The Nebraska-based nonprofit organization told The Guardian on Tuesday, Dec. 31, that it is the largest project the group has taken on.
New year, new trees
Arbor Day Foundation officials said they will replant various species of native trees with the help of 25,000 volunteers over four years. Trees will be planted in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The nonprofit organization revealed it will start with community giveaways and evolve those efforts into replanting trees at the beginning of 2025.
Officials with the project said a major area of early attention would be schools, low-income neighborhoods and community spaces.
The Arbor Day Foundation noted trees are vital to communities.
Helping communities rebuild
Project managers said the replanted trees will reduce stormwater runoff, provide shade in hot summer months and reduce electric bills by providing a much-needed cooling effect on homes.
The group will replant fruit trees in “food deserts,” areas where residents have limited access to fresh fruit or produce.
“In seeing the devastation of Helene and Milton, we felt a strong pull to make a bold commitment to recovery, and we weren’t alone,” the statement said.
The Arbor Day Foundation noted it “received an outpouring of calls and emails from people eager to help.”
Insured losses from natural disasters top $100B for 5th straight year
Hurricane season in the United States has been over for about two weeks but the damage totals are still coming in. Around the world, disaster costs have mounted.
For the fifth straight year, insured losses have topped $100 billion globally, according to the Swiss Re Institute. Those are financial damages covered by an insurance policy.
The institute says two-thirds of the $135 billion in insured losses came as a result of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as a high frequency of thunderstorms in the U.S.
Helene was a Category 4 storm in September. It pounded the Southeast with more than 40 trillion gallons of rain, according to AccuWeather. That led to destructive flooding that washed away roads, bridges and buildings in mountain towns in western North Carolina.
Hurricane Milton came next in early October, roaring ashore just south of Tampa, Florida. Massive flooding, storm surge and vicious winds did the most damage. The chief economist at Swiss Re says economic development continues to be the main driver of the rise in insured losses from floods.
The Biden administration has sent a $100 billion request to Congress to help Americans affected by the major disasters in 2024 and 2023. However, the legislative year is winding down with the Senate slated to adjourn next Friday, Dec. 20.
It’s not just the United States. The Institute says $10 billion in insured losses were attributed to Europe, where storms led to flooding in places like the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Spain, Romania and Italy.
Hurricane season comes to an end after record-breaking year
For many families in 2024, the holidays will look different due to a devastating hurricane season. From homes being destroyed to lives lost, this season left a trail of destruction stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the East Coast.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends Saturday, Nov. 30, has been one of the busiest on record. Meteorologists said 11 hurricanes formed, compared to the typical seven.
One of the earliest and most destructive storms was Hurricane Beryl, which made history as the first Category 4 hurricane to form in June. The storm first slammed into islands in the Caribbean and later became the earliest-ever Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic on July 1. A week later, Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane.
In September, Hurricane Helene became the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, claiming more than 200 lives. Helene caused nearly $49 billion in damage across several states, including North Carolina, Florida and Georgia.
Homes were destroyed, drinking water systems were knocked offline, farms were wiped out and large areas of forest were decimated. In rural areas of the Carolinas, where flooding is rare, communities were under several feet of water. The effects of the storm were felt as far north as the Great Lakes, where heavy rainfall triggered widespread flooding.
As the season continued into October, Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified, reaching wind speeds of 180 miles per hour. Milton became one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, second only to Hurricane Rita in 2005. The storm came on the heels of Helene, compounding the already severe damage in some regions of Florida.
Even as the season neared its end, another storm formed. Hurricane Rafael, which nearly became the strongest November hurricane on record in the Gulf, reached winds of up to 120 miles per hour as it hovered over Cuba.
With each storm’s passing, recovery efforts followed. But with back-to-back hurricanes like Helene and Milton, disaster relief efforts were stretched thin. FEMA’s disaster relief fund is now down to less than $5 billion, according to agency testimony during the week of Nov. 18. The Biden administration requested nearly $100 billion in disaster aid from Congress, with $40 billion of that earmarked for replenishing FEMA’s disaster relief fund.
While there is relief with the official end of the hurricane season, The Weather Channel cautioned that just because the season is over doesn’t mean no more storms can form. While over 97% of Atlantic storm activity typically occurs between June and September, outlier storms can still wreak havoc.
Mexico’s president refutes Trump’s claim she promised to close the border
President-elect Donald Trump said Mexico has agreed to stem the tide of migrants flowing into the United States, but Mexico’s president is now saying that’s not quite accurate. And Amazon workers are using Black Friday to make a statement about their labor situation. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
Mexico’s president refutes Trump’s claim she promised to close the border
As President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to return to office, he’s already making moves to follow through on some of his biggest campaign promises. After announcing this week his plans to impose tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico, he turned his attention to another hot-button issue: immigration.
It’s a bit of a case of “he said, she said” after Trump had a call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday, Nov. 27. President-elect Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the call saying Sheinbaum agreed to stop migration into the U.S. through Mexico, “effectively closing our southern border.”
Sheinbaum appeared to contradict Trump in a post of her own on X, saying in part, “Mexico’s position is not to close borders…”
She did, however, lay out Mexico’s “comprehensive strategy” for addressing the migration issue. In a separate post on X, Sheinbaum said during the call, she told President-elect Trump, “No caravans are arriving at the border because they are being attended to in Mexico.”
En nuestra conversación con el presidente Trump, le expuse la estrategia integral que ha seguido México para atender el fenómeno migratorio, respetando los derechos humanos. Gracias a ello se atiende a las personas migrantes y a las caravanas previo a que lleguen a la frontera.…
The two leaders also talked about how they’re addressing the U.S. fentanyl crisis.
The call was scheduled after Trump unveiled plans to slap 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico to the U.S. as part of the effort to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. through Mexico.
Not only would that impact the prices of avocados and agave — both very popular in the U.S. — Mexico’s economy secretary said Wednesday 88% of all North American pickup trucks come from Mexico. Sheinbaum then suggested Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own.
“I hope he rethinks it,” Biden said. “I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do. You know, one of the things you’ve heard me say before is that we are – we have an unusual situation in America. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and two allies: Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships.”
Economists forecast Trump’s planned tariffs would increase prices for American shoppers, costing the average U.S. household about $2,600 per year, according to an estimate from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Israel and Hezbollah both claim ceasefire violations
Barely three days into a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, both sides are claiming violations.
Yesterday, Hezbollah had a precision-guided missile manufacturing site—today, they don’t.
Hezbollah’s largest precision-guided missiles manufacturing site, 1.4km wide and 70m underground, was struck and dismantled by IAF fighter jets yesterday.
Lebanese authorities also said two people, who were trying to return to southern Lebanon, were shot and wounded by Israeli forces. Lebanon’s health ministry said they were civilians, but the IDF claimed they were suspected of violating terms of the truce.
The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, includes an initial two-month ceasefire during which Hezbollah militants will withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border.
Thousands of Amazon workers to strike from Black Friday to Cyber Monday
Amazon workers in more than 20 countries, including the U.S., are on strike on some of the busiest pre-Christmas shopping days across the world. It started on Black Friday, Nov. 29, a day for bargain hunters to score some of the biggest discounts from stores across the country as holiday shopping kicks into high gear.
Organizers told the United Nations the so-called “days of resistance” are to hold Amazon accountable for alleged labor abuses, as well as “environmental degradation and threats to democracy.” According to ABC News, the strike could delay holiday deliveries.
The organizers said this is their fifth year of labor action against Amazon during the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
In a statement, Amazon said the group that organized the strikes is being “intentionally misleading” and promoting a “false narrative.” Management said the company offers great pay and benefits.
Canada sues Google over control of online ads
Canada’s antitrust watchdog said it is suing Google over alleged anti-competitive conduct in the company’s online advertising business. They’re calling for Google to sell off two of its ad tech services and pay a penalty.
The Competition Bureau said it’s necessary because an investigation into Google found the company “unlawfully” tied together its ad tech tools to maintain its dominant market position. Google insists the online advertising market is a highly competitive sector and is fighting the allegations.
This comes just a week after the U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser, saying it continues to crush the competition through its dominant search engine.
America facing a live Christmas tree shortage again
As millions of Americans get ready to begin their search for the perfect Christmas tree, growers are having historic challenges getting them to sale lots, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The day after Thanksgiving is usually the biggest day for live tree sales, but since Thanksgiving came so late this year, it’s a very short selling season. On top of that, a nationwide shortage is expected thanks to severe weather across the country this year, such as a northeastern drought and North Carolina floods caused by Hurricane Helene. North Carolina is the second-biggest supplier of Christmas trees in the country.
Shoppers bought roughly 21.6 million real Christmas trees in the U.S. last year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. The Department of Agriculture said the number of trees harvested in the U.S. has declined 30% since 2002, while the American population has grown 16% over the same period.
Alaska native air drops Thanksgiving turkeys to families in remote areas
In the most remote parts of Alaska a Thanksgiving turkey is hard to come by. So, one woman made sure families in roadless parts of the state had their holiday feast.
Pilot Esther Keim calls it “Alaska Turkey Bomb.” She flies in a small plane to off-the-grid homes and air drops frozen turkeys for families to enjoy for Thanksgiving.
Keim said it’s a tribute to a family friend who did the same thing for her family when she was growing up.
She started the tradition in 2022 after somebody that she knew told her they did not have much of a holiday dinner — and no turkey at all. Since then, she has delivered 30 to 40 turkeys every year to families living in remote areas of Alaska.
NC Gov. Cooper vetoes bill weakening Dems, providing disaster aid
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, D, vetoed a bill that would strip powers from incoming Gov. Josh Stein and other Democrats assuming statewide elected offices. Republican legislators updated a bill setting aside disaster relief money for areas affected by Hurricane Helene, adding provisions that take powers away from elected Democrats.
The bill sets aside over $200 million for relief, but other aid provisions were cut. Most of the current bill focuses on changing laws related to state government powers.
Republicans will lose their legislative supermajorities in the state next year, but they will still hold majorities in both sections of the state Legislature.
If passed, the bill will move many powers from positions set to be held by Democrats to ones set to be held by Republicans.
It moves power over the State Board of Elections from the Democratic governor and governor-elect, to the state auditor. The incoming auditor, Dave Boliek, is a Republican.
This legislation is a sham. It does not send money to Western North Carolina.
Gov. Roy Cooper, North Carolina.
Two state judges elected by voters would lose their roles, with the bill giving the power to appoint their replacements to the Legislature. North Carolina’s attorney general and attorney general-elect, both Democrats, would lose the power to argue against laws passed by the state Legislature.
Gov. Cooper issued sharp criticism of the bill in a statement, along with his veto.
“This legislation was titled disaster relief but instead violates the constitution by taking appointments away from the next Governor,” he said.
Republican sponsors say the bill fixes a host of issues in state government. In particular, they allege the state election board has operated unfairly under Democratic control.
The state Legislature returns Monday, Dec. 1. Republicans have overridden all 11 of Cooper’s previous vetoes this year. However, a handful of Republican legislators say they have concerns with the bill.
Republicans would need every single member to side with them to successfully override the veto, unless they can persuade any Democrats to join them.
FEMA head calls for Inspector General review of fired anti-Trump employee
The head of FEMA said it is continuing the investigation into a former supervisor who told employees to avoid homes with Trump gear when responding to a hurricane. Administrator Deanne Criswell said she asked the inspector general to do a full review of the incident and is working with the office of special counsel to see if there was a Hatch Act violation, a law that ensures federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.
“This type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold all people accountable if they violate our standards of conduct,” Criswell told Congress.
Criswell appeared before the House Oversight Committee Tuesday, Nov. 19, as lawmakers try to determine if there is a political bias within the agency. It all started after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, when a FEMA employee wrote to 11 people whom they supervised, “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
The employee was promptly fired. However, that employee spoke to multiple news outlets and said they believed they were following orders. Criswell firmly denied the accusations.
“I do not believe that this employee’s actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA,” Criswell said. “There is nothing in any of our policies, our training or information sent out to our field workers to avoid any home for whatever reason, especially not because of a political affiliation.”
Republicans contend this proves their concerns about political bias within bureaucratic agencies are legitimate.
“Democrats claim President Trump is trying to politicize the civil service, but situations like the one at FEMA validate our concerns that it is already politicized,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said.
Democrats pointed to instances they said Trump provided or withheld aid based on the political leanings of the impacted area.
“President Trump all too often deliberately directed disaster aid based on the party politics of local leadership and past electoral performance, not the needs of the community and disaster survivor,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said.
Raskin gave specific examples, including Trump denying aid to North Carolina’s Democratic governor and his delay in providing aid to wildfire victims in California.
Militia group reportedly threatens military, claims gov’t orchestrated NC hurricane
A far-right militia group, Veterans on Patrol, is spreading unfounded claims that the U.S. military caused Hurricane Helene using weather manipulation technology, according to a report from The Guardian. The group’s inflammatory rhetoric, shared on Telegram, includes calls for attacks on military equipment and infrastructure, raising concerns about potential violence.
Veterans on Patrol, led by Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer, has a long history of spreading conspiracy theories and engaging in vigilante activities. Recently, the group claimed the hurricane, which killed over 200 people and devastated parts of western North Carolina, was an “act of war” orchestrated to secure lithium mines and advance so-called “smart city” developments.
Posts from the group’s Telegram account proposed violent actions, including targeting military bases, destroying power and water lines, and detaining military leaders. A poll conducted in the group’s public Telegram channel showed 72% of respondents supporting these measures, prompting fears of escalation among extremism watchdogs.
Getty Images
FEMA, tasked with Hurricane Helene recovery, was forced to alter its relief efforts in North Carolina due to militia threats. One individual has already been arrested for armed intimidation.
This isn’t Veterans on Patrol’s first clash with authorities. The group previously vandalized migrant water stations in Arizona and falsely accused homeless encampments of being trafficking hubs.
Meanwhile, recovery in efforts western North Carolina continue. On Monday, Nov. 18, nearly two months after Hurricane Helene struck, Asheville’s water system was fully restored, allowing over 100,000 residents to drink and bathe safely for the first time since the storm.
Biden administration requests $100B for disaster relief after hurricanes
The Biden administration is calling for bipartisan action and urging Congress to quickly pass a nearly $100 billion disaster relief spending bill. Around $40 billion of the money requested will go to FEMA’s disaster relief fund as Americans in the Southeast are still cleaning up from major back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Further, $24 billion would go to the Department of Agriculture to help farmers, $12 billion would be given to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fund for communities, $8 billion would go toward road and bridge repair, $4 billion for water system upgrades and $2 billion to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program.
“From rebuilding homes and reopening critical infrastructure, such as schools and roads — to supporting the nation’s farmers and ranchers and ensuring access to healthcare services — impacted communities await your response. There can be no delay,” President Joe Biden wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Biden noted that such hefty supplemental disaster aid is not a new thing. More than $120 billion was provided after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017.
Congress must now decide whether to take up the request as a standalone bill or packaged with the end-of-year spending bill.
FEMA criticized over unanswered calls after hurricanes
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) faced criticism after new data revealed nearly half of calls for disaster assistance following Hurricanes Helene and Milton went unanswered. Almost half of the callers seeking aid never connected with a federal worker, and those who managed to connect waited over an hour on average to reach assistance.
The report surfaced as the Harris-Biden administration faced mounting criticism from conservatives regarding their handling of disaster relief efforts. Many survivors expressed frustration, including a North Carolina man whose home was flooded.
After calling FEMA, he learned he was 675th in line. This has highlighted the backlog that has drawn increasing scrutiny of the agency’s response.
Former President Donald Trump also criticized the federal response. He described it as “terrible” and added to complaints that some relief workers may lack direction and sit idle.
FEMA reported staffing shortages weeks after the two hurricanes ravaged six states. The Small Business Administration (SBA) even exhausted its emergency loan funds.
FEMA stated it was currently responding to 110 major disasters with only about 530 workers available for new assignments. For comparison, during peak hurricane response efforts in 2017, the agency had over 1,700 workers on standby.
Officials at FEMA acknowledged the strain, admitting that the agency remained understaffed. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently warned FEMA might not have sufficient funds for the remainder of the hurricane season.
Despite challenges, FEMA has continued providing aid. It reported $1.2 billion in relief distributed to survivors in the six hardest-hit states.
However, the scale of devastation has been overwhelming. More than 100 people lost their lives in North Carolina alone. Hurricane Helene claimed 229 lives across seven states.
Brock Long, a former FEMA administrator, called the agency a “broken system,” noting that FEMA employees are overextended as they manage every aspect of disaster recovery.
With Tropical Storm Rafael forming in the Caribbean, officials and residents were reminded of the urgency of FEMA’s role in disaster preparedness and response. Although Rafael’s path remained uncertain, forecasters monitored its movement northward toward Jamaica and Cuba.
For now, FEMA pledged to remain in impacted communities as long as necessary. However, without additional resources, questions lingered over the agency’s capacity to respond effectively to the next disaster.
North Carolina needs $53B to recover from Helene, ‘redneck air force’ steps in
New numbers revealed the cost of destruction to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. The state needs at least a record $53 billion to recover.
That number includes damages and potential investments to prevent similar destruction in future storms.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, D, said the state’s previous record for storm damage was $17 billion from Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Helene caused 1,400 landslides in western North Carolina and damaged or destroyed around 126,000 homes. More than 1,000 bridges and at least 6,000 miles of roads were also damaged.
Nearly 40 of the state’s 100 counties are within the federally declared disaster area.
Critics say the government didn’t act fast enough following the storm, which led to private citizens forming their own homegrown rescue and supply operation known as the “redneck air force.”
The group, created by Savage Freedoms, includes current and former soldiers, special operations pilots and helicopter tour guides.
The group is using its own aircraft to fly doctors, medicine, generators, fuel and food to isolated residents, relying on donations to fund the project.
FEMA said it has shipped over 9 million meals and more than 11 million liters of water.
Lawmakers plan to meet for a one-day session on Thursday, Oct. 24, to advance additional hurricane recovery legislation for North Carolina. They already approved a $273 million package.
