CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

FEMA Review Council Recommends Reducing Federal Disaster Declarations, Backs National Flood Insurance Privatization

Flooded farmland, Knappa, Oregon. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council finally released its recommendations last week, and they were a mix of what most close followers of the agency were expecting, with some surprises. As expected, the recommendations aim to put more responsibilities on states, localities, and tribal governments, with FEMA taking a supporting role. There were also statements about “spending transparency” and “accountability.” At one point, former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant said the council would like to transform FEMA into a “lean organization” that supports Americans first.

More concerning statements involved further leveraging Artificial Intelligence, with no details on what role AI could play, given that the technology is still untested in this area. There was also discussion about realigning federal disaster assistance........

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