California
‘Getting rid of FEMA’: Takeaways from Trump’s trip to two disaster zones
President Trump meets Helene survivors during North Carolina visit
President Donald Trump listened to some of those most impacted by Hurricane Helene during a visit to Swannanoa, North Carolina on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Inaugurated on Monday, President Donald Trump spent Friday on a coast-to-coast tour of disaster zones, musing about abolishing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and conditioning California fire recovery aid on voting law changes.
Trump traveled from Washington D.C. to Asheville, N.C., and visited communities in the western part of the state impacted by severe flooding from Hurricane Helene last year. He then flew to Los Angeles and toured damage from devastating wildfires in the region, which are ongoing.
Trump met with governors in both states, local officials, emergency responders and property owners in his first official trip as president.
Here are some takeaways.
Trump makes nice with Newsom
The relationship between the GOP president and California’s Democratic governor has often been contentious.
Trump likes to refer to Newsom as “Newscum.”
They set those animosities aside Friday as both men grapple with one of the nation’s worst natural disasters in memory.
Newsom waited for Trump at the bottom of the stairs as he departed from Air Force One in Los Angeles. They embraced and spoke to the media together.
“We’re gonna need your support, we’re gonna need your help,” Newsom said. “You were there for us during COVID, I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations that we’ll be able to work together.”
“We’re gonna get it done,” Trump responded, adding: “We’ll get it worked out, ok?”
Trump noted that California will need a lot of federal help. Newsom agreed.
“We’re gonna take care of things,” Trump responded.
Trump suggest abolishing FEMA
Trump ratcheted up his criticism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency with a suggestion to possibly abolish the agency because of its response to Hurricane Helene in September.
“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe even getting rid of FEMA,” Trump said after a briefing in Fletcher, North Carolina. “Frankly, FEMA’s not good.”
Trump accused FEMA crews of being unfamiliar with areas when responding to disasters. FEMA also imposes rules and requirements on crews that aren’t as good as what local officials provide, Trump said. The federal government should instead send funding to governors to manage their own response to disasters, he said.
“FEMA has turned out to be a disaster,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away and we pay directly – we pay a percentage to the state.”
After speaking with flood victims in Swannanoa, North Carolina, Trump later added, “If it was up to me right now, I’d end it right now.”
‘Horrific’ tales escaping North Carolina floods from Hurricane Helene
Survivors of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina described their harrowing escapes from rising floodwaters to Trump on Friday and pleaded for help four months after the disaster.
Thomas Bright spent four hours of the roof of his home in east Asheville that had been in his family for 80 years and four generations. He wrote farewell notes on his cellphone to his two children and his two grandchildren as his garage and other debris floated past.
“We didn’t think we were going to make it at all,” Bright said. “We were watching houses, trailers, bodies coming by us.”
Mona Nix-Roper, who lives in the Fairview area, said her home became like an island as floodwaters rose around it. As she hiked out with her son, they saw a neighbor’s body that had turned blue in the water.
“Horrific is just all I can say,” Nix-Roper said. “There were people out everywhere looking for their loved ones. And there were dead bodies. My son’s like, ‘Mom, you’re going to see things you don’t want to see.’”
Trump gave her a hug when she finished speaking.
“I’ve seen a lot of bad things, but I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said.
Politics shadowed Trump’s visits to disaster areas
Politics shadowed Trump’s visits to disaster zones in North Carolina and California.
Trump recalled a whistleblower reported that Federal Emergency Management Agency crews refused to help people with Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign signs in their yards. Trump noted that North Carolina and adjoining Tennessee each supported him in the last election – the Volunteer State slightly more.
“It doesn’t matter at this point: Biden did a bad job,” Trump said.
The president also called for California to adopt voter ID, to ensure the citizenship of voters, to receive disaster aid for its wildfires around Los Angeles. He also repeated his complaint that the state should divert funding from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to fight fires.
“I want two things,” Trump told reporters upon his arrival in Asheville, North Carolina. “After that, I will be the greatest president California has ever seen.”
Trump didn’t invite Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a frequent critic of Trump, to join his trip. Schiff said changes to the Environmental Protection Agency and FEMA could result from bipartisan cooperation. But he urged Trump not to attach strings to disaster aid.
“We’ve never done that when it comes to our fellow citizens who are hurting,” Schiff told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Trump wants fast track permitting to rebuild after fires
Trump met with local officials in California after touring fire damage in Pacific Palisades Friday and asked them to speed up permitting for people who want to rebuild.
The meeting lasted for more than an hour, with the real estate developer turned president often returning to the permitting issue.
Trump said he plans to waive or drastically speed up federal permitting in the wake of the fires that have devastated areas around Los Angeles, adding “the local, I hope, is going to do the same exact thing.”
Members of the California congressional delegation, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other local leaders joined Trump at the meeting, sharing their thoughts on fire recovery efforts. Trump listened and sometimes raised concerns.
The president said he heard from homeowners worried about how long it could take to rebuild.
“We are 100% committed to getting this neighborhood rebuilt again,” Bass said.
Trump said permitting should take days, not months or years.
“A federal permit can take 10 years, we’re not going to do that,” Trump said. “We don’t want to take 10 days.”
Officials need to be mindful of “hazardous waste,” Bass said, but added that if people are rebuilding “essentially the same… they really shouldn’t have to go through much of a process.”
“What’s hazardous waste? You’re gonna have to define that,” Trump responded, adding: “I just think you have to allow the people to go on their site and start the process tonight.”
“And we will,” Bass responded.
Other people brought up insurance issues that homeowners are facing. Trump also repeatedly raised questions about water management policies in California.
Trump told the group that “the federal government’s standing behind you 100%” but has talked about putting conditions on federal fire recovery aid.
California
California lawmakers seek $32M to combat invasive pest found on grapevines sold at Costco
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — California lawmakers are now asking the federal government for more than $32 million in emergency funding to stop the spread of an invasive insect that was recently discovered on grapevines sold at Costco stores across the state.
The request comes about a month after Fresno County agricultural officials discovered grapevine plants infested with the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a pest capable of spreading Pierce’s Disease, a deadly infection that can kill grapevines.
In a letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla joined Reps. Mike Thompson, David Valadao and other members of California’s congressional delegation in requesting $32.2 million in emergency funding to contain and eradicate the pest.
[RELATED] Fresno County grapevine plants shipped to Costco were infested with bugs
Lawmakers say the infected nursery stock was identified Mat 19 by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.
The plants had been distributed to Costco stores in more than two dozen California counties before being sold to customers.
Officials believe some of the infested plants have since been transported to homes in at least 38 counties across the state.
The movement of infested nursery stock into and near key grape-producing regions, including areas critical to California’s winegrape and fresh table grape production, significantly elevates the urgency of this response.
The glassy-winged sharpshooter feeds on grapevines and spreads Pierce’s Disease, an incurable bacterial infection that can destroy vineyards by preventing vines from transporting water.
Lawmakers warned that the pest poses a serious threat to California’s wine and table grape industries.
According to the Wine Institute, California’s wine industry supports 1.1 million jobs nationwide and generates an economic impact of more than $170 billion.
California also produces 99% of the nation’s table grapes, with an annual crop value estimated at $2.59 billion.
If the pest spreads unchecked, the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates losses associated with Pierce’s Disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter could exceed $104 million annually.
The requested funding would support emergency response efforts, including tracing the movement of infested plants, surveying affected areas and expanding trapping programs.
Additional funding would also be used for long-term monitoring and eradication efforts over the next several years.
The lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately release the funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation, arguing that the outbreak meets the federal definition of an agricultural emergency.
Growers have already contributed more than $62 million toward research and mitigation efforts over the past 25 years through industry assessments, according to the letter.
Federal officials have not yet announced whether the funding request will be approved.
California
California Now Offers Free Passes to State Historic Parks (Just Don’t Miss the Deadline) | KQED
An annual pass that’s usually $50 is free in honor of Juneteenth — and to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Historical buildings are visible at Sonoma State Historic Park, Sonoma, California, May 31, 2026. Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images)
“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history – in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom wrote.
Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. The pass gives free entry to state historic parks for up to four people.
Jump to:
The Historian Passport grants entry to more than 30 state historic parks, including parks like Olompali and Malakoff Diggins which, rather than just providing outdoor recreation, also have an educational emphasis on the state’s history.
Many of these parks tell the story of the state’s cultural or indigenous history, from missions and museums to temples and the site that sparked the California Gold Rush.
Newsom made a similar move to make state parks free for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in response to Trump’s decision to eliminate the holiday from the list of fee-free days at national parks across the country, replacing it with his birthday on Flag Day.
How to get your free Historian Passport for up to four people
You must make an account with the state’s reservation site ReserveCalifornia.com to obtain a Historian Pass. Then, visit the site’s Advance Passes page and select “Special Edition Historian Passport” from the dropdown menu, which will show as costing $0. No payment information is required.
After checking out, you’ll receive an email with an attached PDF version of your Historian Passport.
The state recommends you print off this PDF to present at any California state historic park for free entry, although you may just be able to show the image on your phone too.
Bear in mind that cellphone service may be poor at many state historic parks, so it’s worth screenshotting the PDF to save it as an image on your phone in case you’re unable to search your email.
Looking for free entry to other state parks that aren’t included in the Historian Passport? Consider checking out a parks pass from your local library, which provides these passes as part of the California State Library Parks Pass program.
Northern California State Historic Parks to visit for free this year with a Historian Passport
Bay Area
Sacramento area
Sierra foothills
KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this report.
A 33-year-old Northern California man was sentenced to three years in prison after he was found passed out drunk behind the wheel in the drive-thru of an In-N-Out Burger, marking his seventh arrest and conviction for driving under the influence.
According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol officers were alerted to the June 2025 situation by a store employee.
Responding officers approached the vehicle and reported smelling urine and vomit, along with the odor of alcohol inside the car, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Officers arrested the man, identified as Carlos Alvarez of Salinas, on suspicion of felony DUI.
This was his fourth DUI conviction in the past 10 years, The Times reported.
It was not immediately clear what sentences were imposed in Alvarez’s prior DUI convictions or whether he has previously served jail time for any of the other felony convictions.
-
South Dakota1 minute agoSouth Dakota sends poetry to the America250 time capsule
-
Tennessee9 minutes agoInside Tennessee 4×100 relay’s NCAA title, outlasting four botched exchanges
-
Texas11 minutes agoFlu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas
-
Utah17 minutes agoSan Juan County assessor resigns after allegations of being ‘unfit’ for office
-
Vermont24 minutes agoNorman Rockwell finally gets his day in new Shelburne Museum exhibit
-
Virginia27 minutes agoMotorcoach failed to slow for traffic in Virginia work zone before crash that killed 5 from Western Mass., NTSB says – The Boston Globe
-
Washington32 minutes agoStorm Team4 Forecast: Much-needed morning rain before sunny afternoon
-
Wisconsin39 minutes agoThese Wisconsin swing voters say Trump’s war in Iran wasn’t worth it
