President Obama has signed an emergency declaration for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tonight opening up the door for the state to recieve additional federal funding in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing.
"The President today declared an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from explosions on April 15, 2013, and covering eligible activities through April 22, 2013. The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named James N. Russo as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV"
This evening, there are media reports that authorities were breifed on a possible suspect who they would like to question in relation to the bombing. The individual was seen near the blast site on surveilleince video provided by department store Lord and Taylor.
"The FBI has distributed to federal law enforcement agencies a surveillance photo of a man wearing a baseball cap at the scene of the Boston Marathon bombing, asking officials if they have any information about his identity, a senior federal law enforcement official who has seen the photo told NBC News late Wednesday."
A scheduled FBI press briefing was cancelled this evening for no known reason. No other information is known and as this is an extremely fluid situation, information often changes rapidly.
Earlier this evening the Boston Bruins played a home game to an emotional group of fans.
