Podcasts about Federal Emergency Management Agency

The northside of St. Louis looks like a wasteland following the May 16th tornado, and residents say they fear it will remain this way if the government doesn't provide the resources to rebuild. Some say the money they received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn't enough, and others simply want the city to put its money where its mouth is. St. Louis Public Radio's Lacretia Wimbley reports that while city leaders agree that things should be moving faster, they say they're doing the best they can to disperse limited resources.

fWotD Episode 3046: Hurricane Ophelia (2005) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Saturday, 6 September 2025, is Hurricane Ophelia (2005).Hurricane Ophelia was a long-lived tropical cyclone in September 2005 that moved along an erratic path off the East Coast of the United States for much of its existence. The fifteenth named storm and the eighth hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Ophelia originated from a complex set of systems across the Atlantic in early September. An area of low pressure consolidated near the Bahamas and was classified as Tropical Depression Sixteen on September 6. Stuck in a region of meager steering currents, largely dominated by a lull between two ridges to the north and east, this system moved along a looping course with a general northward trajectory. The following day it organized into Tropical Storm Ophelia and soon reached hurricane status on September 8. Over the next week, Ophelia's intensity oscillated between tropical storm and hurricane levels due to intrusions of dry air, varying levels of wind shear, and gradual upwelling of cooler waters along its meandering path. Gradually growing in size, the system reached hurricane strength for the fourth time and its peak strength on September 14, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). By this time Ophelia had completed a second loop and was moving northwest toward North Carolina. Changing direction once again, the system turned away from the state though its eyewall scraped the coastline for two days. The system degraded to tropical storm strength for a final time on September 16 as it began accelerating northeast. Becoming embedded within the westerlies, Ophelia transitioned into an extratropical cyclone the next day. Remaining on a steady east-northeast to northeast path for the next week, Ophelia traversed Atlantic Canada and the northern Atlantic Ocean before dissipating on September 23 over the Norwegian Sea.Ophelia's erratic track prompted warnings and watches for a large swath of the Eastern Seaboard, ultimately a greater area than necessary. With the storm occurring on the heels of Hurricane Katrina, state governments were quick to prepare shelters out of an abundance of caution. National Guard servicemen were deployed to North Carolina while thousands more were on standby there and in South Carolina. More than 2,000 people used public shelters as Ophelia approached land. As the hurricane's core remained largely offshore, its impacts were significantly less than feared. Some coastal locales saw heavy rain, notably more than 15 in (380 mm) in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The greatest impacts were felt in North Carolina, where more than 240,000 people lost power and more than 1,500 homes were damaged. Total monetary losses in the state were estimated at $70 million. Extensive beach erosion occurred due to the hurricane's prolonged effects. Tropical storm-force wind gusts and heavy rain caused minor damage in Florida, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. Rough seas led to one fatality in Florida and left another person missing in South Carolina while rain-slicked roads contributed to a fatal accident in North Carolina. Atlantic Canada saw negligible effects as Ophelia's remnants traversed the region; one person died after falling from his roof while preparing for the storm. In the storm's wake, 37 of North Carolina's counties were declared disaster areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided roughly $5.2 million in public assistance and the National Guard assisted with distribution of relief supplies.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:54 UTC on Saturday, 6 September 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Hurricane Ophelia (2005) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Danielle.

In this engaging conversation, Jim Silvernail shares his journey as a firefighter, discussing the evolution of his career from a rookie to a fire chief. He emphasizes the importance of adrenaline as a motivator, the reality checks that shape a firefighter's experience, and the balance between aggression and safety in firefighting tactics. Jim highlights the critical role of teamwork, communication, and leadership in creating a positive fire culture, while also addressing the significance of learning from mistakes and the necessity of training and experience in the field. The discussion wraps up with insights into the future of firefighting and the challenges that lie ahead.titlesThe Firefighter's Journey: From Rookie to ChiefReality Checks: Lessons from the Fireground"Firefighting is a calling that evolves over time.""Aggressive firefighting can lead to safer outcomes.""Adrenaline is a key motivator for many firefighters."Sound BitesChapters00:00The Calling of a Firefighter02:33Reality Checks in Firefighting05:25The Evolution of Leadership08:00Operational Discipline and Decision Making10:44Teamwork and Tactical Strategy13:35Experience and Training in Firefighting16:30The Importance of Adaptability19:13Reflections on Growth and Learning25:19Learning from Mistakes in Firefighting27:40The Reality of Humility in Leadership29:21Safety vs. Aggression in Fire Operations33:06The Importance of Tactical Delivery36:27Understanding RIT and Mayday Situations39:14The Role of Engine Companies in Firefighting43:10Building a Culture of Aggression and SupportJim Silvernail is a second-generation firefighter and is the fire chief of the Kirkwood and Glendale Fire Departments of St. Louis County, Missouri. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and is internationally accredited as a Chief Fire Officer (through the Center for Public Safety Excellence). He has previously published the text Suburban Fire Tactics (Fire Engineering Books and Videos, 2013) and he is the coauthor of Suburban Fire Tactics from the Right Seat video (Fire Engineering Books and Videos, 2016).Jim has more than 25 years of experience and was a lead instructor at the St. Louis County Fire Academy, specializing in truck company operations. Jim has written numerous articles for Fire Engineering magazine in addition to Suburban Fire Tactics and serves as an advisory board member to both Fire Engineering magazine and Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC). He has been a workshop instructor at FDIC (2011–2023) and presents at various regional conferences. He served on the board of the International Association of Fire Service Instructors and has also served as a member of MO-TF 1 (a Federal Emergency Management Agency urban search and rescue team), acting as a planning team manager.

In this second episode of “Stone by Stone,” a new “Inside the Castle” podcast series, we talk with Frannie Bui, the National Hurricane Program Manager for the National Planning Center of Expertise for Coastal Storm Risk Management, which is located in the Corps' Baltimore District. Listen as Bui discusses hurricanes preparedness, the National Hurricane Program and the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The National Hurricane Program is a federal interagency partnership between the Corps, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The program provides tools and resources to plan, prepare for and manage risk against hurricanes, delivers comprehensive hurricane evacuation training and technical support to partners and provides real-time information and guidance to state and local emergency managers in support of their hurricane evacuation decisions during hurricane approach. The “Stone by Stone” series is bite size in scope, providing listeners with a shorter, focused update on critical U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-related issues impacting our nation. The “Inside the Castle” podcast goes behind castle doors to have real conversations with real people about solving the nation's toughest challenges.

Twenty years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina—still the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history—made landfall in New Orleans. Many mark the storm as the transition point to a new age of extreme weather impacts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency more than tripled the size of its Disaster Relief Fund going forward as a result of Katrina and two other major hurricanes in 2005.  Yet two decades later, disasters of this scale have become so common that FEMA has been on track to run out of its Disaster Relief Fund for the second year in a row, unless Congress issues an emergency aid package.  And in this anniversary week, more than 180 FEMA employees have endorsed a letter submitted to members of Congress, urging their defense of the agency's continued operations in spite of the President's stated intent to eliminate or severely curtail its funding. The 36 co-signers that opted to use their names have been placed on administrative leave until further notice, The New York Times reports.  This is the context for today's conversation with the host and co-creator of the Peabody Award-winning podcast miniseries “Floodlines”, Vann R. Newkirk II.  Vann traces the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina as a demonstration of the ways a community's risk exposure and recovery assistance are often determined by race and class.  These disparities became nationally visible both in the immediacy of the disaster and long after, as some New Orleanians were able to return and recover their homes and livelihoods, while for many others such recovery still remains out of reach.    Duke and Vann also look at Hurricane Katrina's invigoration of a national and federal movement for environmental justice. Now that this work is being targeted and dismantled, they discuss how to maintain focus in the face of such dramatic reversals and the implications for the next major storm.   Be sure to tune in again next week when we look further into the post-Katrina recovery period with one of its primary leaders, HR&A President and CEO Jeff Hébert, who formerly served as first deputy mayor for the City of New Orleans, executive director of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, and as one of the first chief resilience officers appointed under Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities initiative.  Relevant content from Vann R. Newkirk II Listen to the “Floodlines” podcast series, including “Part 9: Rebirth”, released five years later  “Why the EPA Backed Down” (The Atlantic, September 2024)  “What America Owes the Planet” (The Atlantic, June 2024)  “The Coronavirus's Unique Threat to the South” (The Atlantic, April 2020)  “Climate Change is Already Damaging American Democracy” (The Atlantic, October, 2018)   Relevant articles and resources  “Banks accounts for $20B climate program frozen amid Trump administration scrutiny” (The HillI, February 2025)  “The Color of Coronavirus: COVID-19 Deaths By Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.” (APM Research Lab, October 2023)  “An Exodus Unlike Any Other: Why Half the People in This Community Moved Away After Hurricane Katrina” (ProPublica, December 2022)  “Flooding Disproportionately Harms Black Neighborhoods” (Scientific American, June 2020)  “Hurricane Flooding and Environmental Inequality: Do Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Have Lower Elevations?” (Socius, 2017)  “Remembering Katrina: Wide racial divide over government's response” (Pew Research Center,  August 2015)  Related Ten Across Conversations podcasts  Catherine Coleman Flowers: A National Voice for Rural and Unincorporated America  Financing Our Future: Justice40's Legacy Beyond November  Envisioning a Just Future for All with Dr. Robert Bullard  Credits:Host: Duke ReiterProducer and editor: Taylor GriffithMusic by: Hanna Lindgren, Lupus Nocte, HushedResearch and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Maya Chari, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler  About our guest:Vann R. Newkirk II is a senior editor at The Atlantic and is host and co-creator of the 2021 Peabody Award-winning podcast miniseries “Floodlines,” which documented Hurricane Katrina, and of the 2023 podcast miniseries “Holy Week”. He is an ASU Future Security Senior Fellow, Fellow of the New America Political Reform Program, and 2022 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. In 2024, Vann was named Journalist of the Year by the Washington Association of Black Journalists.

Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency are publicly pushing back against changes at FEMA under the Trump administration. More than 190 current and former FEMA staff signed the Katrina declaration, warning that staffing cuts and other changes are risking another crisis like Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago. For the latest on the letter and its impact Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hurricane Katrina destroyed an estimated 320 million trees in the Gulf Coast. This was not only a dramatic shift in the look of the landscape, but left the region more vulnerable to further disasters without the trees to absorb carbon and intercept stormwater.Over the last 20 years, NOLA Tree Project has planted tens of thousands of trees to help rebuild New Orleans' canopy. Executive director Connie Uddo joins us to talk about the project. .Climate change is making hurricanes stronger than before. Five years ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency started a program to fund projects that help prevent damage from disasters, before they happen. Louisiana was supposed to receive more than $720million dollars. Then the Trump administration cancelled the program.The Coastal Desk's Eva Tesfaye reports on what that means for New Orleans' preparedness for future storms.We can't talk about Hurricane Katrina recovery without discussing Sankofa Community Development Corporation. The organization was founded and supported by Lower Ninth Ward residents and focuses on wetlands restoration, farming and health. Founder and CEO of Sankofa CDC, Rashida Ferdianand, tells us how the organization is expanding to focus on economic advancement, workforce development and investing in the neighborhood's overall future and sustainability.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

In this week's Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics: Warm Open:• Nerd Out EP 61. The 2/3 of the Year Awards!Main Topics:FBI PSA - Russian Government Cyber Actors Targeting Networking Devices, Critical Infrastructure. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning the public, private sector, and international community of the threat posed to computer networks and critical infrastructure by cyber actors attributed to the Russian Federal Security Service's (FSB) Center 16. The FBI detected Russian FSB cyber actors exploiting Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and end-of-life networking devices running an unpatched vulnerability (CVE-2018-0171) in Cisco Smart Install (SMI) to broadly target entities in the United States and globally. Info Ops: • Most Adults in 25 Countries Say Spread of False Information Is a Top National Threat. The findings come from Pew's seventh iteration of its Global Attitudes Survey: International Opinion on Global Threats, which was last published in 2022. • Foreign disinformation enters AI-powered era. At least one China-based technology company, GoLaxy, seems to be using generative AI to build influence operations in Taiwan and Hong Kong… Documents also show that GoLaxy has created profiles for at least 117 members of Congress and over 2,000 American political figures and thought leaders.• Toxic politics and TikTok engagement in the 2024 U.S. election• Why wind farms attract so much misinformation and conspiracy theory UN - Terror threat posed by ISIL ‘remains volatile and complex,' Security Council hears. The threat posed by the terrorist group ISIL – known more widely in the Middle East as Da'esh – remains dynamic and diverse, with Africa currently experiencing the highest level of activity worldwide.• PDF: Remarks by Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. • PDF: Remarks by Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.• UN Report: ISIS Fighters' Migration to Afghanistan and the Taliban's Failure• ISIS-K poses major threat with 2,000 fighters in Afghanistan, UN saysFEMA Employees Warn That Trump Is Gutting Disaster Response. After Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed a law to strengthen the nation's disaster response. FEMA employees say the Trump administration has reversed that progress. Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrote to Congress on Monday warning that the Trump administration had reversed much of the progress made in disaster response and recovery since Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast two decades ago. The letter to Congress, titled the “Katrina Declaration,” rebuked President Trump's plan to drastically scale down FEMA and shift more responsibility for disaster response — and more costs — to the states. It came days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest storms to ever strike the United States.Quick Hits:• 25% of security leaders replaced after ransomware attack• Gate 15: Hack Yourself First: Pen Testing for Prevention • FB-ISAO: Ransomware Incident Review January to June 2025• Dissecting PipeMagic: Inside the architecture of a modular backdoor framework• Maryland Transit Administration says cybersecurity incident is affecting some of its servicesNevada state government offices closed after network security incident• Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2024• MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing• Report: Russian Sabotage Operations In Europe Have Quadrupled Since 2023• CISA Requests Public Comment for Updated Guidance on Software Bill of Materials• Risky Bulletin: NIST releases face-morphing detection guideline• CVE-2025–41688: Bypassing Restrictions in an OT Remote Access Device• Think before you Click(Fix): Analyzing the ClickFix social engineering technique

A new House bill would reverse cuts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The FEMA Critical Staffing Act would require the agency to reinstate employees fired under the Trump administration. It would also require FEMA to bring back the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and the flood mitigation assistance program. The bill is being sponsored by several House Democrats. It comes as Congress and the Trump administration consider broader reforms to FEMA. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wisconsin has requested federal assistance to help recover from the destruction from the severe storms and floods earlier in August. Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be on the ground this week to conduct preliminary damage assessments.

Governor Tony Evers has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help Wisconsin assess flood damages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two more agencies have officially terminated their collective bargaining agreements, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency both canceled their union contracts late last week, and they're not the only agencies making that move here with the latest is Federal News Network's Drew Friedman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Since taking office, President Trump has called for the elimination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, suggesting it could be dismantled as soon as December. Lately, his team has backed away from that idea, but there are still major changes underway and concerns that FEMA's response is at times politicized. Stephanie Sy looks at the changes and what they mean for disaster preparedness. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Former President and Georgia native Jimmy Carter created the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency back in 1979. But now President Donald Trump is calling for these two departments, among others, to be dismantled. On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali look at how debates over the shape of the federal government during Carter’s time can shed light on what’s happening today. Plus, a look at bathroom parity at the State Capitol, off-schedule redistricting appears to be off the table for Georgia Republicans, an update on drama over appointments to the Fulton County Board of Elections and census data suggests that Metro Atlanta’s population boom may be slowing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she will work to steer federal money to Beltrami County following severe storms. She says even though the Federal Emergency Management Agency determined the damage was not extensive enough to warrant federal disaster aid, there are other things that can be done in Washington to help the area.Forecasters continue to monitor the potential for another round of Canadian wildfire smoke to affect Minnesota this weekend.Prosecutors are seeking an aggravated sentence for a former jail nurse charged in an inmate's death.This is an MPR News Evening update, hosted by Emily Reese. Theme music is by Gary Meister.  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS. 

Former President and Georgia native Jimmy Carter created the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency back in 1979. But now President Donald Trump is calling for these two departments, among others, to be dismantled. On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali look at how debates over the shape of the federal government during Carter’s time can shed light on what’s happening today. Plus, a look at bathroom parity at the State Capitol, off-schedule redistricting appears to be off the table for Georgia Republicans, an update on drama over appointments to the Fulton County Board of Elections and census data suggests that Metro Atlanta’s population boom may be slowing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since taking office, President Trump has called for the elimination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, suggesting it could be dismantled as soon as December. Lately, his team has backed away from that idea, but there are still major changes underway and concerns that FEMA's response is at times politicized. Stephanie Sy looks at the changes and what they mean for disaster preparedness. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Local broadcast meteorologists have become more vocal about the evidence of climate change in their communities' weather in recent years. While some have encountered dramatic pushback, others have found audiences that are eager to understand the causes of recent record-breaking disturbances in familiar weather patterns.  In Phoenix, meteorologist Amber Sullins—formerly a climate skeptic, herself—uses her role to inform an increasingly concerned audience about not only the risks but the climate change factors contributing to the unprecedented extreme heat they experience.  And far to the other end of the Ten Across region in Miami, Michael Lowry is putting his background in meteorology and emergency management to work on multiple platforms, explaining both the immediate dangers and the greater, complex drivers of worsening tropical storms.  But even as more meteorologists like Amber and Michael embrace their unique ability to use the immediacy of local weather to connect the public to the larger context of climate change, there is growing concern about loss of critical federal weather and climate data on which their forecasts are based.  Severe cuts are being made at federal agencies—particularly within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the sources of nearly all U.S. weather information. A proposed budget change for 2026 would reduce resources even further.  Listen in as Amber, Michael, and Ten Across founder Duke Reiter discuss these changes and the implications for both forecast accuracy and public safety as the climate continues to warm.  Relevant links and resources:  Read Michael's column in the New York Times  2017 Bloomberg video report on Amber's climate coverage"After DOGE cuts, National Weather Service gets OK to fill up to 450 jobs" (The LA Times, August 2025)“US Weather Boss During ‘Sharpiegate' Nears Return to a Shrinking Agency” (Bloomberg, August 2025)  “After 7 Decades of Measurements From a Peak in Hawaii, Trump's Budget Would End Them” (The New York Times, July 2025)   “Nearly half of National Weather Service offices are crticially understaffed, experts warn” (PBS News, April 2025)  “Woking Paper: The Value of Improving Hurricane Forecasts” (The National Bureau of Economic Research, 2024)  “One sent tsunami alerts. Another flew with ‘hurricane hunters.' Both were just fired from NOAA” (NBC News, April 2025)  Relevant Ten Across Conversations podcast episodes:  Past, Present, and Future Climate Reporting with NPR's Sadie Babits  AI Series: AI-Powered Extreme Weather Modeling is on the Horizon  NOAA Meteorologists Reflect on This Year's Historic Atlantic Hurricane Season  Credits: Host: Duke Reiter Producer and editor: Taylor GriffithMusic by: Jakob Ahlbom and Helmut SchenkerNews clip played in the introduction courtesy of ABC15 Arizona and Amber SullinsHeadline image courtesy of WPLG Local 10 and Michael LowryResearch and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler  About our guestsAmber Sullins is chief meteorologist at ABC15 Arizona and anchors the nightly forecast. She is also vice chairman of the University of Arizona Hydrology and Atmospheric Science Board, a six-time Emmy-winner, and guest anchor on Good Morning America. Amber began her career as a broadcast meteorologist with KVIA-TV in El Paso.  Michael Lowry is the hurricane specialist and storm surge expert for WPLG-TV in Miami, Florida. He previously held roles at the National Hurricane Center as a senior scientist leading the development of groundbreaking new storm surge forecasts and warnings, and at the Federal Emergency Management Agency as disaster planning chief responsible for overhauling the master hurricane response plan after the deadly 2017 season. You can follow his in-depth forecasts and coverage on the “Eye on the Tropics” Substack.

Following increased rain, families across the southwest side are dealing with neighborhood and basement flooding. However, this comes at an increasingly precarious time for FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency tasked with helping states, impacted individuals, and first responders prepare for, respond to, and recover from weather-related disasters. Block Club Chicago's Jamie Nesbitt Golden and Borderless Magazine's Aydali Campa are here to discuss the latest, including a new investigation that explores the growing costs to build affordable housing, and how the Trump administration is coming for our voter information and housing protections. Plus, more things to get excited about in August. Good News: South West Side Students Plant Trees and the Chicago Muslim Green Team Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this Aug. 1 episode: Top Marks Prep – Receive 15% off when you use the link Broadway in Chicago Overlook Maps Framebridge Big Onion Hospitality – Wings for $15.25 all week at any of the Big Onion spots Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a model of government inefficiency and the prospects for FEMA reform.

Episode 813: Today we're uncovering a wildfire in Oregon that nears 'megafire' status.  A look at this phenomenon that is occurring more frequently.  Plus, disaster mitigation solutions continue to be a key focus for state legislators. How they're addressing extreme weather challenges in a new era of risk.Today's episode is sponsored by Holborn.

JOIN SHERI HORN HASAN @ https://www.karmicevolution.com/astrologically-speaking FOR THIS WEEK'S PODCAST "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive," Sir Walter Scott's narrative poem "Marmion" would seem to be the perfect right now, not? This week's podcast illustrates how events since Neptune's July 4 retrograde & Uranus's entrance into Gemini July 7 suddenly reveal like lightning strikes that lies & conspiracies can prove to be damaging in the end for those who spread them.Neptune retrograde pulls back the veil on past lies & deceits, exposing the truth, while Uranus in Gemini leads to sudden changes in our perspective & opinions. Take the whole “climate change is a hoax” promoted by fossil fuel & coal companies dependent upon profits to continue to exist rather than take the more progressive & humanitarian route to segueing into clean energy.And then there's the QAnon conspiracy begun in 2017—which followed Pizzagate from 2016—which sparked the belief in millions of Americans of a pedophile ring run by the “deep state.” Next we have the conspiracy that the 2020 election was “rigged” by Donald Trump, the man who lost it. Leading even more millions of Americans to believe this lie & to the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection by protestor who were conned into believing the U.S. presidential election results were a “hoax.”But now, we have seen the “deep state” & it's being run by the very same people who used to be on the outside claiming they would punish those responsible once they were on the inside. However, NE Rx says “not so much—slow your roll, it's time for some FACTS to emerge now so we may receive true clarity!”Rumors have begun about the MAGA crowd burning their l'il red caps in disapproval of the U.S. Department of Justice's--basically run by the White House in direct contrast to the mandated separation of powers in this country—refusal to make public the infamous “Epstein Files.”All this as we've been watching the close transit of Saturn & Neptune in Aries dissolve the foundations upon which the truth actually lies. As this government makes more and more funding cuts to programs necessary for its citizens' survival like FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency—under the guise that such funds fall under the category of “waste, fraud, & abuse”—more people will likely die as positions remain vacant & climate change continues to wreak havoc.Hopefully we will be reviewing the situation between Mercury's station retrograde in Leo from late July 17/early July 18 to August 11, which calls us to use our creative inspiration to find ways to create a better future. The Sun then enters fiery creative Leo, the sign it rules, on July 22, reminding us all that individuation—or taking steps to BECOME the true individuals who we came here to be—is of paramount importance now.By the Leo New Moon--which occurs July 24 at 2-degrees & 8-minutes at 12:11 pm PT & 3:11 p.m. ET--exact opposite Pluto in Aquarius, we'll be tasked with attempting to empower ourselves by fighting manipulative attempts that continue to try to control us through lies & conspiracy theories. We're tasked now with planting seeds to stand up to such manipulations & to use our own creative resources to figure out how to disempower the manipulators rather than allow them to disempower us. Breakdowns in relationships may occur now, especially with those in positions of power who've lied to us. And such breakdowns will likely lead to a change in our perspective & opinion about such people who vowed to protect us from a predator who we may now discover was actually in cahoots with those who claim they can “save” us from them and their ilk.Join us @ https://www.karmicevolution.com/astrologically-speaking for all this & more Astro News You Can Use, as we take a deeper dive into the meaning of this upcoming Leo New Moon opposite Pluto, the waxing trine between transiting Uranus & Pluto, & the continuation of the retrograde parade with Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, & Mercury all appearing to swim backward at the same time. We also explore Mars conjunct the Virgo South Node squared by the asteroid Hygeia, the female goddess of health just as a medical condition from which Donald Trump suffers is revealed. Is it serious? The powers that be say "no," but then again, they've been lying about other stuff, right? Join us for all this & more starting July 18! See you then! Namaste….  

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News… Alina Habba's term as the interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey is set to end after a lack of Senate support blocks her path to full appointment. Plus, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is tapped to serve as a migrant detention center. Also, the Federal Emergency Management Agency faces an uncertain future, leaving New Jersey in a precarious position for future disasters. And, a summer camp for teens with spinal cord injuries gives them a sense of independence, and a little fun.

Since the devastating flooding over the Fourth of July weekend in Texas, Washington Post journalists have been piecing together what went wrong at Camp Mystic. The floods were especially deadly for the camp, and our colleagues found that many of the things that made the Christian girls camp beloved for generations also made it vulnerable. The camp sits at the confluence of the South Fork Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek. Many of its cabins were built in high-risk flood zones. In 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved appeals from Camp Mystic to exempt several structures from a flood zone designation, according to federal records.Today on “Post Reports,” correspondent Annie Gowen talks us through what we know about what happened at Camp Mystic.Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Read more about the victims here.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

A little over a week after the devastating floods in Central Texas, the death toll has reached more than 130 people — and the search for the missing continues.In the aftermath of the disaster, there have been mounting questions about how local officials handled the critical hours before and after the storm. Today, we look at the missed opportunities that may have contributed to the growing tragedy — and whether anything more could have been done to save lives.Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a Times reporter covering how President Trump is transforming the local government..Background reading: Kerr County, where most of the deaths occurred, failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.Years before the floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved the removal of many Camp Mystic buildings from flood zones, records show.Eight-year-olds at camp, families in their R.V.s: These were some of the lives lost to the Texas floods.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Carter Johnston for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

It's not just Texas. In the past couple of weeks, communities all around the country have been hit with torrential rains and deadly flash flooding. Extreme weather events like this are expected to become more common as the planet heats up. As climate change increases flash flooding risks, our infrastructure is struggling to keep up. But improvements to that infrastructure will cost billions.NPR's Michael Copley explains how a changing climate drives flooding and how communities and individuals can prepare.And NPR's Laura Sullivan reports on how flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency didn't capture the true risks at Camp Mystic, which was devastated by the Texas flooding.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has said he is considering eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. We discuss FEMA's role in helping Texas communities recover from recent flash floods, and what that response indicates about the agency's future.This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and environmental correspondent Rebecca Hersher.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has said that he wants to phase out FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and move responsibility for dealing with major disasters to the state level. Since its creation in 1979, the agency has played a key role in coordinating emergency response nationally. Host Ira Flatow talks with Samantha Montano, an emergency management specialist and author of Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis, about the path forward for FEMA and how US emergency response efforts might change in the coming years. Plus, how much can extreme flooding events be attributed to climate change? Host Flora Lichtman breaks down the science with Andrew Dessler, Director of the Texas Center for Extreme Weather.Guests:Dr. Samantha Montano is an associate professor of emergency management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.     Dr. Andrew Dessler is the Director of the Texas Center for Extreme Weather.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

As President Donald Trump suggests cuts and restructuring of the Federal Emergency Management Agency — including bringing it “to the state level" — Missouri Rep. Colin Wellenkamp is focused on how the state can prepare for such a possibility. He chairs the Missouri House Future Caucus, a bipartisan group focused on how the state can prepare for long-term challenges. The St. Charles Republican and his fellow caucus member, Democratic Rep. Marty Joe Murray of St. Louis, discuss the group's goal to make the state more resilient to emerging challenges like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, grid integrity and natural disasters.

Why disaster recovery officials in Vermont are worried about the federal government's future plans for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Plus, Vermont state officials say they support the closing of Copley Hospital's birthing center as a cost-saving measure, Sen. Bernie Sanders decries the changes to Medicaid in the recently passed federal budget bill, Gov. Scott makes three new leadership appointments, the Deerfield Valley News has a new owner, and we ponder whether the Boston Red Sox should trade one of their hot-hitting outfielders for pitching help in our weekly sports report. 

The advisory committee set up to review the Federal Emergency Management Agency is deepening its assessment of FEMA s core responsibilities. The FEMA Review Council is evaluating whether any of the agency's functions could be led by states or other entities instead. The review comes as FEMA and other agencies respond to devastating flooding in Texas. For more, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me with the latest. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As monstrous floodwaters surged across central Texas late last week, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency leapt into action, preparing to deploy critical search and rescue teams and life-saving resources, like they have in countless past disasters. But almost instantly, FEMA ran into bureaucratic obstacles, four officials inside the agency told CNN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Texas experiences torrential floods leaving more than 100 dead, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ability to provide timely aid to states is essential. Just weeks earlier, President Donald Trump pledged to eliminate the agency. Also: today's stories, including the impact of Israeli buffer zones on Gazan lives, Canada is ramping up efforts to bolster safety in the Arctic, and efforts to protect one of the most poached animals, pangolins, are underway in central Zambia. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.

On Friday, flash flooding caused catastrophic damage in Texas Hill Country, a region of Central and South Texas, killing at least 89 people. As of Monday morning, at least 41 people are still missing, and rescue operations remain underway. The majority of the fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where 75 deaths have been reported. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that the Guadalupe River rose about 26 feet in 45 minutes Friday morning, and the city of Kerrville said the river reached its second-highest height on record. On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for the county, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist local officials with the disaster response.Ad-free podcasts are here!Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today's “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: Do you think NOAA cuts were responsible for the deaths in Texas? Let us know.Disagree? That's okay. My opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we'll consider publishing your feedback.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by: Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Hunter Casperson, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk about the NOAA, FEMA, and the SSMIS.We also discuss Arctic ice, satellite resolution, and automated weather observation stations.Recommended Book: Superbloom by Nicholas CarrTranscriptThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is a US scientific and regulatory agency that tackles an array of environmental, climatic, and weather-related issues, alongside its responsibilities managing oceanic ecosystems.So it's in charge of managing fishing protections and making sure endangered species within US waters are taken care of, but it also does scientific exploration—mapping the ocean, for instance—it monitors atmospheric conditions and keeps tabs on the various cycles that influence global and US water, air, and temperature happenings, and it tracks macro- and micro-scale weather events.That latter responsibility means NOAA (which is the modern iteration of several other agencies, including the US Environmental Science Services Administration and the US Weather Bureau) also manages the US National Weather Service, which is the sub-agency that sends out hazardous weather statements when there are severe storms or tornadoes or other weather-related events of note in a given area, and which also provides weather forecast information that local experts on the ground use to make their own predictions.Most of what the National Weather Service puts out is in the public domain, which means anyone can access and use it, free of charge. That's a pretty big deal, because the data they collect and informational products they distribute, including all those hazardous weather statements, are at times life and death, but they're also a big part of what makes standard local weather services possible in the US—they help the FAA and other agencies do their jobs, and they help everyday people understand how hot or cold it's going to be, whether to pack and umbrella for the day, and so on.To accomplish all this, the NOAA and its sub-agencies make use of a bunch of facilities and other tracking resources to collect, aggregate, and interpret all those data points, crunching them and spitting them back out as something intelligible and useful to their many end-users.They've got weather observation stations across the US, many of them automated surface observing stations, which are exactly what they sound like: automated stations that collect data about sky conditions, wind direction and speed, visibility, present weather conditions, temperature, dew point, and so on—most of these are close to airports, as this information is also vital for figuring out if it's safe to fly, and if so, what accommodations pilots should be making for the weather and visibility and such—but they also collect data from smaller weather stations scattered across the country, around 11,000 of them, many operated by volunteers under the auspices of an effort called the Cooperative Observer Program that was established in 1890, and that's paired with another volunteer data-collection effort called the Citizen Weather Observer Program.There are also weather buoys and weather ships lingering across the surface of the ocean and other bodies of water, tracking additional data like sea surface temperature and wave height at various points. And there are weather balloons which collect additional information about happenings further up in the atmosphere, alongside the many satellites in orbit that capture various sorts of data and beam that data down to those who can make use of it.Again, all of this data is collected and crunched and then turned into intelligible outputs for your local weather forecasters, but also the people who run airlines and fly planes, the folks out on boats and ships, people who are managing government agencies, scientists who are doing long-term research on all sorts of things, and everyday people who just want to know if it'll be sunny, how hot it will be, and so on.There's one more major client of the NOAA that's worth noting here, too: the Department of Defense. And that relationship is a big part of what I want to talk about today, because it seems to be at the root of a major curtailing of weather-related data-sharing that was recently announced by the US government, much to the chagrin of the scientific community.—US President Trump has long voiced his skepticism about the NOAA.There have been claims that this disdain is the result of the agency having called him out on some bald-faced lies he told about hurricane projections during his first administration, when he reportedly altered an NOAA hurricane impact projection map with a Sharpie to support a misstatement he had previously made about a hurricane impacting Alabama; the hurricane in question was not anticipated to hit Alabama, Trump said it would, and he later altered a map in order to make it look like he was right, when all the data, and all the experts, say otherwise.Whether that's true or not, the NOAA later released an unsigned statement seeming to support his false assertion, and it's generally understood that the agency was forced to make that statement against the will of its staff and leadership by the then-president.It's also been posited that Trump doesn't care for the NOAA because of their connection with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.FEMA became the target of several conspiracy theories on the US political right, which allege that liberal lawmakers, including former President Biden, used it as a sort of piggy bank for their personal projects and priorities; the agency provides funding and on-the-ground support for areas that have been impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, and other such weather-related disasters, but as immigration became more of a focal point of right-leaning and far-right politics in the US, accusations that the Biden administration was using FEMA funds to help immigrants enter and stay in the US grew; there's no evidence this is the case, but that's the nature of conspiracy theories—evidence isn't necessary when something feels true to a big enough group of people.In any event, FEMA is now on the chopping block, the second Trump administration has said it could be dissolved as soon as December of 2025, the biggest changes to the agency coming just after the end of this year's hurricane season, which traditionally ends of November. Trump himself said FEMA would be giving out less money to states recovering from weather disasters, and that a panel he's appointed will figure out exactly how to restructure or replace the agency.To be clear, the president cannot kill off FEMA, only Congress can do that, and they have said they intend to reform the agency by making it easier for disaster survivors to access resources and by moving FEMA from its current position under the Department of Homeland Security into its own thing; a big contrast to Trump's ambitions for the agency, which basically seems to be that FEMA shouldn't do what it currently does, and the states should mostly or exclusively cover disaster costs and provide post-disaster resources, instead of the federal government helping out.So Trump seemingly has a thing against these sorts of agencies, has semi-regularly called climate change a hoax, doesn't seem to have any particular fondness for the idea of the US federal government helping out with local problems, or the local consequences of larger-scale problems like weather disasters, and has acted in a variety of ways to cut funding for science and public service related agencies and efforts across the board.All of that has been pretty fundamental to his platform since his first administration. And while the scientific community has sounded the alarm about these stances, saying what he's planning will put a lot of people and infrastructure at risk, and while this data and these resources are fundamental to reducing the damage, both human and otherwise, caused by such disasters, in the US and globally, to some degree, that doesn't seem to bother this administration, which usually cites cost-cutting as their rationale, but also regularly points at the concept of immigration to justify many of the decisions they make, including some of these ones.So that's the context shaping the perception of an announcement made by the NOAA in the latter-half of June 2025 that the agency would no longer be importing, processing, or distributing data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder, or SSMIS system, as of June 30—which was yesterday, if you're listening to this episode on the day it's released.The agency cited recent service changes as their rationale for this cessation, and weather forecasters have been in a tizzy about this, because the SSMIS system is pretty fundamental to what they do, especially when it comes to hurricane forecasting.The SSMIS is a satellite-based system that passively maps the whole world twice a day from space in very, very high resolution, and in addition to hurricane-tracking and other weather-related tasks, it also allows scientists to monitor sea ice in the Arctic and other such long-term projects.The NOAA said that this cessation of service would not impact the quality of hurricane forecasting as we step into the beginning weeks of the traditional Atlantic hurricane season, but non-NOAA scientists and other experts, folks who aren't on the US federal governments' payroll, basically, have said this would blind them in this regard, and that while they can approximate some of the same forecasting powers using other data, it won't be the same, and it won't be nearly as good.This system is the only one that allows scientists to see inside the clouds as hurricanes develop, and before such data was available, hurricane projections were a lot less accurate, and powerful storm systems would often sneak up on unsuspecting areas, because we lacked the heightened resolution and power necessary to make more up-to-the-minute and fine-grained projections.Also, and this is perhaps less of an immediate concern, but might be an even bigger long-term issue than deadly hurricanes, is that there's a more than 40-year-old study that's been tracking changes to polar sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic that will no longer be feasible lacking this data, so everything that's influenced by global water cycles and sea levels, which is basically everything weather- and climate-related, and that means, well, everything on earth could also be impacted by this new, US government-imposed reduced visibility, all of that research is upended, made less useful, and all of us in turn could suffer some pretty significant consequences because we lack that high-resolution understanding of what's going on.What's worse is that this announcement was made just days before this source of data was scheduled to disappear, leaving them without time to cobble together less-good, but serviceable replacements for everything they'll be losing as a consequence of these changes; and again, all of this is happening right at the beginning of hurricane season, so the stakes are very high.Allegations of revenge as a motivation, or speculation that this is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to systematically dismantle science and the public's ability to get objective information about the world aside, there have also been rumblings that this might have been a Department of Defense decision, since these satellites are operated by the NOAA for the DoD on behalf of the US Space Force, which has ultimate authority over all satellites owned by the government.In practice, that might mean that this is the consequence of the US military, or some facet of the US military, deciding that this information is too precious or dangerous to share broadly—as again, most of this information has been flagged public domain, so anyone can see and use it however they like—or it may be that this has been a miscommunication or the result of someone in the Navy making a decision without realizing the full implications of that decision.As of the day I'm recording this, on the day this data is scheduled to disappear from the public domain, and some reports have indicated it has, indeed, disappeared as scheduled, journalists have been trying to get in touch with the relevant people at the Navy for comment, thus far unsuccessfully, but that outreach and their hopefully eventual contact with those in charge could result in a change in these plans, if it is indeed just a miscommunication or misunderstanding situation.Either way, we'll hopefully know more what happened here, as that could help us understand how safe or vulnerable other major sources of vital data might be under this administration, and/or under the current leadership of the DoD and similar military entities.Show Noteshttps://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-season-meteorologists-losing-vital-tool-forecasting/story?id=123305760https://www.npr.org/2025/06/28/nx-s1-5446120/defense-department-cuts-hurricane-ice-weather-satellitehttps://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/06/29/italy-and-spain-bake-in-heatwave-as-cities-issue-red-alerts-and-regions-mull-work-banshttps://www.upi.com/Science_News/2025/06/28/Defense-Department-ends-satellite-data-hurricane-experts/7881751141308/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/28/noaa-cuts-hurricane-forecasting-climatehttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weather-forecasters-lose-crucial-hurricane-detection-microwave-satellite/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/noaa-discontinues-data-website-trump-executive-order/507-f40d60d7-fb52-4cb4-a64b-f22bd1100562https://hackaday.com/2025/06/12/end-of-an-era-noaas-polar-sats-wind-down-operations/https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/5357564-trump-cuts-noaa-nasa-farmers-climate-change-food-supply/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/05/14/national-weather-service-vacancies-hurricane-season/https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/us-hurricane-forecasting-cuts-1.7573024https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-season-disaster-weather-doge-fema-noaa-cd215947480de9099a53fe20669bb923https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/05/florida-weatherman-john-morales-funding-cuts-forecastshttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/remote-sensing/articles/10.3389/frsen.2022.1021781/fullhttps://www.propublica.org/article/fema-grants-trump-emergencieshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/us/politics/as-fema-shrinks-a-grassroots-disaster-response-is-taking-shape.htmlhttps://www.propublica.org/article/fema-grants-trump-emergencieshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/27/is-alligator-alcatraz-detention-centre-funded-by-florida-hurricane-moneyhttps://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5430469/faq-fema-eliminationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Atlantic_hurricane_warningshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Dorian%E2%80%93Alabama_controversyhttps://www.wusa9.com/video/weather/dod-stops-providing-noaa-with-satellite-data/65-a35e6409-20ad-4db1-83a1-0b281fcfb38bhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Servicehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administrationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hurricane_Center This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special Daily Special, Metro Shrimp & Grits Thursdays is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, well-known draft dodger Bone Spurs Krasnov says he's a warrior for watching bombs drop, and he'll disappear any reporter who reports he's not more of a warrior than Eisenhower, that guy on PT-109 and all the those dead losers on battlefields through all of time.Then, on the rest of the menu, Trump's Big Beautiful $20 Billion Dollar War with CBS will have to knock off three zeros; rumors about armed militia threatening teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, forced a medical unit to flee hurricane-hit North Carolina; and, a federal judge ordered the Labor Department to keep Job Corps running during its lawsuit to purge the Great Society from American life.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where reeling from the erratic firehose of Trump rebukes, Europe weighs deeper ties with China; and, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her administration is investigating contamination from a SpaceX rocket explosion that landed in its territory.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!“Everyone in this good city enjoys the full right to pursue his own inclinations in all reasonable and, unreasonable ways.” -- The Daily Picayune, New Orleans, March 5, 1851Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

Thousands of St. Louisans impacted by the May 16 tornado are beginning to apply for aid programs provided by the city and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. STLPR reporter Hiba Ahmad discusses where relief efforts stand so far, what impacted communities need to move forward, and what's still to come.

As we were publishing this episode, news from The New York Times broke that Jeremy Greenberg, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster command center has left his post, a day after President Trump said he would wind down the federal agency by November. CBS reported that Tony Robinson, regional administrator of FEMA Region 6, which includes Ten Across states New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana, also intends to step down this week.  Since January, President Trump has talked about his intent to eliminate or severely diminish the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, relegating disaster response and recovery to the states. On Tuesday, he reiterated this goal and stated that no major changes would be made until after this year's hurricane season.  The administration's first six months, however, have already brought significant disruption to the agency's operations. One-third of its total staff has been laid off, an acting administrator was abruptly replaced after expressing support for the agency's existence, and nearly all climate resilience grants and training programs directed at state and local preparation have been canceled. While criticism of the agency and calls for its reform are not new, FEMA has been central to U.S. emergency management for decades. Now, at the onset of the 2025 hurricane season, emergency management experts throughout the country are widely reporting concern about the nation's readiness for disaster response.  To help us make sense of these real and proposed changes in this episode, ‘disasterologist' Dr. Samantha Montano returns to the podcast. Samantha will explain the origins of FEMA, valid areas for potential reform, and the issues inherent in turning its responsibilities over to the states— as environmental risks to lives and property in the Ten Across region become more difficult to insure.  Relevant articles and resources:   Listen to our first episode with Samantha  More on the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and related misinformation  “Trumps says his administration wants to ‘wean' states off FEMA aid after hurricane season” (CBS News, June 2025)  “The dangers of a weakened FEMA ahead of an active hurricane season” (NPR, June 2025)  “FEMA Is Not Prepared” (The Atlantic, June 2025)  “FEMA leader fired after breaking with Trump administration on eliminating agency” (CBS News, May 2025)  “States denied disaster aid as FEMA safety net begins to shrink” (KUOW, May 2025)  Credits:  Host: Duke Reiter  Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith  Music by: Rand Aldo and Lennon Hutton  Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich and Sabine Butler  About our guest: Samantha Montano is an assistant professor of emergency management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and author of Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis. Her research tracks the evolution of emergency management policy and practice, as well as perceptions of emergency management. You can follow her newsletter, Disasterology, here.

Hurricane season starts in two and a half weeks. Last year, hurricanes caused $124 billion in damage. This year, the Trump administration is making cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Today, we head to Houston to hear how community "hub houses" offer support during disasters. Plus, the U.S and China appear back on track toward a trade truce and Trump administration policies are causing chaos for rural solar businesses.

Hurricane season starts in two and a half weeks. Last year, hurricanes caused $124 billion in damage. This year, the Trump administration is making cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Today, we head to Houston to hear how community "hub houses" offer support during disasters. Plus, the U.S and China appear back on track toward a trade truce and Trump administration policies are causing chaos for rural solar businesses.

Warren Buffett said it best: “Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing.” On today's episode, How to Combine Project Risk Tools with Emergency Planning, we're focusing on how project managers and public safety leaders can speak the same language when it comes to risk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, created the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment—also known as THIRA—to help communities anticipate and plan for the unknown. In the same way, project risk registers help uncover obstacles before they become blockers. Today, we'll connect the dots between THIRA, stakeholder maps, and integrated risk matrices—so your team can prepare, prioritize, and progress, no matter the scenario.

Hurricane season is upon us, and the National Hurricane Center is predicting an above-average season. Preparations are starting, but cuts to both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency might impact hurricane forecasting and response. The Coastal Desk's Eva Tesfaye tells us what these changes will mean for hurricane response. The new novel “Blood Moon Over Bohemia,” offers a fictionalized account of a true story about the forced removal of a diverse community living in Plaquemines Parish in the 1920s. Written by New York Times bestselling author and investigative journalist Susan D. Mustafa and District Attorney Charles J. Ballay, the novel follows the lives of two families—one Black and one white—as they struggle to fight the corrupt New Orleans politicians who steal their land.The authors join us for more on their collaborative process and how their story relates to issues of forced migration today. The nonpartisan advocacy group Leaders for a Better Louisiana is calling on state lawmakers to restore funding that was cut from a tutoring program that is believed to have played a major role in recent historic improvements in education. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee added back funding for the tutoring, but the funding reallocation still needs to pass the House and Senate.Better Louisiana Chief Policy Officer Barry Erwin joins us with more on the high-dosage tutoring program and its impact. now.—Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Bill is back next week from his research and writing sabbatical. While he's gone, we decided it's important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and have the series author, pro-democracy advocate and the author of nine books, David Pepper, tie them to what's actually happened so far. In Chapter 11, set in November in Tallahassee, fictional Florida, Governor Buck Bryce confidently addresses the press regarding Hurricane Timothy, initially predicted to be a manageable Category 1 storm. However, the hurricane unexpectedly strengthens to a devastating Category 4 upon landfall, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. The governor, previously assured by Washington that all preparations were sufficient, is confronted with the reality of inadequate storm forecasting due to recent cuts to federal meteorological services as proposed by Project 2025 and now DOGE following through.As emergency response efforts falter, Bryce grapples with the new federal policies under Trump that make it difficult to declare emergencies and provide immediate assistance to affected businesses and citizens.(As is now actually happening: Under President Donald Trump, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied federal assistance for tornadoes in Arkansas, flooding in West Virginia and a windstorm in Washington state. It also has refused North Carolina's request for extended relief funding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This fictional but predictive narrative highlights the consequences of disregarding climate science and federal data, resulting in death and destructionAs always, the series author, David Pepper updates on how what he predicted has come to pass.We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode:Mark Ruffalo who read the chapter and others who contributed character voices. Sound design by Jonathan Moser.Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was fired recently and replaced by a Trump administration official with no disaster response experience — a leadership change that comes less than a month before hurricane season begins. Thomas Frank from POLITICO's E&E News breaks down FEMA's leadership shakeup and what it means for disaster recovery efforts. Plus, it's a big day for Republicans as they mark up major parts of their reconciliation package in the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees. Josh Siegel is the host of POLITICO Energy and a congressional energy reporter for POLITICO.  Thomas Frank is a climate impacts reporter for POLITICO's E&E News. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and producer of POLITICO Energy.  Alex Keeney is a senior audio producer at POLITICO.  Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO.  Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. For more news on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of the REIT Report, part of an ongoing series, “Building Resilience,” covering issues facing the REIT industry as it remains focused on investing for the long term, Daniel Kaniewski, Managing Director, Public Sector at Marsh McLennan, joins Nareit's Jessica Long, Senior Vice President of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability, to discuss how his experience as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) first deputy administrator for resilience has led to his current focus advancing resilience investment in the private sector.“During Hurricane Katrina, I was at the White House and saw the mass devastation, and I said, shouldn't we be doing something ahead of time to reduce these disaster losses Americans will almost inevitably face. What I found was there was a small but growing interest in an area called disaster resilience.”Currently, Kaniewski chairs the finance, insurance, and real estate committee at the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), a congressionally chartered nonprofit. He shares how he first got to know NIBS through their 2005 Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves study, which showed that every dollar the federal government invested in hazard mitigation saved four dollars. Then in 2017, “on the heels of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria,” Kaniewski asked NIBS for the bottom line of a forthcoming updated Mitigation Saves study. “They shared that savings were actually, six to one. The updated report found that others benefited from these mitigation investments beyond the federal government. Communities that can continue to function after a disaster will save money, not just to the homeowner or the federal government, but to everyone in that community who would otherwise have to take the time to help those with the losses. Recovery costs were greatly reduced by those hazard mitigation investments.”

The Trump administration summarily replaced Cameron Hamilton, the Acting Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week after he spoke against eliminating the agency in front of Congress. For more on what's happening at FEMA, Federal News Network's Justin Doubleday joins me now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There was some mixed news out of the courts Tuesday for President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court allowed his ban on transgender troops to take effect. Plus, a judge blocked him from shuttering an agency that funds museums and libraries.USA TODAY National Correspondent Trevor Hughes tells us about a women's group that quilts for democracy.The Trump administration continues to suggest the Federal Emergency Management Agency could go away.USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jessica Guynn talks about the waning support from brands ahead of Pride Month.The REAL ID deadline is here.A papal conclave begins.Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com.Episode Transcript available hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The mighty Mississippi, which flows from its headwaters in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, has topped an endangered rivers list.A report from nonprofit conservation organization American Rivers states that a combination of extreme flood, drought cycles, toxic runoff, and poor river management threatens the Mississippi. The 2,300-mile-long river is a water source for more than 50 cities in the U.S., including several in Minnesota.Cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (better known as FEMA) are also a concern.“There's just a lot of questions about what's going to happen to that agency,” said MPR News correspondent Kirsti Marohn​. “FEMA plays a role in reducing flood risks and supporting resilient development in communities along the river, and then also helping communities prepare for disasters and recover from them.” Marohn covers central Minnesota communities, water and the environment. She joined MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner to explain the threats the river is facing.To hear the conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

Samantha Maldonado, senior reporter for THE CITY, where she covers climate, resiliency, housing and development, explains how recent Trump administration cuts to Federal Emergency Management Agency threatens over $300 million in climate resiliency for New York City-specific efforts, plus a new executive order that takes aim at state programs meant to charge polluters in order to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. 

"Wildfire" is the word we tend to use when we talk about what Los Angeles has been dealing with the past week. But Lori Moore-Merrell, the U.S. Fire Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency used a different word, when she spoke to NPR this morning. She described a "conflagration." Saying they're not wildland fires with trees burning. They're structure to structure fire spread.They may have started at the suburban fringe, but they didn't stay there. Which prompts a question: what happens when fire meets city?For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.orgEmail us at considerthis@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy