BBC is reporting that thousands of residents are returning to New Orleans to inspect the damage to their homes and pick up belongings before leaving again. Authorites warn against staying too long, saying the city has been destroyed:

The Superintendent of the New Orleans police department, Eddie Compass, has warned people remaining in the city to leave. "Our officers are basically telling people there is absolutely no reason to stay here... We advise people that this city has been destroyed."

More than 1 million people have been displaced by the hurricane.

In related news, Bush has cleared his calendar for September to focus on Katrina-related issues. And it looks like Congressional hearings into what went wrong may begin this week. President Bush may become the "lamest of lame ducks."

Raw Story has an advance copy of the Senate Democrats' press release regarding their Katrina Relief Plan to be issued tomorrow.

For those of you who have more to say....

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by TChris

American Muslims, tired of being the targets of venom after 9/11, are starting to respond to their critics. Attendees at a weekend conference of the Islamic Society of North America are learning “how to apply pressure on politicians who smear the faith, the benefits of corporate boycotts and what constitutes legal grounds for defamation suits.” Those tactics have been used with some success by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

CAIR, for example, sued a North Carolina congressman after he accused the organization of acting as a fundraising arm for Hezbollah, a militant Palestinian group. The council also organized a boycott against a radio station until it fired a disc jockey who called Islam a terrorist organization. CAIR also brought considerable pressure on a Colorado lawmaker who asserted that America should take out Islam's holy sites in the event of another terrorist attack.

The conference also discussed how American Muslims can “counter extremists who cite the religion to justify violence and terrorism.”

From appellate whiz Peter Goldberger (in the TL commments):

Justice O'Connor does not "have to stay for awhile"; she can supersede her conditional resignation letter with an unconditional retirement. I believe this is likely, given the motivation for her leaving the Court, which is to devote her primary attention to her ailing husband. I predict that she will announce her immediate retirement soon after Rehnquist's funeral.

It is important to understand that "Chief Justice of the United States" (not "Chief Justice of the Supreme Court," as Bush mistakenly stated this morning) is a separate office. Roberts is no longer proposed to replace O'Connor; his nomination to that position has effectively been withdrawn....

For the re-opened vacancy for an Associate Justice, I bet Bush picks a highly "conservative" jurist who is Hispanic (if he can find a Protestant -- gotta watch that base; Roberts is, what, a third Catholic on the Court? Further proof that real Christians are being discriminated against, right Pat?) and/or female.

Senator Edward Kennedy responds to President Bush's elevation of John Roberts nomination from Justice to Chief Justice(received by e-mail):

.....Only 17 Americans have held this position since the birth of our country. The Chief Justice is the most important judge in the country, with even more responsibility for the protection of the rights and freedoms of all Americans. Thus John Roberts bears a heavier burden when he comes before the Senate. The Chief Justice must be committed to moving America forward toward equality, opportunity and fairness for all Americans.

Our review of even the limited available parts of his record has raised serious concerns about his role in the early 1980's in seeking to weaken voting rights, roll back women's rights, and impede our progress toward a more equal nation. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, which were due to begin this week, were the opportunity for the Senate and the American people to hear from John Roberts about those extreme views and explain his position on these and many other vital issues facing the country.

by Last Night in Little Rock

President Bush just nominated John Roberts, age 50, to be appointed Chief Justice.

Justice O'Connor will have to stay for a while since her retirement was dependent on confirming a replacement.

CNN is reporting right now that it takes worrying about Rehnquist's and O'Connor's replacements "off the table" while the President deals with Katrina.

Update: (TL) The New York Times reports that the hearings will be delayed until Thursday at the earliest, and perhaps until Monday.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Soledad O'Brien of CNN reports talking to National Guard medics who were moved by their experiences in NOLA:

We talked to men and women, some of whom have been in the military for decades, some who are new. All expressed how horrific it is. We sat down and talked to a medic who, with two colleagues, treated literally thousands of people today as they filed out of the Superdome.

This medic has been to Baghdad and seen people decapitated. But he said this is so much worse because it is so disorganized and because it is on American soil. His official orders said to prepare for 20 percent of the people he treats to not make it. They didn't lose anyone today. They showed true heroism.

by Last Night in Little Rock

10,000 evacuees from Katrina arrived at Ft. Chafee Arkansas today, a National Guard base. Ft. Chafee is more infamously remembered for the place where thousands from the Mariel Boatlift landed in 1980 and a riot ensued. (The rioters were moved to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, and the same thing happened there.)

Ft. Chafee filled up, and two plane loads and buses took the rest to the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Convention Center and church camps, according to KATV and KTHV in Little Rock. Gov. Mike Huckabee was there to welcome them and assist in redirecting the excess to other places in the state.

Welcome to Arkansas. A home and work await you.

by Last Night in Little Rock

CNN.com has a disturbing story tonight: Katrina aftermath taking toll on police. CNN reports that two officers have killed themselves with their own guns and dozens have resigned in the past week. NOLA PD has 1,600 officers.

The feeling of helplessness in the face of utter chaos in the destruction of the city they love so must be overwhelming. Nothing seems to me to warrant suicide, but I don't know what is going through their heads, or what they have seen and experienced. The PTSD rate will be enormous, with the police and public.

[Source: News Australia]

I'm getting really tired of those on the right who claim liberals are attacking Bush for his handling of the Katrina catastrophe just because he's Bush and we'd attack anything he does. Billmon has a good analysis of the powerline crowd attack on liberals.

I'm not fond of Colorado Governor Bill Owens' politics either, but I had nothing but praise for him as I watched the local evening news tonight and saw the busloads and planeloads of displaced persons streaming into Denver. Yesterday Gov. Owens offered shelter for 1,000 of the victims. They began arriving today. Not only has the Governor made housing, clothing, food and necessities available, but Colorado also will provide assistance for job and school placement and professional training. They also are welcome to remain in Colorado.