On the Media

FEMA Time


Listen Later

On Wednesday, as Florence swirled ominously off the coast of the Carolinas, and states prepared for imminent disaster, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) thought it would be a good time to draw everyone’s attention to the shifting priorities of this administration. Specifically, he released a budget that showed the Department of Homeland Security had transferred nearly 10 million dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pay for detention and removal operations.

FEMA officials maintain that the smaller budget won’t hinder their operations, but as wildfires rage and hurricanes make landfall, they have a lot on their plate. We don't think about FEMA much, until that's all we think about. Historian Garrett Graff says the agency’s, quote, “under-the-radar nature” was originally a feature, not a bug. Graff wrote about "The Secret History of FEMA" for Wired last September and he spoke to Bob about the agency's Cold War origins as civil defense in the event of a nuclear attack and how it transitioned to "natural" disaster response. Plus, they discuss the limitations to FEMA's capabilities and why it has such a spotty record. Graff is also author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself -- While The Rest of Us Die.

On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected].

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

On the MediaBy WNYC Studios

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

8,716 ratings


More shows like On the Media

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,133 Listeners

The Brian Lehrer Show by WNYC

The Brian Lehrer Show

1,548 Listeners

On Point | Podcast by WBUR

On Point | Podcast

3,900 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,967 Listeners

Political Gabfest by Slate Podcasts

Political Gabfest

8,506 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,949 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,189 Listeners

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,954 Listeners

Death, Sex & Money by Slate Podcasts

Death, Sex & Money

7,701 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,264 Listeners

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts by Slate Podcasts

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

3,521 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,670 Listeners

More Perfect by WNYC Studios

More Perfect

14,429 Listeners

1A by NPR

1A

4,624 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,321 Listeners

Spooked by KQED and Snap Studios

Spooked

16,398 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,043 Listeners

Dolly Parton's America by WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

Dolly Parton's America

16,352 Listeners

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast by WNYC Studios

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

671 Listeners

Radiolab for Kids by WNYC

Radiolab for Kids

1,048 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,321 Listeners