On the recent morning of Sept. 27, a handful of early fall rainstorms rolled into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. By late afternoon, sunshine had overtaken the high peaks and valleys in this corner of Southern Appalachia — a far cry from the chaos and destruction exactly …
Read More »Trump's FEMA Denies North Carolina's Request for Hurricane Helene Aid
Late in the 2024 campaign cycle, parts of western North Carolina were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden of abandoning the region and mishandling the response to the crisis. The disaster in North Carolina became the jumping point for a myriad of conspiracies and attacks …
Read More »What Dismantling FEMA Will Really Mean When the Next Disaster Strikes
After Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, Francesca got to work. As an employee for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she was deployed to the state for a month to coordinate aid for impacted residents, which included feeding families and sharing information at community events. From the start, her work …
Read More »Trump Says He Might 'Get Rid' of FEMA
Donald Trump has a history of conditioning his response to natural disasters to the politics of an affected state. He’s been accused of slow walking relief, giving preferential treatment to Republican controlled areas, and delaying disaster relief funds until being convinced the people in an affected area were actually his …
Read More »Kamala Harris Is the Only Candidate Who Can Take on the Climate Crisis
The devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is almost indescribable. Businesses and infrastructure have been destroyed, people are in hospitals, and many have been forced out of their homes. At a time when the nation should be united — to prepare, respond, and recover from these storms — communities are …
Read More »Warren Haynes, Dave Matthews Band to Host Hurricane Relief Concert
No stranger to charitable causes in his native Asheville, North Carolina, with his annual Christmas Jam concert, Warren Haynes will once again lend a musical hand to help out his hometown following the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene last month. Haynes will host a Nov. 24 benefit concert at …
Read More »Viral Florida Man Known as 'Lieutenant Dan' Arrested for Trespassing in Tampa Bay
Joseph Malinowski, the 54-year-old Florida man who made headlines ahead of Hurricane Milton by claiming he would ride out the massive storm on a boat harbored in Tampa Bay — despite evacuation orders — was arrested on Friday, adding to his already substantial rap sheet. Malinowski was charged with “two …
Read More »Hurricane Response Disrupted By Reports of Militia 'Hunting FEMA'
Recovery efforts in areas of North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene are being disrupted by reports of militia activity targeting FEMA workers. According to a Sunday report from The Washington Post, federal emergency response personnel paused work in an area of Rutherford County, N.C., and relocated personnel after receiving reports …
Read More »Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds Donate $1 Million for Hurricane Relief
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are chipping in to help the hundreds of people affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton. In a statement Thursday, the non-profit organization Feeding America revealed that the actor couple had donated $1 million to help their disaster relief fund. “Their longtime support of Feeding America …
Read More »Florida Republicans Who Voted Against Funding FEMA Are Now Facing Disaster
When Congress was debating a short-term government funding resolution last month, Democrats pushed for the bill to include billions in additional disaster-relief funding. A cohort of far-right conservatives favored a stripped-down resolution that didn’t include the extra disaster-relief money — and ultimately got their way. The approved measure did, however, …
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