Tracy Samuelson

After spending 25 years in their Sayreville, NJ, home, Theresa and Marty Kuczynskis watched as it was reduced to rubble in only 30 minutes.

Black and Latino applicants for Sandy aid in New Jersey are more likely to be rejected for recovery grants than whites. That's according to data released Thursday by a housing advocate who sued the state for information about its grants.

The rejection rate for white applicants to New Jersey's two main homeowner grant programs was 13 to 14 percent. For Latinos, it was slightly higher - 18 to 20 percent. For African-Americans, the rejection rate was 35 to 38 percent. That's more than double the white rejection rate.

Roughly one in four cellphone towers in the path of Hurricane Sandy went out of service. It was a frustrating and potentially dangerous experience for customers without a landline to fall back on. Now, local officials and communications experts are pushing providers to improve their performance during natural disasters.

Lori ...