Noem says first responders in Texas ‘still looking for a lot of little girls' missing after flood
Noem described the scene at Camp Mystic in Kerrville, Texas, at the urging of President Donald Trump as he opened a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House. Noem visited on Saturday, a day after floodwaters swept away the camp.
She said Texans are strong but 'they've gone through something that is absolutely horrific, and it is heartbreaking to watch these families suffer the way that they are.'
Trump announced during the meeting that he and his wife, Melania, will visit on Friday.
Noem said she was 'surprised' when she arrived at the camp and saw the devastation.
'The parents that were looking for their children and picking up their daughters' stuffed animals out of the mud and finding their daughter's shoe that might be laying in the cabin and, just hugging and comforting people matters a lot,' the secretary said.
'I'm extremely grateful for God's hand in that whole situation because hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people were saved,' she said. 'And and this is a time for all of us in this country to remember that we were created to serve each other.'
A wall of water slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday, pulling people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. More than 100 people were killed, including at least 27 campers and counselors. Officials said Monday that 10 campers and one counselor still have not been found.
The flood and its devastation appear to have, for the moment, tamped down talk by Trump and Noem of scaling back the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps states respond to natural disasters by providing water and other supplies and federal assistance.
Trump declined earlier this week to discuss his plans to shrink FEMA when a reporter asked if that was still his intent. Noem said Tuesday that FEMA supports states during disasters like this 'and that's exactly what we did here in this situation.'
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Vancouver Sun
39 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
How a new Carney-backed pipeline could spoil Trump's plans for Canada's oil
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It's 'build, baby, build' versus 'drill, baby, drill.' Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to transform Canada into an 'energy superpower.' His build-baby rallying cry for a construction boom even echoes U.S. President Donald Trump's drill-baby slogan for increased oil and gas. But when it comes to a new pipeline for Canada, their two visions could clash. 'Canada has a tremendous opportunity to be the world's leading energy superpower, in both clean and conventional energy,' Carney said in April. 'We can lead the energy transition while ensuring affordable energy at home and building the strongest economy in the G7.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The prime minister said this month that it's 'highly, highly likely' that a new oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast will be proposed as a nation-building project and fast-tracked under new federal legislation aimed at accelerating projects of 'national interest.' Boosters of the pipeline plan see Canada maximizing its oil export revenues and diversifying its customer base after decades of being captive to U.S. buyers, perhaps reshaping North American energy flows. Trump, meanwhile, has said he wants to resuscitate the Keystone XL pipeline, the long-contested project that was supposed to carry nearly a million barrels of Alberta oil a day to the U.S. Midwest. He promised 'easy approvals' for investors willing to try it again, after it was blocked twice by two different Democratic presidents and its original backer, TC Energy, gave up. Any new pipeline will face political and regulatory hurdles on both sides of the border, and in March Trump hit Canadian oil imports with a 10 per cent tariff. The pipeline politicking could deepen the trade-war rift between Ottawa and Washington. It could also unexpectedly reshape the future of a North American energy market that has been increasingly tightly integrated since the middle of the last century. Last weekend, while attending the Calgary Stampede, Carney said that Ottawa is prepared to prioritize a new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific. During the recent federal election, he had promised to reduce Canada's reliance on the U.S. — a whopping 93 per cent of Canada's crude oil is shipped south of the border each year — by launching infrastructure projects and diversifying to new markets. Ottawa is keen to reduce Canada's dependence on a single customer, especially amid Trump's trade war. Building a new pipeline would signal that Canada is getting serious about reaching Asian markets with its oil. China has become the second-largest buyer of oil shipped through the new Trans Mountain expansion , which opened just over a year ago (the U.S. is still buying the most). And the extra market access has shrunk the typical discount Canadian oil long had to give its sole buyer by around a third. Getting more efficient at producing crude oil while ensuring sales go to more than just one export partner gives Canada 'a little more stability,' said Graeme Thompson, a senior analyst with Eurasia Group's global macro practice. But it could also annoy Trump, who puts a premium on loyalty to the U.S., said Kent Fellows, a professor of economics at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy, who specializes in energy issues. 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Resurrecting Keystone XL would be a 'tougher decision for Carney than it would be for (Alberta Premier Danielle) Smith,' says Fellows, because Carney is supposed to balance the interests of all provinces. Smith, meanwhile, is representing Alberta's interest, and crude oil is the province's biggest sector. Thompson isn't so sure. 'If there was an economic case for (Keystone XL), if there was a private actor who came and said 'let's resuscitate this project,' in the current environment, maybe there's a better chance of it getting done,' he says. Even if Trump and Carney could agree on a path forward for Keystone XL, it would still be a struggle to get the pipeline built. Government permits have expired and initial construction has been dismantled. Still, with the plan well advanced, it wouldn't start from scratch. But Canada agreeing to go back to Keystone XL is 'sort of like going back to an abusive partner,' Fellows said, given the political football it was made into by Democratic and Republican presidents. And something else Carney and Trump have in common is it seems they're both racing to maximize their country's strategic position as they tussle over trade. For Trump, a revived Keystone XL pipeline locking in more Canadian oil for U.S. use must look like an advantage. With no one eagerly stepping up to build it, Carney might be just as happy if it stays dead. National Post tmoran@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
Calgary Herald
42 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
How a new Carney-backed pipeline could spoil Trump's plans for Canada's oil
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It's 'build, baby, build' versus 'drill, baby, drill.' Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to transform Canada into an 'energy superpower.' His build-baby rallying cry for a construction boom even echoes U.S. President Donald Trump's drill-baby slogan for increased oil and gas. But when it comes to a new pipeline for Canada, their two visions could clash. Article content Article content Article content 'Canada has a tremendous opportunity to be the world's leading energy superpower, in both clean and conventional energy,' Carney said in April. 'We can lead the energy transition while ensuring affordable energy at home and building the strongest economy in the G7.' Article content Article content The prime minister said this month that it's 'highly, highly likely' that a new oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast will be proposed as a nation-building project and fast-tracked under new federal legislation aimed at accelerating projects of 'national interest.' Boosters of the pipeline plan see Canada maximizing its oil export revenues and diversifying its customer base after decades of being captive to U.S. buyers, perhaps reshaping North American energy flows. Article content Trump, meanwhile, has said he wants to resuscitate the Keystone XL pipeline, the long-contested project that was supposed to carry nearly a million barrels of Alberta oil a day to the U.S. Midwest. He promised 'easy approvals' for investors willing to try it again, after it was blocked twice by two different Democratic presidents and its original backer, TC Energy, gave up. Article content Article content Any new pipeline will face political and regulatory hurdles on both sides of the border, and in March Trump hit Canadian oil imports with a 10 per cent tariff. Article content Article content The pipeline politicking could deepen the trade-war rift between Ottawa and Washington. It could also unexpectedly reshape the future of a North American energy market that has been increasingly tightly integrated since the middle of the last century. Article content Last weekend, while attending the Calgary Stampede, Carney said that Ottawa is prepared to prioritize a new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific. During the recent federal election, he had promised to reduce Canada's reliance on the U.S. — a whopping 93 per cent of Canada's crude oil is shipped south of the border each year — by launching infrastructure projects and diversifying to new markets. Ottawa is keen to reduce Canada's dependence on a single customer, especially amid Trump's trade war.
Edmonton Journal
42 minutes ago
- Edmonton Journal
How a new Carney-backed pipeline could spoil Trump's plans for Canada's oil
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It's 'build, baby, build' versus 'drill, baby, drill.' Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to transform Canada into an 'energy superpower.' His build-baby rallying cry for a construction boom even echoes U.S. President Donald Trump's drill-baby slogan for increased oil and gas. But when it comes to a new pipeline for Canada, their two visions could clash. Article content Article content Article content 'Canada has a tremendous opportunity to be the world's leading energy superpower, in both clean and conventional energy,' Carney said in April. 'We can lead the energy transition while ensuring affordable energy at home and building the strongest economy in the G7.' Article content Article content The prime minister said this month that it's 'highly, highly likely' that a new oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast will be proposed as a nation-building project and fast-tracked under new federal legislation aimed at accelerating projects of 'national interest.' Boosters of the pipeline plan see Canada maximizing its oil export revenues and diversifying its customer base after decades of being captive to U.S. buyers, perhaps reshaping North American energy flows. Article content Trump, meanwhile, has said he wants to resuscitate the Keystone XL pipeline, the long-contested project that was supposed to carry nearly a million barrels of Alberta oil a day to the U.S. Midwest. He promised 'easy approvals' for investors willing to try it again, after it was blocked twice by two different Democratic presidents and its original backer, TC Energy, gave up. Article content Article content Any new pipeline will face political and regulatory hurdles on both sides of the border, and in March Trump hit Canadian oil imports with a 10 per cent tariff. Article content Article content The pipeline politicking could deepen the trade-war rift between Ottawa and Washington. It could also unexpectedly reshape the future of a North American energy market that has been increasingly tightly integrated since the middle of the last century. Article content Trump or Tidewater Article content Last weekend, while attending the Calgary Stampede, Carney said that Ottawa is prepared to prioritize a new pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific. During the recent federal election, he had promised to reduce Canada's reliance on the U.S. — a whopping 93 per cent of Canada's crude oil is shipped south of the border each year — by launching infrastructure projects and diversifying to new markets. Ottawa is keen to reduce Canada's dependence on a single customer, especially amid Trump's trade war.
