Saturday, October 12, 2024

FEMA Adds Misinformation to List of Disasters to Clean Up

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called the issue absolutely the worst I have ever seen.'

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... The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is fighting misinformation on top of a major storm cleanup in Florida as Hurricane Milton rapidly intensifies just after Hurricane Helene rocked the state.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on a call Tuesday that misinformation around the storms is "absolutely the worst I have ever seen," according to Politico. FEMA posted a rumor response page about the hurricane, and though it's not the first time it's taken that kind of approach, Criswell said, "I anticipated some of this, but not to the extent that we're seeing."

FEMA's rumor response page includes fact-checks to claims made by former President Donald Trump, like that the agency will only provide $750 to disaster survivors. FEMA says that's just the amount provided quickly through "Serious Needs Assistance" for food and emergency supplies, but survivors could still be eligible for other types of funds, too. Other fact-checks include debunking the false claim that FEMA disaster response resources were diverted to border issues. FEMA says "Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts."

Elon Musk, one of Trump's most prominent tech backers, has also contributed to the misinformation, according to FEMA officials. Musk claimed on X last week that FEMA was "actively blocking citizens who try to help." FEMA's acting director for response and recovery, Keith Turi, told ABC that's "absolutely not true. FEMA does not block anyone from helping or assisting. We do not confiscate supplies and use them for other purposes. In fact, we do the exact opposite." ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-10-10 06:32 PM

Thanks, Trumpers!

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2024-10-10 08:49 PM

@#2 ... Thanks, Trumpers! ...

Yeah, the MAGA cult seems to be quite intentional is their propagation of wrong, and damaging, information.

But I have to ask, why?

Why does MAGA seem to be so determined upon the spreading of false information?


#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-10-11 12:02 AM

@#3 ... Why does MAGA seem to be so determined upon the spreading of false information? ...

There's this, which I note I have posted a few times, but it never seems to have a MAGA response ...

Laura Loomer
en.wikipedia.org

... Laura Elizabeth Loomer (born May 21, 1993)[1] is an American far-right[a] political activist, conspiracy theorist,[b] and internet personality. She was the Republican nominee to represent Florida's 21st congressional district in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections, losing to Democrat Lois Frankel.[2][3] She also ran in the Republican primary for Florida's 11th congressional district in 2022, losing to incumbent Daniel Webster.[4] She has described herself as being "pro-white nationalism" and a "proud Islamophobe".[c][d] ...

Donald Trump sought to hire Loomer to his presidential campaign in April 2023, but his senior campaign advisors successfully discouraged Trump from doing so.[10][11][12] By September 2024, some Trump supporters and others expressed concerns about Loomer's continuing presence around and influence on Trump.[13] ...


Laura Loomer: Who is conspiracy theorist travelling with Trump? (September 11, 2024)
www.bbc.com

... The presence of hard-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer alongside Donald Trump on the campaign trail in recent days has raised questions, including from some Republicans, about the influence the controversial former congressional candidate may have on him.

Ms Loomer is well-known for her anti-Muslim rhetoric and for spreading conspiracy theories, including that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job" carried out by the US government.

She joined Trump at an event on Wednesday commemorating the attacks, raising eyebrows and prompting outrage in some US media outlets.

And on Tuesday, the 31-year-old travelled to Philadelphia on board Trump's plane for the presidential debate in the city. ...


Laura Loomer on X
x.com

...The people in Appalachia should NOT comply with FEMA.

This is a matter of survival.

Do not comply with FEMA. ...





#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-10-11 12:07 AM

The inherent inefficiency and institutional incompetence in FEMA coupled with the lack of disaster experience by the locals that don't have their own version of a Cajun navy that's integrated with rescue services and regionalized to have bridging ops, feeds confirmation biases.

#5 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-10-11 09:44 AM

Every time a lefty says Democrats aren't into censorship a thread like this one comes along.

#6 | Posted by BellRinger at 2024-10-11 10:35 PM

STFU Jeff you useless SOS.

#7 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2024-10-11 10:38 PM

Some morons don't know the difference between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.

I'm hoping there's a special place in hell for those who use malinformation for partisan political purposes.

#8 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-10-11 10:39 PM

"The inherent inefficiency and institutional incompetence in FEMA..."

Why have the affected governors (mostly Rs) all stated the exact opposite?

#9 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-10-11 10:40 PM

Putin's pals.

#10 | Posted by morris at 2024-10-11 10:49 PM

#5 | Posted by sitzkrieg

How so? I mean things happen when responding to disasters. Doesn't matter how good the operation. You are dealing with Ill prepared and often poor organizations at a city, county and state level to coordinate, volunteers that have rolled into the areas, etc.

Trump during his presidency came in and screwed up FEMA and the states by reversing everything communication wise - look it up. FEMA aid has to be requested by the state and granted powers as well - don't forget that.

Look FEMA is not great, it could be but it would require massive investment and removal of Bureaucracy. MAGAs in particular don't want that though.

#11 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-10-12 01:13 PM

FEMA

Dept of homeland security announces 380 million in additional funding to communities receiving migrants.

--FEMA awards 110 million to the emergency food and shelter program to assist migrants.

--Dept of homeland security announces distribution of more than 77 million to congressional funding fr communities receiving migrants.

--New York City t get 04.6 milion from FEMA fr asylum-seekers.
POLITICO

--Det of homeland security announces 300 million in direct funding to communities receiving migrants and 349 million for a new competitive awards process.

..........
tell me you like this money given away all you want and that's your opinion.

tell me FEMA isn't giving tax payer money to illegals and you're a god damn liar.

#12 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-10-12 01:40 PM

104.6 million to New York City
--politico

#13 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2024-10-12 01:41 PM

tell me FEMA isn't giving tax payer money to illegals and you're a god damn liar.

#12 | POSTED BY SHRIMPTACODAN

Tell us that you aren't a god damn liar and you're a god damn liar.

FEMA has dedicated disaster relief money that cannot be used for other purposes. Separately, it was tasked by Congress in 2022 to disseminate money from Customs and Border Protection to help communities that received influxes of migrants.

Now. You get one guess as to which party controlled Congress in 2022 when Congress authorized and directed those separate funds to be spent on communities that are receiving influxes of immigrants. .

#14 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-10-12 01:48 PM

FEMA has wasted what amounts to Billions of dollars on migrants. That's a fact.

The Democrats are the ones supporting influxes of migrants, always has been.

#15 | Posted by THEBULL at 2024-10-13 04:38 AM

tell me FEMA isn't giving tax payer money to illegals and you're a god damn liar.
#12 | Posted by shrimptacodan

FEMA has wasted what amounts to Billions of dollars on migrants. That's a fact.
The Democrats are the ones supporting influxes of migrants, always has been.
#15 | Posted by THEBULL

You gentlemen, and I use the term loosely, are partially correct. FEMA does have a program which funds illegal immigrants, but what you obvisouly don't know is that the fund was established by Republicans in 2019 during the Trump administration:

Congress also appropriated money for a different fund, the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which is part of Customs and Border Protection but is administered by FEMA. Established under the Trump administration in 2019, SSP gives grants to states and local governments to provide shelter, food, and transportation to undocumented immigrants. After Trump's accusation, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: "These claims are completely false. As Secretary Mayorkas said, FEMA has the necessary resources to meet the immediate needs associated with Hurricane Helene and other disasters. The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is a completely separate, appropriated grant program that was authorized and funded by Congress and is not associated in any way with FEMA's disaster-related authorities or funding streams."

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

#16 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2024-10-13 05:36 AM

Background info:

FEMA's Role in Migrant Assistance: Exploring the Shelter and Services Program

When local communities receive new immigrants who have been released at the border by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they often provide necessary support to ensure that people have their immediate and short-term emergency needs (such as food and temporary shelter) met. Over the last decade, as large numbers of asylum seekers began arriving at the border and were released by DHS to await court hearings inside the country, local communities have stepped up to ensure that migrants are not forced to sleep on the streets after arriving.

Since 2019, Congress has provided a limited pool of funding that local and state governments, as well as nonprofits, can apply for to reimburse some costs of emergency sheltering needs. This funding is currently provided through the Shelter and Services Program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA). The Shelter and Services Program is one of many such programs administered by FEMA, which carries out numerous functions beyond its core mission of disaster relief. Throughout its existence, the program has received bipartisan support from members of Congress and from local leaders who have called on the federal government to provide more financial assistance to communities both at the border and around the country that receive new immigrants. . . .

In 2018 and 2019, migrants again began arriving at the border in very high numbers, with over 850,000 Border Patrol apprehensions recorded in Fiscal Year 2019. In many communities, city officials and migrant shelter operators worked with law enforcement partners at DHS to ensure that migrants would be released directly to shelters. These shelters served a vital role in limiting the impact on border communities and providing a better procedure for the federal government when releases occur. However, ensuring that ensuring that asylum seekers without support systems in the U.S. do not end up homeless in their first hours in the United States can come at significant costs to local governments and to the shelters themselves, a concern which Congress eventually sought to address.

In the July 2019 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, Congress first authorized the federal government to reimburse some of those costs. The initial funding was operated through FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), which has operated since 1983, to disburse funding to local communities responding to the shelter needs of homeless residents. The creation of reimbursement funding for border communities received bipartisan support, including by Texas Senator John Cornyn, who declared in August 2019 that "it's high time the federal government repays the Texas communities that have diverted their local taxpayers' funds to address this crisis."

www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org

#17 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2024-10-13 05:46 AM

More background info:

Does FEMA Provide Direct Funding to Migrants?

No. FEMA does not provide funding directly to migrants. The Shelter and Services Program is a reimbursement program which is only available to state or local governments, or nonprofits providing services.

Can Organizations Be Reimbursed for Providing Support to Any Undocumented Immigrant?

No. In order to receive this funding, local governments and nonprofits have to keep detailed records on each person they have served and confirm that the funding is only being spent on individuals who have been previously released by DHS at the border. The Shelter and Services Program will not reimburse any government or organization for costs incurred by providing emergency sheltering services to other undocumented immigrants.

Does FEMA Divert Disaster Relief Funding to the Shelter and Service Program?

No. There is no truth to the claims that FEMA is using money intended for disasters for the Shelter and Services Program or for any migrant-related support. The Shelter and Services Program is a separate line item in the federal budget and does not draw from FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund. Since 2019, Congress has authorized 140 times more funding for the Disaster Relief Program ($243.8 billion) than it has authorized for the Shelter and Services Program ($1.7 billion).

In addition, Congress has specifically set aside funding for FEMA to administer the Shelter and Services Program, ensuring that it does not pull any resources from FEMA's other work. For example, in the Fiscal Year 2019 funding bill, Congress authorized $9.1 million to be used for the operation of the Shelter and Services Program. As a result, FEMA can administer the program without having to pull any additional resources away from its primary mission of disaster relief.

www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org

#18 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2024-10-13 06:00 AM

In conclusion:

tell me FEMA isn't giving tax payer money to illegals and you're a god damn liar.
#12 | Posted by shrimptacodan

FEMA isn't giving tax payer money to illegals. Through a program established during the Trump administration, FEMA gives money to state and local goverments as well as nonprofits to help pay for illegal immigrants who have been relseased by DHS at the border.

#19 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2024-10-13 06:12 AM

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