S14 EP136: Hour 1 - Mr. President, This Needs Your Attention ASAP
Why the Old River Control Structure matters: the hidden national threat
The episode opens with a deep-dive into the Old River Control Structure near Lettsworth, Louisiana — a mid-20th century engineering system that prevents the Mississippi River from diverting into the Atchafalaya and Chafalaya Basin. Host Eric Erickson explains how a single, aging control structure anchors commerce, drinking water, and energy infrastructure across the Mississippi River Basin. If it fails, the ripple effects could flood refineries, disable river commerce, and contaminate New Orleans' water supply within days.
Old River Control Structure paused study and Army Corps funding cuts
The segment details how recent budgetary and personnel cuts (referred to in the episode as “Doge cuts”) have forced the Army Corps of Engineers to pause a vital five-year study to update and reinforce the Old River system. The pause is described as “indefinite,” placing an essential flood-control upgrade on hold and exposing vulnerabilities in federal project continuity and disaster preparedness.
National consequences: supply chains, refineries, and river commerce
Erickson emphasizes that the Mississippi River is the nation’s original interstate system. He describes the economic chain—grain, coal, fuel, and refined petroleum—transported by barge downriver to South Louisiana refineries. A collapse of the Old River Control Structure would not just be a local disaster; it would disrupt midwest-to-gulf supply chains, port access, and energy refining capacity for the entire country.
Related infrastructure and forecasting concerns: weather balloons and hurricane readiness
The episode connects other federal cutbacks to resilience risks, noting National Weather Service staffing and weather-balloon furloughs that hamper hurricane tracking. These operational reductions compound danger by weakening forecasting precision ahead of storm season.
Census, citizenship questions, and the politics of counting residents
Later, the host turns to the president’s directive for a mid-decade census focused on excluding noncitizens. The discussion covers constitutional context (Section 2, 14th Amendment), prior court rulings from the D.C. Circuit, and the logistical, legal, and appropriations hurdles that make such a census highly contentious. Erickson also explains how the flawed 2020 census—affected by COVID nonresponse, especially in vulnerable Black communities—complicates calls for a redo.
Takeaway:- Small, overlooked infrastructure projects can create outsized national risk.
- Federal staffing and funding pauses increase vulnerability to natural and manmade crises.
- Census methodology and legal questions directly affect political representation and federal resource allocation.
