Overview

• At a July 9 FEMA review, Noem claimed one in six Lahaina wildfire survivors were forced into survival sex for supplies based on a Tagnawa report.
• Khara Jabola-Carolus, a Tagnawa researcher, labeled Noem’s citation of the 16 percent figure a gross manipulation that ran counter to the study’s intent.
• CNN and New York Times sources report that Noem’s policy requiring her approval on DHS spending over $100,000 stalled FEMA’s flood response, delaying urban search and rescue teams for more than three days.
• On July 9, DHS blasted the delay reports as a “FAKE NEWS LIE” and defended Noem’s leadership, saying federal assets helped save over 900 lives.
• Noem’s push to eliminate and rebuild FEMA has spurred bipartisan scrutiny over shifting disaster response authority and ensuring accountability.