New Orleans

Council president lashes outAn outraged New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas blasted the city of Baton Rouge and other Louisiana communities for what he called refusing to take in refugees from the devastated city."They don't want them," Thomas said, after bursting into the press room at the Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge."They have put out the word all over the state: 'Those bad New Orleans people. You don't want them.'"Since the beginning of the aftermath of Katrina, Thomas has constantly said that the images on television of looters and reports of terrorizing by bands of young men have…

Buses and gas BATON ROUGE - State Rep. Karen Carter, D-New Orleans, made an urgent plea Friday morning for gasoline and buses to ferry victims to safety who have been stuck in New Orleans under deteriorating conditions since Hurricane Katrina struck the city four days ago. "If you want to save a life get a bus down here,'' said Carter, whose district includes the French Quarter. "I'm asking the American people to help save a wonderful American city.'' Her voice cracking with emotion and her eyes bloodshot from fatigue and distress, Carter said pledges of money and other assistance are…

via The Interdictor, a "journal [which] exists to share firsthand experience of the disaster and its aftermath with anyone interested." "Bigfoot" is a bar manager and DJ on Bourbon Street, and is a local personality and icon in the city. He is a lifelong resident of the city, born and raised. He rode out the storm itself in the Iberville Projects because he knew he would be above any flood waters. Here is his story as told to me moments ago. I took notes while he talked and then I asked some questions: Three days ago, police and national guard…

...that we were just in New Orleans barely a month ago. From Phil West: If you're still reading me, you're probably depressed enough (and if you're not, you've likely moved on from Katrina), but this just in from my brother's friend, who is on National Guard duty at the Superdome. He's run out of cigarettes, three kids were molested in the bathroom and then 40 people nearly beat the molesters to death, eight women have been raped, and people are singing gospel songs (but he hasn't been able to confirm yesterday's suicide in the Superdome). Basically, he's in hell. Also,…