'Time' Asks, Who Is the Next Mike Brown?

Fresh Air | By Terry Gross

Published September 28, 2005 at 12:00 AM EDT

Journalist Mike Allen is a White House correspondent for Time magazine. He co-authored a new investigative piece for the magazine into how the Bush administration appoints the officials who run vital government agencies.

The article grew out of concern over Mike Brown, the former head of FEMA, who was removed from his position because of widespread criticism about how Hurricane Katrina was handled by the agency.

Brown was a political appointee who brought little experience in disaster management to his job when he was first appointed. The article in this week's issue is, "How Many More Mike Browns Are Out There?"

Terry Gross

Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you're bound to get an interesting conversation. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. "A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence," says the San Francisco Chronicle.

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