On this week’s episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. The North Carolina native was just appointed to a FEMA Review Council.

That council will take a closer look at the future of the often-criticized emergency management agency. President Trump criticized the agency’s response in western North Carolina after Helene devastated the area.

Instead, he and other leaders believe there should be a new way of funding after natural disasters, whatever acronym it might be called.

“Come up with a formula to send natural disaster funds to states in the form of a block grant and allow states to administer their own recovery,” Rep. Edwards said recently. “But there would be a core group of folks inside of FEMA, or whatever acronym that we wanted to use, that would be there as consultants for those situations where we have states not familiar with those types of disasters.”

Tim and Chairman Whatley also talk about President Trump’s first 100 days in office.

On this week’s episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum sits down with Congressman Tim Moore. He’s in his first term after breaking a record as the longest serving House Speaker in North Carolina legislative history.

The Republican recently visited the DMZ, separating North and South Korea. He explains his time there, including his reasons for being there and how it affected his foreign policy perspective.

Later, he discusses tariffs, FEMA and Western North Carolina recovery from Hurricane Helene.

On this week’s episode of Tying it Together, nationally known journalist from The Atlantic, David Graham, joins host Tim Boyum to discuss his new book.

The Durham based journalist just released his first, “The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America”. Project 2025 is a 900-page document of policies drawn up by a group of conservative people, some in Trump’s first administration, and the Heritage Foundation.

It includes how to make independent agencies respond to the president, move employees to become political employees and how to challenge things one thinks might be unconstitutional, Graham proposes.

He’s been at The Atlantic since 2011, and covering President Trump since 2015. He says the U.S. is a good “first look.”

“We are a good indicator of where the world is going,” he said.

From the origins of Project 2025 to how it’s potentially playing out, Graham goes in depth into his study of the controversial conservative playbook.

Graham added he could connect about 40 of the executive orders to Project 2025 playbook.

“People didn’t believe Project 2025, but they also didn’t believe Trump would do it, but then he started appointed people within his administration,” Graham said, adding that they’re following the playbook very closely.

Family structure, gender and education are still some of the things in the air with the project and Trump, according to Graham. But he said only time will tell.