US Homeland Security Chief Reports Breach at FEMA, Fires 23 Employees
Original: US Homeland Security chief reports breach at FEMA, fires 23 employees
Key topics
The US Homeland Security chief, Kristi Noem, is stirring controversy after firing 23 FEMA employees over a reported data breach, sparking debate about the true motives behind the mass firings. Commenters are skeptical that the breach alone warranted such drastic action, with some speculating that the move is more about politics than security. As one commenter quipped, the "presumption of regularity" is long gone for this administration, implying that the firings are likely driven by ulterior motives. The thread is abuzz with speculation and criticism, highlighting the ongoing distrust in the administration's handling of sensitive information.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
5m
Peak period
3
0-1h
Avg / period
1.5
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Aug 29, 2025 at 11:52 PM EDT
4 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Aug 29, 2025 at 11:57 PM EDT
5m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
3 comments in 0-1h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Aug 30, 2025 at 6:46 AM EDT
4 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
Want the full context?
Jump to the original sources
Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristi_Noem#No_Going_Back
This looks like a FAANG statement. A data breach shall have more effect on the management than a pat on the back.
What does that even mean. It is either a problem or it isn’t.
Also interesting to read is the FEMA Katrina Declaration, linked to from this article:
https://www.standupforscience.net/fema-katrina-declaration
I have no doubt that there is some waste in all these agencies but the magnitude of change is so big for such a short time. Even if the leaders were excellent, they would need more time to understand the situation and make good choices. Zooming in on this breach, without more details, I find it hard to believe that these 23 people were the cause (versus some larger issue with the organization).
So it's a breach that's extremely dangerous for the entire nation, but also there is no real impact on American citizens or extraction of sensitive data. Eh?
The entire thing smells of a pretext for a political purge. Either it's a minor incident hugely blown out of proportion, or it's just outright fabricated.