Olivia,
Afraid you were scooped by the Associated Press on that one on Friday.

Here's yet another worry about the upcoming hurricane season that shows how little the Bush Administration has learned from Katrina: I have it on good authority, off the radar, that 1 day after its hurricane forecasters complained of budget cuts, the head of the National Weather Service, David Johnson, and his deputy, John Jones, have said they would resign at the end of June.

Let's not forget that what caused the problems in New Orleans, in the 1st place, was the Levees breaking - NOT the Hurricane itself. Things like neglected levees don't draw attention until people die - publicly ! Whether the convention center, & other tourist - related ( Money genertating ! ) venues, are up & running isn't the issue. When are the homes of the citizens of New Orleans ( Of which we still don't apparently know exactly how many DIED ! ) going to be re - built ?

I just noticed a blurb on TV that Brian will have a segment on Monday about "some people finding God on the internet". Well, I just have to add, SOME PEOPLE ARE FINDING...NEWS...ON THE INTERNET. I am always amazed by how irrelevant most news coverage on TV has become. No wonder TV ratings are going down. It is a sad commentary on our media when the media hotshots are so full of themselves as to ignore the most interesting, compelling, relevant stories of our times. And just how much time did Brian devote to the creepy story of Gonzales and Card trying to intimidate Ashcroft on his death bed in intensive care, despite the fact that the acting Attorney General was right there. How about the Downing Street memos? How much time did Brian devote to that? This new immigration compromise BS is just a way of diverting us from the treason and corruption going on around us. Hey Brian, wake up and quit the cute schtick and give us the news that is real and important.

Recently returned from mission trip to help rebuild the houses in new orleans.would love to see a story of the churches and groups there who have organized to help these people with the labor for free. It was the best thing I've ever done in my life. gentilly baptist church had 300 on their list needing help.

THANK YOU for returning to New Orleans, and for broadcasting from the convention center- a sign of recovery.
You truly seem to understand the pulse of the city, its people, and its strength. I hope you had a great time during your stay and enjoyed a nice dose of southern hospitality to hold you over until your next visit.
Thanks again.

Thanks so much for your, Martin Savidge's, and Ron Mott's first-rate coverage out of New Orleans last night! I second what doctorj says, about it being a good balance of the good and the bad. The best news last night was the fact that her population is now over half what it had been before Katrina. I wish New Orleans lots of luck not only in attracting many of her evacuees back but also in drawing new arrivals, both people and businesses, from elsewhere in the country and around the world. But at the same time I hope she retains her distinctive character.

The upcoming hurricane season worries me, though--and not only because it is predicted to be substantially worse than last year's. Recently I read both in the Times-Picayune and Baton Rouge Advocate the news that Louisiana is short on shelter space where evacuees could go if a Cat 5 storm was on the way. She needs something like 250,000 beds--and already she has been making arrangements with other states such as Alabama to help out. However, the really scary thing about this (which doesn't only apply to Louisiana) is that, as someone said in one of the stories, NO state would have that many shelter beds in case of disaster.

I also second what Jack, Scottsdale says about New Orleans needing an active, involved federal government to help her solve her problems. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has been for the most part hurting Louisiana instead of helping. For example, per the Stafford Act, her communities need to pay to the federal government 10% of all federal rebuilding aid they get. This has been holding up aid that ALREADY has been allocated. The Stafford Act needs to be waived, because Louisiana (and Mississippi, to which it also applies) have far better things to do with the aid money, than would the federal government, which would probably squander it in Iraq. Such a waiver has happened in the past, after 9/11 for New York and for Florida after Hurricane Andrew, and needs to be enacted NOW.

Re:Beads of life
Seems to me a great story would be for one of the Carnival Krewes to buy all the beads they can make between now and next Mardi Gras and use them for throws.

"Dad gummit, they let Reagan be Reagan, whatever the heck that meant. Why won't they let Dubya be Dubya? Whatever the heck that means." -Question in "Goat Ropers' Digest"

After the flooding in New Orleans, I told my friends that there was nothing wrong with the place that 20 feet of engineered fill soil wouldn't solve. Since the levees have only been rebuilt but not substantially improved, it is only a matter of time before another big hurricane hits the city, the levees fail again, and the houses rebuilt a mere 3 feet higher get flooded.

New Orleans clearly needs active federal involvement to solve these problems, a major effort akin to the rebuilding of Iraq. Unfortunately we have an administration that does not believe the federal government has a positive role to play in the internal affairs of the nation. All the Bushies think the federal government is good for is to wage war overseas and funnel money to cronies.

Thank you to Brian and your wonderful crew for helping spread the positive message that the Convention Center is back in business! It was great having you here today. Thanks again!

Good Evening Again Mr. Williams, With regards to the petition to get Richard to return to the United States permanently. Amanda, I will type it personally if you want and sign it with you! Please keep him safe!! ( By the way the world blog website cannot be reached right now) I wish you would post his blog on Daily Nightly instead, at least this time. Anyway, always keep him safe! His loyal fan Lisa. Peace to all!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your report from New Orleans!!! You caught the perfect balance between the many positive things happening in the city, and the serious negatives that make life in the Big Easy so hard on her citizens. I also enjoyed your interview with Norman Robinson on the local news. And you are right, the heart of New Orleans is too big for any wind to blow it away. Thanks again! I hope you and your wife have a little time to enjoy the city you had a part in bringing back.

Good Evening Mr.Williams, I know this is not part of your blog posting, but I will say that as a huge fan of Richard Engel I am really worried about his safety over in Iraq. After seeing the posting about the ABC journalists. I always pray for his well being and I hope always that he will be safe and well. Please keep him safe always!! Now concerning the broadcast this evening it was nice to see how the convention center looked and that there is a jewelry show going on in the building. Progress needs to be made faster for the people and I hope it comes soon for them. Looking forward to more of the interview with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Again, please keep Richard safe!! Peace to all! ( Can we ask if Richard can come home yet?)

I think inviting people back to New Orleans is just an invitation for disaster. In my opinion, you have two options, either fill in the land so that it is above sea level (much like the Hong Kong International Airport was built out in the ocean), or MOVE THE CITY! It is outright negligence and an absolute blazing sign of corruption that no additional measures have been taken to prevent this disaster from happening again. The water was TWELVE FEET HIGH yet their building codes have only called for new homes to be elevated a mere three feet. The new levies are said to already be leaking. At current sea level rise the city will be GONE in 75 years regardless.

Instead of seeing this as an opportunity to rebuild a city from scratch in a safer location the ‘high and mighties’ that run our lives wouldn’t care if New Orleans floods ten or a hundred more times. Something similar can be said of the Mayor of Miami’s statements that they’d only be a few feet of sand to plow away from his city if it was ever hit with a Cat 5 hurricane. LA is overdue for a 8.0 earthquake that regularly strikes that region and San Francisco itself suppressed a late 1800s study that said the area was exceptionally vulnerable to future earthquakes… And here we thought the Neanderthal had really hard heads. With over 50 maps of every kind of disaster I’ve reasoned that 50% of the country is very safe and only about 7% is exceedingly vulnerable like Florida the west and eastern coastlines and a few scattered places in between.

Chris Eldridge
Author of Preparing for a Super-Disaster (8/04)

I was so pleased to see Brian Williams on the list of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. Brian is by far one of the most dynamic news personalities we have today and we're so fortunate for his good nature, humble opinions and genuine sincerity for people and his work. Thanks to Brian and Richard Engel, I have hope in the news.

Brian,
Best wishes for a quiet weekend with Mrs. Williams. With the schedule you keep you're most deserving of it and while no doubt your wife is extremely understanding and supportive, your number one fan, I'm sure the thought of quality time with you is a most wonderful thing. Hopefully the world won't go completely to hell over the weekend.

Have not had a chance to read Richard Engel's blog entry, but would a petition from his loyal viewer fans help to get him back here in the US permanently? If so, I'll be the first signature.

Happy weekend all!

People died in the Cnvention Center, you say: do we finally know how many (or few)? And, might there be a mention tonight of what caused the levees to breach, and what's happening to the repair process?

I can't repeat enough how important it was that Kelly O'Donnell stood up and asked the direct question of Bush about whether he directed Card and Gonzales to coerce Ashcroft to sign for an illegal domestic spying program. His refusal to answer was an affirmative response, since there was no denial. Kelly and David Gregory and each and every NBC News reporter must ask this question and hold Bush to account until the public is fully informed about his role in illegal domestic spying.

It must be the lead story in each and every broadcast.

Every other story is supporting evidence, but this is the foundational story of holding the President to account in upholding and defending the Constitution. So far, he is dissembling.

NBC News must do the patriotic and journalistically responsible thing and question and probe until the public is fully informed. Not an easy charge to uphold, but, oh-so-necessary.