Panel Pushes Local-First, Private-Heavy Overhaul of FEMA

A Trump-appointed council proposes transforming FEMA into a locally executed, federally supported agency with a lump-sum disaster funding model, higher thresholds for federal declarations, reduced federal environmental reviews, and a larger private-sector role in flood insurance, aiming for efficiency and accountability but drawing criticism for potentially weakening disaster preparedness as climate-driven disasters rise and local capacities remain uneven; many recommendations require new legislation.