News coverage in Haiti

Keith Olbermann on Countdown is giving a commendably succinct but eloquent description, with interviews, of what is happening in the quake region in Haiti right now.

This BBC overview fills in; near-continuous coverage on CNN and MSNBC help clarify the picture. The bright side is the global and U.S. outpouring of support. The dark side is the logistical snarl that prevents aid from reaching the people most in need of it.

Another sour note, not yet confirmed: While generous contributions are pouring in to singer Wyclef Jean’s charity, The Smoking Gun website is posting a warning of sorts. Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation has been the recipient of quite a large amount of money in the quake crisis but has been less than regular about filing IRS returns. The irregularities according to TSG also suggest some self-dealing. Jean himself has been–commendably–on site in Haiti, helping to recover bodies for disposal.

A useful resource for donors, CharityNavigator.org, evaluates charitable organizations on several criteria; one of the highest rated Haitian orgs is the Haiti Health Foundation.