Panel calls for new FEMA

After a seven-month investigation, a Senate panel concluded that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should be abolished and rebuilt from scratch, according to The Associated Press. The investigation cites the country's ill-preparedness to respond to catastrophic events as a reason for the revamp. Among other recommendations, the panel encourages citizens to collaborate with state and local governments to plan for evacuating and sheltering pets during a disaster. The panel proposes creating a new agency, the National Preparedness and Response Authority, that would plan and carry out relief missions for domestic disasters.