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Days after Louisiana’s governor declared a state of emergency and the National Hurricane Center warned the White House that Hurricane Katrina could top the New Orleans levee system, the only FEMA official actually in New Orleans itself–Marty J. Bahamonde–was not even supposed to be there. He had been sent in advance of the storm and […]
In the final part of this five-part investigative series on the real (but still-hidden) backstory to the disastrous FEMA handling of Hurricane Katrina, we learn that no bad deed goes unrewarded, as those who ran FEMA into the ground joined the private sector as “experts,” and cashed in their access.
This article was originally assigned, accepted, and paid for in full by Vanity Fair — which never got around to publishing it. It tells the story of the cronyism, corruption, ineptness, contempt for the public and utter shamelessness of the Bush family apparatus and its extensive network. With yet another Bush now contesting the White House, and with the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina upon us, we would do well to study this closely. It documents unequivocally how greed and unenlightened self-interest in high places can tear apart the very fabric of American society. Originally written within months of Hurricane Katrina, it will still make your blood boil.
This week we publish it in five parts. Here is Part 2.
This article was originally assigned, accepted, and paid for in full by Vanity Fair — which never got around to publishing it. It tells the story of the cronyism, corruption, ineptness, contempt for the public and utter shamelessness of the Bush family apparatus and its extensive network. With yet another Bush now contesting the White House, and with the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina upon us, we would do well to study this closely. It documents unequivocally how greed and self-interest in high places can tear apart the very fabric of American society. Originally written within months of Hurricane Katrina, it will still make your blood boil.
This week we publish it in five parts.
An eyewitness account of Hurricane Katrina from a WhoWhatWhy editor
VOLUNTEER! Do you have skills you’d like to offer? We have all kinds of needs. For more info, visit our Volunteer Page. PUBLICITY NOTES: We’re getting more requests all the time for Russ and others to appear on radio shows and podcasts. In addition, we see our articles frequently picked up, cited, or linked to. For […]
VOLUNTEER! Do you have skills you’d like to offer? We have all kinds of needs. For more info, visit our Volunteer Page. With the Boston Marathon Bombing defense seeking a new trial, in part because of prejudicial media coverage, we figure this is a good time to remind people about one news organization that worked overtime […]
VOLUNTEER! Do you have skills you’d like to offer? We have all kinds of needs. For more info, visit our Volunteer Page. PUBLICITY NOTES: We’re getting more requests all the time for Russ and others to appear on radio shows and podcasts. In addition, we see our articles frequently picked up, cited, or linked to. For […]
In this week’s WhoWhatWhy Podcast, Russ Baker recounts the backstory behind his five-part series on the corruption, incompetence, contempt, and depraved indifference exposed by the Bush administration’s response to Katrina
Most people never heard the real story of the disaster surrounding Hurricane Katrina and the destruction of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. With Hurricane Sandy pounding away at the East Coast, and the presidential candidates differing on the proper role of the federal government, it’s never too late to learn what happens when politics gets in the way of sound policy.
Russ Baker and radio host Gary Null discuss the tragedy of Katrina, “disaster capitalism,” the Bush Administration’s hollowing out of government services, and more. What you didn’t hear … anywhere else during all the 10th anniversary hand-wringing.
Climate disasters will continue. As long as they do, we will need to focus on getting a lot better at recovering from those disasters.