Overview
- CNN, citing two unnamed sources, reported that Homeland Security officials informally urged FEMA to avoid saying “ice” to reduce confusion or online mockery linked to the immigration agency ICE.
- A FEMA spokesperson rejected the characterization, calling the coverage clickbait and asserting the agency will use correct and accurate weather terms.
- FEMA’s social posts on Thursday and Friday warned of heavy snow, freezing rain and dangerous cold without using the word “ice.”
- The reported guidance drew on-air criticism from CNN’s Jake Tapper and was echoed across outlets, reflecting a broader debate over politics and emergency messaging.
- The winter storm is forecast to stretch roughly 2,000 miles from Texas to New England with significant icing risk, threatening power grids and travel across dozens of states.