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Excerpt - Even as residents who fled the city ahead of Hurricane Gustav continued to return, Mayor Ray Nagin said Saturday that it appeared the city would need to start worrying about Hurricane Ike. Hurricane Ike grew to Category 4 strength Saturday and could head into the Gulf of Mexico by early next week, putting residents along the Gulf Coast on alert less than a week after Gustav made landfall in south Louisiana. Nagin told reporters he's worried about fast-moving Ike and about the wherewithal of residents who one week ago began leaving ahead of Gustav. Reactions of residents who've...

Ike heading towards the gulf.

NEW ORLEANS — Anxious evacuees across the country clamored to come home Tuesday after Hurricane Gustav largely spared New Orleans and southern Louisiana, but were cautioned to wait for the restoration of power and other critical services knocked out by the storm.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush sought on Monday to ease the embarrassment of his administration's response to Hurricane Katrina by turning the world spotlight again on New Orleans. To a standing ovation from Congress, the U.S. president said: "Tonight I am pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans." Bush said he would invite the leaders of neighboring Canada and Mexico for their regular "Three Amigos Summit" in the city which has been slow to recover from...

We finished this video to promote the Great New Orleans Gun Grab and I wanted to know what you guys think.

Two killed in New Orleans home invasion NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The slaying of two members of a family and wounding of another five is the latest in a spike in home invasion attacks in New Orleans. Seven relatives had been meeting at a home in the city's Village de l'Est neighborhood Friday when gunmen forced their way inside, robbed them and then opened fire without warning, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Sunday. A man in his late 20s and a woman in her late 30s sustained fatal wounds, making the incident the second double-homicide in the area...

Link to Hearing (Real Audio) Senate Homeland Security Subcmte. Hearing on Gulf Coast Housing Potential shortfalls in a Gulf Coast Housing program is the subject of a Senate Homeland Security subcmte. hearing. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) chairs this look at funding for the "Road Home" program, created by the State of Louisiana with White House assistance following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Shortfalls are estimated at more than $3 billion. 5/24/2007: WASHINGTON, DC:

A new study by Tulane University demographer Mark VanLandingham puts New Orleans' per capita murder rate at 96 per 100-thousxand people last year -- the highest in the nation. There have been various other estimates of the per-capita murder rate, based on various population estimates in the city after Hurricane Katrina. VanLandingham's method takes into account the large change in New Orleans' population over the course of the year. That method takes into account the far lower population of the city in the early months of the year. In his study, VanLandingham used a group of the most widely accepted...

ARABI, La. - The residents of flood-damaged St. Bernard Parish, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, have a new concern: killer bees. Agriculturalists began setting traps around a half-mile radius of a storm-wrecked home Monday that authorities have confirmed was infested with aggressive Africanized honey bees. The hybrids first drove away contractors hired to tear the house down. Then they drove off beekeepers called in to catch them. Finally mosquito workers killed the bees. The state agriculture department confirmed in late December that they were hybrids with the aggressive African strain, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Bob Odom said. The traps are...

Mental Health Crisis Strains New Orleans Thursday November 9, 2006 12:01 AM By MARY FOSTER Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Mental health problems soared after Hurricane Katrina, just as the city's ability to handle them plummeted, creating a crisis so acute that police officers say they take some disturbed people to a destination of last resort - jail. Because of the storm damage, only two of New Orleans' 11 hospitals are fully functioning. What's more, one of the closed facilities is the sprawling Charity Hospital, which police officers had relied on to drop off people at any hour....

John Hall, leader of the rock group Orleans that recorded such hits as "Still the One" and "Dance With Me," has won a stunning upset in his race for Congress in upstate New York, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Sue Kelly 51%-49%. Hall's views on the differences between political and music journalists were recently profiled on E&P Online. At one point, he had to struggle to be taken seriously by the press as a policy man. He ended up gaining the endorsements of all four top dailies in his district. The upset was more surprising, as this contest was never on...

Corruption Is Issue in New Orleans RaceReuters Updated:2006-11-01 09:04:06 Rep. William Jefferson (Alex Brandon, AP) NEW ORLEANS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The battle to represent hurricane-battered New Orleans in Congress should turn on which candidate can best help rebuild the city but the buzz is about how $90,000 in cold hard cash ended up in the Democratic incumbent's freezer. Until the FBI found the money wrapped in foil as part of a sting operation in May, eight-term congressman William Jefferson seemed certain to be re-elected on Nov. 7 to represent Louisiana's 2nd district, much of which lay under water after...

Mould no threat to people of New Orleans 01 September 2006 From New Scientist Print Edition. The buildings of New Orleans were left covered with mould after the floods caused by hurricane Katrina, but it seems the spores pose little threat to the city's remaining inhabitants. High levels of airborne fungal spores were reported in the flood zone soon after the hurricane. One species of particular concern to health officials was Stachybotrys, which is blamed for a wide range of health problems, particularly in people with asthma. But last week the International Congress on Aerobiology in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, heard that...

Feds Say New Orleans Is Storm-Ready Sunday August 27, 2006 6:46 PM By JOHN HEILPRIN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal emergency officials claim New Orleans levee system is ready for another major hurricane, despite the less-optimistic views of other political leaders and engineers. ``I think we're in good shape,'' Don Powell, the Bush administration's coordinator of Gulf Coast rebuilding, said Sunday. ``There's no question in my mind, we're ready.'' The levees failed after Hurricane Katrina, a Category 4 storm, roared ashore a year ago, flooding the city of New Orleans. The levees were built to withstand a Category...

In New Orleans, allegations don't inter embattled congressmanBy CAIN BURDEAU Associated Press Writer August 21. 2006 1:57AM NEW ORLEANS - Olga Richard doesn't buy into the accusations swirling around her beleaguered congressman - William Jefferson. She doesn't want to see Louisiana's first black U.S. representative since Reconstruction crash to the ground like a battered pinata. "He's being made an example of," Richard said. "I want him to succeed not only for African-Americans but for New Orleans and my community." And although Jefferson, D-La., is the subject of a federal investigation into alleged illegal dealings involving an African telecommunications deal, political...

Judge backs Jefferson affidavit rulingArguments on privacy mostly moot, he says Friday, June 02, 2006 By Bruce Alpert and Bill Walsh Washington bureau WASHINGTON -- A federal judge in Maryland on Thursday affirmed an earlier ruling authorizing the release of an FBI affidavit used to justify a search of the U.S. residence of the vice president of Nigeria and his wife on the same day that Rep. William Jefferson's homes were searched by FBI agents. The release of the affidavit, which includes material collected by the FBI as part of a corruption probe of the New Orleans Democrat, was sought...

Jefferson case chills DemocratsWednesday, May 31, 2006 By MARIE COCCO Democrats, repeat after me. In his freezer. This is the retort that chills the Democrats' contention that Republicans in the House have nurtured a "culture of corruption" which can only be undone by electing Democrats and booting the GOP from control over Capitol Hill. And just think. Freezer jokes will keep their freshness only until we see the videotapes. That is, the videotapes of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., allegedly taking a briefcase full of bills -- about $100,000 in all -- in what the FBI believes was a plot to...

Jefferson's CurseThe Nation Thu May 25, 11:58 AM ET AP - Mon May 15, 5:25 PM ET U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, speaks to the media at a news conference in New Orleans on Monday May 15, 2006. Congressman Jefferson declared his innocence in light of a federal bribery probe. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Nation -- As John wrote a few days back, William Jefferson was one of the worst Democrats in the House even before he started hiding bribes in the freezer. Now he's a drag on his party and a disgrace to his district--which happens to represent...

Despite the wall-to-wall coverage of the damage from Hurricane Katrina, nearly one-third of young Americans recently polled couldn't locate Louisiana on a map and nearly half were unable to identify Mississippi. Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 fared even worse with foreign locations: six in 10 couldn't find Iraq... _ Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language. _ Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and...

Main hospital in New Orleans is a tent By Karyn Miller in New Orleans (Filed: 23/04/2006) Rose Lee was standing outside the New Orleans Charity Hospital, mouth agape, eyes wide with astonishment. She had recently returned to her native city from Texas and had come to see an emergency doctor about the "head-to-toe" mess of health problems she had suffered since losing everything she owned to the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. Mrs Lee, 48, knew that what was formerly the city's flagship hospital had been badly damaged in the disaster that engulfed the coast last August, and was now operating...

Lawmaker's warning: Vote in New Orleans race could tip taxman U.S. actor/comedian Bill Cosby makes a face during a rally for voting rights of displaced residents in New Orleans April 1, 2006. Many citizens scattered across the country since Hurricane Katrina may be unable to vote in the city's April 22 mayoral election, according to rally organizers. REUTERS/Lee Celano BATON ROUGE, La. When New Orleans residents scattered about the country by Hurricane Katrina cast their ballots in the mayor's race, they'll be giving state tax collectors a way to locate them. One Louisiana lawmaker says he wants people to know...

New Orleans Election Hinges on Race and Not RebuildingBy ADAM NOSSITER Published: April 4, 2006 NEW ORLEANS, April 3 — As the first vote since Hurricane Katrina, the April 22 mayoral primary was supposed to be about the critical choices facing this battered city — an issues-filled debate about whose reconstruction plan was best. Instead, with the city's majority-black status in doubt for the first time in decades, one dominant motif has emerged in the campaign: race, which for nearly 30 years has been merely a muted subtheme in politics here. Since 1978, New Orleans has elected black mayors, and...

Black Activists Support Judge's Ruling to Hold New Orleans Elections on TimeFri Mar 31, 5:26 PM ET To: National Desk Contact: David Almasi of Project 21, 202-543-4110 ext. 11 or Project21@nationalcenter.org WASHINGTON, March 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- As the Reverend Jesse Jackson and others prepare to march in opposition to scheduled city government elections in New Orleans, members of the black leadership network Project 21 are supportive of a New Orleans- based federal judge's ruling clearing the way for voting to be held on and leading up to April 22. In his March 27 ruling, U.S. District Court judge Ivan...

Senate panel defeats voter bill supported by Jesse Jackson New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, with Jesse Jackson looking on, laughs during a meeting of the New Orleans City council at New Orleans International Airport in this Tuesday, Sept 27, 2005 file photo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) BATON ROUGE, La. A state senate committee has rejected a bill that would have made it easier for displaced New Orleans residents to vote in the city's mayoral election next month. The bill had been pushed by Jesse Jackson and civil rights groups. It would have created satellite voting centers in other states so people...

Shuttle from Selma taking marchers to New Orleans By Cassandra Mickens Tuesday, March 28, 2006 8:58 PM CST The Selma Times-Journal The Dallas County New South Coalition, the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement and the Dallas County Democratic Conference have joined together to shuttle area residents to the Return, Vote and Rebuild March in New Orleans Saturday, April 1. Those interested in marching will board charter buses at Memorial Stadium at 3 a.m. Saturday. The cost of the trip is $30 per person. Call (334) 418-0800 or (334) 875-3947 for more information. The...

TV ads are touting heroismALSO: Imaginative buzz; What friend?; Too many for TV Saturday, March 25, 2006 By Gordon Russell and Frank Donze - Staff writers TV commercials that attempt to spotlight politicians' acts of heroism in the anarchy of post-Katrina New Orleans have become a staple -- some might say an unfortunate one -- of the current campaign. Mayor Ray Nagin, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and Audubon Nature Institute chief executive Ron Forman, among others, all have sought to score points by reminding voters that they were here, doing the Lord's work, in the darkest of days. But none...

/23/2006 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. (AFPN) -- This base continues to absorb people and planes from hurricane-ravaged Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, La., accepting the second to last A-10 Thunderbolt II March 16. Falling in line with Base Realignment and Closure committee recommendations, the original plan had the naval base delivering aircraft and people to Whiteman over three years. Hurricane Katrina shortened that plan considerably. “We’re cramming three years of work into the next eight months,” said Col. Patrick Cord, 442nd Fighter Wing commander. “I’m confident the wing is up to the challenge. We’re professional, we’re experienced...

Law firm records sought by fedsJefferson's daughter once worked there Thursday, March 23, 2006 By Bruce Alpert Washington bureau WASHINGTON -- In an indication that the federal investigation of Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, is continuing, a Virginia grand jury has subpoenaed records from a law firm where one of the congressman's daughters once worked, according to sources familiar with the case. In addition, Judge T.S. Ellis III has agreed to delay sentencing for Brett Pfeffer, 37, a former Jefferson congressional aide who pleaded guilty in January to two felony charges, including aiding and abetting the solicitation of bribes. The...

NAACP: Displaced voters face poll tax in New Orleans electionBy CAIN BURDEAU Associated Press Writer March 23. 2006 7:09PM NEW ORLEANS - Up to 13,000 displaced residents would have to make costly trips to New Orleans to vote if the city holds elections as scheduled on April 22, advocacy groups said Thursday. The NAACP and other groups are complaining that an emergency election plan drawn up by the state will disenfranchise large numbers of blacks and have the effect of a poll tax - a voting fee that was banned after it was abused in the South to disenfranchise blacks....

Chicago Voting Spots Open For New Orleans ElectionCenters To Help Displaced Hurricane Katrina Victims Vote Mar 22, 2006 8:08 am US/Central (AP) CHICAGO The NAACP has opened two voter assistance centers in Chicago to provide displaced Hurricane Katrina victims with information on the New Orleans city election. The Chicago centers will help Katrina victims by providing voter registration and absentee ballot information for the April 22 election. The last day to cast an absentee ballot is today if displaced New Orleans residents were registered as of Sept. 25. After today, voters will only be able to vote in New Orleans....

Lawsuit: "I Quit" nickname illegal in electionPosted: March 14, 2006, 05:34 AM PST NEW ORLEANS (AP) - One challenger in each of New Orleans seven assessors districts is running with the nickname "I.Q.", short for, "I Quit." All seven have promised that if they're elected, they would use their 90-thousand dollar salaries to hire a professional appraisal firm. But two lawsuits scheduled for hearings today in Civil District Court contend that the nickname is deceptive, and therefore illegal. The defendants are Chase "I.Q. Jones in the fourth District, and Ron "I.Q." Mazier in the fifth. The suit against Mazier has...

‘Brokeback' an Oscar? What about Ray Nagin? If you're like me, you've had it with all the hype about “Brokeback Mountain.” Practically every major media enterprise in the nation has proclaimed it the front-runner to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards program on March 5. Not that we needed them to tell us. It was loudly proclaimed - even before the film's release to theaters - that this picture, about two sheepherders who give new meaning to the phrase “on the back forty,” would take all the major Oscars. Even my editor - no cowboy himself, although some days...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2006 – The military's recruiting mission in and around New Orleans is slowly recovering in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, local recruiting officials reported. Jacob Cristina, of Metairie, La., recites the Navy's oath of enlistment, given by Cmdr. Charles Schug, commanding officer of Navy Recruiting District New Orleans, during a Jan. 25 enlistment ceremony at the command's headquarters. Cristina was NRD New Orleans' first applicant to be sworn in at the headquarters since Hurricane Katrina caused it to be moved. Cristina signed up to become an aviation structural mechanic and ships out...

Emerging from a 72-hour stay in Orleans Parish Prison on Thursday, embattled Clerk of Criminal District Court Kimberly Williamson Butler compared herself to Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and other civil rights heroes while vowing to press on as both a lame-duck clerk and a candidate for mayor. The stint in jail solidified her as "the people's candidate," Butler said, particularly among people who have been incarcerated. While in jail, Butler had a cell to herself, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said. "I represent every person who feels that their voice hasn't been heard, every person who has been incarcerated, right or wrongly,"...

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2006 – Restoration of the flood protection system in New Orleans is on track and by June 1 will be equal to or better than it was before Hurricane Katrina, the Army general in charge of the program said here yesterday. To date, 100 of the 169 damaged miles of levee have been repaired, and 85 percent of pumping capacity is restored, Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, commander and chief of engineers, Army Corps of Engineers, said at a White House news conference. In meeting President Bush's June 1 commitment, the Corps of Engineers will restore all damaged...

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (March 3, 2006) -- Raucous crowds, cold beverages and colorful beads were only a part of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration this year, as 31 members of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing were welcomed in style by an ecstatic city, Feb. 28 and 29. “We’re so happy to have (the Marines) here,” said Gwyneth James, a Thibodaux, La., native and Mardi Gras regular. “It means a lot to see they’re willing to invest in the city’s future. It brings us hope.” The 2nd MAW Band and the Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 Color...

Race for New Orleans mayor will be roadshowBy JESSICA BUJOL Associated Press Writer March 03. 2006 6:56PM Mayor Ray Nagin and 23 challengers have entered the April primary for the city's top elected job, hitting a campaign trail political observers say will stretch from Atlanta to Houston. Qualifying for the race ended Friday afternoon. Besides Nagin, those who have qualified include former minor-league baseball team owner Rob Couhig; minister and civil rights activist Marie Galatas; financial planner Carlos Hornbrook; former state Rep. Leo Watermeier; Audubon Institute chief executive Ron Forman; Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu; former city councilwoman Peggy Wilson and...

New Orleans Renews Search for the Missing Thursday March 2, 2006 11:01 PM By MARY FOSTER Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A full six months after Hurricane Katrina, officials renewed the search for bodies Thursday, moving slowly through ravaged neighborhoods with cadaver dogs in hopes of locating 300 to 400 people still unaccounted for. The search teams targeted 160 houses and 122 debris piles at or near addresses of people still missing. The addresses were culled from a list of about 2,300 people still listed as unaccounted for with state and federal officials. ``We have between 300 and...

Judge refuses to delay New Orleans election Feb. 24, 2006, 3:54PM By KEVIN McGILL Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge refused today to postpone the April 22 mayoral election in New Orleans, turning back arguments that not enough has been done to ensure participation by the city's mostly black population dispersed by Hurricane Katrina. The decision came from U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle, who had earlier pressured state officials to make sure the election was held by the end of April. "We're extremely disappointed," said attorney Tracie Washington, one of the lawyers working with hurricane victim advocates who...

National Public Radio now reports on its access to court documents in the case. In a February 16 report, NPR says it has reviewed secret court documents related to the investigation and not yet released to the public. The documents, says NPR "reveal chilling details about events at Memorial hospital in the chaotic days following the storm, including hospital administrators who saw a doctor filling syringes with painkillers and heard plans to give patients lethal doses. The witnesses also heard staff discussing the agonizing decision to end patients' lives." The allegations revolve around a group of patients left on the...

NAACP: Postpone New Orleans ElectionBy ERIN TEXEIRA, AP National Writer 15 minutes ago Chairman of the NAACP Julian Bond, left, speaks with Presidnt Bruce S. Gordon during a meeting Saturday Feb. 18, 2006 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) NEW YORK - The Department of Justice should postpone upcoming elections in New Orleans until displaced voters have been located, NAACP officials said Saturday. "We're worried about the voting rights of our people in New Orleans who are not, for the most part, in New Orleans," said Bruce S. Gordon, NAACP president. "People should still have a say in what...

Black minister, Nagin critic enters mayor's raceBy CHEVEL JOHNSON Associated Press Writer February 17. 2006 4:50PM The Rev. Tom Watson III, an influential black pastor and frequent critic of Mayor Ray Nagin, declared his candidacy for mayor Friday, saying Hurricane Katrina exposed the weaknesses of Nagin's administration. "We have put up with the political foolishness for a long time and the impact from poor leadership was not shown until the storm showed it," Watson said to about 50 supporters on hand for the formal announcement. Watson is the first black challenger to Nagin, who also is black. Nine others, all...

Paper: White House Knew About Levees Early By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 41 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Twenty-eight government agencies, from local Louisiana parishes to the White House, reported that New Orleans levees were breached Aug. 29, the day Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, documents released Thursday show. A timeline of e-mails, situation updates and weather reports, pieced together by Senate Democrats, indicates the Bush administration knew as early as 8:30 a.m. EST about levee failures that would ultimately lead to massive flooding of the city and its surrounding parishes. Senate Democrats said the documents raise questions about whether...

Louisiana wants to help its displaced voters vote Official: They fled to every state but Alaska Sunday, February 5, 2006 New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin talks about the federal response to his city's disaster as he addresses fellow mayors, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 in Washington. Mayors from across the country gathered for the 74th Winter meeting of the The United States Conference of Mayors. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) WASHINGTON - Louisiana officials are preparing to send out nearly 1 million mailers as part of a campaign to tell voters who fled the wrath of Hurricane Katrina how to cast...

Blanco: Netherlands trip could help with future flood protection U. S. Congressman, William Jefferson, D-La., right, pauses during a press event at Kurhaus in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006. At left are, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., center. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski) BATON ROUGE, La. Governor Kathleen Blanco says a trip to the Netherlands to study the flood control systems for the below sea-level nation showed Louisiana officials engineering marvels that could be used in future flood protection for the New Orleans area. Blanco returned a day earlier from her visit to the country...

Blanco won't comment on Orleans rebuilding suggestions BATON ROUGE, La. Governor Kathleen Blanco declined to take sides today in the debate over a proposal that would stall or prevent some New Orleans residents from rebuilding their homes in neighorhoods heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Blanco says the place for that discussion is in New Orleans, not Baton Rouge. The planning arm of Mayor Ray Nagin's Bring New Orleans Back Commission recommended this week that no rebuilding work be done in neighborhoods hardest hit by Katrina until the areas prove they'll be viable. The idea was to ensure that enough people...

A former aide to U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., has negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors in which he is expected to admit to bribery of public officials and conspiracy, the Associated Press has learned. Brett Pfeffer is expected to plead guilty to the charges Wednesday afternoon at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, according to court documents. The documents do not name the public officials who allegedly were bribed. The former aide to Jefferson would face a maximum of 20 years in prison. Pfeffer's attorney, Paul Knight, declined comment Wednesday morning. The investigation of Jefferson is independent...

New Orleans residents express anger at first wave of rebuilding ideas By: CAIN BURDEAU - Associated Press NEW ORLEANS -- Angry residents expressed frustration Wednesday at the debut of rebuilding proposals for this devastated city, taking aim at a suggested four-month moratorium on new building permits in areas heavily flooded by Hurricane Katrina. "Our neighborhood is ready to come home," said property owner Jeb Bruneau of Lakeview, which borders Lake Pontchartrain. "Don't get in our way and prevent us from doing that. Help us cut the red tape." The Bring New Orleans Back Commission, appointed by Mayor Ray Nagin, released...

Campaigning may be difficult after Katrina By JEREMY ALFORD Courier Capitol Correspondent January 08. 2006 12:41AM BATON ROUGE -- While state officials have spent recent months devising a plan to hold elections in the hurricane-ravaged portions of Louisiana, those who run campaigns have been concocting new schemes for the actual campaigning process. It will certainly be a different picture from what voters and candidates find familiar. Deserted cities will complicate media launches, limited resources will make fund raising difficult, and hordes of displaced voters could forever change the face of get-out-the-vote efforts. Additionally, by all accounts, there will only be...

Tourists queue for disaster trips in the ruins of New Orleans By Alec Russell (Filed: 07/01/2006) Every morning Isabelle Cossart sets off in her white minibus to pick up tourists from their hotels to take them on a tour of the Big Easy and its swampy surroundings. She has followed the same routine for 27 years. But in recent weeks her guests have headed into more controversial territory as they bump around an area that is not mentioned on any of the city's tourist maps: the Lower 9th Ward, the mainly black and poor neighbourhood that was all but levelled...