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NEWS ABOUT: Hurricane Katrina

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Nation's First Indian Gov. Vows to Clean Up Louisiana

'Whiz kid,' 36, pledges ethics, economic reform

(Newser) - Louisiana's first non-white chief executive since Reconstruction—and the first elected Indian-American governor in US history—vowed yesterday in his inauguration speech to clean up the corruption-plagued state. The charismatic Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, a Roman-Catholic convert from Hinduism, is a conservative Republican who also becomes, at age 36, the... More »

US Hurricane Aid Snarled in Red Tape

$3.5B to replace schools and firehouses languishing in accounts

(Newser) - Billions of dollars in FEMA aid earmarked for rebuilding infrastructure pulverized by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes have yet to be spent on thousands of important projects such as replacing schools and firehouses, USA Today reports. Out of $4.5 billion in aid to Louisiana and Mississippi, only $1 billion... More »

Commander of Katrina Relief Effort to Retire

Honoré will concentrate on improving country's disaster readiness

(Newser) - Russel Honoré, the general who gained renown for his handling of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, will retire from the army Friday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Honoré had a storied career, from Korea to Katrina, and although he’s “transitioning” (his preferred word) out of military life, he already... More »

Katrina Victims' Claims Number in the Trillions

New Orleans residents seek damages from Corps of Engineers

(Newser) - New Orleans residents have peppered the Army Corps of Engineers with claims for trillions in damages, USA Today reports, asking for sums higher than the nation’s entire economic output. One claim alone seeks $3 quadrillion. In all, the corps has received more than 489,000 claims, with more still... More »

McGovern: Oust Bush, Cheney

Former Dem. nominee rails against duo's 'high crimes and misdemeanors'

(Newser) - Now is the time to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney, declares former Democratic nominee George McGovern in a passionate, if quixotic, plea in the Washington Post. The duo have committed a plethora of "high crimes and misdemeanors," says McGovern, including illegal wiretapping, systematic torture, and substantial... More »

New Year's SMS Jam Sends Bad Message

Experts worry about network overloads in future crises

(Newser) - When the ball dropped to usher in 2008 so many people texted New Year's tidings that mobile networks jammed, the AP reports. Sadly, this is nothing new: Bounced missives in the midst of disasters like 9/11, the '03 blackout, and Katrina can be life and death matters. But full backup... More »

NRA Sues for Guns Seized After Katrina

But arms org still seeks survivors who owned the weapons

(Newser) - The National Rifle Association has filed a federal lawsuit to recover hundreds of guns seized from New Orleans residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, AP reports. The suit claims that residents were left "at the mercy of roving gangs, home invaders and other criminals" because they lost their... More »

Near 300,000, New Orleans Hits 65% of Its Former Size

Surge in population one barometer for health of Big Easy

(Newser) - New Orleans is now at 65% of its pre-hurricane population and looks poised to pass the 300,000 mark at any day now. Although many neighborhoods are still in need of rebuilding and dotted with vacant lots, the growth represents a "significant indication of New Orleans' sustained viability as... More »

Katrina Spreads Cajun Cookin'

Displaced residents open restaurants across America

(Newser) - Until recently many residents of Monett, Mo., couldn’t even pronounce muffaletta. “They’d say, ‘I want that big sandwich with the big name,’” says chef Darren Indovina. Thanks to the Gulf's post-Katrina diaspora, small towns like Monett are getting their first taste of real Cajun... More »

Big Easy Protest Turns Rough

New Orleans OK's demolition of housing despite opposition

(Newser) - Police used pepper spray and stun guns on protesters in New Orleans attempting to push their way into a City Council meeting over the impending demolition of 4,500 public housing units damaged by Katrina. Local activists oppose HUD's push to raze the houses to make room for mixed-income neighborhoods.... More »

Volunteer Efforts Revive New Orleans Firehouses

Donations help fix 'critical safety issue'

(Newser) - With public money tied up, generous donations of time and funds have restored four New Orleans firehouses, the Times-Picayune reports. "This is a critical safety issue,” said the district chief. With 22 of 33 city firehouses hit hard in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, many firefighters still work out... More »

White House Meddled With Climate Change Science: Report

House committee finds attempts to 'mislead'

(Newser) - A House committee says the Bush administration has attempted to mislead the public about global warming by editing written testimony, controlling media access to scientists, and trying to minimize the links between climate change and hurricanes, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The study, authored mainly by Democrats, accuses the White... More »

US Race Record Is 'Abysmal'

Katrina, profiling, education—minorities still lag, study says

(Newser) - From racial profiling to voting discrimination and Hurricane Katrina, US race relations are "abysmal," according to a new report. The Human Rights Network, an umbrella organization of some 250 nonprofits, found that minorities aren't given the same educational resources and are disproportionately represented in prisons. The findings counter... More »

Storied Miss. Lawyer Indicted, Still Partying

Town rallies around high-profile Grisham pal accused of bribery

(Newser) - As he greeted party guests, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs—the trial lawyer famous for taking down Big Tobacco and taking on Katrina insurance companies—didn’t look like someone who had just been indicted. And though prosecutors say he conspired to bribe the judge in his latest case, Oxford, Miss.... More »

Rumors Roil Around Lott Resignation

Could the senator's hasty exit be tied to Dickie Scruggs?

(Newser) - There’s been much conjecture about why Trent Lott resigned five years before his term’s end—boredom, bitterness, eagerness to cash in on K Street—but now bloggers on both sides of the aisle are wondering whether a scandal involving his brother-in-law, Dickie Scruggs, might be behind the surprise... More »

Katrina Lawyer Indicted in Bribe

Dickie Scruggs, others accused of trying to steer legal fees

(Newser) - Trent Lott's brother-in-law Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has been indicted on bribery charges for allegedly offering cash to a judge to steer legal fees in a Katrina insurance case, reports the New York Times. Four other attorneys, including Scruggs' son, also face charges. Scruggs is best known for winning a... More »

Red Cross Prez Forced Out for 'Relationship'

Link to female worker 'punch in stomach,' says group official

(Newser) - The president and CEO of the Red Cross was forced to resign yesterday for having an inappropriate "personal relationship with a subordinate employee" just six months after he was hired. "This is a huge punch in the stomach," said an organization official. Mark Everson was the Red... More »

Katrina Death Toll: 320M Trees

Hurricane's impact on forests leads to massive CO2 release

(Newser) - Hurricane Katrina killed 320 million trees in Mississippi and Louisiana, and the die-off is affecting the atmosphere as well as the landscape. Decaying trees will release about 367 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the amount released in a whole season of US forest fires, the LA Times reports.... More »

FEMA Housing Filled With Toxic Gas, Tests Show

Mobile homes yield readings up to 70 times higher than CDC guidelines

(Newser) - The mobile homes and trailers FEMA provided for displaced New Orleans residents are brimming with toxic formaldehyde gas, according to test results obtained by MSNBC. In 95% of cases, formaldehyde levels were at least twice the CDC’s maximum recommendations. The federal government has not followed through on promises to... More »

Dems, GOP Pounce on Bush Over Water Veto

Congress may unite to hand him first override of his presidency

(Newser) - President Bush is gearing up for another battle with Congress, but his latest fray could result in the first overriding of one of his vetoes, the Washington Post reports. His rejection yesterday of the water resources bill, popular with Democrats and Republicans, is a gamble because it may endear him... More »

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