Bush to visit New Orleans 18 months after Katrina

When US President George W. Bush visits New Orleans on Thursday - a year-and-a-half after Hurricane Katrina - what he will find is a city of extremes, where life abounds in isolated areas and is eerily lacking in others. It is Bush's first trip to New Orleans in six months and he is scheduled to visit a school and meet with state and local officials. "It's important to have better progress, and we certainly want to make sure that everybody works together to get the situation cleaned up as soon as possible," White House press secretary Tony Snow said in Washington on Wednesday in advance of Bush's visit.