Cheat Sheet - Hey Congress: Wake Up!

Today: Sandy Death Toll Tops 50 in U.S. , How Much Will Sandy Cost? Ask the Insurers , Uprooted Tree Reveals Skeletal Remains October 31, 2012 GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER! 1. Hey Congress: Wake Up! Sept. 11 … Katrina … Disasters have interfered with elections before, and they surely will again, but Congress has still done nothing to prepare for the next big one, writes The Daily Beast’s Richard Hasen. Plus, Eleanor Clift on whether the GOP will block hurricane relief, Howard Kurtz on Obama and Christie’s new friendship, and Michelle Cottle ranks how well politicians held up in the disaster. Read it at The Daily Beast STILL GOING 2. Sandy Death Toll Tops 50 in U.S. The death toll from Hurricane Sandy climbed to at least 50 in the U.S. early Wednesday morning, with at least 22 of those deaths occurring in New York City—and although the storm weakened as it moved inland, blizzard warnings were still in effect for parts of Virginia. While New York and New Jersey dried out from the storm, Sandy hit the mountains of West Virginia and North Carolina, bringing a record 14-16 inches of snow to the Tennessee-North Carolina border.  Around 22 percent of New York City still had no power by Wednesday morning, and an estimated 90 percent of Long Island were in the dark. Read it at Associated Press ASK THE INSURERS 3. How Much Will Sandy Cost? The insurance industry will soon be shelling out big payments to cover the storm’s massive damage. And it says the U.S. is uniquely positioned to suffer from climate change, The Daily Beast’s Matthew Zeitlin reports. Read it at The Daily Beast EERIE 4. Uprooted Tree Reveals Skeletal Remains Frankenstorm, indeed. A homeless woman in New Haven, Conn., found skeletal remains on Tuesday after Hurricane Sandy uprooted a giant tree. The back of a skull was visible— with its mouth still open— in the tree. The skull was still connected to a spine and a rib cage. New Haven Sgt. Anthony Zona said the body "has probably been there a long, long time," and some investigators said it could date back centuries. By Tuesday night, a death investigator had sawed off a root that was in the way, but officials say exhuming the remains could take days. Read it at New Haven Independent ELECTION DAY 5. Poll: Voters Think Obama Will Win A Gallup poll released Wednesday showed that 54 percent of Americans think President Obama will win reelection, while only 32 percent think Mitt Romney will take the White House. Eleven percent had no opinion. In the past four election cycles, Americans have accurately predicted the popular vote winner, although voters thought Al Gore would win in 2000 (he won the popular vote but lost the electoral college). But the poll was conducted prior to Hurricane Sandy, which analysts have warned throws an unknown element into the election. Polls released Tuesday showed a race that is far from over, with some surveys indicating Obama’'s lead in Ohio is narrowing, but he could be gaining ground in Florida and Virginia. Read it at Politico ON THE TRAIL Chrysler Fights Mitt’s Jeep Claims GOP'’s Ohio ads saying production moving to China. TRAGIC Fire at Saudi Wedding Kills 25 High-voltage power line reportedly fell. FUNEMPLOYMENT? Europe's Jobless Rate Hits New High In September. UTINNI Star Wars 7 to Be Released in 2015 Disney buys Lucasfilms from $4 billion. UM, WHAT? Gene Hackman Slaps Homeless Man Apologizes, but says he was defending wife'’s honor. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. We Love You, Lydia Callis Amid the gloom and doom of Sandy, one woman has broken through as a shining beacon of optimism: Mayor Bloomberg's expressive interpreter, Lydia Callis. Watch our tribute to the signing star. New York’s New Rat Pack by Winston Ross Venice’s Cruise Conundrum by Barbie Latza Nadeau Please, No More Star Wars! by Marlow Stern

ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE Copyright 2012 The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC 555 W. 18th Street , New York NY 10011 Privacy Policy

If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to view this email in your Web browser. To ensure delivery of these emails, please add thedailybeast@e2.thedailybeast.com to your address book. If you have changed your mind and no longer wish to receive these emails, or think you have received this message in error, you can safely unsubscribe here.