Citizens and corporations alike are helping rescuers make headway in conquering comms barriers that continue to compromise Katrina relief efforts.

NEW YORK: AstraZeneca is reaching out to the Africa- American and Hispanic communities in an unbranded campaign to educate parents about the symptoms of pediatric asthma.

NEW YORK: Larry Thomas has left his post as president of PR Newswire's broadcast division, MultiVu, to become COO at competitor Medialink.

WASHINGTON: Some organizations and news outlets targeted in the latest investigation of the Department of Education's (DoE) outsourced PR work are going on the counterattack against the allegations.

LOS ANGELES: The US District Attorney's Office has responded to former Fleishman-Hillard LA GM Doug Dowie's request to admit results of a polygraph test in his upcoming fraud and conspiracy trial.

LOS ANGELES: Despite the threat of a long strike by machinists, Boeing is handling communications during the crisis in-house, and concentrating efforts on internal messages, according to media relations spokesman Chaz Bicker.

NEW YORK: The Associated Press has started a new service that will offer more options for news consumption. The service, called asap, will offer news in traditional form, as well as audio, video, blogs, and wireless text.

CHICAGO: Ketchum has appointed Paul Rand to the new position of chief development and innovation officer.

LOS ANGELES: Warner Bros. has hired a senior Universal executive to head communications.

SAN MATEO, CA: Biz360 and LexisNexis have developed MarketImpact, a measurement product that will combine LexisNexis content with Biz360 technology.