NOLA on Tuesday

If it's Tuesday it's got to be New Orleans...

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Good news, and bad news, from New Orleans in Tuesday night's "Anderson Cooper 360"

Posted by Dave Walker, TV columnist, The Times-Picayune March 18, 2009 1:01PM
Categories: Living: Columnists, Top News


Tuesday night's live-from-New Orleans edition of "Anderson Cooper 360," themed around CNN's weeklong look at the global economy, had the usual good news-bad news result for local viewers.

The good news was the setting: Anderson did his standup from a home in Chalmette while surrounded by dozens if not hundreds of spring break recovery volunteers.

I often tell visitors, midway through the usual devastation tour, that the only silver lining in the Katrina mess has been the kindness demonstrated by such strangers. Choosing to highlight that for CNN's audience was a reminder of something that's going right here.

A volunteer from Maryland, here for the eighth time, was profiled, and Liz McCartney, cofounder of the St. Bernard Project honored by CNN as its 2008 Hero of the Year, was interviewed. According to the report, the project will complete its 200th home today.



The bad news was a Sean Callebs report on the >Katrina Cottages debacle, the one that has so far stalled recovery dollars while producing zero livable structures for displaced citizens.

OK, maybe one. The contrast was stark: St. Bernard Projects volunteers, 200. State and local governments working with millions of FEMA dollars, 0. Or maybe 1.

The lead story in the hour included a lengthy look at the AIG executive compensation controversy. Later, Cooper took questions from the Chalmette volunteers for a how-to-survive-the recession segment.

An entry this morning on the show's blog excerpted some viewer feedback on the visit:

"Thank you for having uplifting encouragement in these hard times. Also having good news on how our fellow human beings are treating each other is wonderful to hear. I do have a few questions: Why did AIG want to send banks overseas millions of dollars? (I believe at least 3 banks)

"The St. Bernard project has proven to be the ideal organization who should receive funds from FEMA. What we need right now is honest and dedicated people such as those involved in the St. Bernard project to be given the funds so they can continue giving homes to families who have been displaced for far too long. The government and agencies have been given the opportunity to fix the housing situation in New Orleans and have failed."


Tonight (March 18), Cooper visits Detroit.