By Christopher Robbins/NJ.com The Star-Ledger on June 26, 2013 at 7:30 AM The onerous task of funding hurricane recovery just became a little easier for Monmouth County municipalities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Tuesday it will boost local Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts by reimbursing communities at a rate of 90 percent for certain Sandy related expenses, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th). “Being assured of a 90–10 percent split was necessary to continue our rebuildi... Read more

By Shaun Tandon (AFP) - The leaders of the United States and China appear to have started off on friendly terms during a weekend together in the California sun, but it remains to be seen if good vibes can bridge deep gaps. At the aptly named Sunnylands retreat, President Barack Obama gave his counterpart Xi Jinping a redwood bench as a gift, and the leaders of the rising and established powers took a 50-minute stroll with only their interpreters. The two sides had billed the casual summit as a w... Read more

On the MSNBC show Andrea Mitchell Reports today, Congressman Chris Smith said that President Obama should substantively discuss human rights abuses in China with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California Friday and Saturday during their planned meetings to discuss economic and security issues. "As the entire world observed the grim anniversary earlier this week of the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre of 1989, the timing could not be better to raise the issue of human rights abuses in Chin... Read more

By Peter Foster in Washington for The Telegraph - The admission in advice to David Cameron comes after the Downing Street continues to block a judicial inquiry into the 1989 murder of the Belfast lawyer, Pat Finucane, who was a victim of the campaign, a US congressional committee was told yesterday. Last year Mr Cameron made an apology in the Commons to the Finucane family, admitting "shocking" collusion in his murder between Loyalist paramilitaries and RUC officers but refusing a public inquiry... Read more

Ewen MacAskill in Washington for the Guardian The British government was heavily criticised at a US congressional committee on Wednesday for reneging on a pledge to hold an inquiry into one of the most controversial incidents of the Northern Ireland Troubles, the killing of Belfast civil rights lawyer Pat Finucane. The Republican chairman of the committee, Chris Smith, accused the British government of being guilty of a "massive injustice" by protecting "those responsible for the murder". The fa... Read more

Malia Rulon Herman, Gannett Washington Bureau - Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey continued to hammer the U.S. government Thursday over a string of international child abduction cases that remain unresolved, including several from his home state. "The status quo is simply not adequate," Smith said at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on global human rights and international organizations, which he chairs. Bindu Philips of Plainsboro, N.J., told committee members tha... Read more

Written by Susan Bloom for the Asbury Park Press-- Urging greater research and investment into the prevention and treatment of Lyme disease, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., kicked off Lyme Disease Awareness Month on May 1 by announcing his introduction of bill that would establish a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. He also introduced a bill to fund up to $20 million for research in that area. Smith, who founded and co-chaired the Lyme disease caucus in Congress, said the bill would “pro... Read more

By Christopher Robbins / NJ.com, May 1, 2013-- U.S. Rep. Chris Smith has been struggling for 15 years to increase the nation's awareness and improve scientists' understanding of Lyme Disease and other tick-bourne illnesses. But it remains an uphill battle. Smith (R-4th) used a Tuesday press conference to promote Lyme Disease Awareness Month and two bills in the U.S. House of Representatives – both of which would establish a blue-ribbon commission to study the crippling illness. “People suffering... Read more

Times of Trenton guest opinion column: Superstorm Sandy caused close to $37 billion in damages in New Jersey. For days and weeks afterward, churches, synagogues, mosques and temples in New Jersey that were spared serious damage opened their doors to those left homeless by the storm. Their congregations did not ask those who were stranded about their religious affiliation. They did not deny people food and shelter because they were not among their congregants. Now, more than a dozen New Jersey ho... Read more

By Christine Johnson: Inspired by the opportunity to show compassion for their Keansburg neighbors affected by Superstorm Sandy, 700 people turned out to a festive night of cocktails, music, dancing, food and schmoozing at Lakeside Manor Friday night. The organizers behind "Holmdel Helps" have started a partnership with a goal to raise $100,000. They pledged to give every dollar of it to Keansburg's elected leaders to distribute to its pre-screened homeowners in need of building supplies and app... Read more