This week on Blocked and Reported, conspiracy theories and rumor-mongering in the aftermath of a disaster in Texas; Grok goes mask-off; and Zohran Mamdani’s college application gets hacked.

The Un "Fudge" America Tour Gets "Fudged" From Within (The Gist)

Mamdani Identified as Asian and African American on College Application - The New York Times

Mamdani Once Claimed to Be Asian and African American. Should It Matter? - The New York Times

Mahmood Mamdani | Department of Anthropology

Times pushed ahead to avoid being scooped on Mamdani Columbia story | Semafor

Thread by @patrickhealynyt on Thread Reader App – Thread Reader App

Opinion | It’s Time to Let Go of ‘African American’ - The New York Times

The sad, sad state of the New York Times | Press Watch

Former Houston mayoral appointee rages at flooded Texas girls camp for being 'white-only'

Houston pediatrician speaks out after her flood victims post sparked outrage

Trump’s NOAA pick stands by budget cuts, calls staffing ‘a top priority’ - The Washington Post

White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding - ABC News

Deadly floods could be new normal as Trump guts federal agencies, experts warn | Texas floods 2025 | The Guardian

NOAA scrambles to fill forecasting jobs as hurricane season looms - The Washington Post

CodeRED

Some Texas flood alerts were delayed as officials waited for authorization, former Kerr County official says - CBS News

Former Kerr County leader: siren system would have saved lives : NPR

New data reveals the inadequacy of FEMA flood maps : NPR

xAI updated Grok to be more ‘politically incorrect’ | The Verge

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Episode 267: In Which We Determine Zohran Mamdani's Race, Conclusively

Blocked and Reported