To the Point

Flawed Planning, Katrina Resources Directed Elsewhere

Military vehicles have moved in to control the violence in New Orleans as the Army Corps of Engineers feverishly works to shore up the city's main levee. While meals and other supplies are coming into Mississippi towns, yet many are still without basic staples, even water and necessary medicine. Five days after Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, flights have begun taking people out of New Orleans; busloads of people are heading west to Houston's Astrodome, which may be their home for several months to come. As President Bush tours the area today, talking to governors, mayors, and rescue crews, the overwhelming question continues to be who's in charge. Guest host Diana Nyad considers why it took the federal government so long to begin relief efforts on a large scale. Reporter's Notebook: International Response to Gulf Coast Relief Efforts Last December, the United States rushed to aid the victims of Asia's tsunami. Now some 39 countries have pledged cash, personnel, and goods toward relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Even countries known for strained relations with the US, most notably Cuba and Venezuela, have offered their help. We hear more about thise outpouring of international response from Kevin Kennedy of the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Daniel Lack of the BBC.