FEMA employee removed from role after telling relief team to skip houses with Trump signs after Florida hurricane
A Federal Emergency Management Agency employee has been removed from her role after she advised her disaster relief team to avoid homes with signs supporting President Donald Trump while canvassing in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the agency said Friday.
A FEMA spokesperson told CNN in a statement the agency is “deeply disturbed by this employee’s actions” and the incident is under investigation. The agency did not identify the employee.
FEMA Official Ordered Relief Workers To Skip Houses With Trump Signs
A federal disaster relief official ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire and confirmed by multiple federal employees.
Climate Change Coverage in Media: Sensational or Warranted?
The left was more likely to invoke climate change in making the hurricanes worse, while the right was more likely to omit any mentions of climate change or to label the connection between hurricanes and climate change as unsupported.
No, Hurricane Helene does not justify giving North Carolina's electoral votes to Trump
With recovery efforts from widespread flooding ongoing across much of western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene, a Republican congressman has suggested that it "makes a lot of sense" to effectively cancel the presidential election in the state and declare Donald Trump the winner. It doesn't, and the state Legislature does not actually have that power. Politico reports that Rep. Andy Harris (R–Md.) said Thursday that North Carolina state lawmakers should be prepared to override the will of the voters to avoid disenfranchising voters in flood-stricken areas who...
Trump bashes FEMA, NC governor as he tours Helene storm damage
Former President Trump on Monday attacked the federal response to Hurricane Helene by repeating debunked claims about funding and bashed North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) during a stop in storm-ravaged Asheville, N.C.
Trump met with local officials and viewed damage from Hurricane Helene ahead of a pair of campaign events in the Tar Heel State. The former president praised the enthusiasm of voters despite the storm damage amid sizable early turnout, but he also swiped at his political opponents over the response to Helene.
Republicans grapple with storm misinformation from their own party
Republicans representing states hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton are grappling with the spread of storm misinformation, much of which has stemmed from prominent figures in their own party — including sitting lawmakers and former President Trump.
The false claims have run rampant on social media since the deadly pair of storms made their way through parts of the Southeast — most notably Florida and North Carolina — with Republicans floating inaccurate allegations about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), disaster relief and the weather.
SBA disaster loan program out of money after hurricanes, Biden says
President Biden speaking on Sunday in St Pete Beach, Florida, which was impacted by Hurricane Milton. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images The Small Business Administration has "exhausted funds for its disaster loan program" following increased demand as officials respond to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the SBA announced Tuesday. Why it matters: President Biden said in a statement first shared with the Washington Post that the program is "a critical lifeline to small businesses, homeowners, and renters affected by disasters." • The SBA said in a statement that it's "pausing new loan...
Suspect arrested after reports of threats toward FEMA operations in North Carolina
A North Carolina man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly threatening harm against FEMA employees responding to Hurricane Helene, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.
William Jacob Parsons, 44, was arrested and charged with Going Armed to the Terror of the Public, a misdemeanor, Capt. Jamie Keever said in a news release issued Monday.
“Parsons was armed with a handgun and a rifle,” Keever said.
Misinformation Floods Hurricane Season
The 2024 hurricane season has brought with it a deluge of conspiracy theories and false or misleading claims about storms that have devastated some parts of the country and killed hundreds of people.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and moved up the East Coast as a tropical storm, bringing floods and strong winds through the southern Appalachians. Hurricane Milton hit Florida about two weeks later on Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm.
Mayorkas grabs high-end sushi from DC Nobu directly after quick stop in Hurricane Helene-hit North Carolina
After a visit to Hurricane Helene-hit North Carolina on Thursday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made a stop to Washington, D.C.'s ritzy sushi restaurant Nobu. Mayorkas visited North Carolina and delivered an update to Thursday afternoon's White House press briefing via satellite, asserting that the federal government can handle both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton relief. "No resources needed for Hurricane Helene response will be diverted to respond to Hurricane Milton," said Mayorkas.