Katrina aftermath news stories on Newser

New Orleans Cops Get Decades in Jail for Shootings

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:57:05 CDT

Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced today to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents on a bridge after Hurricane Katrina. Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Anthony Villavaso, and Robert Faulcon were convicted of firearms charges. Retired Sgt. Arthur...

Two Cops Get Long Sentences in Katrina Killing

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:10:57 CDT

Calling the crimes inexcusable and barbaric, a judge sentenced two former New Orleans police officers to prison today for their roles in the shooting death of an unarmed man whose body was later set on fire in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The judge gave David Warren 25 years...

FEMA Dragging Heels on Recouping $643M

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:10:05 CST

Here's something else FEMA isn't good at: Getting its money back. A new government report says that the emergency agency hasn't even tried to get back some $643 million in improper payments it made more than three years ago. What's the holdup? FEMA still hasn't given the final OK to...

3 Cops Found Guilty in Post-Katrina Killing

Rob Quinn — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:43:16 CST

Three New Orleans police officers have been found guilty in the death of a man who was shot and had his body burned in the days after Hurricane Katrina. David Warren was found guilty on manslaughter in the death of Henry Glover and two other officers were found guilty on...

Ex-Cop Gets Max Sentence in Katrina Shooting Coverup

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:20:00 CST

Michael Hunter stood quietly as a judge sentenced the former New Orleans police officer today to eight years in federal prison for his role in the cover-up and deadly shooting of unarmed civilians who were searching for food after Hurricane Katrina. The sentence by US District Judge Sarah Vance was...

New Orleans Cop Denies Cover-Up in Katrina Killing

Nick McMaster — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:39:03 CST

A New Orleans police officer charged with burning the body of a man shot to death by a fellow officer after Katrina testified that he didn't do so to cover up the killing, ProPublica reports. Officer Greg McRae said he was exhausted and stressed, and that he burned the body...

No Katrina Recovery for Lower Class

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:36 CDT

The government has poured $143 billion into Hurricane Katrina recovery, but most of that money has gone to the city’s predominantly white middle and upper classes, the Washington Post reports. A federal judge this month declared that Louisiana’s system for distributing funds to property owners to rebuild discriminated against black...

Brad Pitt Rebuilding 9th Ward Home at a Time

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:48:00 CDT

Officials bungled rebuilding New Orleans' Ninth Ward after Katrina, but the devastated district is sprouting colorful, quirky, elevated homes boasting top-notch materials and solar panels thanks to a massive effort spearheaded by Brad Pitt. The actor is highlighted in Spike Lee's new two-part HBO documentary If God is Willing and...

New Orleans' $15B Levees Nearly Done

John Johnson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:17:00 CDT

Five years and $15 billion later, the US Army Corps of Engineers is just about done with a massive ring of protection designed to protect New Orleans from another Katrina. It's a 350-mile network of levees and flood walls that is by all accounts a massive improvement over the previous...