2 problems

Win7.1 SeaMonkey 2.53.6

1) see no postings in any newsgroup since February
   Makes it hard to see postings.
   Using Google groups, see no postings in any newsgroup since April 1.
   Cannot post anything; get:
"Sending of the message failed.
The message could not be posted because connecting to the news server failed. The server may be unavailable or is refusing connections. Please verify that your news server settings are correct and try again."
   Methinks something not kosher with the news server settings.
   What should i look for?

2) my TerrorHertz thumb drive is no longer being recognized (no drive letter for it).
  This is a serious problem for me.
  How can this be fixed?