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Since before he took office, President Donald Trump made his disdain for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) clear. Now, hes leaving survivors of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in Arkansas without any federal aid. After large swaths of the South and Midwest were hit by deadly thunderstorms and tornadoes in March and April, Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sandersa frequent supporter of the presidentrepeatedly wrote to FEMA asking for support in her state. The sheer magnitude of this event created disastrous amounts of debris, extensive destruction to homes and businesses, and resulted in the death of three citizens, and caused injuries to countless others, Sanders wrote in her initial request. (Since that letter was sent, 40 people in the path of the storms were killed.) After reviewing Sanders pleas, which went on to describe the extent of the hazardous weather and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, the Trump administration ultimately wrote back that it had determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies, and that it therefore would not provide supplemental federal assistance. In contrast, in 2023, former President Biden granted Arkansas’ disaster declaration request following a deadly tornado within 48 hours. Given that Arkansas is a red state that voted for Trump in the 2024 election, many were shocked that the president denied Sanders request for aid. But this isnt the only time that Trump has turned down appeals for federal help after severe weather eventsand, while disappointing, the administrations insistence that states should help themselves during times of crisis is in line with its larger efforts to dismantle federal disaster mitigation infrastructure. Several states are denied support from FEMA Since January, Trump has denied several other FEMA requests that have surprised state lawmakers. In March, North Carolinas Democratic Governor Josh Stein wrote to ask for 180 days of extended FEMA support for recovery costs related to Hurricane Helene, which was denied by the Trump administration in April. That same month, Washingtons Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson requested FEMA support for repairs after a bomb cyclone windstorm last November that caused an estimated $34 million in damages. His appeal was also denied. There are very clear criteria to qualify for these emergency relief funds. Washingtons application met all of them, Ferguson said in a statement on April 14. This is another troubling example of the federal government withholding funding. Most recently, in early April, Trump did approve a FEMA disaster declaration in Virginia to help the state recover after severe flooding. However, he refused Republican Governor Glenn Youngkins request for hazard-mitigation money as part of the disaster-aid packagea step that no president has taken in nearly 30 years. The Hazard Mitigation and Grant Program (HMGP) is overseen by FEMA and allocates funds to help communities protect infrastructure from future damage after severe weather, like by elevating flood-prone homes or strengthening buildings in earthquake zones. According to Politico, the program has allocated nearly $18 billion to states to safeguard 185,000 properties. Its an extremely important program for hazard mitigation, Anna Weber, senior policy analyst for climate adaptation at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told Politico. Instead of just rebuilding, were building resilience so were preventing future damages, deaths and injuries. Historically, presidents have paired HMGP funds with FEMAs overall recovery efforts, accounting for about 15% of overall costs for any given disaster response. But, since early April, Trump has stopped approving allocations from the program. A larger plan to dismantle federal disaster response infrastructure This scaling back of HMGP runs parallel to a larger effort within the Trump administration to potentially shut down FEMA altogether. On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump repeatedly spread misinformation about FEMAs response to Hurricane Helene. In office, hes already cut hundreds of staff from the agency, leaving its remaining staffers concerned about their ability to handle upcoming severe weather, like tornado and hurricane seasons. The administration has also withheld FEMA aid to migrant shelters, suggesting that they may have violated a law used to prosecute smugglers. Funding reductions have further resulted in FEMA canceling programs like federal fire training academy courses. In March, Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security, reportedly said that her department planned to eliminate FEMAa notion that Trump has also echoed. And last Monday, Trump named 13 members to a council tasked with recommending potential overhauls at the agency, though its still unclear how significant those overhauls might be. Experts have repeatedly warned that scrapping FEMA would result in a dark future for disaster relief. Now, several statesincluding some that voted for the presidentare getting a first glimpse at that future.
Category:
E-Commerce
Johann Pauwen and Michaele Simmering founded their furniture design business, Kalon, in Los Angeles in 2007. At the time, the U.S. was entering a major recession with many industries headed for total implosion. Pauwen and Simmering, committed themselves to finding local manufacturing relationships and logged countless hours looking for factories that could deliver on their solid wood designs within the United States. It wasnt an easy process, and the founders had to write their own playbook as they went. We really had to beat the streets and find these places on our own, says Simmering. Sometimes literally youd drive past an open roller door, see certain machines or materials, and say, Oh my God, theyre making X, Y, or Z and thats how wed find them. Now, nearly 20 years in, all of Kalons products, except for its baby crib, are made in the U.S. The profitable business supports their family as well as those of their five employees. From the outside, it might appear that Kalon is entirely insulated from the roller-coaster tariff storyline unfolding every day here in the U.S. And to some degree they are: Simmering and Pauwen say their supply chain is strong and reliable and they have few doubts about their ability to deliver their product to customers as expected. Still, the pair is pretty stressed. Theyve noticed that many of their peers in the industry are losing business and, in some cases, carrying out layoffs. Kalon itself marked its worst sales month in history in April, on the heels of Trump tariff news. I cant believe we built this healthy business out of nothing in a really inhospitable industry: two collapses, a pandemic, and multiple wars, says Pauwen. And, a move to domestic manufacturing freaks out the consumer so much, no one will spend money. Maybe that will kill us, even though were U.S.-produced. [Photos: Courtesy of Kalon] Its been an emotional roller coaster Pauwen and Simmering represent an ecosystem of founders whove invested the time and money to make and sell things in the U.S. Theyve cultivated relationships with mom-and-pop manufacturing outfits. Theyve created jobs in the local economy. Theyve made it work in the name of sustainability and community. And now, as the Trump administrations wildly shifting tariff policy has shaken the foundation of how so many small and midsize designers do business both abroad and at home, these founders of American-made brands dont feel any more at ease than their counterparts who sit at the helm of globally produced supply chains. [Photo: Courtesy of Kalon] Whats coming next is truly anybodys guess, and many designers in positions similar to Pauwen and Simmering say theyre just bracing for the next jolt, whether thats due to consumer insecurity, price swings in raw materials, a dearth of manufacturing options, or something else theyve not yet considered or experienced. Its been an emotional roller coaster, says Clare Vivier, founder, CEO and creative director at leather handbag brand Clare V. Viviers company, which is based in Los Angeles, sits at the nexus of Trumps tariffs. She works with five separate manufacturers in L.A., along with 17 manufacturing partners across India, Europe and Asia. The leather and hardware used to make Clare V. bags, says Vivier, come from Italy and Asia respectively. Were a great case study of whats going on, she says. Seventeen years into this company, we have 14 stores and are sold in close to 200 shops around the world. Fifty percent of our product is made in L.A. and the other 50 overseas. [Photo: Courtesy of Clare V.] Vivier says shes structured her business this way out of necessityto tap into different forms of workmanship. We dont have the options to make woven leathers and basket bags here in the U.S. she says. Those artisans arent here. If they were, says Vivier, shed already be using them. These types of skills and jobs, she says, went away years ago, as the industry was retooled for less hands-on, more mechanized manufacturing methods. In other countries, though, artisans (and the infrastructure to train new talent) are still a part of local economies. These are not widget-producing jobs, says Vivier. These are artisans who are trained for many years. [Photo: Courtesy of Clare V.] Vivier has considered bringing more of her manufacturing in-house. One of the manufacturing partners she works with in Burbank, California, is family-owned and run, and the owners are looking for a succession plan as retirement nears. But for Vivier, its just not in the cards. We arent in the position to be a manufacturing business, she says, likening the endeavor to the knowledge jump a writer would have to make in order to suddenly buy and run a printing press. This is a highly specialized industry you cant expect companies to just jump into. . . . My husband is French and we have a place in France. Vuitton has opened a huge training facility outside of our town thereto train artisans. I think, wow. We just arent doing that in the U.S. It would be amazing. [Photo: Courtesy of Clare V.] For Simmering and Pauwen, theyve decided to relocate their crib manufacturing to the United States. And while the decision aligns with their ethos to manufacture in their own communities, it presents a tough balance and some hard decisions around quality and cost. Producing in Germany is roughly on par with the U.S. in terms of material and labor costs, but the level of craft and know-how is significantly higher there, which means the end product is often of superior qualitya failure of America’s industrial policy, says Simmering. The U.S. partner were working with [on the crib] was surprised by the quality of our Eastern European production and acknowledged that matching it would be a challengeand at a much higher cost, at least 150% more. The long game of factory building Some businesses, like East Fork Pottery in Asheville, North Carolina, have built out a manufacturing arm to their business from the start, which has helped hedge the pile-on effect happening with tariffs. Cofounder and potter Alex Matisse says that East Fork makes more than 650,000 pieces of pottery per year in its two factories. We are relatively insulated, says Matisse. Our material supply chain is domestic. Clay isnt expensive, but we put value into it. Our greatest fear is that if we do slide into a recession, it will impact us all. Building factories takes a long time. Its hard to think about when confidence is so unsure. Tyler Hays, artist and founder at furniture maker BDDW, which owns two of its own manufacturing facilities, says hes grateful he made the decision to keep all pieces of his business under one umbrella so many years ago. We have always had the slow business approach, he says. And we are patting ourselves on the back a little bit. But the way this is happening is bananas, with no plan. This should have been a five-year-plan. There should have been funding for small businesses; its reckless. One way Hays has been able to thrive during this time is via an auction platform thats allowed BDDW to circumvent traditional retail altogether, offering up pieces at a discount. Hays says thats kept consumers engaged and buying: Its becoming more popular, but we have seen a 5% reduction in closing price at auction. Still, even with the confusion and chaos around tariffs, many of these founders remain deeply passionate about being American-made and revel in the spirit of community and localization it can foster. For CEO Bill Banta at Decked, being American-made is just baked into his companys brand. Decked designs, makes and sells organizational systems that fit on the beds of pickup trucks. Theres nothing more American than a pickup truck, says Banta. Its core to the customer and theres a lot of expectation that comes with an American-made product. Plus what we make is big and heavy and hard to ship. [Photo: Courtesy of Decked] Banta says some of the machines used to make Decked products are as heavy as 737 aircraft, and that as the company has grown, so has its manufacturing capabilities. The business, which is based in Idaho, Utah, and Ohio, now accounts for close to 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space and tens of millions of investment in injection molding. We are seeing volatility in raw materialssteel, resin, he says. Theyve been all over the place for four or five weeks. Bantas focus has been working with suppliers to stabilize pricing as best as possible so the price for a Decked system is the same when customers initially consider it, as when they actually buy it a month later. Additionally, as consumer insecurity dips, so do truck sales, which is directly tied to the Decked value prop. If that binds up and the automotive supply chain gets whacked by tariffs, well feel that, too. [Photo: Courtesy of Decked] A wholesale shedding of small businesses For now, says Simmering, its too soon to guess what any of this means. It comes down to the mindset of the consumer, she says. Will consumers, at the end of the day, feel it’s more valuable to invest in American-made products? Will the tariffs last? There isnt clarity. Industrial retooling is expensive and a lot of independent businesses wont be able to hang in there to see how it shakes out. One pivot the Kalon founders have made is to offer consulting services to other American businesses looking to make things here, too. Their goal is to help other founders navigate the complexities of local sourcing, supply chain restructuring, and sustainability-first practices with insight grounded in our two decades of experience, says Simmering. From the beginning, part of Kalons mission has been to model a different way of doing thingsto build a values-based business that responds to the realities of our time: the global environmental crisis, mass overconsumption, and wasteful production. This feels like a natural extension of that original intenttaking this as an opportunity to help others navigate this shift and continue working toward transformation from within the industry. And while the dust of tariff swings begins to settle, says Pauwen, larger, big box businesses have the resources to relocate their operations to the U.S., pushing smaller companies out of their manufacturing relationships in one swift movement, able to promise bigger manufacturing runs and longer contracts. At first blush, when the government is saying, Were in this for the Americans, thats a great impulse, says Simmering. I see that we cant all be titans of industry. We want to have national resources and jobs with integrity and meaning. But the way this seems to be executed, its a land grab and happening at the highest levels. There is a wholesale shedding of independent business.
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E-Commerce
Recent breakthroughs in generative AI have centered largely on language and imageryfrom chatbots that compose sonnets and analyze text to voice models that mimic human speech and tools that transform prompts into vivid artwork. But global chip giant Nvidia is now making a bolder claim: the next chapter of AI is about systems that take action in high-stakes, real-world scenarios. At the recent International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2025) in Singapore, Nvidia unveiled more than 70 research papers showcasing advances in AI systems designed to perform complex tasks beyond the digital realm. Driving this shift are agentic and foundational AI models. Nvidias latest research highlights how combining these models can influence the physical worldspanning adaptive robotics, protein design, and real-time reconstruction of dynamic environments for autonomous vehicles. As demand for AI grows across industries, Nvidia is positioning itself as a core infrastructure provider powering this new era of intelligent action. Bryan Catanzaro, vice president of applied deep learning research at Nvidia, described the companys new direction as a full-stack AI initiative. We aim to accelerate every level of the computing stack to amplify the impact and utility of AI across industries, he tells Fast Company. For AI to be truly useful, it must evolve beyond traditional applications and engage meaningfully with real-world use cases. That means building systems capable of reasoning, decision-making, and interacting with the real-world environment to solve practical problems. Among the research presented, four models stood outone of the most promising being Skill Reuse via Skill Adaptation (SRSA). This AI framework enables robots to handle unfamiliar tasks without retraining from scratcha longstanding hurdle in robotics. While most robotic AI systems have focused on basic tasks like picking up objects, more complex jobs such as precision assembly on factory lines remain difficult. Nvidias SRSA model aims to overcome that challenge by leveraging a library of previously learned skills to help robots adapt more quickly. “When faced with a new challenge, the SRSA approach analyzes which existing skill is most similar to the new task, then adapts and extends it as a foundation for learning, Catanzaro says. This brings us a significant step closer to achieving generalization across tasks, something that’s crucial for making robots more flexible and useful in the real world. To make accurate predictions, the system considers object shapes, movements, and expert strategies for similar tasks. According to one research paper, SRSA improved success rates on unseen tasks by 19% and required 2.4 times fewer training samples than existing methods. Over time, we expect this kind of self-reflective, adaptive learning to be transformative for industries like manufacturing, logistics, and disaster responsefields where environments are dynamic and robots need to quickly adapt without extensive retraining,” Catanzaro says. Biotech breakthroughs The biotech sector has traditionally lagged in adopting cutting-edge AI, hindered by data scarcity and the opaque nature of many algorithms. Protein design, essential to drug development, is often hampered by proprietary data silos that slow progress and stifle innovation. To address this, Nvidia introduced Proteínaa large-scale generative model for designing entirely new protein backbones. Built using a powerful class of generative models, it can produce longer, more diverse, and functional proteinsup to 800 amino acids in length. Nvidia claims it outperforms models like Google DeepMinds Genie 2 and Generate Biomedicines Chroma, especially in generating large-chain proteins. According to a paper on Proteína, the team trained the model using 21 million high-quality synthetic protein structures and improved learning thanks to new guidance strategies that ensure realistic outputs during generation. This breakthrough could transform enzyme engineering (and, by extension, vaccine development) by enabling researchers to design novel molecules beyond what occurs in nature. “What makes it especially powerful is its ability to generate proteins with specific shapes and properties, guided by structural labels, Catanzaro says. This gives scientists an unprecedented level of control over the design processallowing them to create entirely new molecules tailored for specific purposes, like new medicines or advanced materials. A new AI tool for autonomous vehicles Another standout from ICLR 2025 is Spatio-Temporal Occupancy Reconstruction Machine (STORM), an AI model capable of reconstructing dynamic 3D environmentslike city streets or forest trailsin under 200 milliseconds. With minimal video input, it produces detailed, real-time spatial maps that can inform rapid machine decision-making. Nvidia sees STORM as a tool for autonomous vehicles, drones, and augmented reality systems navigating complex, moving environments. “One of the biggest backlogs in current models is that they often rely heavily on optimizationan iterative process that takes time to refine and produce accurate 3D reconstructions,” says Catanzaro. “STORM tackles this by achieving high-accuracy results in a single pass, significantly speeding up the process without sacrificing quality. STORMs potential extends beyond vehicles. Catanzaro envisions applications in consumer tech, such as AR glasses capable of mapping a live sports game in real timeallowing viewers to experience the event as if they were on the field. STORMs real-time environmental intelligence moves us closer to a future where machines and devices can perceive, understand, and interact with the physical world as fluidly as humans do, he says. While STORM is built to help machines understand the physical world in real time, Nvidia is also pushing the boundaries of how large language models reasonthrough a project called Nemotron-MIND. This 138-billion-token synthetic pretraining data set is designed to enhance both mathematical and general reasoning. At its core is MIND, a new framework that turns raw math-heavy web documents into rich, multi-turn conversations that mirror how humans work through problems together. By turning dense math documents into conversations between people with different levels of understanding, MIND helps AI models break down problems step by step and explain them naturally. This method doesnt just teach models what the right answer isit helps them learn how to think through problems like a person would. According to its research paper, a seven-billion-parameter model trained on just four billion tokens of MIND-style dialogue outperformed much larger models trained on traditional data sets. It showed significant gains on key reasoning benchmarks like GSM8K (grade school math), MATH, and MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), and achieved a 2.5 percent boost in general reasoning when integrated intoan LLM. Can startups and researchers keep up? Training and deploying advanced AI models requires substantial GPU resources, often out of reach for smaller players. To close this gap, Nvidia is rolling out its next-gen AI models through Nvidia Inference Microservices (NIMs), a suite of containerized, cloud-native tools designed to simplify deployment across different infrastructures. NIM includes prebuilt inference engines for a wide array of models, helping organizations integrate and scale AI with fewer computing resources. Improving efficiency has always been a major focus for us, Catanzaro says. Ultimately, our goal is to democratize access to AI capabilities and make deployment practical at every scale, regardless of their computing resources, to harness the power of AI.” As agentic and foundational AI becomes more capable and more embodied, the future of tech may hinge on how effectively it works with humans. Its critical to identify and support use cases across diverse fields, Catanzaro says.
Category:
E-Commerce
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