Associated Press, September 15, 2005

Dozens of nations have pledged assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, European governments agreed to release the equivalent of 2 million barrels of oil per day from strategic reserves.

Other forms of aid include ... Glance

Raphael Lewis, Boston Globe, September 15, 2005

The Massachusetts Legislature overwhelmingly defeated a proposed constitutional amendment yesterday to ban same-sex marriage and establish civil unions, reflecting a dramatic change of heart by dozens of moderate lawmakers and a new strategy by staunch opponents of legalized gay marriage.

The measure failed by a vote of 39 in favor to 157 against, after less than two hours of debate, ending efforts to bring the amendment to the 2006 ballot. ... After vote

NPR.org, September 12, 2005

NPR producer Anna Vigran spent six days at the New Orleans airport in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The airport served as a hospital for the sick and frail, a jumping off point for rescue teams, and a place of refuge for thousands of hurricane survivors. ... Temporary

Joseph Shapiro, NPR.org, Morning Edition, September 8, 2005

Among the last evacuees arriving at the triage in Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are those with mental illnesses. They were slow to leave because they did not understand the danger, or their illness made them uncooperative. Many patients are without medication and their conditions have deteriorated. ... Mentally Ill

NPR.org, September 8, 2005

Michael Reiger is a public information officer for FEMA. Reiger documents photographically the federal agency's rescue and cleanup efforts at disaster sites.

Last week, Reiger followed an disaster medical-assistance team that deployed to New Orleans, where they set up a makeshift triage unit at the city's Louis Armstrong International Airport. The photos at left document the first days at the field hospital. Click on the audio link to hear Reiger tell the story behind the images. ... Makeshift

NPR.org, September 7, 2005

Hemant Vankawala, 34, is a doctor with one of the nine Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) medical groups set up at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, treating evacuees from New Orleans. He is an emergency room physician in Dallas, Texas, and joined a Dallas-based DMAT just two months ago - just in time for the biggest natural disaster in American history.

Here are excerpts from an e-mail he sent to family, friends and colleagues about his experience ... A Doctor's Message

NPR.org, Morning Edition, September 6, 2005

Dr. Jeff Myers of Tulane Hospital in New Orleans tells of being stranded at amid rising floodwaters and deteriorating conditions. He has since been evacuated. ... Recalling

Joseph Shapiro, NPR.org, Morning Edition, September 5, 2005

The Louis Armstrong International Airport has been transformed into a triage unit, where thousands of patients are awaiting treatment and evacuation to hospitals around the country. ... New Orleans

NPR.org, Morning Edition, September 2, 2005

At Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans, patients are being treated despite severe conditions. Dr. Jeff Myers says his hospital is non-functioning, cell phones haven't worked in four days, and power is sporadic. Looters have attempted to enter the building several times. The city's Charity Hospital is also overflowing with patients. ... New Orleans

Associated Press, September 14, 2005

Here's a look at how Massachusetts lawmakers have voted twice on a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage while creating civil unions. Last year, lawmakers approved the amendment by a 105-92 vote. On Wednesday, it was rejected on a 157-39 vote, with 55 lawmakers changing their vote. Last year's vote is shown first, followed by Wednesday's vote in the second column. ... How

Associated Press, September 14, 2005

WHAT HAPPENED?: A joint session of the state Senate and House of Representatives voted 157-39 on Wednesday against a proposed constitutional amendment that called for banning gay marriage but legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples.

LANDMARK RULING: More than 6,100 gay couples have married in Massachusetts since the state's highest court ruled in November 2003 that they have a constitutional right to wed. ... Summary

Jason Szep, Reuters, September 14, 2005

Boston - The Massachusetts state legislature easily defeated a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and create civil unions on Wednesday, just over a year after it became the first US state to allow same-sex marriages.

The Democrat-controlled legislature voted 157-39 against the measure, which would have forced a statewide vote on the issue in 2006. ... Massachusetts

Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press, September 14, 2005

Boston - The Massachusetts Legislature rejected a proposed change to the state constitution Wednesday aimed at banning gay marriage, a striking reversal that preserves the state's status as the only place in the nation where same-sex couples can wed. ... Mass. lawmakers

Failure to evacuate for Katrina alleged
Christopher Rowland & Keith O'Brien, Boston Globe, September 14, 2005

New Orleans - Louisiana's attorney general charged two nursing home operators with multiple counts of negligent homicide yesterday in the deaths of 34 elderly patients who died during Hurricane Katrina. The operators of the facility in hard-hit St. Bernard Parish ignored a mandatory evacuation order as the storm approached, and turned down the offer of buses to evacuate its residents, authorities said. ... Owners

The War Times/Tiempo de Guerras Staff, Portside, September 14, 2005

"One prominent African-American supporter of Mr. Bush who is close to Karl Rove, the White House political chief, said the president did not go into the heart of New Orleans and meet with Black victims on his first trip there, last Friday, because he knew that White House officials were 'scared to death' of the reaction. 'If I'm Karl, do I want the visual of Black people hollering at the president as if we're living in Rwanda?' said the supporter, who spoke only anonymously because he did not want to antagonize Mr. Rove." - New York Times, Sept. 10. ... Katrina