Democracy Now!
September 2005
Thursday 29DeLay Hammered by Campaign Finance Indictment, Steps Down as GOP Majority Leader. A Texas grand jury on Wednesday indicted House Majority leader Tom DeLay (R - Texas) and two political associates, charging them with a conspiracy to violate Texas campaign finance laws. House Republicans gathered within hours of the indictment becoming public and chose Rep. Roy Blunt (R - MO) to replace DeLay as majority leader who was forced to step down because of House rules. We speak with the executive editor of The Texas Observer and independent journalist Doug Ireland. FBI Killing of Puerto Rican Independence Leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios Sparks Outpouring of Anti-US Sentiment. We continue our look at the FBI killing of Puerto Rican independence leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios. His killing has sparked an outpouring of anti-U.S. sentiment in Puerto Rico and fears that the Bush administration will launch a new crackdown on the Puerto Rican independence movement. We go to Puerto Rico to speak with a spokesperson for the Puerto Rican Socialist Front and an independent political analyst. Archive #PZ0603.260
top Wednesday 28Bush's "Brownie": Former FEMA Head Michael Brown Said He Warned Bush Directly Before Hurricane Struck. The ousted director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Michael Brown, appeared before a special congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina. Homeland Security Chief Chertoff, Not Brown, Was Responsible For Federal Response To Huricane Katrina. We speak Knight Ridder reporter Alison Young about the Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff's responsibilities and the shift of blame to former FEMA head Michael Brown. Lott's Bad Bet: Fomer Senate Majority Leader Blocked Moves to Protect Mississippi Coast. Backed by the gambling industry, Republican Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi outmuscled army officials who tried to impose a moratorium on casino projects along the coast. We speak with Washington Post reporter Michael Grunwald. William Arkin on the Increasing Military Role in Emergency Response. President Bush wants to use the hurricane to wipe out Posse Comitatus, which bans the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement. Former intelligence analyst William Arkin talks about the apparently growing role of the military in responding to natural disasters and other domestic crises. St. Patrick's Four Acquitted of Federal Conspiracy Charges. Four Catholic peace activists have just been acquitted of felony conspiracy charges the first case of this kind since the Vietnam War. We speak with two of the four activists whose charges stem from an antiwar action on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. Archive #PZ0603.259
top Tuesday 27After the Hurricane: Where Have All the Prisoners Gone? More Than 500 From New Orleans Jail Still Unaccounted For. A month after Hurricane Katrina, serious questions remain about the fate of hundreds of prisoners in New Orleans. Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org) says there are 517 unaccounted for, while prisoners and their lawyers say many were abandoned in the flooding jails. We'll speak with Human Rights Watch's researcher, as well as a man who was in the Orleans Parish Prison during the storm, and two lawyers fighting to discover what exactly happened inside the jails. Has the Government Abandoned New Orleans' Top Black Colleges? Two historically black colleges in New Orleans remain closed after Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Reopening the colleges requires money, which may prove a challenge. We speak with the President of Xavier University about this. Al Jazeera Spain Correspondent Sentenced to Prison on Charges of Collaborating with al Qaeda. Al Jazeera correspondent, Taysir Allouni, rose to prominence after conducting the first interview with Osama bin Laden after 9/11. A Spanish court has just sentenced him to 7 years in prison on charges he aided al Qaeda. We go to Spain to speak with journalist Lamis Andoni, who currently works as a consultant for al Jazeera. She was with Taysir Allouni one of the three times when he was arrested on charges of collaborating with al Qaeda. Archive #PZ0603.258
top Monday 26Military Families Join Hundreds of Thousands of Anti-War Protesters Rallying in Washington. The anti-war rally and march on Saturday drew hundreds of military families and veterans. We hear two speakers: Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq last year, and Anne Roesler, from Military Families Speak Out (www.mfso.org). Actor Jessica Lange Speaks Out at Anti-War Protest in DC. Jessica Lange speaks before the crowd of protesters gathered to demonstrate against the war in Iraq in the nation's capital. Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark Calls For Impeachment of President Bush. Clark, who launched the website votetoimpeach.org, accused President Bush of high crimes for misleading the nation over the war and for helping to overthrow Jean Bertrand-Aristide, the democratically-elected president of Haiti. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) on the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. Cynthia McKinney opened the pre-march rally critiquing President Bush for his response to Hurricane Katrina and for the ongoing occupation of Iraq. Palestinian-American Poet Suheir Hammad: "Of Refuge and Language". Def Jam poet Suheir Hammad (www.suheirhammad.com) reads her new poem on Hurricane Katrina: "Evacuated as if criminal // Rescued by neighbors // Shot by soldiers // Adamant they belong // The rest of the world can now see // What I have seen // Do not look away // The rest of the world lives here too // In America" Loiusiana Native at Anti-War Protest: "Do Not Allow the Rebuilding of Lives in the Gulf Coast to Be Another Profit". Colette Pichon Battle speaks at the massive anti-war protest in D.C. Battle is from Slidell, Louisiana and makes the connection between the response to Hurricane Katrina and the reconstruction process, and the war in Iraq. NBA Player Etan Thomas Censures Bush Administration, Outlines Impact on Poor. NBA player Etan Thomas of the Washington Wizards speaks at the rally on the dire impact of the current administration's policies on the poor, from health care to the death penalty to the war in Iraq and more. FBI Shoots Dead Puerto Rican Nationalist Leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios. For the past four decades Filiberto Ojeda Rios had been a leading figure in the fight for Puerto Rican independence and against U.S. colonial rule. He was wanted by the FBI for his role in a 1983 bank heist. Dozens of Peace Activists Arrested During Protest at Pentagon. We get a breaking report from peace activist Frida Berrigan who is at the Pentagon, where she has just been arrested along with roughly 40 others while demonstrating. Archive #PZ0603.257
top Friday 23Disaster Profiteering: Purging the Poor in the New New Orleans. We speak with writer and author Naomi Klein (www.nologo.org) about what some are calling the real looting of New Orleans. In this week's cover story in The Nation magazine (www.thenation.com), Klein reports on how the city's poorest evacuees are being kept out of thousands of perfectly livable empty homes. Blackwater Down: Fresh From Iraq, Private Security Forces Roam the Streets of an American City With Impunity. In this week's cover story in The Nation, Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports on how mercenaries from private security firms like Blackwater USA and BATS are patrolling the streets in New Orleans. Big, Easy Iraqi-Style Contracts Flood New Orleans. As Katrina's flood waters recede, government contractors are flowing into the Gulf Coast and reaping billions of dollars in pre-bid, limited bid, and sometimes no-bid contracts. We speak with Pratap Chatterjee, managing editor of CorpWatch.org, about his latest article titled "Big, Easy Iraqi-Style Contracts Flood New Orleans" (corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12647). Pacifica Station KPFT Weathers Hurricane Rita. As hurricane Rita bears down on the Gulf Coast, we go to Houston to speak with the staff of Pacifica Radio station KPFT - one of the few radio stations still broadcasting in the city. Archive #PZ0603.256
top Thursday 22St. Patrick's Four Trial: Civilian Resisters Face Federal Conspiracy Charges. We speak with anti-war activist Peter De Mott, who is on trial as one of the St. Patrick's Four facing federal charges for protesting at a military recruiting center. Lawyer Bill Quigley, legal advisor for the activists, joins the discussion on the trial and also talks about his recent experience in New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. NM Governor Richardson Calls Special Legislative Session to Investigate Price Gouging and Energy Cost. We speak with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson about the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and why he is calling for Congress and President Bush to investigate price gouging at the gas pumps. Governor Richardson Calls For Tighter Border Security. Governor Richardson shares his views on the increasing flow of migrants across the New Mexico border and his reasons for recently declaring a state of emergency in counties along the border. We also hear his reasons for calling for stronger border security and the need to work with Mexico on creating jobs. Governor Richardson Says He "Stands By Everything He Said and Did" in the Case of Accused Los Alamos Scientist Wen Ho Lee. Richardson, then Energy Secretary, fired Lee - who was under investigation for espionage. Lee was ultimately cleared of those charges. Governor Richardson Calls for an Exit Strategy in Iraq and Stands by the Clinton-Era Sanctions. Governor Richardson explains why he doesn't support an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, but instead calls for an exit strategy from the country. Richardson also says the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq during the Clinton administration were justified. Governor Richardson Would Likely Vote Against Supreme Court Nominee John Roberts. Gov. Richardson says he would have difficulty supporting Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. He calls his earlier record on civil rights and affirmative action "troublesome." Archive #PZ0603.255
top Wednesday 21Cuba's Number 2, Ricardo Alarcon, Blasts 'Neoliberal' Katrina Response. In an exclusive interview in the firehouse studio, Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban National Assembly, talks about the US government's handling of the hurricane and talks about Cuba's effective hurricane response system, saying, "Our Entire National Defense, Our Entire Army, And Our Entire Society Is Prepared To Defend Itself, Not To Attack Others, Not To Occupy Foreign Lands." Alarcon Demands Immediate Release of 'Cuban 5' : 'They Are Now Kidnapped'. We speak with Ricardo Alarcon about the case of the Cuban 5 - five Cuban nationals arrested in 1998 and accused of being spies and a threat to US national security. Alarcon Defends Imprisonment of 'Independent Librarians' in Cuba, Cites Washington's Funding of Anti-Castro Groups in Havana. Ricardo Alarcon responds to charges that Cuba is cracking down on 'independent librarians' and he calls for the immediate extradition of Luis Posada Carriles, the anti-Castro militant being held in Texas. Archive #PZ0603.254
top Tuesday 20Venezuela's President Chavez Offers Cheap Oil to the Poor...of the United States. We play the rest of our conversation with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He spoke with Democracy Now! in his first interview in the United States. We ask him what evidence he has for his charges that the Bush administration has attempted to assassinate him and he reveals for the first time, details of a plan to offer of cheap oil to the poor...of the United States. Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai and Son of Executed Nigerian Activist Ken Wiwa Discuss Oil and the Environment. We take a look at oil and the environment with Ken Wiwa - the son of Ken Saro Wiwa who was executed in 1995 by the Nigerian military dictatorship and Nobel Peace prize-winner and leading environmentalist Wangari Maathai (www.wangarimaathai.or.ke). Archive #PZ0603.253
top Monday 19Hugo Chavez: "If the Imperialist Government of the White House Dares to Invade Venezuela, the War of 100 Years Will be Unleashed in South America". Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaks on Democracy Now! in his first interview in the United States. Chavez discusses the war in Iraq, President Bush, the role of the media in the aborted coup against him and Venezuela's request for the extradition of Cuban anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles. Jesse Jackson: Venezuela "Invests in Its People...U.S. Invests In Tax Cuts for the Wealthy and a War that does not Make Sense in Iraq". The Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke Saturday night in New York City at an event with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Jackson said, "[The Venezuelan] government's priorities are to invest in its people. They subsidize oil, gas, health care and education and that's civil. We cannot subsidize our oil and education because we are investing in tax cuts for the wealthy and a war that does not make sense in Iraq. We need new values, we need to go another way." Archive #PZ0603.252
top Friday 16New Orleans Police Harass Independent Journalist. As President Bush says he'll rebuild New Orleans, we speak with Hip Hop activist and independent journalist Rosa Clemente about the crackdown in the shelters. She describes being harassed by a New Orleans police officer while doing interviews at a Red Cross shelter. The Militarization of New Orleans: Jeremy Scahill Reports from Louisiana. We go to Louisiana to speak with Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill who has been in New Orleans this past week. He has been looking into how the city has changed to a militarized zone and what that means for the residents who left. George Galloway vs. Christopher Hitchens on the Bush Administration Response to Hurricane Katrina. We play an excerpt of a fiery debate Wednesday between British antiwar MP George Galloway and columnist and author Christopher Hitchens discussing the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. Trapped in New Orleans: Emergency Medical Worker Describes How Police Prevented Evacuation. We speak with emergency medical worker Lorrie Beth Slonsky who was in New Orleans attending a conference when hurricane Katrina hit. She describes how she spent most of the next week in New Orleans trapped by the flooding - and the police. Archive #PZ0603.251
top Thursday 15Senate Dems Frustrated by Roberts' Refusal to Answer Questions on Wide Range of Topics. US Chief Justice nominee John Roberts was questioned for a second day at his Senate confirmation hearing for his views on a wide range of topics but repeatedly declined to answer questions by members of the Senate Judiciary committee, saying they could come before the Supreme Court. Roberts is widely expected to win approval from the Republican-controlled committee next Thursday. Republican senators ended their questions late yesterday but agreed to let Democrats have another round today, and then conclude the day with testimony from outside witnesses. The full Senate will vote by the end of the month. If confirmed, Roberts will be the youngest chief justice in over 200 years. We play excerpts of the hearing and speak with two legal experts, Ted Shaw of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (www.naacpldf.org) and Peter Irons author of A People's History of the Supreme Court. Archive #PZ0603.250
top Wednesday 14Roberts Grilled on Voting Rights Act. Chief Justice nominee John Roberts was grilled on a number of contentious issues on the second day of his Senate confirmation hearing, including abortion, civil rights, women's rights and education. We play excerpts of the hearing. Roberts Testifies Roe v. Wade is "Settled As a Precedent" But Refuses to Say Whether He Would Reverse Abortion Ruling. Chief Justice nominee John Roberts declined to say on Tuesday if he would reverse the long-standing decision legalizing abortion, but said he believed the Constitution accorded Americans the right to privacy, which is the key underpinning of Roe v. Wade. We speak with the president of the National Organization for Women (www.now.org). Texas Death Row Prisoner Scheduled to Die Today: Lawyers Seek Last-Minute Stay. Frances Newton, death row prisoner in Texas, is scheduled to be executed later today but lawyers are seeking a last-minute stay on her execution. We speak to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D - Texas) and an anti-death penalty activist about the case. Archive #PZ0603.249
top Tuesday 13Roberts at High Court Confirmation Hearing: "I Have No Agenda". The Senate opened confirmation hearings Monday for John Roberts to become the nation's 17th chief justice. If confirmed, Roberts would be the youngest chief justice in two centuries and would be positioned to lead the court for decades. We play Roberts' opening remarks. Senate Dems Call For Open Questioning of Roberts as GOPs Encourage Nominee to Avoid Controversial Topics. During the opening day of confirmation hearings of John Roberts as chief justice, Democrats repeatedly said all questions to the nominee were fair game, including about issues such as abortion and civil rights. Republicans encouraged Roberts not to answer questions about his views on controversial topics. We play excerpts of the hearing. Honduran Immigrants in New Orleans: Fleeing Hurricanes Mitch, Katrina and Now the U.S. Government. It is estimated that 120,000 Hondurans lived in the New Orleans area. Many were refugees from Hurricane Mitch, which devastated Honduras in 1998 killing up to 10,000 people. While many Honduran immigrants were granted temporary legal status, others are undocumented and fear deportation. Democracy Now! travels to Louisiana to speak with some of the Honduran survivors there. After Katrina, Where Have All the Prisoners Gone? A makeshift prison has been set up in the Greyhound bus and train station in downtown New Orleans. The nearby prison, was flooded after hurricane Katrina. What happened to the prisoners there and in other parish prisons in New Orleans? A writ of habeas corpus was recently filed for an accounting of the prisoners. We speak Louisiana defense attorney Phyllis Mann. Archive #PZ0603.248
top Monday 12New Orleans Activist Points to Neglected Corpse as U.S. Military Passes Off Blame, Democracy Now! reports from the streets of New Orleans. We speak with community organizer Malik Rahim who points out a dead body in his neighborhood that has been neglected since hurricane Katrina hit and we ask soldiers and police why it hasn't been picked up. New Orleans Resident Discusses Race and Looting at Circle K. New Orleans resident Mike Howell is a "holdout" - one of those refusing to leave his home - in the French Quarter. He discusses the looting of a local grocery store saying, "this could happen in Santa Monica, California, it could happen on Long Island, New York, it could happen in Palm Beach, Florida...if people felt they were going to run out of food and water." New Orleans "Holdout" Compares U.S. Military Evacuating Residents to Nazi Germany. A New Orleans resident discusses why she is refusing to leave her home in the French Quarter and describes how soldiers approached her house and asked her to leave: "It was kind of like being in Nazi Germany, [the U.S. military] came with guns and told us we had to leave our home. Very, very nasty, and said they would come back the next day and drag us out of our homes." New Orleans Resident Outlines the Seven Betrayals by Government and Rescue Operations. New Orleans resident Mike Howell discusses how the federal and state government, relief organizations and aid agencies betrayed the people of his city in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. New Orleans Evacuee Compares Louisiana Shelter to Jail. We go to Gonzales - between Baton Rouge and New Orleans - where a shelter has been set up for evacuees. One New Orleans evacuee compares the shelter to jail and says, "It ain't our fault that the hurricane came and we had to come here. Like we had to end up in a place that we got to be told what to do." Overkill: Feared Blackwater Mercenaries Deploy in New Orleans. In addition to the thousands of military troops patrolling the streets of New Orleans, there are also scores of private soldiers that are now spreading out across the city, like those from the Blackwater Security firm. Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports. NY Firefighter in New Orleans : "This Is Much Worse, This Dwarfs 9/11". As the eyes of the nation remain focused on these devastated Gulf States, people across the country marked the fourth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. In Baton Rouge, some 300 New York Police and Firefighters held a commemoration ceremony. We speak with one firefighter about hurricane Katrina and 9/11. Archive #PZ0603.247
top Friday 9Is the Government Trying to Stem the Tide of Images From New Orleans by Threatening Journalists? Journalists covering New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina report that militarization in and around the city has hindered their work and threatened their physical safety. We hear from two journalists who were reporting in New Orleans recently. FEMA Promotes Pat Robertson Charity. Soon after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, FEMA promoted a a list of charities on its website that were accepting donations for hurricane relief. One of the top three was Operation Blessing, an organization founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. We take a look at some of Operation Blessing's past dealings with Max Blumenthal of The Nation (www.thenation.com) and Democracy Now! Co-host and Daily News reporter Juan Gonzalez. Crisis Profiteering: Dick Cheney, Halliburton and Hurricane Katrina. We get a report from Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill on Halliburton's role in reconstruction in the Gulf area, plus a survey of the current situation in New Orleans. Democracy Now! Engineer Mike DiFilippo Lends A Hand in Alabama and Mississippi. Democracy Now! engineer Mike DiFilippo has been voluneentering with re-building efforts in Alabama and Mississippi. He joins us on the phone from Wiggins, Mississippi. Archive #PZ0603.246
top Thursday 8FEMA Chief Brown: Former Head of the Arabian Horse Association Qualified to Manage Agency? We speak with Judd Legum from the Center of American Progress (www.americanprogress.org)about FEMA's role in handling the catastrophe in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Why FEMA Failed: The Bush Administration and Disaster Relief. As Republican leaders announced a joint House-Senate inquiry into failures surrounding the response to Hurricane Katrina, we take a look at why FEMA failed with Salon.com staff writer Farhad Manjoo who writes, "Ideologically opposed to a strong federal role in disaster relief and obsessed with terrorism, the Bush administration let a once-admired agency fall apart." Politicizing Disaster Relief: How FEMA Overcompensated Florida Citizens in the Run-Up to the Presidential Election. We look at FEMA's disaster response in Florida in the fall of 2004, and how the presidential election played a role in the distribution of hurricane aid there. Toxic Soup: The Deadly Floodwaters of New Orleans. As the toxicity of the New Orleans' floodwaters grows worse, we look at the environmental and public health dangers looming in the city. We speak with a chemical toxicologist and independent water-consultant about the problems brewing in the water of New Orleans. Depleted Disaster Aid: Rejecting International Donations and the Using Resources in Iraq. While international donations have been pouring in for victims of hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration has been somewhat reluctant to accept offers from countries like Cuba and Venezuela. We speak with Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies (www.ips-dc.org) about international donations and how essential resources have been stretched thin by the war in Iraq. Archive #PZ0603.245
top Wednesday 7Three Displaced New Orleans Residents Discuss Race and Hurricane Katrina. We speak with three residents of New Orleans who were forced to flee - David Gladstone, Beverly Wright and Curtis Muhammad - about who gets saved and who doesn't and even the question: will New Orleans be rebuilt? Radio Astrodome: Independent Media to Provide Critical Info for Displaced New Orleans Residents. Independent media activists are setting up a low-power radio station at the Houston Astrodome to provide critical information to hurricane Katrina evacuees. We speak with those working on launching the station and the challenges involved. For more information, see www.evacuationradioservices.org. Archive #PZ0603.244
top Tuesday 6New Orleans Residents Rescue Their Neighbors in Absence of Government Response. Democracy Now! producer John Hamilton spent the past several days in Louisiana. He filed a report from the flooded streets of New Orleans as he rode in a boat with locals searching for survivors in their community. Bush Nominates Roberts to Replace Rehnquist as Chief Justice. With the eyes of the nation firmly focused on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, there have been major developments in the battle over the future of the Supreme Court with the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist and President Bush's decision to nominate John Roberts to replace him. We speak with Bruce Shapiro of The Nation and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights. African American Residents Tell Story of Survival, Blast Racially-Skewed Government Response. Democracy Now! producers get reports from African-American survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. We hear from a woman at the convention center and a record store owner from the city's Algiers neighborhood. Missing in New Orleans: Voices of Those Seeking Loved Ones. We get an update from a few people we previously heard from who are searching for missing loved ones hit by hurricane Katrina. We are also joined in the studio by a war resister seeking discharge from the Texas National Guard who has family missing in New Orleans. Archive #PZ0603.243
top Monday 5Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff Refuses To Resign Over Handling Of Hurricane Katrina Relief. Michael Chertoff appears on Meet the Press and defends the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina. Louisiana Offical: The Federal Gov't Has Abandoned Us. On Sunday Aaron Broussard, the president of Jefferson Parish appeared on NBC's Meet the Press and accused the federal government of abandoning the people of New Orleans. He broke down crying, as he recalled how the mother of one of his colleagues died after waiting days to be rescued. Survivors From New Orleans Speak Out About Week of Horror. We go to Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans where thousands of hurricane survivors are staying. The airport has become a triage center where the oldest, the youngest and the sickest lay desperate for help. Kanye West: "Bush Doesn't Care About Black People". On Friday night, Grammy-award winning hip-hop superstar Kanye West delivered a blistering critique of President Bush and the administration's response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. "I hate the way they portray us in the media," West said. "If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food." Rev. Al Sharpton: President Bush's Response "Inexcusable". More public figures have spoken out, lambasting the government's slow response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Reverend Al Sharpton spoke in Houston on Saturday and said that race played a role. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's Desperate Plea For Help. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin expresses outrage and frustration during an interview last week by a local New Orleans radio station. Nagin demands greater effort and quicker delivery. New Orleans Activist Malik Rahim Blasts Mayor Nagin. Malik Rahim, veteran of the Black Panther Party in New Orleans, is interviewed in the Algiers neigherborhood by Democracy Now! producers. Rahim talks about what should have been differently. DN! Producers Describe the Devastation in New Orleans & The Survivors In Baton Rouge. Democracy Now! producers John Hamilton and Sharif Abdel Kouddous join us from Baton Rouge. On Saturday they made it into New Orleans to witness what's left of the devastated city. ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: An Hour-Long Special on John Roberts, President Bush's Nominee to Be Supreme Court Chief Justice. In this hour-long online special we examine the legal background and history of Judge John Roberts. Earlier today President Bush nominated Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court replacing the late William Rehnquist, who died at the age of 80 on Saturday. Archive #PZ0603.242
top Friday 2Nightmarish Scenes at New Orleans Convention Center. We begin our special coverage of Hurricane Katrina by going to New Orleans to hear the voices of refugees stranded outside the city's Convention Center. As camera crews passed by on Thursday hundreds of stranded people started chanting for help. Daily News Reporter in New Orleans: Scope of Destruction Much Worse Than 9/11. We go to New Orleans to speak with New York Daily News reporter Tamer El-Ghobashy. He reports from outside one of the main refugee centers in New Orleans - the Super Dome, where as many as 30,000 people sought shelter. White House Response to Gulf Coast Disaster Sparks Criticism. President Bush is coming under increasing criticism for his slow response to what is now being described as one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history. We play some of the president's remarks as well as excerpts from a White House news conference. Race in New Orleans: Shaping the Response to Katrina? Race and class loom large in the critical discussion of the federal response to the impact of hurricane Katrina. We speak with two African-American activists about the poor communities that have been hit hardest by the hurricane. Desperately Seeking Loved Ones Missing in New Orleans. With communication lines down in the areas hit by the hurricane, there are thousands of people with no word about their loved ones in the area. We hear the voices of worried family and friends broadcasting their messages to those missing. Historian: Government Relief Efforts to 1927 Mississippi Flood Faster Than Katrina. We go back to the spring of 1927 when the Mississippi River flooded after weeks of incessant rains. While the federal government response was well-coordinated, African Americans were rounded into work camps by land owners and prevented from leaving as the waters rose. Archive #PZ0603.241
top Thursday 1Bill Quigley in New Orleans Hospital: "No Water, Sick, Call Somebody for Help". We go to New Orleans and Law Professor Bill Quigley who is trapped in Memorial Hospital with hundreds of other people. There is no water or electricity in the hospital and relief efforts have yet to reach them. The Drowning of New Orleans: Hurricane Devastation Was Predicted. The New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote three years ago, "It's only a matter of time before south Louisiana takes a direct hit from a major hurricane. Billions have been spent to protect us, but we grow more vulnerable every day." We look at the lack of infrastructure preparedness in the Big Easy. Homeland Emergency: Disaster Relief is Suffering Under New DHS Bureaucracy. The Department of Homeland Security is spending billions on domestic spying and counter terrorism - is disaster relief getting sidelined? We look at the first major test of the massive homeland security bureaucracy with Matthew Brzezinski, author of Fortress America. "Katrina's Real Name is Global Warming". As the Bush administration promotes regulations that allow more pollution from power plants, we look at the increased impact of human-induced global warming in the form of extreme weather events such as Hurricane Katrina. Archive #PZ0603.240
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