Torrence Banks

Former Reporter & AJI Fellow

Torrence formerly covered the Trump administration, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the South for NOTUS.

Torrence received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College, where he majored in English, and earned his graduate degree from the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. At UMD’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, he reported on multiple projects including an investigation into historical newspaper coverage of lynchings and racial torture. He was an intern with U.S. News & World Report, and his reporting has appeared in the Miami Herald, AFRO American Newspapers and Capital News Service.

Trump Is Eyeing Control of Smithsonian’s Budget

June 05, 2026 05:13 a.m.
Republican Rep. Mike Flood Jeered at Another Contentious Nebraska Town Hall

May 26, 2026 09:46 p.m.
You Won’t Catch Democrats Tuning Into Sean Duffy’s Reality Show

May 21, 2026 06:31 p.m.

Bill Cassidy Is Done Holding Back What He Thinks

May 19, 2026 02:56 p.m.
Task Force Says FEMA Should Put States in Charge of Disaster Relief

May 07, 2026 05:34 p.m.
FEMA Is Losing Another Senior Official Just Weeks Before Hurricane Season

May 07, 2026 12:28 p.m.
Advocacy Group Gives FEMA ‘F’ Grade Ahead of Review Council Report

May 07, 2026 05:00 a.m.
Black House Democrats Know Republicans Are Coming for Their Seats

May 07, 2026 05:00 a.m.
Kristi Noem’s Time at DHS Is Prompting Republicans to Reflect on Oversight

May 04, 2026 05:34 a.m.
The Redistricting Wars Are Far From Over

April 30, 2026 06:36 p.m.
The Supreme Court Restricts the Reach of the Voting Rights Act

April 29, 2026 11:38 a.m.
DHS Shutdown Is Hurting FIFA World Cup Security Preparations

April 23, 2026 05:13 a.m.
Mississippi’s Congressional Delegation Is Far Wealthier Than the Average Mississippian

April 22, 2026 05:37 a.m.
FEMA Official Defends Cuts to Disaster-Response Staff at Agency

April 16, 2026 05:55 p.m.
The Trump Administration’s Clashes With Smithsonian Institute Could Complicate the Hirshhorn’s Future

April 16, 2026 11:53 a.m.

Markwayne Mullin Ends Kristi Noem’s Spending Sign-Off Policy

April 01, 2026 06:02 p.m.
Democrats Say FEMA Official Who Has Claimed to Be Teleported Is ‘Unfit’ for Role

March 25, 2026 02:06 p.m.
The Supreme Court Appeared Poised to Limit Mail-In Voting Deadlines

March 23, 2026 05:45 p.m.
Lawmakers Are Surprised by ‘Staggering’ $200 Billion Funding Request for the Iran War

March 19, 2026 04:31 p.m.
Senators Are Puzzled by DHS Pick Markwayne Mullin’s Travel History

March 18, 2026 02:58 p.m.
Markwayne Mullin Pledges to End Noem’s Disaster Relief Sign-Off Policy

March 18, 2026 12:32 p.m.
Senators Want Markwayne Mullin to Rethink How the Administration Runs FEMA

March 18, 2026 05:13 a.m.
Key Republicans in Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation Have Shed Personal Wealth

March 17, 2026 05:00 a.m.
Does a Trump Endorsement Mean What It Used To?

March 13, 2026 05:13 a.m.
Trump-Endorsed Clay Fuller Heads to Runoff in Race to Replace Marjorie Taylor Greene

March 10, 2026 08:50 p.m.
FEMA Staff Are Happy to See Kristi Noem Go

March 05, 2026 03:17 p.m.
FEMA Approves Millions in Aid for North Carolina After Tillis’ Rant Against Noem

March 04, 2026 05:30 p.m.
Minnesota Leaders Say Immigration Surge Did Lasting Damage. Kristi Noem Says It Was for Public Safety.

March 04, 2026 05:24 p.m.
Sen. Thom Tillis Skewers Kristi Noem’s Leadership Over Disaster Response at FEMA

March 03, 2026 02:03 p.m.
DHS Is Depleting Disaster Funds in the Middle of an Agency Shutdown

February 27, 2026 05:43 p.m.
Democrats Say FEMA’s Pause on Long-Term Recovery Projects Is ‘Just Being Mean’

February 26, 2026 05:31 a.m.
State Officials Are on Edge About FEMA’s Bandwidth as DHS Shutdown Drags on

February 19, 2026 07:49 p.m.
FEMA Still Hasn’t Reimbursed Hospitals for COVID-19 Work

February 19, 2026 05:35 a.m.
Top FEMA Official Warns of ‘Seriously Strained’ Disaster Response if DHS Shutdown Occurs

February 11, 2026 03:21 p.m.
FAA Ends ‘Unprecedented’ El Paso Air Travel Restrictions

February 11, 2026 08:18 a.m.
The Washington Ballet Plans to Move Its ‘Cinderella’ Production Out of the Kennedy Center

February 07, 2026 01:00 p.m.
Does Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Old District Want to Do All That Again?

February 03, 2026 05:13 a.m.
Kristi Noem Is Holding Up More Than $1 Billion in Hazard Mitigation Funds

January 28, 2026 05:20 a.m.
The Weekend’s Storms Hit Southern States the Hardest. State Lawmakers Wonder if They Can Rely on FEMA.

January 26, 2026 08:36 p.m.
Gun Rights Advocates Want Answers About the Minneapolis Shooting

January 24, 2026 08:37 p.m.
Rep. Julia Letlow Announces Primary Bid Against Sen. Bill Cassidy

January 20, 2026 10:47 a.m.
‘The Impact Is Going to be Huge’: FEMA’s Latest Staff Cuts Could Leave States Vulnerable in Disaster Recovery

January 16, 2026 11:44 a.m.
Rep. Bennie Thompson Said the Fire at a Local Synagogue May Have Been Politically Motivated

January 12, 2026 05:50 p.m.

‘Disgusted': National Symphony Orchestra Members Fear Trump’s Kennedy Center Name Change Could Ruin Them

January 09, 2026 05:07 a.m.
Democrat Sues to Get Rid of Trump’s Name From Kennedy Center

December 23, 2025 11:15 a.m.
Artists Are Threatening to Cancel Over Trump’s Kennedy Center Renaming

December 19, 2025 05:54 p.m.
‘We Need Change’: Former Schumer Staffer Launches Primary Challenge Against Bennie Thompson

December 17, 2025 07:00 a.m.
‘People Will Die’: Suspended FEMA Employees Say Their Agency Isn’t Delivering

December 16, 2025 05:13 a.m.
The House Republican Who Keeps Criticizing His GOP Colleagues

December 15, 2025 06:21 p.m.
FEMA Task Force Meeting Canceled Minutes Before It Was Set to Begin

December 11, 2025 01:36 p.m.
DHS Starts Its Deportation Surge in New Orleans

December 03, 2025 10:21 a.m.
Republican Matt Van Epps Holds On to Deep-Red House District in Tennessee

December 02, 2025 09:32 p.m.
A Mail-In Ballot Case in Front of the Supreme Court Is Making Democrats Nervous

November 25, 2025 10:14 a.m.
A Tennessee Special Election Could Test Whether a Blue Wave Is Coming in 2026

November 14, 2025 05:32 a.m.
Hundreds of Flights Are Getting Canceled Due to the Shutdown. More Could Soon Follow.

November 07, 2025 03:57 p.m.
‘It Sucks’: Air Traffic Controllers Worry the Shutdown Risks Flyer Safety — And Their Own Health

November 05, 2025 05:49 p.m.
Why This Tennessee Primary Could Hold Answers About the Democratic Party’s Future

October 29, 2025 12:51 p.m.
Trump’s Budget Law ‘Solidified’ a Georgia Hospital’s Decision to Shutter Its Delivery Unit

October 22, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Democrats Warn of Consequences if the Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act

October 15, 2025 07:25 p.m.
Southern Lawmakers Say Infant Mortality Rates Could Worsen with Health Care Cuts

October 14, 2025 10:01 a.m.
Air Traffic Controllers Were Already Stretched Thin. Then Came the Shutdown.

October 08, 2025 09:00 p.m.
The White House Wants to Make the Shutdown Painful. Republicans Say That’s on Democrats.

October 01, 2025 04:03 p.m.
Lawmakers Are Debating Making FEMA a Cabinet-Level Agency

September 26, 2025 03:24 p.m.
Democrats Blast OMB’s Government Shutdown Layoff Threat: ‘Get Lost’

September 25, 2025 12:39 p.m.
Bill Cassidy Pushes Back on the Trump Administration Linking Tylenol to Autism

September 23, 2025 11:58 a.m.
Increased Bureaucracy and Low Morale: Inside FEMA Under Trump

September 23, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Republicans’ CR Quietly Includes Funding for Mississippi’s Water Crisis

September 19, 2025 06:04 p.m.
Congress Is Sprinting Toward a Shutdown After Senate Democrats Block Republican Funding Bill

September 19, 2025 10:49 a.m.
Democrats Are Eager to Watch Republicans Fight Over Bill Cassidy’s Seat

September 15, 2025 05:13 a.m.
House Democrats Say Restoring Health Care Cuts a Non-Negotiable on Government Funding

September 03, 2025 01:38 p.m.
‘Lacking Legitimacy’: Sen. Bill Cassidy Breaks With RFK Jr. After CDC Leadership Exodus

August 28, 2025 03:33 p.m.

Abrego Garcia Applies for Asylum in the U.S. After Latest ICE Arrest

August 27, 2025 04:46 p.m.
FEMA Suspends More than a Dozen Employees Who Signed a Public Letter Criticizing Leadership

August 27, 2025 12:04 p.m.
Should Mayors Leave Their Cities? New Orleans’ Election Is Testing the Question.

August 27, 2025 05:13 a.m.
2020 Election Denier Given Key DHS Post Overseeing Election Integrity

August 26, 2025 08:45 p.m.
Whistleblower Accuses DOGE of Putting Millions of Social Security Numbers at Risk

August 26, 2025 04:29 p.m.
Trump Says He Wants to Rename the Department of Defense

August 25, 2025 05:30 p.m.
Judge Rules Trump Admin Can’t Deport Abrego Garcia While His Case Plays Out

August 25, 2025 03:38 p.m.
FEMA Staff Warns of Katrina-Like Response to Natural Disasters under Trump Administration

August 25, 2025 12:03 p.m.
Trump Is Clearing D.C. Homeless Encampments. Where Are the People Going?

August 22, 2025 04:16 p.m.
FEMA Botched Katrina, but Louisianans Who Were There Still Say the Agency Is Critical

August 21, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Bill Cassidy Says Questioning His Loyalty to Trump Is ‘Ridiculous’

August 08, 2025 12:42 p.m.
Louisiana’s Not Part of the National Redistricting Fight. Its Own Long Battle Is Still Playing Out.

August 07, 2025 03:10 p.m.
Democrats Are Talking a Lot About Jeffrey Epstein at Home

August 05, 2025 05:37 p.m.
Federal Agencies Are Fighting Over What Went Wrong With the DCA Crash

August 01, 2025 04:09 p.m.
Key Republican Panel Backs Andrew Garbarino for Homeland Security Chair

July 21, 2025 11:55 p.m.
FEMA’s Uncertain Future Has Storm-Prone Southern States in Limbo

July 21, 2025 05:04 p.m.
Why a Senate Candidate Says He Keeps Moving Money Between His Accounts

July 16, 2025 05:35 p.m.
Second-Quarter Hauls Show Republicans Keeping Up Their Fundraising Numbers

July 16, 2025 05:00 a.m.
RFK Jr.’s MAHA Platform Is Fueling State-Level Copycats

July 11, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Democrats Kick Off Post-Reconciliation Tour on Mike Johnson’s Home Turf

July 10, 2025 11:08 p.m.
Southern Republicans Say Abortion Won’t Be ‘Much of an Issue’ in 2026

July 02, 2025 05:13 a.m.
The Supreme Court Keeps Louisiana in Limbo Over Its Congressional District Map

June 27, 2025 12:14 p.m.
Louisiana’s Lawmakers Just Want the Supreme Court to End the State’s Redistricting Fight

June 25, 2025 04:14 p.m.
Bill Cassidy Is Facing His Latest MAGA Test: How Closely He Aligns With RFK Jr.

June 20, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Brave Senator or ‘Unhinged B**ch’?

June 13, 2025 06:01 a.m.
Confrontations

June 12, 2025 06:00 a.m.
Democrats Say Trump’s New Travel Ban Won’t Be as Central to Messaging as Last Time

June 05, 2025 05:11 p.m.
‘It’s Like Mommy and Daddy Are Fighting’

June 04, 2025 06:00 a.m.

The Senate’s Summer Crush

June 03, 2025 06:00 a.m.
Some of John Fetterman’s Key Allies Are Standing by Him

June 02, 2025 08:42 p.m.
Tommy Tuberville Is Running for Governor of Alabama

May 27, 2025 04:22 p.m.
Trump Is Preparing for ‘Big, Beautiful’ Talks With a More Independent Adversary: the Senate

May 23, 2025 05:46 a.m.
Louisiana Lawmakers Split on What Medicaid Changes Would Mean for Their State

May 21, 2025 12:39 p.m.
Democrats Demand Information About What the FAA Is Doing to Overhaul Flight Safety

May 14, 2025 02:11 p.m.
Why Everyone in Alabama Politics Is Waiting on Tommy Tuberville

May 13, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Trump Promises a ‘Complete Modernization’ of America’s Air Traffic Control System

May 08, 2025 02:14 p.m.
One of John Fetterman’s Closest Friends in the Senate Is ‘Concerned’ about Him

May 05, 2025 09:04 p.m.
Trump Leaned Into Anti-Trans Rhetoric at University of Alabama Commencement Address

May 01, 2025 10:24 p.m.
The Trump Administration Killed a Deal to Fix This Alabama County’s Sewage Issues. Now What?

May 01, 2025 05:13 a.m.
Hill Republicans Love Trump’s 2028 Merch But Aren’t Lining Up to Wear It

April 29, 2025 05:03 a.m.
Trump Ended an Agreement to Fix Sewage Issues in This Predominantly Black County. Residents Want to Know What’s Next.

April 23, 2025 10:09 p.m.
A Democrat Who Investigated Abuses in El Salvador Says His Party Must Focus on Abrego Garcia

April 21, 2025 07:29 p.m.
WorldPride Organizers Are Warning International Travelers About ‘Potential Risks’ of Attending

April 11, 2025 04:35 p.m.
Republicans In Congress Give Trump Cover For His Trade War With China

April 10, 2025 05:40 p.m.
Trump’s Tariff Flip Caused Market Whiplash. Republicans Say That Means It’s Working.

April 09, 2025 08:26 p.m.
Republican Lawmakers Celebrate Trump’s Tariff Pause

April 09, 2025 02:43 p.m.
Rep. Terri Sewell Says Protests Can Get the Trump Administration to Reverse Course

April 08, 2025 10:01 p.m.
Some Republicans Are Interested in Privatizing Security Screenings at Airports

April 07, 2025 10:56 a.m.
Senators Think Boeing Can ‘Redeem’ Itself With Next Generation Fighter Jet

April 04, 2025 05:30 a.m.
JD Vance Urges Patience as Markets Panic Over Trump’s Tariffs

April 03, 2025 08:38 a.m.
Republicans in Congress Say They’re Not Ready to Think About Trump 2028

March 31, 2025 09:02 p.m.
Trump’s Push Against Federal Workers’ Collective Bargaining Hits a Nerve at the TSA

March 28, 2025 01:54 p.m.
Lawmakers Have Few Details About ICE’s Mysterious Detention of an Alabama Student

March 27, 2025 06:38 p.m.
The Arizona Race to Replace Raúl Grijalva Could Show What’s Next For the Democratic Party

March 21, 2025 11:56 a.m.
Why a New Democratic Member From a Red State Wants to Focus on the Issues

March 14, 2025 05:13 a.m.
The House Is Opening an Investigation Into Military Use of Airspace Around DCA

March 13, 2025 01:23 p.m.

How Trump Is Scrambling Washington, D.C.’s Plans for WorldPride 2025

March 11, 2025 05:01 a.m.
Trump 2028? Democrats Aren’t Ready to Deal With the Possibility.

March 10, 2025 05:02 a.m.
Could Trump Serve a Third Term by Running as a Vice President?

February 28, 2025 10:00 a.m.
Senators Want to Know if DOGE’s FAA Layoffs Will Make the Skies Less Safe

February 24, 2025 02:47 p.m.
A Federal Judge Left the Justice Department’s Eric Adams Drama Hanging

February 19, 2025 04:13 p.m.
Getting More Air Traffic Controllers Is ‘a Top Priority.’ Could Raising the Retirement Age Fix It?

February 13, 2025 05:32 p.m.
Congress’ DOGE Republicans Want to Bring Elon Musk’s Nonstop Work Culture to the Hill

February 11, 2025 05:07 a.m.
A Third Trump Term Isn’t Just a Joke Anymore

February 07, 2025 02:03 p.m.
What Happened to Trump’s Big Push for Criminal Justice Reform?

February 05, 2025 10:00 a.m.
Republicans Are Thrilled Trump Is Going After Biden’s Military COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

January 28, 2025 07:20 a.m.
Senators From Both Parties Want Trump to Explain His Inspectors General Purge

January 27, 2025 09:20 p.m.
Democrats Are Out on Social Media — But They Know They Can’t Quit

January 27, 2025 05:00 a.m.
Just Who Could Be Covered by Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons?

January 24, 2025 08:00 a.m.
Republicans Have a Novel Defense for Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons: It’s Biden’s Fault

January 21, 2025 05:20 p.m.
What’s to Blame for California’s Fires? Some Republicans Say DEI.

January 16, 2025 05:00 a.m.
Lawmakers Scoff at Surgeon General’s Call to Label Alcohol a Cancer Risk

January 10, 2025 03:09 p.m.
Pete Hegseth’s Fight Against ‘Wokeness’ Could Reshape Military Schools

January 10, 2025 05:00 a.m.
Lawmakers Don’t Want to Think About the Insurrection as They Certify the 2024 Election

January 06, 2025 05:00 a.m.
Katie Britt Is Becoming One of the Most Powerful Senators in the Trump Era

December 30, 2024 05:00 a.m.
Congress is Rattled by a Surge in Safety Threats Aimed at Lawmakers

December 13, 2024 05:00 a.m.
How Trump’s Department of Education Could Target Trans Students

December 04, 2024 05:00 a.m.
Trump Gained With Asian American Voters. Now Republicans Are Working to Keep Them.

November 25, 2024 05:00 a.m.
Senate Republicans Want Lara Trump to Replace Marco Rubio in the Senate

November 20, 2024 05:00 a.m.
Alabama Republicans Have a Top Priority Now That Trump Is Coming Back: Space Command HQ

November 14, 2024 04:33 p.m.
CBC Members Want Democrats to Talk About ‘Everything’ to Build Back Their Voting Coalition

November 14, 2024 05:00 a.m.
Tammy Baldwin Gives Democrats a Much-Needed Win by Pulling Off Her Reelection Bid

November 06, 2024 01:48 p.m.
McConnell Refuses to Say If He’d Vote to Confirm Musk and RFK Jr. to Trump’s Cabinet

November 06, 2024 12:21 p.m.
What Does Early Voting Data Actually Tell Us?

November 04, 2024 07:46 p.m.

Donald Trump Makes His Pitch to Latino Voters — In a State That’s Not In Play

October 31, 2024 05:21 p.m.
Democrats Hope This New Congressional District Will Help Them Win the House

October 27, 2024 06:00 a.m.
Kamala Harris and Barack Obama Make the Case Donald Trump Is ‘Out of Touch’

October 24, 2024 10:22 p.m.
Barack Obama’s Back. Can He Reach the Voters Harris Needs?

October 24, 2024 05:30 a.m.
Trump Promises ‘Largest Deportation Operation’ at His Aurora Rally

October 11, 2024 07:11 p.m.