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Commentator Judy Muller says Americans and their elected officials have ignored the problems of the poor in recent years. But now they're confronted with the overwhelming number of poor residents left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

Hundreds of people are still being plucked daily from the roofs of their homes or other buildings in New Orleans as the Coast Guard and U.S. military conduct the largest airlift operation in the nation's history. But some residents are defying calls to leave the city.

After nearly a week of chaos and privation in New Orleans, the federal response to Hurricane Katrina appears to be making a dent in the city's anguish. Most of the known storm survivors are out of the flooded city. Rescue operations continue.

In 1927 the Mississippi's floodwaters reached from Illinois and Missouri all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly one million people were left homeless. John Barry, author of Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 describes the epic disaster.

Tom Mathews' father was a veteran of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. His book, Our Fathers' War, contains essays exploring how the conflict affected filial relations for 10 men who served.

Emergency managers in New Orleans had been debating whether the levee system would work in a major hurricane before Katrina hit. Federal funding cuts left many projects undone and local engineers were not surprised when water surged into New Orleans.

The great fear of many experts is that Hurricane Katrina may drive the waters of Lake Pontchartrain over levees and into the city, overwhelming an elaborate pumping system. The potential exists for the worst flood damage in U.S. history.

Jacob McMurray is senior curator at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle... and at the Experience Music Project, a music museum. His reading list is heavy on sci-fi, with a bit of rock history, too.

Scott Simon talks with Martin Dugard, author of The Last Voyage of Columbus. Dugard delves into the rarely portrayed final journey of the famous explorer.

Nigeria's next big product may be something it has been burning off for years: natural gas. But in the rush to build a natural gas infrastructure, Nigeria's well-earned reputation for corruption may have touched some American companies.