Katrina Live Thread, Part XIII

Various ^ | 1 September 2005 | Various

[NautiNurse]

28,000 National Guard troops are deployed to the disaster areas in Mississippi, Alabama, and to Louisiana, where SWAT teams are working to combat the looters and shooters in New Orleans. Additional 1400 National Guard troops are being deployed daily.

Shootings reported at a New Orleans hospital, rescue boats, and a military helicopter, while conditions continue to deteriorate at the SuperDome amid refugee deaths and chaos. Evacuation of New Orleans continues.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert has voiced serious doubts about rebuilding New Orleans with federal funds, while assuring the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that the United States Congress stands ready to help them in their time of need. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin issued a "desperate SOS."

Doctors at two desperately crippled hospitals in New Orleans called The Associated Press Thursday morning pleading for rescue, "We have been trying to call the mayor's office, we have been trying to call the governor's office ... we have tried to use any inside pressure we can. We are turning to you. Please help us," said Dr. Norman McSwain, chief of trauma surgery at Charity Hospital, the largest of two public hospitals.

The Port of New Orleans is now open to shallow draft vessels. Congress is reconvening in an emergency session. International offers to assist the U.S. have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States.

Jesse Jackson has arrived in Louisiana...

Links to various news, local and state government websites:

WLOX TV Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagula has link to locate family and friends
2theAdvocate - Baton Rouge Includes Slidell, St. John Parish, St. Bernard Parish updates, and other locations.
NOLA.com
Inside Houma Today includes shelter and volunteer updates
WLBT.com Jackson MS
WALA Channel 4 Mobile, AL Includes links to distribution centers, Emergency Ops, etc.
Sun-Herald Gulfport MS Includes link to town by town reports
Gulfport News via Topix.net
WAFB Baton Rouge
Mobile Register via al.com
Mississippi updates via Jackson Ledger
Lafayette LA Daily Advertiser
Pensacola News Journal
St Bernard Local Government
Alabama Homeland Security Volunteers can sign up online
Alabama DOT
Alabama.gov
Louisiana Homeland Security
Louisiana State Police road closure info
State of Mississippi Website has traffic alerts, emergency contact numbers

Streaming Video:

WWL-TV (via CBS): WWLTV via CBS
WWL-TV Now via WFAA Dallas **NEW LINK**: http://www.wwltv.com/cgi-bin/bi/video/makeadplaylist.pl?title=beloint_wfaa&live=yes
WDSU-TV: http://mfile.akamai.com/12912/live/reflector:38843.asx
WPMI-TV: http://www.wpmi.com/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=113739
WKRG-TV: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95518
WTOK-TV Temporarily Not Live Streaming (follow the link on the home page): http://www.wtok.com/
WJTV-TV: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95563
Louisiana Statewide Katrina Network (WJBO-AM Baton Rouge): http://ccri.eonstreams.com/ccri_la_batonrouge_wjbo_am.asf
Gulf Coast Storm Network (radio): http://www.stormalert.net/main.html#
Louisiana Scanner

Related FR Threads:

FYI: Hurricane Katrina Freeper SIGN IN Thread FReeper Check In thread
Discussion Thread - Hurricane Katrina - What Went Wrong?!?
Post Hurricane Katrina IMAGES Here
Looting Begins In New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina HOUSING Thread
Martial Law Declared in New Orleans

Due to the number of requests to assist, the following list of some charities is provided.
This is not intended as an endorsement for any of the charities.

www.redcross.org or 1-800 HELP NOW - note: website is slow, and lines are busy
Salvation Army - 1-800-SAL-ARMY or Salvation Army currently looking for in-state volunteers - (888)363-2769
Operation Blessing: (800) 436-6348.
America's Second Harvest: (800) 344-8070.
Catholic Charities USA: (800) 919-9338, or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: (800) 848-5818.
Church World Service: (800) 297-1516 or online at www.churchworldservice. org.
Lutheran Disaster Response: (800) 638-3522.
Nazarene Disaster Response: (888) 256-5886.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: (800) 872-3283.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accepting donations at its 3,800 stores and Web site, www.walmart.com.
National Black Home Educators Resource Association http://www.nbhera.org/

Previous Threads:
Katrina Live Thread, Party XII
Katrina Live Thread, Part XI
Katrina Live Thread, Part X
Katrina Live Thread, Part IX
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VIII
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VII
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VI
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part V
Hurricane Katrina, Live Thread, Part IV
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part III
Katrina Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm 12

[SE Mom]

This remark is indefensible.

[nuclady]

I have some Bailey's that would be good in that java! :)

[Types_with_Fist]

I think we might see Bush bypass Baton Rouge and stop at the NO Airport where that Colonel is. At least, that's what I hope he does. To hell with the posturing bureacratic PR crap. That Colonel at the airport has done more on the ground than any of the bureacrats have. Even Nagin referred to him as a "John Wayne type."

[hummingbird]

10:42 AM Eastern Time: Race Card played

...and hideous, cynical abuse of people's faith for political gain.

Religion Card played.

[Ellesu]

http://www.wjbo.com

fixing to rplay the phone call. Streaming audio

[Sender]

thugs had taken over the roof of the hosp

That could be easily cured. One helicopter.

[tomkat]

It would destroy their political position

I started to post something along those lines last night, but figured the pot was already boiling sufficiently w/o it.

You are, of course, correct.
This whole thing's gotta be scarin' political hell out of a lotta lefties.

[fishntex]

I just heard "black genocide"" from a reporter on cspan.

The black caucus is giving state and local authorities a pass.

[Bubbette]

A Freeper last night mentioned that the NG was having to cut their way through Mississippi. The roads were covered with trees. Also in both MS and AL there were gasoline issues. Every truck, bus, etc. in that convoy had to be gassed up somewhere.

[Spktyr]

FEMA and Coast Guard are considered Law Enforcement, not troops.

There have been acts of Congress since to ensure that what Eisenhower and Kennedy did cannot happen again, alas.

[Wallace T.]

If you don't like that, press Congress to change the Constitution, and the law.

What a ridiculous statement! A process like you describe would take months or years, while thousands of people might die from starvation, dehydration, violence, disease, and lack of medical care due to the incompetence of state and local authorities in the next few weeks. Besides, there is precedence for Federal intervention in these matters.

The Posse Comitatus Act, passed after Reconstruction, placed curbs on involvement in law enforcement on the part of the U.S. Army, and by extension the Air Force, which evolved out of the Army. It does not address the Marines or the Navy, which was and is under the authority of the Navy Department, not the War (Army) Department. Nor does it address the Coast Guard, which is an agency of the Treasury Department, but which is transferred to the Defense Department in wartime.

Moreover, the Executive Branch of government is charged with the duty of protecting Federal civilian workers, such as FEMA employees. The local and state authorities are not doing their job in this respect. The Federal marshals in Little Rock in 1957 were not protected by the local authorities, prompting Eisenhower to send in the regulars and place the National Guard under Federal authority.

There is an old saying to the effect that the Constitution is not a suicide pact. Thousands of lives are in peril in New Orleans due to the incompetence of state and local governments. This is more severe a situation than the integration crisis of the 1960s or the Terri Schiavo court-ordered dehydration earlier this year because of the human cost. Let's not excuse Federal inaction under the rubric of states rights or the rule of law.

[SeaBiscuit]

Mobile now, Biloxi next according to FOX. No public plans to disembark in NO due to security problems.. will tour over with copter..

[bwteim]

Thanks I will pass for now.

By the way, I actually looked at new threads.... just now

and from
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1475519/posts

for those who have not checked this source
http://www.katrinahousing.org/listinfo.html
There are hundreds of people opening up homes and hearts.

(those who also publicly shared their contact info might be unwise, but it appears that the group also provide a way to keep your id 'hidden')

[SE Mom]

HOOAH!

[DGray]

The Poliburo Diktat has a brief roundup of current blogger responses to the Gulf Coast disaster, grouped by Left and Right. All of the Right bloggers are posting about relief and aid, while all but three of the bloggers on the Left are wall-to-wall Bush-bashing.

Enlightening.

[CedarDave]

Rev.(?)Sharpton on WWL complaining about Bush's response being a day late and a dollar short, doesn't like "shoot to kill order", playing the race card, reason for the delay is we are dealing with "people of color", going to Houston to talk to folks there. Radio anchors (who both sound like "people of color") saying what would you have them (police) do when looting is for expensive goods. "How are you supposed to have get supplies when they are getting shot?" Sharpton backing off somewhat.

[bwteim]

thank you.

[NonValueAdded]

That is a good point ... I think one of the reasons you don't see the helicopter drop of a load of water to the people on a bridge as is being screamed for in many places is that more people would die than be saved. If you think it through, first the rotor wash would likely blow a few off the bridge; you can't drop water from a great height so the chopper must get low. Next, the crowd would go absolutely berserk rushing to the water. A platoon of soldiers would be no match. Those that didn't get trampled in the stampede might get to the water but once they got it , how would they get out of the way of the crowd pressing in? People would start taking water from those that had it. I think you all can play out this scenario in your mind. Only if there was some societal discipline could a relief drop like that work.

[Broker]

Presidential visit video on common feed to CNN & Fox.