FEMA's Texas-sized test
In today's edition … The Senate takes up DOGE cuts ... MAGA is split over Epstein … but first …
Weeks before flash floods devastated the Texas Hill Country, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) participated in the first meeting of a new council to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He criticized FEMA as 'slow and clunky,' arguing that states are able to respond 'more nimbly, more swiftly, more effectively' to disasters.
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Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Redistricting, flood warning systems on Texas special session agenda
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a full special session agenda Wednesday, including a rumored mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps and the creation of flood warning systems in response to the deadly and destructive floods that hit Central Texas. The special session begins July 21. Flash flooding claimed more than 100 lives in Central Texas. Here's what we know about the victims Redistricting made headlines in recent weeks as the New York Times reported President Donald Trump was urging Texas Republican congressmen to redraw the state's maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. With a slim majority in the U.S. House, it would only take three flips for Democrats to retake control of the chamber. Redrawing maps to benefit the GOP could offset any losses in other parts of the country, and potentially keep the House for the GOP if the election is close. Republicans already hold 25 out of 38 congressional seats in Texas — a higher percentage of seats than Trump's 2024 vote share. Some Republicans reportedly have worries that redrawing the maps could make their seats more vulnerable if the midterm environment is favorable to Democrats. Any attempt to redraw the maps could provoke a response from Democratic governors, as California is reportedly considering a redraw of its maps should Texas move forward. Congressional maps in the country's two largest Democratic states — California and New York — are drawn by independent commissions, while the two largest Republican states — Texas and Florida — are drawn by legislators. To address flooding, legislation to improve warning systems and emergency communications in flood-prone areas of Texas is one of the first items in Abbott's release announcing the agenda. Flooding over the July 4 weekend killed over 100 people in the Texas Hill Country and surrounding counties. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 160 people remain missing in Kerr County. The release from the governor's office did not go into further detail on the system, and lawmakers such as House Speaker Dustin Burrows have said it is too early to determine any specific legislation. In addition to new warning systems, the special session agenda includes additional funding for flood relief efforts and additional regulation for natural disaster recovery and preparedness. Abbott's agenda includes eliminating the STAAR test and replacing it with alternative assessment tools, along with legislation to reduce property taxes and impose spending limits on entities authorized to levy property taxes. Several agenda items reflect conservative priorities, including legislation to make it a crime to provide hemp-derived products to children under 21 and comprehensive regulation of hemp-derived products. Abbott also seeks legislation 'further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion' and measures 'protecting women's privacy in sex-segregated spaces.' The session will consider proposals to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, including prohibiting the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payments to associations that lobby the Legislature. Abbott also wants to grant the Attorney General constitutional authority to prosecute state election crimes and protect law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in personnel files. The agenda includes legislation protecting human trafficking victims from criminal liability for non-violent acts tied to their victimization, strengthening protections against title theft and deed fraud, providing water project incentives for conservation measures and addressing judicial department operations. The special session begins at noon on July 21. Unlike regular sessions, special sessions are limited to 30 days and can only consider items specifically placed on the agenda by the governor. The flood response measures represent the most immediate priority, as federal and state officials continue search and recovery operations in the Hill Country and communities work to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the historic flooding. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal job cuts set off retirement surge, planning challenges
A sharp rise in federal retirements, coupled with an expected wave of more government layoffs, is prompting high-stakes career decisions for many federal employees. Through June, more than 72,000 federal employees have filed retirement claims with the Office of Personnel Management, data shows. That represents a 38% increase in claims compared to the same period last year, driven by a wave of cuts across federal agencies by the Trump administration. Starting in late January, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) worked to cut tens of thousands of federal workers. But even after Musk's departure, the Trump administration has made clear that it intends to continue downsizing the federal workforce. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with extensive government job cuts. Thousands of federal employees across more than a dozen agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, are slated for dismissal. READ MORE: Trump's megabill passed — here's what advisors should know Financial advisors who specialize in working with federal employees say the options available to their clients have become clearer compared to the start of the year. "Earlier this year, there was so much more uncertainty around what the options were, and so in some ways … some discussions were driven by a lot of fear, because of the uncertainty of just not understanding what the deferred resignation program really looked like and whether it was legal and things like that," said Amy King, founder of Instar Financial Planning in Fallston, Maryland. "Now there's not so much uncertainty anymore. It's really just that they've made their decision. Now how do we effectively plan, given the decision they've made and the timeline that we know about." Still, continued cuts across the government, as well as uncertainty around future regulations, make navigating retirement decisions for current federal employees difficult. "In some cases, whole offices have basically stopped having any work come down to them, like they're just being totally hobbled and cut out at the knees," said Andrew Katz-Moses, founder of Katz-Moses Financial in Washington, D.C., "So they're very interested in exploring if it's possible for them to actually retire." Making that determination looks different for every worker, but advisors point to a couple of common considerations. Federal workers considering retirement can have a variety of potential offers available to them, each with its own set of rules and financial implications. For many, the choice revolves around a handful of options, including the voluntary early retirement authority (VERA), the voluntary separation incentive payment (VSIP) — commonly known as a buyout — and, in some cases, agency-specific initiatives such as a deferred resignation program (DRP). "I would say 75% of the new clients that I've received, federal employee clients that have come in, are looking at whether or not they can accept the deferred retirement offer that came out earlier, and several of them are taking it," King said. "Several have taken the voluntary early retirement authority, the VERA, in conjunction with DRP." READ MORE: Coping with brutal Efficiency: How advisors are helping federal workers For eligible workers, deferred retirement could also be an appealing option, but it comes with implications of its own, King said. "If they're leaving and they're going to end up with a deferred retirement, which means that it's not going to kick in until probably 62 maybe as early as 57, what are they doing in between when they retire, until they're eligible to collect their annuity?" King said. "What are they doing for health care? What are they doing for income? What are their options for whether or not the Federal Employee Health Benefit kicks back in or not? So it's not just the standard stuff that normally comes with financial planning around literally, like, 'Can I retire?' It's also the benefits part of it." Beyond the finances, advisors say that many federal employees are also having to factor in assumptions about the future of the government into their decision. Earlier this year, some 40,000 federal employees resigned through the Trump administration's fork-in-the-road offer, according to the Federal News Network. Now, many of the workers who declined to take that offer find themselves in limbo. "Sometimes it makes a lot of sense, like they should take it, and sometimes they also have to think about, okay, if they don't take it, what's the risk that they come back and get fired anyway, and now they've not taken this buyout that was on offer," Katz-Moses said. As a new wave of federal layoffs ramps up, advisors say that it's easy for workers to feel overwhelmed by all of the variables at play. That's why it is crucial to talk about emotions first before jumping into logistics, according to Katz-Moses. READ MORE: A checklist for advisors assisting federal employees "I always like to check in on the emotions first and [say] like, 'Let's step back. Let's get out of the numbers and the logistics for a second. What do you really want right now? What's most important?'" he said. "'Even given all the turmoil and tumultuousness of what's happening right now, if this goes really well, what will happen for you?' Start to, you know, vision out what that ideally looks like, and then we have to look at the numbers."
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Easthampton mayor to lead state Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle will change hats, leaving office to take the lead at the state Department of Conservation and Recreation in the coming weeks. That leaves a vacant mayoral seat and a new executive needed to fill it. Gov. Maura Healey announced LaChapelle's new role as the DCR commissioner on Wednesday. She is set to take over for former Commissioner Brian Arrigo, starting on July 21. It opens the city to four-and-a-half months of new leadership. In Easthampton, the city charter requires a vote among city councilors to determine which of them will be the interim mayor until the November municipal election, said Maddie Palmer, assistant city clerk. A date has not yet been set for a vote on the acting mayor position, Palmer said. LaChapelle has served as mayor of the city since 2018. The DCR manages state parks and oversees close to half a million acres of Massachusetts' natural, cultural and recreational resources. LaChapelle could not be immediately reached Thursday about the new role and what she brings to it, or how she hopes to round off her time as mayor. 'The hardworking staff at DCR are the caretakers for our state, and I'm looking forward to joining the team,' said LaChapelle in a statement. 'Our forests, lakes and beaches are at the heart of Massachusetts. I've had a front row seat in Easthampton, surrounded by so many of these properties. I'm ready to get to work preserving our public lands for generations to come.' The governor's statement highlighted several of LaChapelle's conservation efforts for the city during her seven years as mayor. LaChapelle 'leveraged record-level grant funding to promote new affordable housing, protected green spaces and strengthened infrastructure,' the statement said. She also worked with the Kestrel Land Trust, an Amherst nonprofit organization that works on land and river conservation in the Connecticut River Valley, to build 90 units of affordable housing and to conserve the land along the Manhan River, the statement said. During that relationship, she also secured close to two dozen acres for the Mount Tom North Trailhead Park. LaChapelle helped qualify Easthampton for environmental preparedness grants that are part of a state program to help cities and towns be prepared for climate change. She used that money to improve stormwater management, make flood preparations and upgrade the urban tree canopy in the city. The soon-to-be commissioner also oversaw Easthampton's Green Infrastructure Plan, with goals for its rivers and other natural resources to be cleaner and restored. Through this plan, she helped the redesign of the New City neighborhood, which created a new park, added multi-use paths and improved the sewer system. In 2021, she led the charge in offering city employees benefits if they transitioned to electric vehicles — the first mayor in the country to make that decision. This was a part of the city's mission to change over its entire fleet to electric. Last year, the city finished its Climate Action Plan, which set forward-looking goals for Easthampton to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and net-zero by 2050. She also hired Easthampton's first sustainability coordinator to advance these initiatives. Springfield Pharmacy plans new location, with groceries, at shuttered State St. Walgreens Tractor-trailer crash on I-90 in Charlton slowed traffic for hours Thursday morning Holyoke college's police chief is a 'heroine.' This is why (The Republican Editorials) At this church-turned-music-venue in Springfield, a mission to make arts accessible plays on Pridelands on Mane Street opens with live music, and cold local beer on tap Read the original article on MassLive.
