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Disasters

Witt: FEMA doesn't have to be a disaster

James Lee Witt, who was director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the Clinton Administration, says that if he was in charge during Hurricane Katrina, he would have handled things differently. Speaking at the City Club Forum in Cleveland Friday, Witt also said that FEMA needs to be removed from the Department of Homeland Security.

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From Ely with love

Laura Kenig and Annie DesLauriers of Ely leave for New Orleans this weekend, where they will deliver a motor home to Lance Eden and his family. Rev. Eden is pastor of First Street United Methodist Church in New Orleans.

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Local officials assess disaster preparations in Twin Cities

How would the most vulnerable in the Twin Cities area fare in a disaster comparable to Hurricane Katrina? Some 30 state and metro-area community leaders met Tuesday to try to answer that question. Father John Estrem, the CEO of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, organized the meeting. He spoke with MPR's Tom Crann.
by Tom Crann

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St. Paul cops return from New Orleans

A team of St. Paul police officers is counting its blessings after spending 19 days helping law enforcement comrades in New Orleans.

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Getting government geared up for disasters

Nationally recognized congressional expert Norman Ornstein analyzes the federal preparations for and response to Hurricane Katrina in a speech Friday morning at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute. Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

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"...and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Rep. Jim Oberstar says that next time the government has to help Americans to flee a natural disaster, it should make sure there's room for pets. Oberstar, D-Minn., is co-sponsoring a bill that would force state and local governments to make evacuation plans for domesticated animals. What is it that makes people so reluctant to leave their pets behind?

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The militarization of disaster relief

President Bush wants Congress to make the Defense Department the head agency in emergency response. Tim Pawlenty is one of two governors who believe the Pentagon should take the lead in responding to events like Hurricane Katrina. Midmorning considers the implications of the military's role in domestic disasters.

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Helping a station hit by the hurricane

Not long after Hurricane Katrina hit, public radio stations in the Gulf Coast put put out the call for help. Some had temporarily lost power, others were flooded and put off the air altogether. Mississippi Public Broadcasting mostly needed more reporters on deck, and "Future Tense" Host Jon Gordon answered the call.

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Minnesota refugee expert reflects on Katrina response

A week after Hurricane Katrina hit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency asked Minneapolis-based refugee expert Hugh Parmer for advice on what to do with all the people the storm had displaced. Parmer, president of the American Refugee Committee, talked about the Federal response to Katrina and his brief stint as a senior advisor to FEMA on Friday at the University of Minnesota.

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Millions flee Hurricane Rita

This hurricane season brings severe destruction and lessons for disaster preparedness. In the first half of the show, we examine global warming's contribution to hurricane activity. In the second half of the program, we'll discuss the logistics of evacuations.

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