by Last Night in Little Rock

James Lee Witt, former FEMA director and current Louisiana recovery director and director of his own disaster recovery firm, said in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he opposes President Bush's plan to militarize parts of FEMA's mission:

by Last Night in Little Rock

The lights came on in the New Orleans warehouse district, near Jackson square, on Thursday night, and the people rejoiced. Their City was coming back to life.

But, when the President's speech was over, somebody was told to pull the plug. Brian Williams reports for NBC's Nightly News:

by Last Night in Little Rock

Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN tonight was a wealth of information tonight, and the transcript is here. Not to slight all the other stories, including a great shouting match between Kenner city officials on tape accusing each other of incompetence and racism, the main story to me was the FEMA employee union president accusing those in charge of ignoring their own dire warnings and botching the relief efforts while the rank and file felt helpless:

by Last Night in Little Rock

The Saturday NY Times has an article, on its website late Friday night, that the Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency still cannot get it right: FEMA, Slow to the Rescue, Now Stumbles in Aid Effort.

by Last Night in Little Rock

The weapons of mass destruction have been found, and they were right under our noses all the time:

George W. Bush and each member of his mal-administration, the Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency, and the Congress that passed Bush's budget that gutted the NOLA levee project in favor of pork barrel spending, tax cuts for the rich that gutted the economy, and the War in Iraq.

A Wisconsin jury has rejected hunter and Hmong immigrant Chai Vang's self-defense arguments in his trial for shooting six hunters. He was convicted of first degree murder and faces life in prison.

The crime rocked the north woods in part because four of the victims were shot in the back and all but one were unarmed, according to testimony. The slayings exposed racial tension between the predominantly white north woods and immigrants from the Hmong ethnic group of Southeast Asia.

Some background here.

Update: Smoking Gun has the arrest warrant.

The Jeb Bush household is experiencing parenting problems again.

John Ellis Bush, the youngest son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was arrested early Friday and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest, law enforcement officials in Texas said.

The 21-year-old nephew of President Bush was arrested by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at 2:30 a.m. Friday on a corner of Austin's Sixth Street bar district, said spokesman Roger Wade.

More news coverage here. Our coverage of Noelle Bush's drug arrest is accessible here. [via Buzzflash]

by Last Night in Little Rock

NYC Mayor Micheal Bloomberg has become the first [noted] Republican to oppose the confirmation of John Roberts to the Supreme Court, primarily over the right to choose under Roe v. Wade, not that it matters. [More...]

by Last Night in Little Rock

Friday's funnies, for those who liked Wednesday's on Roe v. Wade:

How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to change a light bulb?

by TChris

Daily Kos has a story that's sure to get your dander up. After the administration spread its dual talking point strategy -- blame state and local governments for the failure to protect the poor from Hurricane Katrina, all the while decrying the "blame game" -- the Justice Department started looking for evidence that would allow the administration to blame environmentalists.

by TChris

Two men accused of terrorism have been ordered held in solitary confinement for fear that they might persuade other prisoners in the detention facility’s general population to join the terrorist cause. The notion that other inmates are susceptible to terrorism recruitment seems far-fetched, but the government persuaded a court to go along with its desire to isolate the suspects.

U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke denied motions by Adhan Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi to be moved out of the special housing unit at Miami's downtown federal detention center. But Cooke also said she will insist that the U.S. Bureau of Prisons provide them with greater access to their lawyers to prepare for what will be a lengthy, complex trial in fall 2006.

TalkLeft background on the case is here.

by TChris

Don't try this at home:

A man from Sri Lanka on Friday broke the Guinness world record for the longest time spent watching TV. He finished with 69 hours and 48 minutes.