MSNBC Highlights — July 10

FEMA and Disaster Response - Congressman Jared Bosowitz criticizes Christine Gnome's leadership at FEMA, stating she "has no idea what she's doing" and that her decisions may have caused additional deaths in Texas [2][3][4][7] - FEMA is allegedly cutting grants to states for capacity building while simultaneously telling them they need more capacity, and pausing grants of $10 billion for previously approved disasters [3] - The acting FEMA administrator, David Richardson, reportedly has zero emergency management experience and makes no decisions without Christine Gnome's approval [4] - Swiftwater rescue crews were allegedly delayed for 72 hours due to Christine Gnome's lack of approval, rendering them useless upon arrival [4][5] - Congressman Bosowitz sent a letter to the Homeland Security and Transportation Committees requesting a full investigation into FEMA's decision-making timeline and deviation from protocols [7] - FEMA is deemed "mandatory" and essential for states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina to avoid bankruptcy after disasters [9][10][11] - There is a bipartisan bill to remove FEMA from Homeland Security to improve its speed and efficiency [9][10] - The regional administrator position in Florida (Region 4) is currently vacant, and regional offices are reportedly 20-30% empty due to forced departures [16] - Secretary of Homeland Security Christy Gnome allegedly delayed the federal response to deadly flooding in Texas for more than 3 days [31] - Secretary Gnome required direct approval of any DHS contract worth more than $100,000, creating a bottleneck and delay in disaster relief efforts [31] - A $3 million grant dedicated to creating a state-of-the-art system to warn local communities quickly about extreme weather was canceled [35] Tariffs and Trade - President Trump is threatening a new 35% tariff on goods from Canada and blanket tariffs of 15-20% on all remaining countries [29] - Mike Pence states that tariffs are a tax, and American consumers and businesses ultimately pay almost all of that cost, potentially leading to a $3,000 increase in the cost of goods for the average American household [29] - A 20% tariff on goods from Canada could lead to higher prices and empty shelves in the United States, potentially exceeding the worst inflation rate under Biden [29] Russia and Ukraine - The US is resuming deliveries of some weapons to Ukraine [29] - Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russia's foreign minister to exchange "new ideas" about ending the war, despite a massive Russian attack on Kyiv [29] - House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thun are prepared to move forward with new sanctions on Russia [29] - President Trump will have a major statement on Russia come Monday [29] Birthright Citizenship - A federal district court judge in New Hampshire issued a nationwide injunction to stop Donald Trump's executive order denying birthright citizenship to babies born in the US [24] - The judge certified a class-action lawsuit of babies born in the US who could be denied citizenship by Donald Trump's order [25] - The executive order allegedly violates the 14th amendment to the US Constitution and conflicts with binding Supreme Court precedent [28] Justice Department and Political Interference - A lawyer in the Trump Justice Department, Erez Reveni, was fired for telling a federal judge the truth about an immigration case [16] - Politico obtained emails and text messages showing that Emil Bove, a former criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump, played a key role in a decision to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador despite a judge's order [17][18] - CIA Director John Ratcliffe allegedly ordered analysts to review the 2016 intelligence assessment on Russian interference in the election, but the review validated the original findings [36][37][38][39] - The Senate Intelligence Committee's 1300-page report confirms that Russia interfered in the election to denigrate Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump [53][54][55]