US Senate approves billions in disaster aid

The US Senate approved $6.9 billion in disaster relief funds Thursday over a yearlong period, a measure that faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. By a 62-37 vote, the Senate approved funds for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help communities cope with natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene, which struck much of the eastern US seaboard in late August.