The last of 9 items on the list under the byline
Major Developments in Katrina's Aftermath - posted at 5:54 am EST on the NYTimes.com's AP/Reuters crawl - states:
The death toll linked to the hurricane rises to 883 along the Gulf Coast, 646 in Louisiana alone. The search for bodies continues.
This is a number the Bush Administration, especially Department of Homeland Security and its red-headed stepchild, FEMA, do not want you and me to see.
Noticed the dearth of search and recovery photos lately?
Guess why?
Reality-based news is bad news for Bush, the pResident who claims not to care what the polls say.
Another item on the list is heartbreaking, and, if true, I say "Thank You" to the doctors involved - would you treat me the same were I a patient in that situation:
A health official says there are unconfirmed reports that some doctors may have euthanized critically ill patients who could not be moved out during the storm, rather than leaving them to die from flooding or neglect.
Of course, people being people, with some controlled by baser instincts no matter the situation (sometimes I wonder how humans ever achieved the distinction of having the most-developed brains!), we also have this little tidbit:
Officials investigate complaints that New Orleans workers helped themselves to cases of Gatorade, brand-new clothing and other donated items that were intended for storm victims.
And the pissing contest between local and federal authorities continues, as BushCo rues not having established full martial law in NOLA while Katrina was still in Florida:
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says residents may return Monday to Algiers, a section of the city that saw little damage from Hurricane Katrina. But Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen urges New Orleans residents to delay their return a bit longer.
Luckily, Washington has the fabulous opportunity for a do-over of sorts, as soon-to-be Hurricane Rita makes its way west across the central Bahamas and into the Florida Straits just south of the Keys. As of 5:00 am EST, the National Hurricane Center says to expect landfall somewhere within this forecast cone by Tuesday.
I'm on the cusp of the error cone of the projected track here in my island cottage off Miami, so off I go to get the kiddo ready for school and start outdoor prep for at least tropical storm force winds.
Hang in there, fellow South Floridians!
p.s. Gee Dubya, can you please sign the Kyoto Protocol now and start doing something - anything - about the US contributions to climate change-inducing emissions?