Good Reads: Senators Giving John Thune Headaches | A Year Later: No NC FEMA Buyouts Have Been Approved | The Apron Museum

Congress returns to work next week. The focus will be on completing the 8 remaining FY 26 appropriations bills that fund the federal government. The bills much be approved and signed into law by January 30 to avoid a government shutdown. POLITICO has an interesting piece on the current political environment in Congress with These 3 Republican Senators are giving John Thune headaches. These Senators are offering amendments to the appropriations bills to gum up the work. When you get an action alert to reach out to your Senators on an amend from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) or Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) know that you are offering your Senators the proof they need that these amendments are not broadly supported and should be opposed.

Disaster recovery is critical to the resilience of tourism communities, and all communities have a stake in the effort by the Trump Administration to reform the nation’s lead disaster recovery agency FEMA. It is important that the national news media continues to cover the lackluster Hurricane Helene recovery effort by the federal government and FEMA. The Washington Post reported on December 26, in Hundreds of residents signed up for FEMA buyouts after Helene. Not one has been approved.

A great America 250 Destination: The New York Times reports on Where Do Aprons Go to Retire? A Tiny Museum in Mississippi.