President Donald Trump issued an executive order giving the federal government more control over California’s water management after sparring with Democrats, who he said have slow-walked Los Angeles’s recovery efforts. The order gives the Federal Emergency Management Agency and half a dozen agencies authority to override California state laws and federal statutes to provide relief amid the Los Angeles wildfires. In the latest escalation of Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) water wars, Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid in an effort to pressure the state to adopt an...

President Trump on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on Jan. 24. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at revamping the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in the latest sign he's seeking to change how the agency handles disasters that hit the nation. The big picture: Sunday's announcement of the order comes days after the president said he was considering "getting rid of" FEMA altogether, as he and others in the GOP have in recent months...

President Donald Trump highlighted voter identification (ID) laws as a chief concern in California, naming it as one of the two possible conditions he might ask of the state before releasing much-needed disaster relief amid the ongoing wildfires. Newsweek reached out to the White House and California Governor Gavin Newsom's office for comment by email on Saturday. Voter ID laws remain a contentious issue across the United States, with inconsistent levels of requirements from state-to-state.

In the landscape of American governance, the concept of federalism has always been the bedrock of our constitutional design. It’s the idea that states, not the distant federal government, should primarily manage the affairs closest to their citizens. This principle, when applied to disaster management, could not only rejuvenate our response to crises, but also revitalize the spirit of local governance and accountability.

Make no mistake, Traitor Trump visit to California doesn’t mean that he wants to help those affected by the fires, he is looking for a way to benefit from it. Traitor Trump desire to get rid of FEMA is just a way for him to force governors to ask the fedegal goverment directly for help. Meaning that every time there is a crisis and a governor needs money they will have to follow Trump’s directives to get that money. Basically a Quid Pro Quo (remember that crime he was impeach...

President Trump mused on Friday about shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying that states could do a better job at responding to disasters. “When you have a problem like this, I think you want to go, whether it’s a Democrat or Republican governor, you want to use your state to fix it,” Mr. Trump said in Asheville, N.C., which was devastated by the remnants of Hurricane Helene last year. “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away and we pay directly — we pay a percentage...

When President Donald held an event in to address the catastrophic wildfires that destroyed historic neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Rep. Brad Sherman called him out over his party's repeated threats to withhold or condition disaster relief. It's the first major disaster response of Trump's second term — although not the first time he has had to . House Speaker (R-LA) has he would like Congress to make certain requirements for California to change its disaster preparedness programs as a condition of receiving emergency aid, even though FEMA already imposes on...

President Donald Trump talked about eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA, since it’s “just not good,” while visiting the devastation that Hurricane Helene left in Asheville, North Carolina, Fox News reports. During his visit, alongside first lady Melania, Trump promised that his new federal administration would step in to help the Tar Heel state. However, his tone quickly changed, saying that the states should take care of natural disaster damage while seemingly blaming former President Joe Biden. “We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to...

Sierra Club California today slammed President Donald Trump for threatening to withhold wildfire aid from California unless the state exports more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for corporate agribusiness interests. Trump is scheduled today to visit the region of Los Angeles County hammered by the climate change-induced wildfires as new wildfires broke out in San Diego County.

President Donald Trump on Thursday stated two conditions that he would need to see before agreeing to release federal aid to wildfire-devastated California. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment by email on Friday. California has suffered historic damage from wildfires that started around Los Angeles County and recently spread to Venture and San Diego. The fires around Los Angeles destroyed just over 40,000 acres, with the bulk of the damage caused by the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire—both of which are now largely but not yet...