31 Aug 2009: Today's Democracy Now!

"The Deadly Choices at Memorial" - Investigation of New Orleans Hospital Tells Story of How Medical Staff Euthanized Patients in Katrina Aftermath
On the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a major investigation reveals harrowing new details of one of the many human tragedies that occurred in the aftermath of the storm. Forty-five patients at the New Orleans Memorial Medical Center died in the days after Katrina’s floodwater knocked out the power in the hospital. A 13,000-word article titled “The Deadly Choices at Memorial” tells the full story of what really happened to some of those patients. It’s the cover story of the New York Times Sunday Magazine this weekend and the product of a two-and-a-half-year investigation. We speak with reporter Sheri Fink of ProPublica.

Four Years After Katrina, New Orleans Still Struggling to Recover From the Storm
President Obama promised Saturday that his administration would not forget the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. He vowed to help people finish the task of rebuilding and recovery while working to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. For an assessment of the pace of recovery four years after Hurricane Katrina, we speak to life-long New Orleans resident and civil rights attorney, Tracie Washington.

A Paradise Built in Hell: Rebecca Solnit on "The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster"
We speak with author, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit about her latest book that examines Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. “A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster” chronicles both the crimes of the vigilantes and the powerful during Katrina as well as the numerous instances of altruism, generosity, and courage displayed by the vast majority of people who lived through this catastrophe.

Headlines

Japanese Voters Oust Conservative Party
August Becomes Deadliest Month for US Troops in Afghanistan
Gen. McChrystal Calls for New Afghan Strategy
Pentagon Cancels Rendon Group Contract
Cheney: Torture Probe “Offends The Hell Out of Me”
Blackwater Tapped Foreigners For Secret CIA Program
Obama Administration Seeks “Emergency Control” of the Internet
Court: Comcast Can Control More of Cable Market
Former Israeli PM Olmert Indicted on Corruption Charges
Sri Lankan Journalist Sentenced to 20 Years of Hard Labor
Sen. Kennedy Buried At Arlington National Cemetery