Hurricane Katrina

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Hurricane Katrina is ripping its way through the South, with massive destruction caused by 155-mile per hour winds in Louisiana and Mississippi. New Orleans was spared a direct hit from the Category Four Storm, but the roof of the Superdome was torn apart. Although some 80% of the city was evacuated, thousands of residents and tourists are still at risk from water that's six feet deep because pumps have failed. From a stop-off in Arizona, President Bush urged citizens to heed local authorities and promised federal assistance. What will it mean for the US economy and the price of gasoline? We speak with journalists, relief workers, and experts in environmental resources and energy policy about efforts to help refugees from a storm that could cause $25 billion in property damage. Reporter's Notebook: Salvaging Unity in Iraq and Getting the US Out The head of the Arab League is the latest to call Iraq-s new constitution a -recipe for chaos,- telling the BBC the document fails to identify Iraq as an Arab country. In Tikrit, Sunnis demonstrated against it. In Baghdad, thousands of Shias gathered to voice their support. Sunni leaders might get enough negative votes to reject it by two-thirds margins in four of 18 states when it faces Iraqi voters on October 15. We hear more from Peter Galbraith, former Ambassador to Croatia, who-s well acquainted with Iraq-s Kurdish minority, and from Middle East historian Juan Cole at the University of Michigan.
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, recommends that if you want to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, the greatest need is for financial aid. A number of relief organizations are accepting contributions now:

National Hurricane Center on Katrina

President Bush on Katrina

Southern Baptist Convention on sheltering Katrina refugees

Gold's article on Katrina

Bourne's article, "Louisiana-s Wetlands: The Big Uneasy"

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Iraqi constitution

President Bush congratulates Iraqis on draft constitution

Credits

Host:
Warren Olney