Florida could face greater financial burdens than other states if President Trump slashes federal resources for disaster relief, a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: President Trump this year floated "fundamentally overhauling or reforming" FEMA, or "maybe getting rid" of it entirely — fueling concerns that U.S. disaster relief could be thrown into chaos.

By the numbers: Florida would be hit especially hard by reductions in federal relief funding, according to the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database.

• The state received an average of about $2.1 billion a year in FEMA and HUD relief funding from 2015 to 2024, covering 17 disasters.
• That's equal to 2.8% of Florida's around $75 billion in overall spending in fiscal year 2023.

Zoom in: FEMA doled out around $1 billion to the state last year — $53 million for Debby, $559 million for Milton and over $630 million for Helene.

• Hurricanes Helene and Milton battered Tampa Bay and caused about $5 billion in damage across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties alone, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
• In Hillsborough, county commissioners had to lean on an affordable housing trust to cover some of the cost for displaced residents.

What they're saying: "Up to now, when there is a disaster, the [federal] government responds," says Sarah Labowitz of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who led this analysis.

• "They clean up the debris, they rebuild the schools, they run shelters, they clean the drinking water."

Driving the news: Trump is reportedly mulling an executive order empowering state and local governments to handle disaster readiness and relief, and he has already created a "FEMA review council."

• FEMA and other federal agencies funnel billions of dollars to individuals and communities affected by disasters, ranging from building and infrastructure assistance to financial and direct services for households.
• It's unclear how or whether Trump's order could change that.
• Part of FEMA's utility is also overseeing people, including relief experts who can be dispatched to states as needed after disaster strikes.

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The University of South Florida is under increasing scrutiny from the Trump administration, which now is reportedly taking aim at a fellowship that sought to boost Black and Hispanic faculty representation.

Why it matters: It's the latest attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which have been repeatedly targeted since Trump came into office.

The latest: The Department of Education announced its investigations into USF and dozens of other colleges last week for what it described as "impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation."

Zoom in: The department singled out the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program, which is intended to increase African American and Hispanic faculty representation in Florida universities, per the Tampa Bay Times.

• The department alleges that the fellowship, which is available at other Florida universities, runs afoul of federal anti-discrimination law because it provides "graduate school funding exclusively for full-time doctoral students who are African American or Hispanic."
• The letter requests data from USF about the McKnight program and its participants, according to the Times.

Between the lines: DEI programs are meant to provide equal opportunities for people of color, but some Trump allies frame them instead as "race-exclusionary," Axios' Alex Thompson has reported.

• That aligns with their desire to reinterpret Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color.

Meanwhile, USF, the University of Tampa and other universities across the U.S. received a letter from the department earlier this month warning that their federal funds could be cut if they don't address allegations of antisemitic harassment on campus.

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The St. Pete Police Department identified a body found last week in Weedon Island Preserve as that of 17-year-old Allister Samer Nasr, who was reported missing. There were no signs of trauma or foul play. (Tampa Bay Times)

🚌 The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority saw an uptick in ridership after making one of its busiest routes, between the University Area and Downtown Tampa, free. (WFTS)

🐣 Tampa firefighters rescued ducklings trapped in a storm drain yesterday at a Publix parking lot. (WFLA)

Even more fun concerts are coming to Tampa Bay this year.

• Billy Strings. April 9, Yuengling Center
• Chicago. April 11, The BayCare Sound
• Khruangbin with Helado Negro. April 18, The BayCare Sound
• Cynthia Erivo with The Florida Orchestra. May 2, Mahaffey Theater and May 3, Ruth Eckerd Hall
• Halsey. May 24, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
• Wu-Tang Clan with Run the Jewels. June 10, Amalie Arena
• Victor Manuelle. June 13, Yuengling Center
• Rainbow Kitten Surprise with Michael Marcagi. June 18, The BayCare Sound
• The Offspring with Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory. July 12, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
• Counting Crows with The Gaslight Anthem. July 20, The BayCare Sound
• Katy Perry with Rebecca Black. Aug. 22, Amalie Arena
• Jason Aldean with Nate Smith and Raelynn. Oct. 3, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
• Papa Roach and Rise Against with Underoath. Oct. 4, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
• The Lumineers with Chance Peña. Oct. 8, Amalie Arena
• Lainey Wilson with ERNEST and Drake Milligan. Nov. 7, Amalie Arena

Go deeper: Check out our running 2025 concert guide here.

👋 Kathryn here. Over the weekend I stopped at my favorite spot for a sweet treat, Café Clementine, and noticed the magnificent Bombax ceiba tree outside the Museum of Fine Arts is in bloom.

Fun fact: Also known as a red silk cotton tree, its natural range is in east Africa and parts of Africa and Australia.

• They're fast-growing and can reach heights of more than 160 feet.

It doesn't stay this way for long, so catch it while you can!