The Catastrophe Obligation Guarantee Act, introduced in Congress in 2009, would authorize the federal government to provide committed loan guarantees to qualified state catastrophe-insurance programs. Proponents argue that lower-cost catastrophe insurance could reduce federal disaster-assistance expenditures. This report estimates the law1s potential effects in California.

A Lonely Tree and a Special Friend... The desert is a lonely place for Joshua, a tree who has never seen another tree like him. He asks everyone in his environment to help him find a companion...but although the desert loves him, nobody can help. Things change for Joshua one beautiful spring night when a tiny moth comes to visit. This exquisite story about the life-cycle relationship between the Joshua Tree and the Pronuba Moth will delight readers of all ages.

A Lonely Tree and a Special Friend... The desert is a lonely place for Joshua, a tree who has never seen another tree like him. He asks everyone in his environment to help him find a companion...but although the desert loves him, nobody can help. Things change for Joshua one beautiful spring night when a tiny moth comes to visit. This exquisite story about the life-cycle relationship between the Joshua Tree and the Pronuba Moth will delight readers of all ages.

The Fantastic Travels of William and the Monarch Butterfly, Christina Steiner's newest children book with illustrations from Mary Manning, focuses on the incredible life of the fourth generation, eastern Monarch butterfly. Steiner's chapter book, a fantasy story, offers a look into the lives of Monarch butterflies through the eyes of William. When William captures a butterfly for a show-and-tell at his school, he has no idea how special his trophy will become. Much to his surprise, the captive girl butterfly, Anka, is able to speak. With a sad, trembling voice, Anka, pleads for freedom so she...