Liberals always overplay their hands, their immature coverage is typical.
FROM WWL
Updates as they come in on Katrina
07:40 PM CDT on Thursday, September 1, 2005
Tom Planchet
7:39 P.M. - AUSTIN (AP): Texas agencies will work to ensure Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina receive food and health care benefits while in Texas.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission said today its offices in some Texas cities will extend office hours to help refugees with Medicaid, food stamp benefits and other aid.
Pharmacies have received instructions on how to help Louisiana Medicaid recipients who need prescriptions filled in Texas.
Louisiana food stamp recipients can use their electronic benefit cards at large retailers such as HEB and Wal-Mart. The agency also is working to provide Louisiana clients of the Women, Infants, Children Program those benefits in Texas.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services also is helping place Louisiana foster care children, including 49 children from a New Orleans facility.
The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services is working to find nursing facility beds. So far, the Texas agency has served more than 2,500 Louisiana families displaced by the hurricane.
7:29 P.M. - (AP): Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Jimmy Field says about 800 thousand people are without power and more than 800 thousand phone lines are out of service.
7:11 P.M. - (AP): The Internal Revenue Service is weighing in on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on both donors and victims.
It's reminding people who'd like to contribute cash to the relief effort to make sure the charities qualify for tax-exempt status. If so, then donors can deduct the contribution from their federal income taxes. The IRS is also setting up a hotline for hurricane victims, offering information on tax relief programs, tax return information and disaster tax loss kits.
It says those who've suffered personal and business losses in the storm shouldn't worry about tax deadlines or lost paperwork. The agency says anyone in the disaster areas who is sending correspondence or payments should write "Hurricane Katrina" in red ink at the top of any documents.