A member of North Carolina’s largest school district’s board slammed critics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and said the term is being bandied about by people who are racist in place of the "n-word."

Wake County Schools board member Sam Hershey began his remarks at last week’s meeting in Raleigh by saying that if people are "searching for truth, we’re going to have to wait about four more years for that because, man, I’ve never seen someone lie so much as that person," in an apparent reference to President Donald Trump.

Hershey, who is White, said that in recognition of Black History Month, he wanted to make some remarks about DEI in a meeting video posted to YouTube.

"I really want to highlight, as Dr. Ng mentioned, we're celebrating 250 [years of America] next year that … it’s really important to talk about people being hired based on their skin color. And for 250 years, it has been mediocre White men who have been hired based on their skin color."

DOGE SLASHES $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

"And those are facts. – I've heard people say DEI is racist. If that's what you believe, you know nothing about diversity, equity, inclusion, and you know nothing about racism. And that speaks to you as a human being."

Speaking about Wake County as a whole, which includes Raleigh as well as Fuquay-Varina and Zebulon, Hershey said DEI ensures kids who need more educational help receive it without lowering standards.

"That's the thing that drives me nuts the most," Hershey said. "That's being real. And I've said this before: People who throw around ‘DEI hire,’ they're just replacing the n-word with ‘DEI hire.’ That's what they want to say. We get it. You guys are all losers."

BALTIMORE SUES TRUMP FOR DITCHING DEI

He referenced the recent helicopter-plane collision above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia, where some pundits were hypothesizing about the personal identifiers of the pilots involved.

"Should I see a Black pilot or do I think they're a DEI hire? No, that's racism to think that way."

In Wake County Schools, he said, candidates are hired based on their qualifications and that it would be insulting not to do so.

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"We’ve got vacancies, so we're not turning away people because they're White," he said.

A communications official for Wake County Schools told Fox News Digital, "I don't have any information to share with you," when reached on Thursday.

Superintendent Robert Taylor did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and several assistant superintendents, as well as Hershey, did not respond to emailed inquiries whether any reprimand or other action was being considered because of his remarks.

On X, formerly Twitter, Hershey's comments led to criticism, including one user who asked if he had ever listened to speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"What happened to a world where one is not judged by the color of his skin (or other immutable outward characteristics for that matter?). Why should anyone consider skin color in hiring?"

"Sam Hershey has decades of experience in 'white man mediocrity," another user wrote. "Not exactly the best and brightest Wake County has to offer."

The spread of DOGE-centric legislation and bureaucracies has taken off like a SpaceX rocket in several states across the country since Elon Musk and lawmakers like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., began their work this year.

Bean, chair of the bipartisan DOGE Caucus, was asked about copycat initiatives popping up around the country and remarked, "America has DOGE fever."

"As elected officials, we must ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This means we must identify, investigate and eliminate wasteful spending."

With a governor’s race in November and President Donald Trump only losing their state by a historically small margin, Garden State Republicans appeared bullish this week as they put forth a proposal to "bring DOGE to New Jersey."

‘DOGE MEETS CONGRESS’: LAWMAKER LAUNCHES NEW PANEL ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

GOP Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Christopher DePhillips recently introduced Resolution 213 to create the NJ Delegation on Government Efficiency within the Treasury Department.

Sauickie quoted former President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 retort that "government is like a baby – an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other."

"Except babies, if raised and disciplined rightly, grow into adults who usually become productive members of society. Those adopting our state budgets show no such discipline," Sauickie said, adding that it is time for "grownups to take responsibility and say ‘no’" to reckless spending.

Some Trenton lawmakers have painted New Jersey’s financial outlook as a "fiscal cliff," and DePhillips blamed outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy for claiming he inherited the problem from Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

"Taxpayers want accountability for how their hard-earned money is spent," DePhillips said.

He also called on Murphy to "stop fighting Trump" and lower New Jersey’s business taxes before the third-founded state in the union "loses out" on the potential upswing of the new administration.

Republican state Sen. Joe Pennacchio added in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he would be forming a DOGE committee in the state legislature.

"We're mirroring what the federal government and what [Musk is] doing," said Pennacchio.

TOP DOGE LAWMAKER SAYS TRUMP ALREADY RACKING UP WINS

This week, Kentucky lawmakers also prioritized government efficiency measures, with Republican state Rep. Jared Bauman forwarding a bill to establish a working group to help the state treasury modernize its tax collections and accounting.

In Texas, lawmakers in both the state Senate and House are working on DOGE-centric initiatives.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Brandon Creighton, a Republican, first oversaw the passage of the strongest DEI ban in the U.S. during the 2023 session, which eliminated billions in taxpayer-funded waste and refocused public universities on education over social issues.

After DOGE formed at the federal level, Creighton said Texas is already a model for how a jurisdiction that prioritizes government efficiency will work.

"Seeing the swift action by President Trump and Elon Musk with DOGE is a welcome and necessary new era in Washington, D.C. – and I know they are just getting started," Creighton told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

"Many have said that Washington should take notes from Texas – because the Texas economic engine is proof that when government is committed to efficiency, accountability and conservative results, taxpayers win."

Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, officially the president of the Senate, announced a bill late last month called "Texas DOGE – Improving Government Efficiency," according to Bloomberg.

Another reported bill by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes would form a DOGE office in the executive branch.

Meanwhile, the Texas House is considering forming a DOGE committee to analyze government efficiency through a 13-member panel.

It would investigate fraud claims, inefficient use of tax dollars, and the use of AI, according to FOX-7.

In Missouri, Republican state Rep. Ben Baker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Missourians believe the state government is not as efficient or responsive as it should be.

"We want to look into that," said Baker.

Baker recently announced he was named to lead the state’s new DOGE Standing Committee, adding his work will "align with federal efforts."

In New Hampshire, newly-inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s first executive order created a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE).

"COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state," she said in her inaugural address.

It will be led by former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews.

North Carolina also sought to get in on the DOGE trend.

Republican House Speaker Destin Hall unveiled the new NC Select Committee on Government Efficiency.

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State Reps. Keith Kidwell and John Torbett, both Republicans, will lead the initiative, looking into waste, duplication, mismanagement and constitutional violations.

"As the new Trump administration rightfully takes aim at Washington D.C.’s wasteful spending and inefficient bureaucracy, it is time for us in Raleigh to do the same," Kidwell said in a statement.

Bean, the U.S. House’s DOGE leader, further remarked on the collective efforts: 

"It’s exciting to see states pick up the DOGE baton, and I applaud their efforts to improve government efficiency and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars."

Some in Congress, however, have cast doubt on DOGE. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said at an anti-DOGE rally that some of the actions at the federal level are "completely illegal."

President Donald Trump put the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under review on Sunday after signing an executive order aimed at "drastically" improving the agency’s efficacy, priorities and competence.

Trump’s executive order establishes the FEMA Review Council, which will be composed of no more than 20 members and co-chaired by the secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense.

The council is being formed after FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters showed the need to improve "efficacy, priorities, and competence, including evaluating whether FEMA’s bureaucracy in disaster response" hinders its ability to respond successfully.

"Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most," the executive order reads. "There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President."

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD:’ TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA

Trump also said FEMA has lost mission focus, diverting limited resources and staff to support missions outside its scope and authority. The president particularly highlighted that FEMA has spent over a billion dollars welcoming illegal immigrants.

"Americans deserve an immediate, effective, and impartial response to and recovery from disasters," the order continued. "FEMA therefore requires a full-scale review, by individuals highly experienced at effective disaster response and recovery, who shall recommend to the President improvements or structural changes to promote the national interest and enable national resilience."

TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO 'BLAME' FOR 'APOCALYPTIC' WILDFIRES

Trump announced Friday that he plans to overhaul FEMA as North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than 120 days after the storm devastated the state.

"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS

Trump promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state. 

The president also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. 

So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for through its Transitional Housing Assistance program. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

We have all experienced emergencies in which adrenaline takes over; we max out the credit cards, do what has to be done in the moment and worry about the consequences later.

In western North Carolina, four months after the horrible devastation of Hurricane Helene, later is now.

Tucked into the shadow of the aptly named Smoky Mountains, this city of 95,000 is postcard pretty, yet physical scars and working crews seem to lurk around every corner of red bricks and cozy cafés.

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA ‘GAVE PEOPLE HOPE,’ SAYS REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM

The good news is that most places, at least in downtown, are open. At the Jack in the Woods restaurant and pub on Friday evening, a sizable crowd was gathered, some from out of town, there to see a performance by the Kill Tony comedy show, another sign of returning normalcy.

I was told that the restaurant was closed for two months, then managed to get a water pump and opened with a limited menu until the water was finally turned back on.

But when I asked the bartender, one of a classic kind who seems to know everyone and everything about the town, if things felt normal, she looked at me almost shocked

"No, absolutely not," she said.

I asked her and a few other locals, including a man in his forties who works for a local school district, how much time each day they still spend either doing something hurricane-related or thinking about the hurricane. Four months later, both gave just about the same answer: "Almost all day."

In a stunning admission, the bartender told me that the day she got her electricity back was bittersweet.

"It was better obviously," she said. "But we had all been coming together in this amazing way and once I could watch TV, I just wanted to stay home."

As bad as the damage is in Asheville, in the surrounding rural areas it is much worse, which is why Mark Luckinbill and a few friends who live in Raleigh discovered a unique way to help: Installing mailboxes. Desperate to assist local communities in Avery County, Mark was told by a pastor’s wife there that they really needed heavy equipment.

"All I had was a friend, my hands and a couple of shovels," Mark told me.

Then something happened. The pastor’s wife remembered an elderly woman with no cell phone, who was terrified because her mailbox was gone. She depended on it for getting her Social Security checks and bills.

This might not make sense to urban dwellers, but in rural America your mailbox can be half a mile down a dirt road from home. The mail carriers can't just leave parcels by the side of the road.

So they built the woman a mailbox.

Mark and his friend have now been to Avery County to install mailboxes 10 times, because it was a thing that needed to be done that they had the power and ability to do. They even have a website now.

The selflessness of neighbors helping neighbors is clear here, as is the spirit of putting others first.

One local musician I spoke to was typical. When I asked if he had been hit hard, he said, "No, we mostly were fine. I mean we didn’t have power for two months and my car and my girlfriend’s car were totaled, but nothing drastic."

In Ashville, that qualifies for "we were mostly fine." He thinks himself lucky.

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I asked if insurance had allowed them to replace the cars. He said they were lucky (again) to get one to share. 

"Insurance paid," he said, "but there’s just no cars, I can’t find anything decent under $10,000."

Not long after, his girlfriend arrived, they exchanged the keys, and he said if work went too late, he’d get an Uber.

More than 138,000 vehicles were destroyed by Hurricane Helene, a good chunk of them in western North Carolina. Walking around town, even the cars that survived show water damage on their lower half, and the state Attorney General’s office has warned of scams involving the sale of badly water-damaged cars.

Compared to the loss of a life or the destruction of a home, access to a car or a mailbox might seem like small potatoes, but they add up fast, and they are a low priority for a state and federal government still swamped by the devastation.

With President Trump’s visit on Friday, and promise of more aid, there is room for more optimism in North Carolina. But the real strength here, what is ultimately going to get the good people in and around Asheville through this, is themselves, and how they care for each other. 

There is very little that is more beautiful than that, and possibly nothing that is more American.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE DAVID MARCUS

North Carolina residents Curtis A. Wright and Amber Wright, who were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, met with President Donald Trump during his visit to their state on Friday.

Curtis A. Wright argued in an appearance on "The Will Cain Show," that he thinks that North Carolinians have "been ignored" in the wake of the hurricane and said that Trump's visit was a "big relief."

"It was a lot of relief. You know, people keep saying, how are you guys doing in Asheville? And, you know, we feel like he's [sic] been forgotten. And I don't think we've been forgotten. I think we've been ignored. So for him [Trump] to come and see us today, that was a big relief. We'd previously had JD Vance come out to our house with Samaritan's Purse and some of the Grahams. And, you know, he told us that they were coming, and we were glad to see them."

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA

Trump visited western North Carolina on Friday to meet with residents still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

Amber Wright was asked to describe how they have been living in the wake of the hurricane and said that it has been a "true nightmare."

"We just live day by day, one day at a time, trying to clean up, trying to see what our next steps are, if we're going to be able to rebuild, if we're not going to be able to rebuild. Waiting on, you know, insurance or whatever it may be. So it's been a struggle. It really has," she told host Will Cain.

North Carolina was struck by Hurricane Helene in late September and caused over 100 deaths in the state, as well as tens of millions in damage. The catastrophic flooding caused by the hurricane was described by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell as "historic."

FEMA has faced criticism for its relief efforts post-hurricane. During his visit Friday, Trump said, "FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over." 

Curtis and Amber Wright said that they had lost "everything they own" in the storm, including all of their farm equipment, and described what they would need in order to rebuild.

"What we're needing right now is a fair evaluation from our insurance company in a timely manner to pay out," Curtis Wright said. "Samaritan's Purse has been a blessing to us,They are willing to fill all the gaps that FEMA and our insurance company has not. We actually have the ability to build on higher ground on another piece of property that connects to our current farm. And that's what our hopes are, to get fair payout and just to tear down the home that we have because it's beyond 50% repairable and then start over."

While in North Carolina, Trump told reporters that he plans to sign an executive order "fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters, saying, "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

He also promised that his administration would step in to assist the clean-up efforts. "We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said.

Only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete, according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and thousands of families remain in hotels.  

Fox News' Diana Stacy contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were photographed Friday boarding Air Force One for the first time in four years. 

Trump and his wife — who was wearing a green jacket and aviator sunglasses — were seen getting onboard the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.  

The president is heading to North Carolina to survey damage from Hurricane Helene last September. 

NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT CALLS FOR ‘LARGER FEDERAL RESPONSE’ TO HELENE DAMAGE AHEAD OF TRUMP VISIT 

"We're going to North Carolina. It's a horrible thing, the way that's been allowed to fester. And we're going to get it fixed up. Should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago," Trump told reporters after leaving the White House. "North Carolina has been treated very badly." 

TRUMP TO VISIT CALIFORNIA AFTER RIPPING ‘IDIOT’ NEWSOM ON WILDFIRE 

"So we're stopping there and we are then going to go to Los Angeles and take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow but they didn't let the water flow, and they still haven't for whatever reason. So, I think we're going to have a very interesting time," Trump added. 

Trump was last photographed stepping off Air Force One on Jan. 20, 2021, while Joe Biden was being sworn in as president that day. 

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Western North Carolina on Friday to visit locals impacted by Hurricane Helene in late September.

The president and other U.S. officials — as well as some local residents — have scrutinized the federal government's response to the devastation in the months since Sept. 27, when Helene destroyed large swaths of the Appalachian region, and killed more than 100 people in North Carolina alone. 

"Throughout the transition, both President Trump and Vice President Vance repeatedly reached out to me to check in on how Western North Carolina was doing," Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of the president's visit. "That is a testament to how high of a priority the recovery and rebuilding process is for them. President Trump’s visit on Friday is welcome news for the thousands of families dealing with a state of uncertainty when it comes to securing housing."

Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd similarly told Fox News Digital that he spoke to "the president and members of his team over the weekend, and the people of Western North Carolina are among his top priorities."

TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’

"They need a Rebuilder-in-Chief who can cut through the red tape and get folks what they need as quickly as possible, and President Trump will do just that. The people of Western North Carolina will not be forgotten by me or the president," Budd said.

Some residents continue to sleep in tents and campers despite freezing temperatures. Thousands of others staying in hotel rooms funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program faced the possibility of being booted out of those rooms in early January as the TSA deadline loomed.

HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD

FEMA officials changed their tune this week, however, after receiving criticism and extended the deadline to May 26.

More than 3,000 families are eligible for the program's extension, according to FEMA. More than 10,000 households accepted temporary shelter in hotels participating in the TSA program in the aftermath of the hurricane, FEMA said last month, but most have since moved to longer-term housing.

"The Democrats don't care about North Carolina. What they've done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole [other] discussion, because all it does is complicate everything," Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, his first White House interview since his inauguration.

"So, I'm stopping on Friday. I'm stopping in North Carolina – first stop – because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I'm stopping there. We're going to get that thing straightened out because they're still suffering from a hurricane from months ago," the president continued.

WATCH: TRUMP'S INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY

Trump previously visited in October 2024 before the presidential election.

Jonathan "JP" Decker, executive director of nonprofit recovery organization Mercury One, told Fox News Digital that the president's visit will be a "blessing" to the people of Western North Carolina.

Mercury One has donated everything from RVs to propane for Hurricane Helene survivors recovering from the deadly disaster. The nonprofit also stepped up to pay for hotel rooms for those who were about to lose their TSA vouchers from FEMA this month.

"I've been there multiple times. I saw one FEMA truck," Decker said. "So, when they finally heard from the president of the United States that … we're going to help you, and the fact that [Trump is] coming in town on Friday is going to be a huge blessing just to finally see someone who's looking around taking the notes of, wow, nothing has changed."

FEMA EXTENDS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM FOR NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY HURRICANE HELENE

Decker, who has responded to multiple natural disasters and other humanitarian crises with Mercury One, said he has "never seen anything like what I've seen in Western North Carolina of just no clearing out of the debris."

"We've helped support a lot of families to just stay in hotels because FEMA had threatened to drop or just didn't communicate to drop their … hotel vouchers," Decker said. "FEMA was thinking of doing that, and then we stepped in and provided care for them. But these kids who have to go to school every day and have to see that … it's devastating because these families have had no help, and they've had to figure out: What do we do after this?"

WATCH: NC LOCALS WAIT IN LONG LINES FOR PROPANE

FEMA said people checking out of their temporary housing are returning to habitable homes or have withdrawn from FEMA assistance.

"Under President Biden, FEMA’s failure to act and communicate swiftly put vulnerable families at risk with freezing temperatures outside," Tillis told Fox News Digital. "Despite our continued pressure, FEMA made little progress in providing direct housing solutions for those most affected by Helene. Things will be changing under President Trump, and his visit shows his Administration is committed to the people of Western North Carolina as he promised during the campaign."

AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND

Tillis said he looks "forward to working with the Trump-Vance Administration to ensure that every available federal resource is deployed and that red tape preventing families from accessing housing is eliminated."

Trump announced on his first day in office that he would visit North Carolina and California amid devastating natural disasters in both states.

He made implicit reference to areas of the Smoky Mountains decimated by Hurricane Helene, claiming Democrats had abandoned the Tar Heel State in the wake of the historic storm that affected parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Fox News' Charles Crietz contributed to this report.

Western North Carolina families left without homes after Hurricane Helene swept through the Appalachian Mountain region last year received some devastating news earlier this month — their temporary FEMA housing assistance could soon come to an end, leaving them with nowhere to turn as temperatures dip below freezing. 

The agency began notifying some families checked into hotel or motel rooms that they are no longer eligible for the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program due to one of the following reasons: an inspection indicated their home is habitable, they declined an inspection or FEMA has been unable to contact them to update their housing needs.

The deadline, initially Friday, now sits on Jan. 14. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell says those who receive the notification who are still in need of housing are still eligible, but they need to contact the agency.

"There's a number of reasons why somebody might have received that notification," Criswell explained Sunday. 

TWO HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS, A FAMILY OF FOUR AND A VIETNAM VETERAN GIFTED CAMPERS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

"What we do is we call everybody. We call them every two weeks to check in on where they're at, what their status is, and is their home able to be occupied again, but one of the biggest things is when we call them, if we don't hear from them, the only thing we can do is assume that they've been back in their home. One of the things I want to make sure, if somebody has received that notification, but they haven't talked to somebody at FEMA and their situation is still in need, they are still eligible. We just need them to get in touch with us so we can talk to them. Everybody's going to have a unique circumstance. Everybody's going to have a unique situation," she added. 

"We need to work with them all individually to make sure we're getting them the right resources so they can continue to stay in a safe place until their home is either rebuilt or it's accessible."

North Carolina residents still needing assistance can contact 1-800-621-FEMA or visit a disaster recovery center to speak to someone face-to-face. 

EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WATER DROPS IN CALIFORNIA DURING WILDFIRES

Already strained by the crisis left in Helene's wake, FEMA must now also address the needs of families displaced by southern California wildfires, which continue to burn after creating billions of dollars worth of damage. 

Criswell told Fox News' Shannon Bream that California residents needing assistance should register at disasterassistance.gov and contact their personal insurance company to see what they will cover. 

"But more importantly, [what they will] not cover so they can be eligible for different programs within our system," she added.

Fox News' Audrey Conklin and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

Residents of Western North Carolina are confused about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's role in helping locals with disaster recovery after Hurricane Helene.

Locals are especially confused as FEMA plans to end temporary housing assistance for about 2,000 North Carolina residents on Saturday — during a snowstorm, when temperatures across the Appalachian Mountain region are expected to be below 20 degrees. 

The housing program was initially supposed to end on Friday, but FEMA pushed the deadline back to Saturday.

"I'm actually talking to several people that are losing the FEMA vouchers," Ryan McClymonds, founder of volunteer group Operation Boots on the Ground in WNC and Eastern Tennessee, told Fox News Digital on Friday. "They're terrified that they're going to have nowhere to stay for their families after today. But we did find out last night pretty late … that FEMA is extending it a whole whopping 24 hours."

TWO HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS, A FAMILY OF FOUR AND A VIETNAM VETERAN GIFTED CAMPERS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

FEMA told Fox News Digital that its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program is providing hotel rooms to thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors in WNC.

On Jan. 3, FEMA began notifying some families checked into hotel or motel rooms that they are no longer eligible for the program due to one of the following reasons: an inspection indicated their home is now habitable, they declined an inspection or FEMA has been unable to contact them to update their housing needs.

About 3,600 households will remain eligible to continue staying in hotel or motel rooms sponsored by FEMA past Saturday — up from the 2,100 eligible households reported by local news outlet WLOS on Thursday.

AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND

Approximately 2,000 households will still be expected to move out of their hotel rooms on Saturday. Continued eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. When eligibility ends, FEMA notifies survivors approximately seven days prior to their checkout date.

The agency is also closing disaster recovery centers in the area until Monday — "due to winter weather."

"Biden and Mayorkas bankrupted FEMA to pay for illegal immigrant housing, and now American citizens who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene are essentially being told to screw," Trump spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. "This is unfair and arguably criminal. The good news is: President Trump will be back very soon to put Americans first again."

HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD

FEMA said it has provided shelter to 13,000 families displaced by Helene since late September 2024, when the storm made landfall. There are currently 5,600 households currently checked into hotels, the agency told Fox News Digital.

"We got this notification on our phone, I think it was yesterday … which was the severe weather notification," Swannanoa-area resident Asha Wild told Fox News Digital. "We are told to expect power outages and possibly water outages. Yeah, I'm not thrilled about that. And in the cold."

Wild lost her house to nine feet of flooding when Helene destroyed areas of her hometown and dozens of others in the mountains, leaving 104 dead in North Carolina alone.

Power grids and other critical infrastructure are still very fragile in some areas after Helene, and residents are concerned that they could again be left without power, water, gas and even food. Volunteers in Western North Carolina and across the state have been volunteering in affected areas for months. Generous donors across the country have paid for and delivered campers to those who need housing and storage.

NC FAMILY THAT LOST 11 IN HURRICANE HELENE MUDSLIDES SAYS COMMUNITY SACRIFICED ‘LIFE AND LIMB’ TO SAVE EACH OTHER

Long lines of vehicles can be seen lining up to get propane and other necessities from various donation drives in the area. 

PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY MEMBERS, FIRST RESPONDERS

WATCH: Volunteers in North Carolina donate propane to those impacted by Helene

Zach Bumgarner, vice president of Bumgarner Oil, told Fox News Digital that his company has "given away 22,000 gallons of product since the storm hit." They have hosted six propane drives since late September, allowing people to bring empty propane cylinders to designated locations, where his company fills them up for free.

"You do have people in tents and you do have temporary shelters and that kind of thing. And then you throw really cold temperatures on top of it, and it does make for a dangerous situation," Bumgarner said. "So, hopefully what we're doing is helping kind of bridge some of those gaps a little bit and maybe keep somebody warm. That's really what we're trying to do."

HURRICANE HELENE: 'BACKBONE OF AMERICA' HELPING FARMERS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WHO LOST BILLIONS IN CROPS, LAND

WATCH: Drivers line up for propane

Wild said she asked her friend, who works at a local grocery store she's been going to for 18 years, how things were going.

"He said, ‘Yeah, people are kind of losing their minds.’ And I could tell it was cleaned out," Wild said.

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Steve Antle, a retired Asheville police officer who has been in contact with Fox News Digital since the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed parts of WNC, said some areas are recovering well while others remain "frozen in time." Even wealthy neighborhoods still have piles of debris and trees down, he said.

Antle has partnered with others in and outside his community to buy and deliver thousands of dollars worth of critical supplies across his hometown of Fairview and surrounding towns since immediately after the hurricane. 

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Some locals are still living in tents or campers, mostly because they do not want to leave their property. Others are still without heat and power, he said.

"I don't know what goes into their thinking," Antle said of the agency. "You know, I want to think that it's government incompetence because that's the better alternative. … And I hate to think that."

McClymonds, of Operation Boots on the Ground, became emotional when describing the people he has been helping since September.

"Don't forget about them," he said. "I saw a lot while I was in the military. And coming out here and seeing the lack of response and the lack of help is so heartbreaking. I've prayed with I don't know how many people. I've heard and held so many family members. They have lost a whole lot and work hand-in-hand with family members that have lost their loved ones due to the storm. And they're tired. And they need help."

FEMA said it is important for storm survivors to keep in touch with FEMA and provide regular status updates. Those who have questions regarding eligibility should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.  

A Florida congresswoman and Air Force veteran is urging anyone who encountered New Orleans terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar or Las Vegas bomber Matthew Livelsberger at Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, to contact her office.

She also asked for information on failed assassin Ryan Routh, a former North Carolina man who was arrested at President-elect Donald Trump's Florida golf course while allegedly aiming a rifle through the fence while the soon-to-be commander in chief was playing a round.

"If you are at Fort Bragg (Liberty) and have any information regarding these three men but are afraid to come forward to your chain of command, I can provide whistleblower protection and intake information," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna wrote in a post on X Thursday night.

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Routh, 58, had roots in North Carolina but was most recently living in Hawaii. Luna appeared to reference a recent report that Routh, a civilian with a lengthy criminal history, had visited Fort Bragg dozens of times.

Luna is a member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Army said Thursday that while both Jabbar and Livelsberger served at the North Carolina base, there was no overlap in the time they were stationed there.

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In Las Vegas, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that while both men went to Afghanistan in 2009, any potential ties there were still under investigation.

"We don't have any evidence that they were in the same province in Afghanistan, the same location or the same unit," McMahill said. "Again, something else that remains under investigation."

Both men used the Turo app to rent electric pickup trucks used in the incidents, he said. 

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Between 2007 and 2015, Jabbar was a human resources specialist and an IT specialist. From 2015 to 2020, he remained an IT specialist in the Army Reserve. Livelsberger was an active-duty Army Green Beret in the 10th Special Forces group.

Livelsberger, 37, has been identified as the man who exploded inside a Cybertruck loaded with explosive and flammable material just steps from the front door at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day.

Speaking about a potential motive, authorities on Friday released sections of a "manifesto" left by Livelsberger, who wrote that "This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call."

PTSD and ongoing family problems were likely factors as well, sheriff's officials said.

Hours earlier, Jabbar, 42, plowed a rented Ford EV pickup into pedestrians on New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 and injuring more than 30. After crashing, he opened fire on police and died in a shootout. The FBI said Thursday that the Texas native had vowed allegiance to ISIS and was a domestic terrorist.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia told reporters in New Orleans Thursday that there was "no definitive link" uncovered between the attack and the explosion, but authorities on both cases said they were still investigating.

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., received attention after falling at the U.S. Capitol Friday, Fox News has learned.

Foxx, who chairs the House Education Committee, reportedly fell on a staircase on the GOP side of the Capitol shortly after the House voted to re-elect Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker of the House. 

The congresswoman, 81, was bleeding after the incident and was being treated by Capitol medical personnel.

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The congresswoman appeared to have a bloody nose, but it is unknown if she suffered any serious injuries.

Foxx was seen walking after the incident and was reportedly being guided by medical attendants to the Capitol physician's office.

The congresswoman assured that she was OK after the fall with a humorous post on social media.

"Thank you to everyone for your prayers – just a few small cuts, and I’m doing just fine," Foxx wrote in a post on X. "I’m a mountain woman, and we’re tougher than a $2 steak."

On his way out the door, then-North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper commuted the sentences of 15 individuals on the Tarheel State’s death row.

Cooper, a Democrat whose name has been floated as one of the party’s topline names for the 2028 presidential contest, acted similarly to outgoing President Biden — who caught heat last week for commuting sentences for almost all federal death row inmates.

"These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a governor can make and the death penalty is the most severe sentence that the state can impose," Cooper said in a statement.

"After thorough review, reflection, and prayer, I concluded that the death sentence imposed on these 15 people should be commuted, while ensuring they will spend the rest of their lives in prison."

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No executions have occurred in North Carolina since 2006 due to ongoing litigation.

One of the inmates who saw his sentence commuted to life was felony murder inmate Hasson Bacote. Bacote had originally filed suit in 2010 challenging his death sentence under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act, which reportedly allows defendants to challenge sentences if they can determine racial bias. 

Bacote, who is Black, had been convicted of shooting an 18-year-old by a White-majority Johnston County jury.

Rayford Burke, an Iredell County murder convict who received a commutation, also reportedly sought relief under the Racial Justice Act, according to WCNC.

Another commutation recipient, Christopher Roseboro, has been in prison for about 30 years. In 1994, Roseboro was indicted on first-degree rape and other charges stemming from allegations he and another man robbed an elderly neighbor who was later found dead along with evidence she had been sexually assaulted.

The co-defendant, Roger Bell, is already serving a life sentence.

A Union County man, Darrell Strickland, was convicted of manslaughter following a tragic Jan. 1, 1995, argument. He also saw his sentence commuted to life without parole.

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Vincent Wooten, a Pitt County man sentenced for the 1993 murder of Edward Wilson, also saw his sentence commuted, according to the Greenville Daily Reflector.

Wooten, then 20, saw evidence presented at his trial alleging he shot Wilson with a modified-to-automatic AR-15 rifle after a safe, filled with cocaine and cash, was stolen from the mother of Wooten’s girlfriend.

Another commuted convict, Guy T. LeGrande, had been sent to prison following a murder-for-hire incident. LeGrande was later diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to Mother Jones, and had previously claimed to be able to communicate with Oprah Winfrey through a television.

Cooper’s commutations follow Biden’s flurry of orders reclassifying death sentences to life without parole for 37 convicts.

"President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system," the White House said in a December statement.

"He believes that America must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder — which is why today’s actions apply to all but those cases."

A man sentenced to death for a 2003 Tennessee shooting said he was surprised Biden commuted so many convicts’ terms.

"I resolved not to squander this act of mercy, this grace of life. I resolved to be part of Biden's legacy — by the way I contribute to the betterment of society and prisons," Rejon Taylor told Newsweek. 

"Biden doesn't realize this now, but his act of mercy will resound through me, bearing fruit that will outlive his time on this earth."

Some of Biden’s other commutations, including a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, judge jailed in a "kids-for-cash" scandal where juveniles were aggressively prosecuted and sent to for-profit prisons, have sparked bipartisan outrage.

Cooper’s 77 total pardons and commutations over his two terms, however, are dwarfed by the nearly 700 from fellow Democratic Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., who served four terms in two non-consecutive eight-year periods, according to NC Newsline.

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Only three men remain on federal death row after Biden’s actions: Robert Gregory Bowers, Dzhokar Anzorovich Tsarnaev and Dylann Storm Roof. Bowers was convicted in the 2018 Pennsylvania synagogue shooting; Roof massacred several Black churchgoers in South Carolina; and Tsarnaev — along with his now-deceased brother Tamerlan — masterminded the Boston Marathon bombing.

Then-North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, was sworn into the governor's office to succeed Cooper in Raleigh on Wednesday.