Congress needs to step up

From American's Newspaper of Record.

I kid, really. I'm not yet convinced of the stories about FEMA blocking humanitarian aid. Not that I think they'd hesitate if someone pointed out that a blank had been left in an 80-page application: they might not do it to exact revenge on a lot of mouth-breathing alt-right hillbillies, but they'd certainly feel justified in some kind of safety-first protocol stretched insanely out of proportion to the emergency circumstances. FEMA is very comfortable dealing with other huge, sclerotic bureaucracies. They seem to lack the faintest clue what first and second responders need to do, and everyone is probably lucky if they hog some of the last few decent short-term rental spaces available and sit by their phones awaiting orders. A few years from now, some of them may be dispensing some helpful aid to strapped local governments.

UPDATE: After reading Thomas Doubting's linked blog account of another NC mountain community's experience, I'm thinking I judged all of FEMA too harshly. They must have some people who aren't pointy-headed bureaucrats. Not that any of them came to my county, as far as I know. The one FEMA bigwig who addressed my Commissioners Court made me angrier than I've often been in my life, and spurred me to run for office.

Testing newfound ability to add images using Chrome instead of Brave, here is a dog we rescued last year, on her way home from being spayed. She was successfully treated for heartworms and adopted by a couple with a dog so similar they swear they are brother and sister from the same litter reunited: