The Big Story 

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned over the weekend that hurricane misinformation is hindering efforts to assist those affected by the storms.

© AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

During an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Mayorkas said the false information is “deliberately spread to impact people’s behavior and perceptions.”

“It is extremely pernicious,” he added. “We have individuals in need of assistance, who are entitled to assistance, who aren’t seeking it because of the false information.”

Mayorkas called for officials to debunk the false claims because “we’re not seeing enough of that.”

The false claims began late last month, shortly after Helene hit Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The storm left widespread destruction and an extensive recovery effort for hundreds of thousands of residents.

Mayorkas and other officials have been vocal in debunking the misinformation on the storms, particularly after former President Trump baselessly claimed the government is purposely withholding aid from Republican hurricane victims while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is redirecting disaster relief funds to migrants.    

Read more from our colleague Rachel Scully at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads 

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

Key disaster loan program ‘quickly exhausting’ funds after hurricanes

Man accused of threatening FEMA workers in western North Carolina

Biden travels to Florida, announces energy project funds

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

California lawmakers advance Newsom’s plan to prevent gas price spikes

The California State Senate on Friday advanced Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) controversial proposal to tighten rules on refinery fuel storage — an attempt to avoid future supply scarcity as well as price …

What We're Reading 

News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

• Milton swamped these Tampa Bay neighborhoods. None were in flood zones. (Tampa Bay Times)

   

• How ‘green’ inhalers could evade Biden’s drug pricing legacy (E&E News/Politico)
  
  

• Nearly 10 years after California oil spill, plan to reactivate pipeline sparks anger (Los Angeles Times) 

What Others are Reading 

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

What polls are saying three weeks from the election

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to correct the number of national polls that show a candidate in the lead. We regret the error. Read more

Trump edges out Harris with early voters in battleground states 

Former President Trump has a slight edge over Vice President Harris with early voters in battleground states, new polling shows, a promising sign for the Republican in the highly competitive presidential race. Read more

Opinions in The Hill 

Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: