Overview

• Noem’s rule requiring her personal sign-off on all DHS contracts and grants over $100,000 prevented FEMA from pre-positioning Urban Search and Rescue teams and delayed their deployment by more than 72 hours after the July 4 floods in Central Texas.
• DHS labeled CNN’s report on the delay as “fake news” while its own statement confirmed staff deployments rose from 86 on Monday night to 311 by Tuesday.
• Researchers from Filipino feminist response group Tagnawa accused Noem of grossly misrepresenting their study to claim Lahaina wildfire survivors were forced into “survival sex.”
• House Democrats led by Reps. Greg Stanton and Gabe Amo denounced the agency’s overhaul as an “abandonment” of disaster relief and have demanded congressional testimony from Noem and acting FEMA chief David Richardson.
• Critics say the clash underscores broader concerns about FEMA’s capacity and President Trump’s strategy to shift disaster funding and oversight to states.