these letters in batches by ZIP code within two weeks, . The recipients will have 90 days from the date of the notice t... Read more

Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) talked about a bill that would give Congress a voice on any nuclear agreement with Iran, the fight against ISIS* and Boko Haram, and the stalemate over human trafficking legislation. * The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a militant group that has called itself the Islamic State. Click here or on image below to watch the program. Congressman Smith discusses Iranian nuclear program, t... Read more

By Ashley Peskoe | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The Star-Ledger -- Brookdale Community College commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide Sunday with the opening of two exhibits and a book release. The Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education (CCHANGE) at the school featured the interactive exhibit "A Journey to Life: Armenia," which included stories of local Armenian survivors and their families, and a student art exhibit called "Illuminating Images: A Hundred Y... Read more

Genocide is the most terrible crime a people can undergo, or another people can commit. It must never be forgotten. To forget it would be to dull our consciences and diminish our own humanity. It must never be denied, but fully acknowledged. Otherwise, any meaningful attempt at reconciliation will be thwarted. Brookdale College, the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights, and Genocide Education (Chhange), and everyone who contributed to making exhibits the center unveiled April 12 a reality, has per... Read more

Asbury Park Press Story by Erik Larsen - Each year, about a thousand American children are the victims of international child abduction, according to Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. Smith, who is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, led a hearing last week to find out how the U.S. State Department is enforcing the "Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act," which was sponsored by the congressman and si... Read more

By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The Federal Emergency Management Agency will negotiate directly with Hurricane Sandy homeowners to settle their insurance claims out of court, moving closer to resolving disputes over how much they will receive in compensation. FEMA announced that it has developed a written agreement that sets parameters for settling the 2,200 lawsuits. The agreement will guide negotiations between FEMA and its policyholders, and enable the agency to tell the p... Read more

There has been “dishonourable silence” from the British government on evidence of deep collusion between the Northern Ireland security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries during the Troubles revealed in an investigative book, its author has told a US congressional panel. Anne Cadwallader, a former journalist and researcher with human rights group, the Pat Finucane Centre, testified before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe on Capitol Hill, discussing the findings in her 2013 boo... Read more

By Asbury Park Press Staff Writer Jay Scott Smith -- Monmouth County is set to receive $2 million from FEMA to replace sections of the superstorm Sandy-damaged Bray Avenue Bridge over Pews Creek. The funding comes more than two years after the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied local requests for reimbursements, saying the bridge was already needing repair before a tidal wave from the October 2012 storm swamped the structure. "This sorely needed funding will pave the way toward replaceme... Read more

This book won’t help Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president. Its author, Chen Guangcheng, is the blind Chinese human-rights lawyer who in April 2012 escaped rural house arrest and sought refuge at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. The ensuing diplomatic tussle over his fate was a high drama that Mrs. Clinton touts as an accomplishment of her tenure as secretary of state. It reminded her of the “responsibility to make sure our country remains the beacon for dissidents and dreamers all over the world... Read more

The new shuttle bus service, the Lakewood Shuttle (or the “L”), will be starting regular service next Tuesday March 17th, township officials told TLS. The service will pick up the old Job Link route, which had recently been suspended, as well as the new loop route from Westgate to the downtown area. “Through the offices of Congressman Chris Smith and the initiative of senior staff at Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG), Lakewood Township received a federal grant of one million dollars to purchase nine bu... Read more