WEATHER ALERT
Louisiana trooper avoids jail time in deadly arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene
Read full article: Louisiana trooper avoids jail time in deadly arrest of Black motorist Ronald GreeneA Louisiana trooper has pleaded no contest to significantly reduced charges for his role in the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene.
Louisiana won't immediately get a new majority-Black House district after judges reject it
Read full article: Louisiana won't immediately get a new majority-Black House district after judges reject itA new Louisiana congressional map giving the state a second majority-Black House district has been rejected by a panel of federal judges.
Transgender Louisianans lost their ally in the governor's seat. Now they're girding for a fight
Read full article: Transgender Louisianans lost their ally in the governor's seat. Now they're girding for a fightUnlike recent years when there was an LGBTQ+ ally in the Louisiana governor's office, nothing stands in the way this year of legislation hostile to transgender people.
Louisiana granted extra time to draw new congressional map that complies with Voting Rights Act
Read full article: Louisiana granted extra time to draw new congressional map that complies with Voting Rights ActLouisiana lawmakers now have until the end of January to draw and pass new congressional boundaries to replace the current map that a federal judge says dilutes the power of the state’s Black voters.
GOP secures all elected statewide offices in Louisiana, after Republican victories Saturday
Read full article: GOP secures all elected statewide offices in Louisiana, after Republican victories SaturdayRepublicans in Louisiana have swept three runoff races for powerful statewide offices: attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer.
AP Election Brief | What to expect in Kentucky's general election
Read full article: AP Election Brief | What to expect in Kentucky's general electionKentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in the heavily Republican state on Tuesday in one of the most competitive and closely watched races on the ballot this year.
Crews clear wreckage after ‘superfog’ near New Orleans causes highway crashes that killed at least 7
Read full article: Crews clear wreckage after ‘superfog’ near New Orleans causes highway crashes that killed at least 7The toll from a fiery pileup in dense fog on a Louisiana interstate has risen to eight dead and 63 injured.
'Superfog' near New Orleans blamed for highway crashes that killed at least 7
Read full article: 'Superfog' near New Orleans blamed for highway crashes that killed at least 7Authorities say at least seven people have been killed after a “superfog” of smoke from south Louisiana marsh fires and dense fog caused multiple massive car crashes involving 158 vehicles.
AP Election Brief | What to expect in Louisiana's statewide primaries
Read full article: AP Election Brief | What to expect in Louisiana's statewide primariesThe race to replace Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards tops the list of contests voters will decide Saturday in one of only three gubernatorial elections scheduled this year.
Louisiana Republicans are in court to fight efforts to establish new Black congressional district
Read full article: Louisiana Republicans are in court to fight efforts to establish new Black congressional districtVoting rights advocates are locked in a court fight with Louisiana's top Republicans over whether the state must follow Alabama’s court-ordered path in drawing a new, Black-majority congressional district.
Louisiana's struggle with influx of salt water prompts a request for Biden to declare an emergency
Read full article: Louisiana's struggle with influx of salt water prompts a request for Biden to declare an emergencySalt water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico into the drought-stricken Mississippi River is prompting Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to ask President Joe Biden to declare a state of emergency.
Energy Department announces largest-ever investment in 'carbon removal'
Read full article: Energy Department announces largest-ever investment in 'carbon removal'The Department of Energy announced Friday it is awarding up to $1.2 billion to two projects that promise to remove carbon dioxide from the air in what officials said was the largest investment in “engineered carbon removal” in history.
A billion-dollar coastal project begins in Louisiana. Will it work as sea levels rise?
Read full article: A billion-dollar coastal project begins in Louisiana. Will it work as sea levels rise?Officials have broken ground in southeast Louisiana on a nearly $3 billion project to fight coastal wetland loss.
Louisiana lawmakers overturn governor's veto on gender-affirming care ban for transgender minors
Read full article: Louisiana lawmakers overturn governor's veto on gender-affirming care ban for transgender minorsLouisiana’s Republican-dominated Legislature overturned Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ recent veto of a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors on Tuesday.
Louisiana youths held at adult prison's old death row suffer heat, isolation, advocates say
Read full article: Louisiana youths held at adult prison's old death row suffer heat, isolation, advocates sayAdvocates for juveniles held in a former death row building at a Louisiana prison for adults say the youths are suffering through dangerous heat and psychologically damaging isolation in their prison cells with little or no mental health care, inadequate schooling and foul water.
Supreme Court unfreezes Louisiana redistricting case that could boost Black voting power before 2024
Read full article: Supreme Court unfreezes Louisiana redistricting case that could boost Black voting power before 2024The Supreme Court lifted its hold on a Louisiana case that could force the state to redraw congressional districts to boost Black voting power.
Supermajorities in state capitols push controversial policies to the edge
Read full article: Supermajorities in state capitols push controversial policies to the edgeA historically high number of supermajorities in state legislatures has pushed laws further to the edge on abortion, climate and transgender issues.
Louisiana Senate passes bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youths
Read full article: Louisiana Senate passes bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youthsA controversial bill — that at one point had been presumed dead — banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths in Louisiana was passed by the Senate on Monday and is likely to reach the governor’s desk.
Bill to restrict youth access to 'sexually explicit' public library books advances in Louisiana
Read full article: Bill to restrict youth access to 'sexually explicit' public library books advances in LouisianaActivists in Louisiana are voicing concerns over a bill advancing in the GOP-controlled House to restrict children and teens from accessing public library books deemed “sexually explicit.”.
Foes present signatures, seek New Orleans mayor recall vote
Read full article: Foes present signatures, seek New Orleans mayor recall voteOpponents of embattled New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell say they have enough signatures from a petition drive to force a recall election to remove Cantrell from office.
Macron hits New Orleans' French Quarter to boost US ties
Read full article: Macron hits New Orleans' French Quarter to boost US tiesFrench President Emmanuel Macron is in Louisiana on the last day of his visit to the U.S. Macron's office says the visit is being held to celebrate longstanding cultural ties and to discuss energy policy in the state named for France's famous Sun King Louis XIV.
Revival sought for pastor's lawsuit over COVID restrictions
Read full article: Revival sought for pastor's lawsuit over COVID restrictionsAn outspoken Christian conservative attorney from Alabama wants a federal appeals court to revive a Louisiana pastor's damage claims against state officials over long-expired COVID-19 restrictions.
Louisiana woman denied abortion wants 'vague' ban clarified
Read full article: Louisiana woman denied abortion wants 'vague' ban clarifiedA pregnant Louisiana woman who was denied an abortion even though her fetus has a rare and fatal condition is asking Gov. John Bel Edwards to call a special session of the legislature to clarify the state’s abortion law.
Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from states
Read full article: Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from statesWhen the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a right to abortion, it sparked legal changes and court challenges in states nationwide.
Police leader caught speeding: ‘I need to slow my butt down’
Read full article: Police leader caught speeding: ‘I need to slow my butt down’The superintendent of Louisiana State Police acknowledges he was pulled over for speeding in an unmarked work vehicle but did not receive a ticket from one of his own officers.
Louisiana lawmakers resume work on remapping House districts
Read full article: Louisiana lawmakers resume work on remapping House districtsLouisiana lawmakers have returned to the Capitol amid mounting frustration to redesign political maps that a federal judge threw out for violating the Voting Rights Act.
Order for Louisiana to redraw US House districts put on hold
Read full article: Order for Louisiana to redraw US House districts put on holdA federal appeals court has put on hold a district judge’s order for Louisiana to redraw U.S. House districts by June 20 to include a second majority Black district.
Justice Department opens probe into Louisiana State Police
Read full article: Justice Department opens probe into Louisiana State PoliceThe U.S. Justice Department is opening a sweeping civil rights investigation into the Louisiana State Police amid mounting evidence that the agency has looked the other way in the face of beatings of mostly Black men, including the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene.
Louisiana governor agrees to testify in Ronald Greene probe
Read full article: Louisiana governor agrees to testify in Ronald Greene probeA lawyer for Gov. John Bel Edwards says the governor has agreed to testify before a bipartisan committee investigating allegations of a cover-up in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene.
17 years post-Katrina, New Orleans-area protections complete
Read full article: 17 years post-Katrina, New Orleans-area protections completeSeventeen years after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers has completed an extensive system of floodgates, strengthened levees and other protections.
Former La. police boss faces contempt in Ronald Greene probe
Read full article: Former La. police boss faces contempt in Ronald Greene probeLawmakers investigating the deadly arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene have voted to hold the former head of the Louisiana State Police in contempt for defying a subpoena and refusing to turn over his handwritten journals.
3 years on, Ronald Greene's family still waiting for justice
Read full article: 3 years on, Ronald Greene's family still waiting for justiceThree years ago, when a beaten and battered Ronald Greene drew his final breath on a rural roadside, his death in Louisiana State Police custody seemed destined for obscurity.
Police boss journal cites early angst in Ronald Greene death
Read full article: Police boss journal cites early angst in Ronald Greene deathThe Louisiana State Police superintendent wrote himself an ominous note days after the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene: “Realize there is a problem — must address immediately.”.
Lawmakers seek police boss' journals in Ronald Greene probe
Read full article: Lawmakers seek police boss' journals in Ronald Greene probeLouisiana lawmakers investigating the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene are preparing to hold the former head of the state police in contempt for refusing to turn over his journals.
Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene death
Read full article: Louisiana prosecutor pursues own case in Ronald Greene deathNo longer waiting for a federal investigation, a state prosecutor says he intends to pursue his own case against the Louisiana troopers involved in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene.
EXPLAINER: Why some states still lack new voting districts
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Why some states still lack new voting districtsCampaigns for Congress are underway for this year’s elections, but lingering disagreements over the final shape of new voting districts have left some candidates — and would-be candidates — in limbo.
Meet Jon Batiste, new Grammy winner with plenty going on
Read full article: Meet Jon Batiste, new Grammy winner with plenty going onJon Batiste wears so many hats he may need a closet for them all — recording artist, bandleader, musical director, film composer, museum creative director and scion of New Orleans musical royalty.
Former police boss denies cover-up in Ronald Greene death
Read full article: Former police boss denies cover-up in Ronald Greene deathThe former head of the Louisiana State Police says Gov. John Bel Edwards trusted his troopers to "do the right thing” and took a hands-off approach in police matters, even after Black motorist Ronald Greene died in a violent confrontation with troopers.
Lawmakers launch 'all levels' probe into Ronald Greene death
Read full article: Lawmakers launch 'all levels' probe into Ronald Greene deathLouisiana’s top GOP lawmaker announced a bipartisan legislative investigation Thursday into the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene, an inquiry that will examine the state's response at “all levels," from troopers to the governor.
La. GOP leader weighs action over gov's 'gross misconduct'
Read full article: La. GOP leader weighs action over gov's 'gross misconduct'Louisiana’s top GOP lawmaker is weighing legislative action against Gov. John Bel Edwards for “gross misconduct and the highest level of deceit” in his response to the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene.
Man whose arrest led to ‘separate but equal’ is pardoned
Read full article: Man whose arrest led to ‘separate but equal’ is pardonedLouisiana’s governor has pardoned the Black man whose 1892 arrest for refusing to leave an all-white railroad car led to the ruling that cemented “separate but equal” into U.S. law for half a century.
Live updates: Virus forces changes in Vegas gadget gathering
Read full article: Live updates: Virus forces changes in Vegas gadget gatheringThe big CES gadget convention held annually in Las Vegas is being trimmed from four days to three amid a jump in COVID-19 cases and the withdrawal of some well-known tech presenters.
Louisiana gov will pardon Plessy v. Ferguson freedom rider
Read full article: Louisiana gov will pardon Plessy v. Ferguson freedom riderLouisiana's governor says he will posthumously pardon Homer Plessy, whose 1892 arrest for refusing to leave a “whites only” railroad car wound up putting “separate but equal” into U.S. law.
Homer Plessy, key to 'separate but equal,’ on road to pardon
Read full article: Homer Plessy, key to 'separate but equal,’ on road to pardonA Louisiana board has voted to posthumously pardon Homer Plessy, the namesake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1896 “separate but equal” ruling affirming state segregation laws.
More vaccines, fewer mask rules as US keeps fighting COVID
Read full article: More vaccines, fewer mask rules as US keeps fighting COVIDThe United States is steadily chipping away at vaccine hesitancy and driving down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to the point that schools, governments and corporations are lifting mask restrictions yet again.
More vaccines, fewer mask rules as US keeps fighting COVID
Read full article: More vaccines, fewer mask rules as US keeps fighting COVIDThe United States is steadily chipping away at vaccine hesitancy and driving down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to the point that schools, governments and corporations are lifting mask restrictions yet again.
New Ronald Greene autopsy dumps crash theory in fatal arrest
Read full article: New Ronald Greene autopsy dumps crash theory in fatal arrestA reexamined autopsy ordered by the FBI in the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene has rejected the Louisiana State Police claim that a car crash caused his fatal injuries.
US Democratic governors to participate in U.N. climate talks
Read full article: US Democratic governors to participate in U.N. climate talksU.S. governors are taking a seat at the table as international leaders gather in Scotland at a critical moment for global efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions and slow the planet's temperature rise.
Nicholas, now a tropical depression, still douses Gulf Coast
Read full article: Nicholas, now a tropical depression, still douses Gulf CoastTropical Storm Nicholas has weakened to a tropical depression as it slowed to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as its heavy rains continued to drench the area, maintaining a flood threat.
Hurricane Ida turns spotlight on Louisiana power grid issues
Read full article: Hurricane Ida turns spotlight on Louisiana power grid issuesThe dismal state of power in Hurricane Ida’s wake is a distressingly familiar scenario for Entergy Corp. Louisiana’s largest electrical utility has grappled with other widespread outages after numerous previous hurricanes.
Biden tells storm-ravaged Louisiana: 'I know you're hurting'
Read full article: Biden tells storm-ravaged Louisiana: 'I know you're hurting'Less than a week after Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast, President Joe Biden walked the streets of a hardhit Louisiana neighborhood on Friday and told residents “I know you’re hurting."
Biden walks storm-ravaged Louisiana: 'I know you're hurting'
Read full article: Biden walks storm-ravaged Louisiana: 'I know you're hurting'Less than a week after Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast, President Joe Biden walked the streets of a hardhit Louisiana neighborhood on Friday and told local residents, “I know you’re hurting, I know you’re hurting.”.
EXPLAINER: Hit by Ida, New Orleans faces weeks without power
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Hit by Ida, New Orleans faces weeks without powerHurricane Ida knocked out all eight transmission lines that deliver power to New Orleans, leaving the entire city without electricity as the powerful storm pushed through on Sunday and early Monday with winds that reached 150 miles per hour.
New Orleans levees pass Ida's test while some suburbs flood
Read full article: New Orleans levees pass Ida's test while some suburbs floodThe levees, floodwalls and floodgates that protect New Orleans held up against Hurricane Ida’s fury, but costly upgrades to the city's flood protection system couldn't spare some neighboring communities from the rising water.
Louisiana hospitals hit by storm evacuate dozens of patients
Read full article: Louisiana hospitals hit by storm evacuate dozens of patientsLouisiana hospitals in Hurricane Ida's path have been forced to evacuate dozens of patients after the storm tore away parts of their roofs, sent water leaking inside and left facilities relying on generator power.
Ida Updates: Neighboring states send assistance to Louisiana
Read full article: Ida Updates: Neighboring states send assistance to LouisianaMississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that state and local emergency responders conducted 20 rescues from flooded areas in the state’s three coastal counties.
‘As long as it takes’: FEMA, other agencies respond to Ida
Read full article: ‘As long as it takes’: FEMA, other agencies respond to IdaFederal officials say hundreds of emergency responders are in place in Louisiana and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has power restoration experts and generators at the ready as Hurricane Ida bashes the region.
Louisiana residents scramble to prepare as potentially devastating hurricane approaches
Read full article: Louisiana residents scramble to prepare as potentially devastating hurricane approachesHurricane Ida struck Cuba on Friday and threatened to slam into Louisiana with devastating force over the weekend, prompting evacuations in New Orleans and across the coastal region.