In terms of the big cities of this country, New Orleans is clearly one of the cities with the most unique character, ... What's happened goes well beyond the devastation of one city - it's a national tragedy.

If you look at people who seek a lot of care in American cities for multiple illnesses, it's usually people with a number of overwhelming illnesses and a lot of social problems, like housing instability, unemployment, lack of insurance, lack of housing, or just bad housing.

Every toll facility in the country is looking at this. Cities and states are strapped for funds, and the anti- tax sentiment is increasing almost daily, particularly with the motor-fuel price run up last year.

Definitely, dog parks are a fast-growing trend across the country. Many cities view dog parks as beneficial for both dog lovers and non-pet owners.

If any country was a mine-shaft canary for the reintroduction of cholera, it was Haiti - and we knew it. And in retrospect, more should have been done to prepare for cholera... which can spread like wildfire in Haiti... This was a big rebuke to all of us working in public health and health care in Haiti.

Over the past few weeks we've seen an unprecedented million immigrants and their allies marching in cities around the country demanding justice.