To the Point

Katrina: America's Worst Disaster and the American Red Cross

Charitable donations in the aftermath of Katrina are unprecedented in US history--more than a billion dollars, with three-quarters going to the American Red Cross. But is the Red Cross providing immediate relief for hurricane victims as mandated by Congress? Small-town officials say the organization was nowhere to be found. Was it overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster? Did local laws and priorities get in the way? Will the Red Cross reimburse local churches and other charities that stepped in? We hear from a Red Cross spokesperson recently returned from Biloxi, public policy experts, and nonprofits and civic leaders along the Gulf Coast. Making News: Judiciary Committee Confirms Roberts for Chief Justice Judge John Roberts has been confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee to be the next Chief Justice of the United States. The vote was 13 to five, with three Democrats voting for confirmation and no Republicans voting against. John Bicknell, who reports for Congressional Quarterly, looks at today's vote and at the President's likely choices to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Reporter's Notebook: Texans Flee the Gulf Coast Ahead of Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita is bearing down on Texas with Category-5 winds of 175 miles an hour. In Galveston, Corpus Christi and Houston, hundreds of thousands of people are taking evacuation orders seriously. With traffic backed up 100 miles on major roads leading inland, motorists are running out of gas. Texas Governor Rick Perry says the state will try to park gasoline trucks where drivers can reach them. Bill Hanna of the Forth Wort Star-Telegram has an update.