WAMU 88.5FM American University Radio

DC Reconsiders its Emergency Plans

Cities and states around the nation are looking at what went wrong with the local and federal response to Hurricane Katrina. The District - a likely target for terrorist attacks - is no exception. DC officials are now taking another look at the city's emergency preparedness plan, and in light of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, they're noticed a few problems. They're now working to make some adjustments. WAMU's Lisa Nurnberger spoke with DC City Administrator Robert Bobb. Bobb, and others, testified before the House Government Reform Committee this week. The committee is holding hearings to determine just how prepared cities are, in light of the problems that surfaced in New Orleans.

New Orleans Animals

WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske considers the sad stories of pet owners displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Modern Day Gleaners

They've been out there all summer. Working in the fields. The Gleaners.

It may sound like the name of a new Stephen King book, but "Gleaning" is a concept laid out in the bible. In the book of Leviticus, God commands farmers not to harvest the corners of their fields, but to leave them for "the poor and the stranger." It would still be a great idea... if it weren't for the fact that today, so few of the urban poor live anywhere near a farm. Enter the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network. With a little modern-day economic innovation, the group is trying to ensure the survival of an ancient social service. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard reports.

"Acid Cabaret" with Lisa Moscatiello

Singer and songwriter Lisa Moscatiello is back with a new CD. The latest disc is called "Trouble From The Start."

Critics scramble for the superlatives when describing her voice - and over the years she's picked up more than 20 Washington Area Music awards... and is seriously running out of shelf space at home. She's a Yale grad with a history major and a part-time vocalist with the techno group Arthur Loves Plastic. She'll be playing a CD-release show on Monday the 19th at the Institute Of Musical Traditions in Rockville... and Lisa Moscatiello joins us in the studio today along with her band.

Gardening with Dr. Cathey

Fall is planting season. Dr. Mark Cathey is back to help guide us to success in the garden, he's President Emeritus of the American Horticultural Society.

Washington's Walk of Fame?

Commentator Jim Helein was just out in Los Angeles and he saw something in the heart of Hollywood he thought we could use here in Washington. In fact, he's surprised no one else has ever thought of this before.