Also, 3 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan; cabbie-slashing suspect taken to psych ward.
View full sizeA man and child walk past a blighted home, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and abandoned, yet next to repaired homes, five years after the storm, in the New Orleans East section of New Orleans.WASHINGTON -- Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the federal official at the heart of a firestorm over Washington's slow response is acknowledging the government's shortcomings.
Former Federal Emergency Management agency director Mike Brown tells NBC's "Today" show "there was a disconnect" about what the Bush administration was saying about the situation, and how bad things actually were.
Brown said "there was a mentality in Washington which says you put the best face on everything." He said information given out by the administration was accurate, but "we never put it in context" with how much still needed to be done to lift the stricken city.
Brown is the man whom then-President George W. Bush famously praised publicly for doing a great job.
More on the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans
» New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward: Still recovering from Katrina [Time Magazine]
» Maligned former FEMA chief visits New Orleans [New York Times]
» Director Craig Fugate refocusing a chastened FEMA [Washington Post]
» Poll: U.S. no better prepared 5 years after Katrina [AOL News]
In other news
» Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally draws Tea Party activists [ABC News]
» Homemade bombs kill 3 U.S. troops in Afghanistan [Associated Press]
» New York City cabbie-slash suspect is taken to psych ward [Washington Post]
» Bernanke may nod to weaker outlook, omit details [Reuters]