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May 14, 2007 - After Hurricane Katrina struck 20 months ago, it took nearly a year before federal and state lawmakers even created a program to help homeowners displaced by the storm.

May 14, 2007 - Last week on "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's popular call-in show, N.C. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue stated that she saw "no downsides" to dramatically expanding the role of military bases and contractors in the state, a new campaign she has launched (you can listen to the show here).

May 11, 2007 - As many have noted, one of the main underlying stories behind the U.S. Attorney scandal was the Department of Justice's drive to dispose of staff who didn't enthusiastically embrace their program of battling "voter fraud" -- especially in areas that voted Democrat.

May 11, 2007 - I'm just back from my second trip to New Orleans in the last month, and even though we've been covering Katrina since October 2005, the devastation is still eye-opening. It's especially shocking that so little has been done to help those most in need, 20 months after Katrina smashed into the Gulf Coast.

May 10, 2007 - We had a spirited discussion today on "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's popular public affairs show, about military business in North Carolina. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue -- who recently launched the North Carolina Military Foundation -- started off with an interview where she extolled the benefits of luring more defense dollars to North Carolina (even saying she didn't see "any" downsides or social costs to it).

May 10, 2007 - The Associated Press reports that more than 10,000 soldiers from Fort Campbell Kentucky's 101st Airborne Division are among 35,000 troops put on notice to prepare for deployment to Iraq later this year.

May 10, 2007 - Texas Gov. Rick Perry's executive order mandating that public schoolgirls receive a new vaccine against a virus that can lead to cervical cancer was rescinded this week by state lawmakers by an overwhelming vote of 181 to 3 -- a move that represents a triumph of public-health precaution over a corporate money grab.