1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The Texas floods of July 2025 weren’t just a tragedy — they were a failure of governance. We’re hearing about a hurricane siren system that was rejected due to “cost concerns,” even though most Americans now carry cell phones with built-in emergency alert systems. If it wasn’t about the money, then it was about cutting corners — and either way, people died. Worse still, we’re learning that early warnings were available. But the very people who would’ve sounded the alarm were gone — gutted by Trump’s hollowing out of the Department of Energy and other key agencies. The infrastructure to protect people existed — and you let him tear it down. Then there’s Kristi Noem, sitting on FEMA approval for 72 hours because she thinks $100,000 is too much to spend in an emergency. Maybe for one person — sure. But for an entire county or region? Add some zeroes. Anyone who’s ever survived a natural disaster knows that 72 hours is an eternity. People drown in that time. People die waiting for help. No, I don’t think FEMA is perfect — but you don’t kill the system before you build a replacement. You don’t fire the people who sound the alarm. And you don’t throw up your hands and say “we can’t afford it” while cutting checks to ICE for $350 billion. Every state will face something this year — floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, quakes, maybe even volcanoes. And every one of them will suffer if this is the level of preparation and response you continue to accept. Big talk means nothing without action. And right now, this administration is proving it can’t deliver either. Do your job. Stop pretending this is acceptable.