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Trump’s FEMA proposals and feud with Gavin Newsom could devastate California’s disaster response By Jeremy Lindenfeld, Capital & Main, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
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n January, Katie Clark’s one-bedroom rental of more than 15 years, and nearly everything inside, was incinerated by Los Angeles County’s Eaton fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. For her troubles, she received a one-time payment of $770 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which she used to replace clothes, food and a crate for her dog. While it was only a fraction of what she needed, the money was at least available while she waited for other funding. As an organizer with the Altadena Tenants Union who has been helping renters with their FEMA applications, Clark knows just how common her experience has been for fire survivors. She believes federal and local agencies severely underestimated the need and cost of housing for the 150,000 people displaced by the fires, leaving many still struggling to recover. A FEMA spokesperson denied the accusation, saying the agency’s “ongoing assessments indicate that the current Rental Assistance program is effectively meeting the housing needs of survivors eligible for FEMA assistance.” The disaster response “has been so shockingly bad,” Clark said, but she recognizes that without FEMA’s help in responding to fires that killed at least 30 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures, “it could have been so, so, so much worse.” “We would have seen a whole lot more people left to their own devices.
VOL. 11,
NO. 232
Glen Helen Parkway Bridge and Road Improvement Project breaks ground
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By Staff
onstruction is underway on a new bridge on the Glen Helen Parkway in Devore, San Bernardino County officials announced Thursday. The San Bernardino County Public Works Department held a groundbreaking event Tuesday on the newly started bridge to mark what officials called “a significant milestone” for the Glen Helen Parkway Bridge and Road Improvement Project. The $52.2 million project aims to enhance the safety, reliability and accessibility of the roadway that will be an important connector for residents, commuters and visitors to Glen Helen Regional Park and the Devore area, officials said. The project has been years in the making and involves the construction of a new bridge, upgraded storm drains and improved access across the transportation corridor, according to the county. The bridge design calls for a span over the Cajon Wash just west of the Union Pacific and BNSF railroad tracks. It will include wider shoulder lanes for vehicles, bike See Glen Helen Parkway Page 27
Riverside authorities issue over 60 citations for illegal fireworks By Staff Eaton Fire damage. | Photo courtesy of Cal Fire CC BY-NC 2.0
And what that would mean is homelessness. It would mean people just abandoned,” Clark said. Even before President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom squared off over Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to quell immigration protests, before Newsom likened Trump to a dictator and Trump endorsed the idea of arresting the governor, the question of how much California could continue to rely on FEMA was front and center. It’s a critical question in a state — with its earthquakes, wildfires, floods, drought and extreme heat — that frequently suffers some of the costliest disasters in the country. Since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has floated sweeping propos-
als that would slash FEMA dollars and make disasters harder to declare. This has left both blue and red states wrestling with scenarios in which they must pay for what FEMA will not. States have long counted on FEMA to cover at least 75% of declared major disaster response and recovery costs. In just the past few months, FEMA has denied federal assistance for devastating floods in West Virginia and a destructive windstorm in Washington. The agency approved such funding for deadly tornadoes in Arkansas after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appealed an initial denial and personally begged the president for help. Last month, ProPublica See Disaster response Page 03
reported that FEMA missed a May deadline to open the application process for many grants, including funding that states rely on to pay for basic emergency management operations. The delay, which the agency has not explained, appears to have little precedent. In California, Trump has cast doubt on whether he will approve the $40 billion Newsom has requested to help pay for recovery costs associated with the fires, including $16.8 billion from FEMA to rebuild property, infrastructure and remove debris. That’s on top of the almost $140 million the agency has already provided to individual survivors. The president told reporters last month that
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uthorities in Riverside wrote 65 tickets for illegal fireworks this year, the city announced Thursday. Riverside police, firefighters and Code Enforcement Division officers worked together on the crackdown, levying $1,500 fines, officials said. Recent amendments to the Riverside Municipal Code allowed the use of remote-piloted small drones in the days leading up to and on July 4 to assist police, fire and code enforcement teams. Authorities used the airborne drones to find, record and document the alleged illegal fireworks violations, according to a city statement. Five enforcement teams were based at locations in the city that officials said have a history of significant illegal fireworks activity. Authorities also identified locations through dispatch calls and reports made to the 311 Call Center. When a drone recorded a fireworks violation, investigators collected video evidence to determine the property of origin. “Before issuing a citation, each case was carefully verified by the sUAS operator, visual observer, code enforcement officer, and often additional police and fire personnel,” officials said. From June 27 to July 4, the city’s Public Safety Communications Center received 547 calls for service related to fireworks, up from 477 in 2024, officials reported. The 311 Call Center, which also has a mobile app and website, aims See Illegal fireworks Page 28