");vwo_$('head').append(_vwo_sel);return vwo_$('head')[0] && vwo_$('head')[0].lastChild;})("HEAD")}}, R_940895_48_1_2_0:{ fn:function(log,nonce=''){return (function(x) {
if(!vwo_$.fn.vwoRevertHtml){
return;
};
var ctx=vwo_$(x),el;
/*vwo_debug log("Revert","content",""); vwo_debug*/;
el=vwo_$('[vwo-element-id="1742919897117"]');
el.revertContentOp().remove();})("HEAD")}}, C_940895_48_1_2_1:{ fn:function(log,nonce=''){return (function(x) {var el,ctx=vwo_$(x);
/*vwo_debug log("editElement",".stylingblock-content-margin-cell > table:nth-of-type(1) > tbody:nth-of-type(1) > tr:nth-of-type(1) > td:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > h2:nth-of-type(1) > span:nth-of-type(1)"); vwo_debug*/(el=vwo_$(".stylingblock-content-margin-cell > table:nth-of-type(1) > tbody:nth-of-type(1) > tr:nth-of-type(1) > td:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > h2:nth-of-type(1) > span:nth-of-type(1)")).html("Hello! David Brancaccio here. Do you want instant access to the free online course - “Economics 101” - to understand basic economic concepts?");})(".stylingblock-content-margin-cell > table:nth-of-type(1) > tbody:nth-of-type(1) > tr:nth-of-type(1) > td:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > h2:nth-of-type(1) > span:nth-of-type(1)")}}, R_940895_48_1_2_1:{ fn:function(log,nonce=''){return (function(x) {
if(!vwo_$.fn.vwoRevertHtml){
return;
};
var el,ctx=vwo_$(x);
/*vwo_debug log("Revert","editElement",".stylingblock-content-margin-cell > table:nth-of-type(1) > tbody:nth-of-type(1) > tr:nth-of-type(1) > td:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > h2:nth-of-type(1) > span:nth-of-type(1)"); vwo_debug*/(el=vwo_$(".stylingblock-content-margin-cell > table:nth-of-type(1) > tbody:nth-of-type(1) > tr:nth-of-type(1) > td:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > h2:nth-of-type(1) > span:nth-of-type(1)")).vwoRevertHtml();})(".stylingblock-content-margin-cell > table:nth-of-type(1) > tbody:nth-of-type(1) > tr:nth-of-type(1) > td:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > div:nth-of-type(1) > h2:nth-of-type(1) > span:nth-of-type(1)")}}, C_940895_48_1_2_2:{ fn:function(log,nonce=''){return (function(x) {var el,ctx=vwo_$(x);
/*vwo_debug log("content","[vwo-element-id='1742482566780']"); vwo_debug*/(el=vwo_$("[vwo-element-id='1742482566780']")).replaceWith2("You'll gain real-world insights into how economics impacts your daily life with this easy-to-follow online course. This crash course is based on the acclaimed textbook Economy, Society, and Public Policy by CORE Econ, tailored to help you grasp key concepts without feeling overwhelmed.
Whether you're new to economics or just want to deepen your understanding, this course covers the basics and connects them to today’s pressing issues—from inequality to public policy decisions.
Each week, you'll receive a reading guide that distills core principles, offers actionable takeaways, and explains how they affect the current world. While the full ebook enriches the experience, the guides alone provide a comprehensive understanding of fundamental economic ideas.
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
President George W. Bush greets workers while visiting the FEMA Operations Center in Washington D.C. following a briefing Sunday on Hurricane Gustav. Bush will skip the RNC in St. Paul tomorrow to visit the Gulf Coast.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
As Hurricane Gustav threatens the Gulf Coast,
President Bush is out to show the nation that his government has
learned the haunting lessons of Katrina and is ready to act. That
includes a rapid response by Bush himself, who will be planted near
the danger zone even before the storm hits home.
Bush leaves Monday morning for Texas, a staging ground for
emergency response efforts and a shelter state for Gulf Coast
evacuees. The president is expected to visit Austin and San Antonio
on the same day that Gustav, already a deadly force, is likely to
make landfall in the United States.
Hurricane conditions are predicted anywhere from the coast of
Texas to the Alabama-Florida line, including New Orleans in
between.
This was supposed to be the day that Bush stepped into the 2008
presidential race in his most prominent way to date. But he
scuttled his prominent speech at the Republican National
Convention, which was to tout Sen. John McCain, in favor of his own
presidential duty.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
The entire convention lineup was cut back, in fact, as a nation
still scarred by the disastrous Hurricane Katrina turned its
attention to the new storm.
New Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, showing Interstate 10 at West End Boulevard, looking towards Lake Pontchartrain. The I-10 bridge was rebuilt under an accelerated construction schedule.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Niemi
Ahead of his trip, Bush got a briefing Sunday at the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the operation of so much scorn under
Bush's leadership during Katrina.
He promised to get state and local officials what they need. He
implored residents to evacuate as ordered. He warned that serious
flooding could return.
"The message to the people of the Gulf Coast is, this storm is
dangerous," Bush said.
His underlying message was that the government will do better
this time. More preparation. Faster response. Better coordination.
Total attention.
It was a lesson summed up this way Monday by Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff: "Planning, preparation and moving
early," Chertoff said in a series of appearances on morning
network news shows.
This time, Chertoff said, the evacuations, especially of the
infirm and those who needed extra help leaving, were successful.
Flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
Photo by Carlos Barria/Getty Images
"I'm pleased to say it looks like we got everybody out
yesterday before the storm," Chertoff said.
He said he had spoken with President Bush, who was "very
focused" on Gustav, especially the concern "that all of the
elements of federal power be made available to assist in the
response."
Even First Lady Laura Bush was involved in the Bush
administration's effort to stress that things would be different
this time. "Mistakes were made by everyone" at all levels of
government in the handling of Katrina, Mrs. Bush said Monday on
CNN. "Part of it was not being able to have the good communication
that you would need between the three governments. And we have
taken care of that, we know that's a lot better. And the lessons
that were learned from Katrina can serve the United States very
well in any kind of disaster."
The enduring memory of Katrina is not the ferocity of the storm,
but the bungled reaction that led to preventable deaths and chaos.
Disaster response has undoubtedly improved since then. But Katrina
was a low chapter in American history, and it deeply eroded
credibility in Bush's administration.
By flying to Texas, Bush clearly wanted to show the nation, and
particularly people of the Gulf Coast, that he is committed to
answering their needs. He said he hopes to get to Louisiana, too,
but will choose a time that does not interfere with emergency
response efforts.
Thousands fled New Orleans under a mandatory evacuation orders
as New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin warned that looters will be sent to
jail. Bush called Nagin on Sunday and told the mayor he was "ready
to go through this again with him," according to White House
spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Bush has had a visible role in relief efforts, especially after
Katrina, but also in natural disasters that preceded it.
But heading to the site of a disaster even before it is expected
to happen is highly unusual, and a measure of the stakes
surrounding this storm.
Bush said local leaders should get "everything they need from
the federal government to prepare for what all anticipate will be a
difficult situation." As for the people of the battered Gulf
Coast, Bush said: "They've made it through great challenges in the
past and they're going to make it through this one."
Still, he was also careful not to be rosy during his comments at
the emergency response headquarters in Washington.
Even though the president said levees are "stronger than
they've ever been," he said people throughout the Gulf Coast,
especially in New Orleans, "need to understand that in a storm of
this size there is serious risk of significant flooding."
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Gallery
1 of 1
President George W. Bush greets workers while visiting the FEMA Operations Center in Washington D.C. following a briefing Sunday on Hurricane Gustav. Bush will skip the RNC in St. Paul tomorrow to visit the Gulf Coast.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Dear reader,
Political debates with family or friends can get heated. But what if there was a way to handle them better?
You can learn how to have civil political conversations with our new e-book!
Download our free e-book, Talking Sense: Have Hard Political Conversations, Better, and learn how to talk without the tension.
News you can use in your inbox
When it comes to staying informed in Minnesota, our newsletters overdeliver. Sign-up now for headlines, breaking news, hometown stories, weather and much more. Delivered weekday mornings.