12 h. ago Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says

A spokesman for Camp Mystic, the Texas enclave devastated by a July 4 flash flood, is raising concerns about communication failures during the disaster

Events

16 h. ago 20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters

Twenty Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the cancellation of a disaster mitigation grant program

Events

17 h. ago Trump administration sued by 20 states for cutting disaster prevention grants

Lawsuit claims Fema lacks power to cancel multibillion-dollar Bric program after it was approved by CongressA group of 20 mostly Democratic-led US states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a multibillion-dollar grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters.The lawsuit filed in Boston federal court claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) lacked the power to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in April after it was approved and funded by Congress. Continue reading...

Politics

39 h. ago Federal agency shifts stance on transgender discrimination complaints, but hurdles remain

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has decided to allow some transgender discrimination complaints to move forward

Events

63 h. ago US supreme court allows Trump to resume gutting education department

Justices lift federal judge’s order that reinstated nearly 1,400 workers affected by mass layoffs in win for presidentThe US supreme court on Monday cleared the way for Donald Trump’s administration to resume dismantling the Department of Education as part of his bid to shrink the federal government’s role in education in favor of more control by the states.In the latest high court win for the president, the justices lifted a federal judge’s order that had reinstated nearly 1,400 workers affected by mass layoffs at the department and blocked the administration from transferring key functions to other federal agencies. A legal challenge is continuing to play out in lower courts. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump cuts questioned as role of Fema in Texas highlights agency’s importance in natural disaster response

White House appears to be backing away from pledge to ‘phase out’ disaster-relief agency, even as key leaders have leftAs the cleanup continues from this month’s torrential rain storms and flooding in Texas that left more than 120 dead, recently departed officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) say the organization is dangerously underresourced and overstretched in the event of further natural catastrophes.A mass staff exodus, plunging morale and a loss of key leaders has left the main US disaster-relief organization ill-equipped to cope with an anticipated deadly spate of storms in the current hurricane season, former agency insiders say. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump defends Texas flood handling as disaster tests vow to shutter Fema

Since disaster that has killed at least 120 people, US president has remained quiet about promises to axe relief agencyUS politics live – latest updatesDuring a trip on Friday to look at the devastation caused by the catastrophic flooding in Texas, Donald Trump claimed that state and federal officials had done an “incredible job”, saying of the disaster that he had “never seen anything like this”.The trip comes as he has remained conspicuously quiet about his previous promises to do away with the federal agency in charge of disaster relief. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Trump tours Texas flood damage as disaster tests vow to shutter Fema

Since disaster that has killed at least 120 people, Trump has remained quiet about promises to axe relief agencyUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump arrived in Texas on Friday for a first-hand look at the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding, a trip that comes as he has remained conspicuously quiet about his previous promises to do away with the federal agency in charge of disaster relief.The Washington Post reported on Friday that the Trump administration has backed away from plans to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but administration officials continue to dodge questions about the agency’s future and many are still calling for serious reforms, potentially sending much of its work to the states. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Trump to tour Texas flood damage as scope of disaster tests vow to shutter Fema

Since the disaster that has killed at least 120 people, Trump he remained quiet about promises to do away with agency in charge of reliefUS politics live – latest updatesAs Donald Trump heads to Texas on Friday for a firsthand look at the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding, he has remained conspicuously quiet about his previous promises to do away with the federal agency in charge of disaster relief.The Washington Post reported on Friday that the Trump administration has backed away from plans to abolish the federal emergency management agency, but administration officials continue to dodge questions about the agency’s future and many are still calling for serious reforms, potentially sending much of its work to the states. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Trump to tour Texas flood damage as disaster tests vow to shutter Fema

Since disaster that has killed at least 120 people, Trump has remained quiet about promises to axe relief agencyUS politics live – latest updatesAs Donald Trump heads to Texas on Friday for a firsthand look at the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding, he has remained conspicuously quiet about his previous promises to do away with the federal agency in charge of disaster relief.The Washington Post reported on Friday that the Trump administration has backed away from plans to abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but administration officials continue to dodge questions about the agency’s future and many are still calling for serious reforms, potentially sending much of its work to the states. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Doge wants to replace our institutions with a tech utopia. It won’t work | Mike Pepi

Silicon Valley’s final dream is a world without institutions. But what works for a startup doesn’t work for democracyElon Musk has stepped away from Doge with very little “efficiency” to show for it. While it may have been more of a showpiece than real policy, this brutal and short experiment in Silicon Valley governance reveals a long-simmering battle between digital utopians and the institutional infrastructures critical to functioning democracies.Doge’s website dubiously claims $190bn in savings. The receipts show that they are less about efficiency than they are aimed at effective dissolution, a fate met by USAID, the federal agency responsible for distributing foreign assistance. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump plans to tour Texas flood damage as the scope of the disaster tests his pledge to shutter FEMA

President Donald Trump is visiting Texas on Friday to assess catastrophic flooding that has killed at least 120 people

Events

7 d. ago FEMA sends under 100 staffers to Texas flooding disaster as state rolls out nearly 1,800 responders

President Donald Trump has proposed phasing out the federal emergency management agency

Events

8 d. ago Texas flooding, and politics around it, underscore the challenges Trump faces in replacing FEMA

Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he wanted to begin “phasing out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this hurricane season to “wean off of FEMA” and “bring it down to the state level.”

Politics

8 d. ago Trump administration looks to ban Chinese groups from buying US farmland

Move prompted by concerns purchases are undermining national security

Politics

9 d. ago Deadly floods could be new normal as Trump guts federal agencies, experts warn

Cuts and chaos instigated by Trump come as threat from extreme weather grows due to human-caused climate crisisThe deadly Texas floods could signal a new norm in the US, as Donald Trump and his allies dismantle crucial federal agencies that help states prepare and respond to extreme weather and other hazards, experts warn.More than 100 are dead and dozens more remain missing after flash floods in the parched area known as Texas Hill Country swept away entire holiday camps and homes on Friday night – in what appears to have been another unremarkable storm that stalled before dumping huge quantities of rain over a short period of time, a phenomena that has becoming increasingly common as the planet warms. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Risk of further floods in Texas during desperate search for missing as death toll tops 80

The risk of life-threatening flooding is still high in central Texas with more rain on the way

Events

1 week ago People in the US: have you been affected by Trump’s cuts to scientific research?

We want to hear the experiences of scientists, researchers and students after hundreds of research grants have been abruptly cancelledThe Trump administration is dismantling the National Science Foundation (NSF), which critics say risks losing a generation of scientific talent and jeopardizes the future of US industries and economic growth.The NSF, founded in 1950, is the only federal agency that funds fundamental research across all fields of science and engineering. It has contributed to major scientific breakthroughs and innovations. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ provides windfall for US immigration offensive

Federal agency set to receive more funds than the FBI, bureau of prisons and others combined, according to non-profit

Politics

1 week ago EPA puts on leave 139 employees who spoke out against policies under Trump

The Environmental Protection Agency has placed on administrative leave 139 employees who signed a so-called “declaration of dissent” against the federal agency's policies

Politics