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GUEST: Russ Baker, Editor-in-Cheif of Real News

The Bush administration’s budget for 2007, released on Monday, offers no new aid for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Instead the budget calls for money to be allocated for disaster preparation and response plans. Meanwhile, a new investigative report, explores reasons why under FEMA director Michael Brown, the agency’s response to Hurricane Katrina was entirely inadequate in the first place. Russ Baker, editor-in-chief of The Real News Project investigated the secret, long-term business relationship between former FEMA directors Joe Allbaugh and Michael Brown. In his report, Baker uncovers among other things, that as Allbaugh left FEMA to become a lobbyist, he suggested Brown as his replacement, so as to profit from their business ties. The report also reveals that the two appeared to have withheld negative personal financial information from the Senate during their confirmation process.

Visit www.realnews.org for more information.