FEMA Review Council recommends major overhaul for disaster agency

NPR | By Rebecca Hersher

Published May 8, 2026 at 4:43 AM EDT

The FEMA Review Council set up by President Trump is recommending major changes to the country's top disaster agency.

Rebecca Hersher

Rebecca Hersher (she/her) is a reporter on NPR's Science Desk, where she reports on outbreaks, natural disasters, and environmental and health research. Since coming to NPR in 2011, she has covered the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, embedded with the Afghan army after the American combat mission ended, and reported on floods and hurricanes in the U.S. She's also reported on research about puppies. Before her work on the Science Desk, she was a producer for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered in Los Angeles.

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