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Show notes
A little while back, our friends over at On the Media released a gripping and immersive reporting series about FEMA, the agency that is supposed to be there for all of us in the wake of disaster. In [https://link.podtrac.com/2ogq6g7y"]( _American Emergency_ ( OTM investigates how the agency tasked with saving America became distrusted, despised… and defunded. Today we talk to _On the Media_ co-host Micah Loewinger about how this project came out, what reporting went into making it happen, and play a couple of fun and truly surprising bits of the story that the OTM team uncovered. And it’s a story that highlights the ideal and promise of good government, right alongside the frustration with bureaucracy and mismanagement, and of course the undercurrent of profound mistrust in governmental power. As natural disasters are getting more extreme and less predictable, this series makes sense of that tangle, and provides a prescient peek into FEMA’s future. _Special thanks to_ [https://link.podtrac.com/2ogq6g7y"]( _On the Media_([https://zpr.io/MtrUmJU3yEMW)_._ To hear Micah in person, talking more about the complex history of FEMA, https://wnyc.org/events/otm-fema" target="\_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">join him on June 24th at WNYC's The Greene Space](https://zpr.io/MtrUmJU3yEMW%29 .) ([https://wnyc.org/events/otm-fema).](https://wnyc.org/events/otm-fema%29. ) _Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show._ [https://radiolab.org/newsletter"]( _Sign up_ ([https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!](https://radiolab.org/newsletter%29! ) _Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of_ [http://members.radiolab.org"]( _The Lab_ _( today._ _Follow our show on_ [http://instagram.com/radiolab"]( _Instagram_ _,_ [http://twitter.com/radiolab"]( _Twitter_ _and_ [http://facebook.com/radiolab"]( _Facebook_ _@radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing_ [_radiolab@wnyc.org_](mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org)_._ _Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation._ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See [pcm.adswizz.com]( https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.