Mr. Nagin told the Houston Chronicle that about 95 percent of the city's electricity and other utilities have been restored and a hospital has reopened. He said the Mardi Gras celebration renewed hope.

Probably only about half the estimated 15 million cubic yards of debris has been removed, but Mr. Nagin said recovery work provides a chance residents wouldn't ordinarily have.

"This is an opportunity for us to truly fulfill the American dream for a lot of people who haven't participated in the past," Mr. Nagin said. "If you have close to $100 billion being spent in one community, and you allow for equal access, and equity participation that is built upon the fundamentals of free enterprise system, then I think, yes, we can do something special. And that's something I intend to really push." This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the invisible item's flow. This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the invisible item's flow. More headlines...

This is cache, read story here