The Federal Emergency Management Agency has an essential public mission: helping communities prepare for emergencies, terrorism and other serious threats. Running elections is not part of that mission. FEMA does not register voters. It does not select voting equipment. It does not count or certify ballots. Yet the agency attempted to use money intended to protect communities from terrorism as leverage to make states and local governments change how they administer elections.

Across today's briefing, the strongest thread is public institutions under pressure to prove their value: preserving Black history, protecting political integrity, strengthening local civic life and keeping independent media and music accessible as technology and policy reshape the public square.