Federal Flood Insurance Program Drowning In Debt. Who Will Pay? Plus 4 More Stories

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Daily Briefing A look at the day's top stories News Federal Flood Insurance Program Drowning In Debt. Who Will Pay? Congress has tried to boost premiums on the cheap, subsidized insurance FEMA offers. But property owners in flood zones protested the rate hikes, and legislators backed off in 2013, calling for "further study." Meanwhile, a string of bad storms has left the program $24 billion in debt — so far. Read this story Malawian Farmers Say Adapt To Climate Change Or Die A local Christian aid group is trying to help villages adapt by planting drought-tolerant crops and setting up pumps for irrigation. But even with new methods and crops, farmers still need to know: When is it safe to plant? Read this story Banks Try To Save Big With 'ATMs Of The Future' An ATM that lets you video chat with a teller hundreds of miles away? It's part of an effort by the banking industry to cut costs: The more ATMs can do, the less banks have to spend on tellers and real estate. But in-person branches still remain the best way for banks to get new business. Read this story RoboCop? How About RoboPenguin! When physicist Flavio Noca first saw penguins zooming around underwater, he was blown away by their speed and maneuverability. Now, his team has built a robotic arm that perfectly mimics the flippers in action — and he says the device could someday propel underwater craft. Read this story Justice Delays Birth Control Mandate For Catholic Groups A Supreme Court justice has blocked implementation of portions of President Obama's health care law that would have forced some religion-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance for employees that includes birth control. Justice Sonia Sotomayor is giving the government until Friday to respond. Read this story more news stories

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