Author: Cynthia Dupuis

City in Brief
by Matthew Guité

→ À qui la job?
Former Quebec Premier Jean Charest found a new job at Montreal law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP, four months after he was voted out of office. In a public statement made Thursday, Charest said that he was enthusiastic to join the firm that also employs former Premier Daniel Johnson and former leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Marc-André Blanchard, who serves as the firm’s chief executive. Blanchard, who serves as the firm’s chief executive officer, told CBC “With Mr. Charest and our legal excellence, McCarthy Tétrault will deliver analysis, solutions and results to our clients that are unmatched in the legal market.”

→ Another mayor, another allegation
Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum denied allegations made earlier this week in a Le Devoir article that claimed that he was under investigation by the Charbonneau Commission for questionable real estate transactions. The article, published Friday, claimed that the Commission was investigating transactions made by Applebaum which required zoning changes in his borough. Applebaum said at a press conference Friday that the story was false, but that he would be meeting with the Commission later that day. Despite not knowing the reason for the meeting, Applebaum pledged to co-operate with the investigation and said he was open to all discussions.

→ Ruling delayed in Richard Henry Bain trial
The court proceedings to determine whether or not the accused election-night shooter Richard Henry Bain is fit to stand trial are halted temporarily until a psychiatric report is made available in English. Bain has repeatedly demanded that all questioning and court proceedings be done in English. As in past court appearances, Bain chose to speak to the judge and prosecutors himself despite having his lawyer present and said that the report declared him 75 per cent fit to stand trial. His lawyer, Elfriede Duclervil, has been requesting since October to stop representing him, saying that Bain does not qualify for legal aid.

→ In hot water
Borough residents in Montreal North have been warned by city officials to avoid water filtration company Aquavie following complaints that the company was misleading residents and using the city’s name to attempt to sell equipment that isn’t necessary. According to city officials, residents in the area received calls from Aquavie claiming that the city was offering them a free water quality test, followed by trying to sell them purification equipment when the tests supposedly showed poor water quality. Aquavie has denied the allegations, and says that they were unaware of complaints.

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Nation in Brief
by Kalina Laframboise

→ A train come true
Jason Shron spent $10,000 over four and a half years to reconstruct a model of a VIA rail coach for his basement. The resident of Vaughan, Ont. is obsessed with trains and everything related to VIA which is why he chose to build it over 2,500 hours. When Shron learned a coach was to be scrapped, he bought it and rebuilt it in his basement with his friends. Shron, who has been collecting VIA items for years, said it is because it is where he feels “most comfortable.” The replica of the 1980s train carriage has carpeting, seats and coat hooks.

→ Up in flames
A health-care inquiry into queue jumping in Alberta heard testimony about individuals who received flu shots for H1N1 during the outbreak in 2009. Calgary Flames’ players and their families were told to lie in order to receive the shot before individuals who were actually ill. The players attended private vaccination sessions in the teams doctor’s office while the rest of the province suffered a shortage. Those who testified claimed that paperwork was adjusted so that the players and their loved ones could skip the long wait.

→ One in a million
Walter Zawada’s truck rolled over to one million kilometres this week after 12 years of driving it everywhere. The Niagara Falls residents had a series of trips nationwide including six trips from Ontario to Alberta. When Zawada bought the Ford F-150, it only had 97,000 kilometres but reached 0 on the odometer last Wednesday. According to Zawada, he got his money’s worth since the truck still has its original engine and transmission. Since Zawada owned the truck he has bought six sets of tires, four brake jobs and 180 oil changes.The 68-year-old purchased the truck for $19,900 in 1999.

→ Nortel execs acquitted
Three former executives of the now defunct Nortel Networks Corporation were acquitted of charges against them of co-ordinating a multi-million dollar fraud that gave themselves $12.8 million when the company was failing. An Ontario judge ruled that the three men, who were fired by Nortel in 2004, did not meet the burden of proof necessary to convict them and that there was reasonable doubt. Former senior employees Frank A. Dunn, Douglas C. Beatty and Michael J. Gollogly were initially charged with two counts of fraud for defrauding the public and defrauding the entire corporation.

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World in Brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

→ Joy ride
A 13-year-old boy decided to run away from his adoptive family in Italy last Thursday after they got into a fight about the teenager’s expensive phone bill. He chose to travel in style when he stole his family’s Mercedes which he drove 1,000 kilometres from Italy across Europe, successfully crossing two border crossings and numerous tolls. The boy only brought along his passport and 20 Euros when he left his adoptive family’s house. His wild adventure to return to Poland, his homeland, first took him through Austria. He was then arrested two days later in Germany, 200 kilometres from his final destination.

→ Tusk laundering
Two American men pleaded not guilty last Friday to charges of conspiracy, conspiracy to launder money, smuggling goods into the United States and money laundering. The Bangor Daily News reported that Andrew Zarauskas and Jay Conrad are accused of smuggling narwhal tusks from Canada into Maine. They allegedly brought the tusks from Canada to the U.S. inside a trailer with a secret compartment. Some individuals believe narwhal tusks to have supernatural powers. Some will even pay up to $30,000 but most narwhal tusk usually go for between $1,000 and $7,000. Several countries including the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia have laws against importing narwhal tusks.

→ Escape from White Castle
An American woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison last Friday for robbing a White Castle in St. Louis, Miss. Michelle White handed the employees of the restaurant a threatening note while she pointed at them with a plastic water gun. The 33-year-old woman escaped through the drive-thru window with more than $600 from the fast food chain. A customer wrote down White’s license plate and then alerted the police before they arrived at White’s home. Following their arrival, she climbed on her roof and jumped, fracturing an arm, a leg and her pelvis as a result of her fall. The type of water gun used in the robbery remains unknown.

→ Bieber brainwave
The Riverside Police in Illinois took 49-year-old Lawrence E. Adamczyk into custody and charged him with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. The suspect was arrested Saturday morning at a swim meet at Brookfield High School where he was found wandering the hallways by a security staff member. After his arrest, Adamczyk told Riverside Police he was on his way to Brookfield Zoo to “look for young boys” when he received a “brainwave message” from Justin Bieber telling him to go to the neighbouring high school to see the young boys at the swimming event. Adamczyk allegedly told the police officers that he was there to watch his own children swim but could not provide names. Adamczyk was charged in 2011 with a sexual act at a fitness centre.

City in Brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

→ Bachand throws his hat into the race
Former Finance Minister Raymond Bachand officially announced on Friday his candidacy for the Liberal leadership race to replace Jean Charest. Before an audience of about 50 people, Bachand argued that he is the most suitable person to become leader. “We have to listen to Quebecers, put ourselves in listening mode, meet them, build consensus. We have to unite and not divide,” argued Bachand, quoted in the Montreal Gazette. Two other candidates are expected to throw their hats into the ring: former Health Minister Philippe Couillard and former Transport Minister Pierre Moreau. In a recent poll conducted by Léger Marketing, results showed that 27 per cent of Quebecers think Couillard would be the best leader for the party.

→ Death possibly linked to car defect
The Sûreté du Québec is looking into whether there was something wrong with the car an officer was driving the night she was killed in a car accident. The 23-year-old police officer, Katia Hadouchi, died after her cruiser crashed on Kildare Road last Thursday in Sainte-Ambroise-de-Kildare, north of Joliette. Police now say the Chevrolet Impala was part of a recall by General Motors that has now pulled about 100 vehicles off the road since last Wednesday. SQ collision investigators remain unsure as to whether or not speed had been a factor in the incident.

→ To pay the increase or to not pay the increase?
Concordia University sent out an email to students last Friday afternoon regarding tuition fee payments. The university announced that students who do not pay the tuition fee increase will not be charged a penalty of $75. The accounts will be adjusted only once the university is officially notified by the Government of Quebec. For now, the administration urged students to pay their tuition fees as indicated on their current student account by the deadline of Oct. 1.

→ It takes village to build a playground
Two-hundred and fifty volunteers came together Saturday to help build a playground in Little Burgundy’s Jesse Maxwell-Smith Park. Kaboom, an American-based non-profit group helped with the day-long project, which will be one among many public playgrounds in the province, built with community input and donated materials. Many hope the volunteering initiative will become a trend to redeem public parks in Quebec. The estimated cost for the new playground is $135,000. The project is predominantly funded by Foresters, a multinational insurance company with a philanthropic bent brought in by Kaboom.

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Nation in Brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

→ Khadr returns home
Nearly a decade after he was pulled from the rubble of a bombed compound in Afghanistan, Canadian Omar Khadr, now 26, arrived on Canadian soil this Saturday after an American military flight from Guantanamo Bay. Khadr was detained for nearly ten years in the notorious prison for allegedly committing war crimes and terrorism. Under a plea agreement, Khadr was eligible a year ago to serve the remainder of his sentence in Canada. He was transferred to a maximum-security facility in eastern Ontario. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told the National Post that the parole board will determine how many more of the six years remaining on his sentence Khadr will have to serve in Canadian custody.

→ I’ll stick to veggies
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency expanded its recall of beef packed at a plant in Brooks, Alberta after nine cases of E. coli in the province were linked to the meat. The warning is now extended to all beef products from XL Foods sold in Co-op, Metro and Wal-Mart stores across Canada. The beef processed at the plant represents a third of all the beef processed in Canada. While only four of the nine cases were linked to beef from XL Foods Inc., Alberta Health services’ investigators are still unclear about where the contamination originated from.

→ Man bites dog (yes, that’s right)
A partially nude young man was taken into custody for supposedly biting a dog in the eastern Ontario town of Pembroke. Witnesses reported the incident early last Wednesday morning, when police apprehended the man clad only in underwear and Pembroke animal control obtained the dog. The dog suffered minimal injuries and the alleged suspect was detained and later brought to a hospital under the Mental Health Act. Constable Dillon Gerundin said the reasons behind the act remain unknown but drug use may have possibly played a role.

→ September 2012 driest for Vancouver
Vancouver set a record for its driest September in 116 years, according to Environment Canada. With a total of 7.9 millimetres of precipitation for the entire month, the lowest amount since then was in 1907 when 9.4 millimetres of rain was fell during September of that year. Rainfall has been recorded in the province since 1896. According to CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe, the dry conditions were consistent throughout most of the province. Wagstaffe noted weather has changed to match fall conditions, with rain and wind hitting the south coast more often.

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World in Brief
by Elizabeth Tomaras

→ A gay ol’ time
A new method claiming to turn gay children straight is soon to be banned in the state of California. The state Senate passed the legislation earlier in May, disallowing any non-scientific therapy from being used on anyone aged younger than 18. However, supporters of the method are firing back with a lawsuit against the ruling, as they believe that governor Jerry Brown and gay rights advocates’ arguments are “just are not true.” The American Psychiatric Association studied the types of shock treatment being used and reported it causes health risks such as depression, anxiety and self-destructive behaviour.

→ Pussy on trial
After stating “she no longer wants to work with an attorney who doesn’t share her views on the case,” Yekaterina Samutsevich and fellow Pussy Riot band members’ appeal hearing will resume on Oct. 10. The women were convicted of hooliganism in August after showing their extreme opposition of Vladimir Putin and his politics publically. The Russian Prime Minister has called for the women’s release noting their jail time is unproductive. Still, the PM said he was “sickened” by the band’s acts.

→ Kids these days
Students at the University of Tennessee have created a new way to get drunk – alcohol enemas – and it’s exactly what it sounds like. The drinker places a small tube in his or her rectum while alcohol is poured into the colon allowing it to be quickly absorb into the bloodstream. Besides sounding unpleasant and unhygienic, our stomachs and livers produce an enzyme able to break down ethanol in alcohol but our gastrointestinal tract does not and could lead to eventual poisoning. This is only one of the many dangerous drinking trends popping up worldwide.

→ Out of this world
Seated in the same position since the 11th century, carved out of a meteor and once in the hands of Nazis, the “Iron Man” Buddhist god sculpture is currently the subject of study for Elmar Buchner of the Planetology Institute at Stuttgart University in Germany. Buchner has analyzed the statue, figuring it is made out of a meteorite that landed between Mongolia and Siberia approximately 15,000 years ago. It is the only known man-made creation crafted out of intergalactic material which places its value at $20,000 however if Buchner’s age estimate is correct, it may be “invaluable.”

City in Brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

→ Innocent until proven guilty
West Island man Jacques Attalla and Toronto native Nader Fawzy spoke out against accusations of blasphemy against Islam, and against the Prophet Muhammad this week. The two Egyptian-born Canadians maintain they were wrongly accused of playing a role in the making of a 14-minute anti-Islam film which caused outrage in the Middle East earlier this month. Attalla is a Coptic Christian rights activist who says his name wrongly appeared in Egyptian media on a list of people who have helped in the making of this contentious video, and is now receiving death threats.

→Nuclear meltdowns
Quebecers had divided opinions about Premier Pauline Marois’ announcement that one of her government’s first moves will be to shut down Gentilly-2, Quebec’s only nuclear plant. For the anti-nuclear activists, this announcement was welcomed. The 750 people working at the plant were not as pleased. At a news conference on Friday morning, Canadian Union of Public Employees-Quebec President Lucie Levasseur said the announcement surprised them. Levasseur, quoted in the Montreal Gazette, explained that “during the election campaign, Marois promised to consult with the unions and all the economic stakeholders in the region before coming to a decision.”

→ Stuck in limbo
This week was a busy one for the newly-elected Parti Québécois government. In addition to canceling the tuition hike, it has also cancelled most of the sections of Bill 78 by decree. It is still unclear what will legally happen to the protesters arrested under the law. In all, Montreal Police arrested 30 people in late August at Université de Montréal in accordance with the controversial law. Last Friday, Quebec’s prosecutor’s office said it has yet to receive any files regarding the cases and, since the law no longer exists, the outcome for the protestors is unclear.

→ Deadly shooting in Beaconsfield
A 29-year-old man was found unconscious Sunday night in Beaconsfield at a train station parking lot on the corner of Beaurepaire Dr. and Woodland Ave. after a passerby found him around 9:30 p.m. The man was rushed to hospital with critical injuries and was pronounced dead at 1 a.m. Officials from the Montreal Police later confirmed he died from a gunshot wound. Police also said the man, whose identity has not been released yet, was a known member of a street gang. This brings the number of homicides to 23 this year, according to Montreal Police.

Nation in Brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

→ Cutting the cheese is prosperous
Niagara Regional Police officers have been visiting restaurants and pizzerias in the area in relation with a large internal investigation about cheese smuggling. Sources say people approached restaurant owners about supplying their establishments with numerous cases of contraband U.S. cheese. CBC news has learned from numerous police sources that charges are expected soon against a few officers who are alleged to have been involved in the movement of caseloads of cheese from the U.S. in their cars across the border.

→ Thanks for serving our country?
Documents tabled in Parliament last week by Justice Minister Rob Nicholson show that Harper’s Conservative government spent $750,462 in legal fees since 2007 fighting veterans over the recovery of military pensions. The Liberals demanded to see a breakdown of Ottawa’s legal costs in the class-action lawsuit launched by veterans advocate Dennis Manuge. Unable to release the detailed document, the Justice Minister released the total amount spent so far. The government appointed Stephen Toope, the president of the University of British Columbia, to lead the negotiations and arrive at a settlement, including retroactive payment, which could run as high as $600 million.

→ Canadians missing in avalanche
Officials have confirmed that at least nine people are dead while others remain missing after an avalanche smashed into a climbing expedition on a Himalayan peak in Nepal this past Sunday at 4 a.m.. The missing people include 48-year-old Quebec cardiologist Dominique Ouimet. Another Canadian, a well-known skier from British Columbia, Greg Hill survived the avalanche. Ottawa Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Chrystiane Roy said officials had been in contact with authorities in Nepal. Ouimet was using the Himalayan expedition to raise money for the St-Jérôme Regional Hospital.

→ The apple doesn’t fall from the mother country
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and British Foreign Secretary William Hague met Monday in Ottawa to sign an agreement to open joint Canada-U.K. diplomatic missions abroad in an effort to extend Canada and the United Kingdom’s diplomatic reach while cutting costs. CBC News reported that this agreement would include sharing embassies or high commissions in countries where one has a diplomatic presence while the other does not. New Democratic Party foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar expressed he had some issues with the agreement. For one, he raised that this deal will compromise Canada’s independence and its foreign policy.

World in Brief
by A.J. Cordeiro

→ A healthy dose of green
Uruguayans may see more green, both in cash and haze. The South American nation is moving forward with plans to create a state monopoly, which will manage the agriculture and distribution of marijuana. The move was spearheaded by the country’s coalition government The Broad Front. The hope is that it will weaken organized crime elements, thus reducing the violent crimes inherent with the trade. However, some marijuana activists have condemned the proposed policy, seeking rather further protection of home-cultivated plants. The policy is in stark contrast to the U.S’s. ‘war on drugs’ policy initiated by President Richard Nixon in the ‘70s.

→ Getting fresh with the fresco
You too can be a great artist! A Spanish woman took it upon herself to restore a fresco of Christ in her town’s church. Her result was what one BBC correspondent described as “a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic.” The botched job went viral in August, resulting in an estimated 30,000 visitors flocking to the church. According to Spanish newspaper El Correro, the church began charging a small fee to see the ‘oeuvre’, which provoked the artist’s family to sue for royalties.

→ Foxconn fight
A massive brawl broke out on Sept. 23 at a Foxconn plant in China, involving more than 2,000 employees. Some 5,000 police officers were called to the scene, and an estimated 40 people were taken to hospital. The actual cause of the fracas has not yet been determined. Work is expected to resume on Sept. 25. Foxconn is well known for producing mass electronics for several major technology companies including Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft. The company (and the companies which use their services) has been criticized for its labour practices in the past.

→ Synchronized toilet flush
The Bulawayo City Council, located in Zimbabwe, has asked residents for a synchronized toilet flush following water rationing. Homeowners are being asked to flush their toilets at 7:30 p.m. in order to unclog pipes and wash away any leftover sewage. The measures also stem from the drying up of the city’s main supply dams, following droughts in the southwestern part of the nation. The second-largest city in Zimbabwe, Bulawayo has more than 1 million residents.

City in brief
by Kalina Laframboise

Laval woman will face charge of attempted murder
A 36-year-old woman who jumped off an overpass into oncoming traffic with her child in her arms will be charged with attempted murder. During the evening on Thursday, Aug. 30, the woman jumped from the Highway 20 overpass on Fenelon Boul. in Dorval with her three-year-old daughter. She did not land in oncoming traffic but suffered fractures to her legs and lower body. The child was unharmed. The woman was supposed to appear at the Montreal Courthouse on Friday but was still in hospital.

Labour day luck
Three suspects fled the scene of a taxi shooting Monday morning in Pointe-Aux-Trembles. Several shots were fired at the taxi when it was sitting at an intersection on Notre-Dame St. According to Montreal Police, the window of the taxi was shattered but no one was hurt and the three suspects were in a black car which took off eastbound after shots were fired. Police believe the passenger of the taxi had an argument with one of the three suspects.

You can make friends with salad
McGill University students won yet another award, and this time for a giant fruit salad. On Tuesday, Aug. 28, McGill broke the Guinness World Record for the largest fruit salad of all time. It was done as part of orientation week to promote a healthy lifestyle. The fruit salad weighed in at 5,038 kilograms and most of the fruit was produced at Macdonald Campus Farm. The salad was the size of a small swimming pool and officially beat Fresno State University by at least 700 pounds. Following the weigh-in, the students sent the food to different shelters in Montreal.

A kiss with a fist is better than none
On Labour Day, Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois and Premier Jean Charest were pranked on air in an impromptu interview. Radio station WKND 91,9 FM had Charest join Marois on air before being forced to answer questions about what they like about one another. Compliments were flying the day before the provincial election Sept. 4.

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Nation in brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

Calling all animal lovers
An SPCA in Saint John, New Brunswick, has received over $10,000 in donations after announcing that they may have to close their doors due to financing. “Animals don’t have a voice of their own, they need somebody to speak for them. That’s what’s really got everybody’s attention,” said Margaret Cornfield, the president of another non-profit group which helped to raise funds. The community really seems to have rallied around the organization with most of the money coming in within the first few days of the news. A member of the Board of Directors for the shelter said recently that they hope to raise $200,000 by Saturday in order to keep the place open.

Call me, call me anytime mais seulement en français
The Quebec Liberal Party filed a complaint with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on Monday, on the eve of the elections, regarding unethical robocalls. The party claims the calls were made in the party’s name to voters in the Quebec City region. The robocalls were allegedly made in English only in the largely francophone region. Allegations of unethical robocalls were also made following the last federal elections. On Monday, a spokeswoman for the SQ could not confirm an official complaint had been filed.

Phaneuf gets the girl now if only he could get the cup…
Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert, of Girl Next Door and Happy Endings fame, and Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf are officially engaged. Over dinner in at New Glasgow Lobster restaurant in Prince Edward Island, the two announced the news to close family and friends. Once source reported that the glowing bride-to-be was sporting a massive diamond ring at the event. The engagement was kept a secret until that night, where screams and applause could be heard from the private dining room. Only 35 guests were in attendance at the New Glasgow Lobster restaurant. The Canadian couple have been dating since 2008.

Torso found in Niagara River
The search for more body parts after the discovery of a woman’s torso in the Niagara River ended this Saturday. The Niagara Regional Police claim they have completed their search of the whirlpool to the Niagara Falls. Experts believe the torso had been in the water for four to 10 days before passersby alerted the authorities on Wednesday. Preliminary post-mortem results show the torso belongs to a Caucasian woman between 20 and 40-years-old.

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World in brief
by Cynthia Dupuis

What do you mean I can’t have my money back?
The Wall Street Journal reports that eBay will no longer be selling things like potions or magical spells to online customers. Yes, there’s a market for that. Metaphysical items are now banned from the online shopping and auctioning giant. Although it has made up a large portion of their market since 1995, eBay said it’s just too much trouble since shoppers will often purchase spells that fail to work and then complain about it.

That’s no spring chicken
A Nigerian man was arrested at the airport in Lagos, Nigeria, when the Nigerian police discovered he was smuggling $150,000 worth of cocaine stuffed in roasted chickens. The Nigerian authorities explained that the suspect, Vincent Chegini Chinweuwa, saw the 5.7 pounds of cocaine as an opportunity for retirement and a life of luxury in Nigeria, after struggling to make a living in Brazil. Nigeria is a major transit point for drugs coming from Latin America. The ways to smuggle drugs onto airplanes are endless. Authorities have found drugs hidden inside the fabric of suitcases, sewn into wigs, hidden phone chargers, and even in a stethoscope.

Facebook murder solved
A 15-year-old Dutch boy was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment in juvenile detention for the “Facebook murder” case in the Netherlands. The teenage boy was found guilty for the stabbing of a 15-year-old girl. The Arnhem District Court said the convicted teenager did not know the victim and that he had murdered her “at the request or instructions of others” on the social networking site Facebook. The Dutch media reported that the victim and two friends argued for weeks on the social networking site. They then allegedly asked the teenage boy to kill the girl. Reports also say he was offered a 1,000 euro ($1,250) payment.

Hurricane leaves 250,000 people without electricity
One week after Hurricane Isaac hit the U.S. Gulf Coast, the residents of the affected areas are still struggling with severe flooding and hundreds of thousands of people have no electricity. The hurricane caused the death of seven people in the United States – five in New Orleans and two in Mississippi. Thousands fled their homes and are currently staying in shelters or with friends and family. President Barack Obama visited Louisiana and the devastated parishes on Monday, while Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney toured the state last Friday. Hurricane Isaac hit the coastal city of New Orleans seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern state.