To the Point
The Human Fallout from Katrina
Hurricane Katrina's eight-hour pounding of the gulf coast was horrific, but the wreckage she left in her wake is even worse. There are countless dead bodies still strewn on the streets of New Orleans, and authorities are nowhere near assessing an accurate death count. Thousands of homeless residents sit and wait for help, with scant supplies of food and water; thousands of others are evacuating, some with no destination in mind. There is reportedly little police or National Guard presence in the city, and civil unrest, looting and carjacking are not yet under control, although though 30,000 troops, FEMA food and water air drops, and convoys of ships and trucks are arriving or on their way. Guest host Diana Nyad speaks with emergency workers and others, including one woman who lost her home, about the crisis and the long road to recovery. Reporter-s Notebook: Director of Women's Health at FDA Resigns Yesterday-s resignation by the Director of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Women's Health has sparked a political scrap. Susan Wood resigned after the FDA Commissioner delayed the agency's recommendation to approve over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill. Wood refused to accept an over-rule of what she calls "scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here." Marc Kaufman is following the story for the Washington Post.
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:
Red Cross (800-HELP-NOW)
Episcopal Relief & Development (800-334-7626)
United Methodist Committee on Relief (800-554-8583)
Salvation Army (800-SAL-ARMY)
Catholic Charities (800-919-9338)
Jewish Federation (323-761-8200)
Animal Shelter Disaster Relief Fund (212) 876-7700 x4516)
Diana Nyad,
2002 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, is a business sports columnist for
Marketplace, senior sports correspondent for
Fox News, and has hosted her own show on
CNBC. She's also the
author of three books.
Food and Drug Administration on Plan B
FDA-s Office of Women's Health
Senators Clinton, Murray on resignation of Dr. Susan Wood
Kaufman's article about reasons for resignation of FDA's women's health chief