About this episode
The episode discusses FEMA's readiness for hurricane season amid staffing concerns and features insights from emergency management officials and policy experts.
This year's hurricane season begins with concerns that there are staffing issues at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency that President Trump has targeted for overhaul. William Ray, the North Carolina director of emergency management, talks about his state's preparedness this year following widespread damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024. We also spoke with acting FEMA administrator Bob Fenton about the increasing number of severe storms, which may make it harder for the federal government to respond effectively to hurricanes this season, even in a year when fewer than normal hurricanes are expected. And, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the war on Iran together, and now the relationship is under strain, though both sides deny a major rift. We hear from Michael Koplow, chief policy officer of Israel Policy Forum. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
People in this episode
Guests: William Ray, Bob Fenton
Topics covered
- FEMA
- hurricane preparedness
- severe storms
- government response
- US-Israel relations
Keywords
- FEMA
- hurricane season
- staffing issues
- severe storms
- emergency management
- Trump
- Netanyahu
- Iran
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Israel Policy Forum
Places: North Carolina
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