Newswire

Storm-Relief Money Spent At Strip Clubs

Storm-relief money spent at strip clubs
Police in Houston find misuse of FEMA's $2,000 debit cards On the heels of a report earlier this week that Atlanta area Katrina victims were using $2,000 debit cards to purchase luxury items like Louis Vuitton handbags, Houston police yesterday discovered the cards, provided by FEMA and the Red Cross, being used at local strip clubs.

Corruption a Worry As Katrina Aid Flows
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The sudden flow of billions of dollars in hurricane relief aid into New Orleans has raised fears that some of it is going to be lost to graft and sticky fingers in a state with a long and rich history of corruption. A group of current and former state officials is calling for more safeguards, more transparency in spending and the appointment of independent analysts to avoid corruption and keep the state out of trouble.

Another Girl Raped By Hurricane Evacuees
The authorities have charged two evacuees at Camp Dawson in the alleged sexual assault of a 13 year old girl. That has raised questions about how many of the more than 300 evacuees there, may have criminal pasts. One West Virginia State trooper said "many" of the displaced citiznes have criminal backgrounds. He couldn't say exactly how many of them have records or what kinds of charges they've faced.

FEMA a disaster waiting to happen
As Hurricane Katrina bore down on the Gulf Coast three weeks ago, veteran workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency braced for an epic disaster. But their bosses, political appointees with almost no emergency management experience, didn't seem to share the sense of urgency, a FEMA veteran said.

Bush to Give Military Bigger Relief Role
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's push to give the military a bigger role in responding to major disasters like Hurricane Katrina could lead to a loosening of legal limits on the use of federal troops on U.S. soil. Pentagon officials are reviewing that possibility, and some in Congress agree it needs to be considered. Bush did not define the wider role he envisions for the military. But in his speech to the nation from New Orleans on Thursday, he alluded to the unmatched ability of federal troops to provide supplies, equipment, communications, transportation and other assets the military lumps under the label of "logistics."

Physician: Possible Long-Term Health Impact for Rescue Workers
Isaac Eliaz, MD is speaking out on the possible long-term health impact of Katrina for some folks. He is worried about survivors and workers wading through the sewage and absorbing toxic chemicals and metals, especially lead. He is donating heavy metal test kits to help people identify their individual exposure.

Where Will the Garbage Go?
D'IBERVILLE, Miss. — The Hurricane Katrina cleanup represents the biggest waste-disposal job in U.S. history, dwarfing in volume the debris carted off after the World Trade Center's twin towers fell in 2001, officials said. In the past few days, a loose network of contractors, government officials and out-of-work residents has sprung up to scoop, sort, grind and dispose of not just mountains of garbage, but whole mountain ranges of the stuff.

Phony Red Cross workers use Katrina to solicit money
Three people were arrested after posing as Red Cross workers collecting money for Hurricane Katrina victims. As early as Monday they had set up a table with a donation collection box outside a Best Buy store and displayed fliers that read "Help Now. American Red Cross Relief For Hurricane Katrina," said police Detective Matt Ferguson.

Controls on FEMA checks dropped
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has thwarted a plan by a probate judge to screen Hurricane Katrina evacuees for mental illnesses before they can have access to FEMA checks. Probate Judge Amy McCulloch on Thursday had issued the order in an effort to protect evacuees who might be suffering from mental illness, dementia or other disorders, according to Columbia Mayor Bob Coble. She revoked the order Friday after learning from the U.S. Attorney’s Office that the order could bring up civil rights issues and other problems, Coble said.

Posted by Editor at September 19, 2005 05:16 AM