From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Does America need a new model for disaster relief?

Hello again, I'm Marvin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most after After Hurricane Sandy hit New York and New Jersey in 2012, the Red Cross

claimed its relief efforts had been flawless. But internal documents and insider interviews

show more concerned about appearing to provide assistance than actually doing the real thing.

That's according to investigative reports by

ProPublica and NPR denounced by the Red Cross as sensational witch hunts. How did the Red Cross

spend hundreds of millions of donated dollars? Is it prepared to handle future disasters?

Today's talking point, Nightcrawler, a kind of horror film about local TV news.

We'll talk to the director.

First, here's the news.

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We're not only back with To the Point.

The Red Cross, America's primary disaster relief agency, is on the defensive after reports that it's more concerned about public relations than public assistance.

Is it hiding the truth? Or is it the victim of sensational journalism?

Is it prepared for future disasters, which could be bigger and harder to handle than those of the past?

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