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FEMA reports it has under 10% of front-line staff available ahead of Hurricane Milton

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FEMA reports it has under 10% of front-line staff available ahead of Hurricane Milton


The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has less than 10% of front-line staff available for deployment amid preparations for the second major hurricane to hit the Southeast this month, according to the agency’s daily operations briefing.

FEMA released a daily briefing on Wednesday revealing the agency had only 8%, or 1,115, FEMA staff members currently available as preparations continue for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to hit Florida in the coming days. This number represents a significant drop in availability from a year prior, after an operations briefing from late September 2023 showed the agency had 20% of the same staff available for deployment. 

A FEMA spokesperson indicated to Fox News Digital that the availability numbers released by the agency are only in reference to the cadre of staffers who are part of FEMA’s incident management core capacity. They are the first line of FEMA staffers to deploy in any disaster. 

Meanwhile, the FEMA spokesperson pointed out the agency has a total workforce of 22,000 staffers it can tap, as well as resources from other agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security.  

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The fear of front-line FEMA staffing comes amid other concerns about FEMA’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including claims that the agency spent its money on housing for migrants and is blocking private relief distributors from entering areas in North Carolina impacted by Helene.

FEMA HEAD DENIES AGENCY IS SHORT ON MONEY FOR DISASTER RELIEF BECAUSE FUNDS WENT TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS  

In May 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report indicating that, as of the start of Fiscal Year 2022, FEMA was understaffed by 35% with an overall staffing gap of approximately 6,200 employees. FEMA officials attributed the shortage to “responsibilities due to COVID-19 and managing the rising disaster activity during the year, which increased burnout and employee attrition,” according to the GAO.

This split shows a North Carolina resident after a storm and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein and Mario Tama/Getty Images)

With Hurricane Helene making a destructive and deadly sweep across the South, FEMA has been under high pressure to deliver aid to those in need. In the latest update on FEMA worker numbers, the agency indicated more than 5,600 personnel from across the federal workforce have been deployed, including more than 1,500 from FEMA. Additionally, the agency noted it has shipped more than 11.5 million meals, more than 12.6 million liters of water, 150 generators and more than 400,000 tarps to the region, while also helping thousands of Helene survivors with more than $45 million in “flexible, upfront” funding.

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Despite the current staffing shortage, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorks insisted during an interview with MSNBC that Americans “should rest confident that FEMA has the resources” necessary to recover from Helene and prepare for Milton.

“We have search and rescue teams. The Army Corps of Engineers are there. We are ready,” Mayorkas said of Florida, in reference to the federal government’s preparation for Milton. “FEMA likes to say it is, ‘FEMA-flexible.’ We can respond to multiple events at a single time.”

VIDEO RESURFACES SHOWING FEMA PRIORITIZING EQUITY OVER HELPING GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN DISASTER RELIEF

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks at the daily press briefing at the White House.

However, despite the optimistic response to concerns about FEMA resources, Mayorkas did say last week during a formal press conference that “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the [hurricane] season.”

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Questions about FEMA funding have been exacerbated by suggestions that the agency was giving disaster relief money to migrants. FEMA has sent aid to migrants, but the money was part of the Shelter and Services Program, which remains separate from disaster relief funds. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., acknowledged that the funds were part of a separate program unrelated to disaster relief, but noted that he didn’t think the agency should be involved in the migrant crisis.

SPEAKER JOHNSON ADDRESSES CLAIMS FEMA DIVERTED FUNDS TO IMMIGRATION EFFORTS: ‘AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTED’

“The streams of funding are different, that is not an untrue statement, of course,” Johnson told Fox News’ Shannon Bream. “But the problem is with the American people, see, and what they’re frustrated by, is that FEMA should be involved.”

Concerns that private relief distributors are being blocked from entering parts of North Carolina that were impacted have also circulated. “Some of the reports that I’ve received through some of my contacts who are trying to provide assistance… they’re being told that they need special requirements from FEMA in order to enter these certain areas,” said Joe Rieck, vice president of My Patriot Supply, an emergency preparedness company. 

Before Helene made landfall, Congress passed a stopgap spending bill that included money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, but excluded billions in additionally requested supplemental disaster funding. On Friday, President Biden wrote a letter to Congress urging them to provide additional funding because “while FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund has the resources it requires right now to meet immediate needs, the fund does face a shortfall at the end of the year,” he said. 

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spoke with Fox News Digital after he toured areas in Florida and Georgia hit by Hurricane Helene. (Getty Images)

“Without additional funding, FEMA would be required to forego longer-term recovery activities in favor of meeting urgent needs,” Biden added. “The Congress should provide FEMA additional resources to avoid forcing that kind of unnecessary trade-off and to give the communities we serve the certainty of knowing that help will be ongoing, both for the short- and long-term.”

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When pressed about reconvening the House for a special session to approve additional funding, Johnson suggested FEMA has the funds it needs right now and, in order to approve additional funding, Congress needs requests from individual states to tabulate how much to provide. 

“The way the process works is the states, local authorities, they band together, they assess the damages, they send that to the federal authorities and it’s all worked through in that manner,” Johnson responded when pressed about whether he had plans to reconvene Congress for the matter. “It will take some time to tabulate this storm — it’s one of the biggest in our history — so a lot of that work is being done immediately. I think the timing of that will probably correspond when Congress is expected to return to session right after the election.”

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Augusta, GA

Abercrombie Becomes a Leader On and Off the Court – Augusta University

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Abercrombie Becomes a Leader On and Off the Court – Augusta University


Augusta, Ga. – A year ago when Quinasia Abercrombie was a freshman, she let her work on the court do the talking as she became one of the top players in the Peach Belt Conference. Abercrombie didn’t have to be a vocal leader since the Jaguars had several upper classmen that handled that role. This year, her sophomore season, Abercrombie is still one of the best players around, but now has become the vocal leader of the team, something that didn’t come naturally.

“I’m just leading my team by voice now, not just leading by example,” Abercrombie said. “Since I don’t really talk, I think they (my teammates) were really surprised, but they’re listening.” 

She leads the Augusta women in several offensive categories and has proven to be a major asset to the program. 

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From Greenville, S.C., Abercrombie was an all-state high school player. She gives part of that credit to her siblings, one older brother and three younger brothers. She had to scratch and claw on the basketball court with them and she’s the first to give them credit for helping make her the player she is today. Abercrombie went as fas as saying she enjoys playing against guys since they’ll push her hard to become better, and she likes the competition. 

Now, she’s also being pushed by coach Celeste Stewart. So much so, it’s taking Abercrombie out of her comfort zone. But it’s all for the betterment of her.

“She’s put me in multiple, uncomfortable situations, like talking, being more verbal, and just putting me in positions I wouldn’t normally put myself in,” added Abercrombie.

With the Peach Belt Conference tournament up next for the Jaguars, Abercrombie thinks this team can find another gear and make a run. While she has elevated her game, she knows her teammates can do the same. 

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Even going forward as a player, Abercrombie knows there’s plenty of room for improvement. One of the most notable for her, her ball handling skills.

“I know I like to pick up my dribble a lot and give it to my point guards,” said Abercrombie. “But I know I can bring it down the court, I just need to work on my ball handling and just being confident handling the ball.”

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags. 





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Washington, D.C

Washington Commanders to pay DC $1M to resolve lawsuit over abusive workplace culture – WTOP News

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Washington Commanders to pay DC M to resolve lawsuit over abusive workplace culture – WTOP News


Brian Schwalb, the District’s attorney general praised the new ownership for rectifying the Commanders’ internal issues.

The former owners of the Washington Commanders will pay the District of Columbia $1 million to resolve a 2022 lawsuit that alleged the NFL franchise misled its fans regarding the team’s toxic and abusive workplace culture in order to protect the its brand.

Dan Snyder still owned the team at the time, and as D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced the settlement Monday, he praised the new owners for rectifying internal issues, including accusations of rampant sexual assault and harassment.

“The Commanders’ current owners have commendably opened a new chapter in the team’s history, committing to ensure all employees are protected from abuse and treated with dignity,” Schwalb said. “I want to thank the victims for coming forward to tell their stories — without their bravery, none of this would have come to light.”

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A group led by Josh Harris purchased the Commanders in 2023 from Snyder, who had faced pressure to sell the team after a series of scandals and decades of perceivable mediocrity on the field.

Since then, new ownership has strengthened the team’s human resources department and implemented an anti-harassment policy and an investigation protocol for complaints of misconduct, Schwalb’s office said in a news release.

Under the agreement, the team will maintain those reforms, along with paying $1 million to D.C.

The NFL separately fined Snyder $60 million in 2023 after its own investigation concluded that he personally engaged in multiple forms of misconduct, including sexual harassment.

D.C.’s suit accused Snyder and the team of misleading the public about what they knew regarding the hostile work environment and Snyder’s role in creating it.

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The Commanders and Snyder deny all the allegations and are not admitting wrongdoing by reaching a resolution, according to the terms of the settlement.

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Austin, TX

Austin downtown shooting: What we know about the gunman, victims and motive

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Austin downtown shooting: What we know about the gunman, victims and motive


A gunman opened fire outside a bar in Austin’s West Sixth Street entertainment district shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, killing two people and injuring 14 others, authorities said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspected gunman drove a large SUV around the block several times before the attack. He then rolled down the windows and began firing a pistol, striking patrons at the bar.

The gunman then parked, exited the vehicle and continued shooting with a rifle, police said.

Paramedics and police arrived within a minute after the first 911 call, Davis said. Officers fatally shot the suspected gunman at the scene.

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Here’s what we know so far.

Who were the victims?

Authorities identified the victims as 24-year-old Saditha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, a student at Texas Tech University.

“It is unfair, to say the least, that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth,” his brother, Reed Harrington, wrote on Facebook. “Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future.”

Three people injured during the shooting remained in critical condition Monday, though one is expected to be taken off life support later today, Davis said during a Monday news conference.

Who was the gunman?

Austin police identified the gunman as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old man originally from Senegal.

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The Department of Homeland Security said Diagne entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000, became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 after marrying a U.S. citizen and became a naturalized citizen in 2013.

In 2017, Diagne legally purchased the guns he used in the shooting in San Antonio, Davis said.

Diagne was arrested in 2022 on a misdemeanor charge of “collision with vehicle damage,” typically issued when a driver leaves the scene of a crash.

The New York Post reported Diagne was arrested for “illegal vending” in New York City in 2001. Citing unnamed sources, the tabloid said he was arrested in New York three other times between 2008 and 2016, but those records are sealed. The Post did not report on whether he was convicted of any crimes.

Authorities said they expect to release more information on Diagne’s criminal history on Thursday as well as body camera footage and other details related to the officer-involved shooting that led to Diagne’s death.

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What was the motive?

Investigators have not announced a motive. However, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of FBI San Antonio, said there were indicators that the shooting could be related to terrorism.

Diagne wore a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “Property of Allah” and a shirt with a design of the Iranian flag, according to the Associated Press. The shooting came hours after the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes in Iran.

What are elected officials saying?

Reactions from Texas politicians have largely fallen along partisan lines. Democrats are calling for stricter gun laws, while some Republicans have focused on the gunman’s immigration history.

After Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico called for proposals such as universal background checks, red flag laws and closing the gun show loopholes that allow for the private sales of firearms at gunshows, Gov. Greg Abbott said the problem wasn’t gun laws but with “unvetted” immigration.

Disclosure: Facebook and Texas Tech University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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