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Louisiana Illuminator
Federal court ends pause on LNG export project approvals
A federal judge has sided with Louisiana and 16 other states that sued to block the Biden administration’s stoppage of permits for liquified natural gas export terminals. U.S. District Judge James Cain Jr., from Louisiana’s Western District Court in Lake Charles, issued a stay Monday that immediately ends the U.S. Department of Energy’s hold on […] The post Federal court ends pause on LNG export project approvals appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Texas U.S. House member calls for Biden to withdraw amid debate fallout
WASHINGTON — Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic nominee Tuesday, becoming the first congressional Democrat to do so after Biden’s poor performance in last week’s presidential debate that has sent the party reeling four months before the November presidential election. Biden has acknowledged a shaky debate […] The post Texas U.S. House member calls for Biden to withdraw amid debate fallout appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Trump questions NY guilty verdicts after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling
WASHINGTON — The criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in the New York hush money case will likely be delayed while the judge reviews Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, according to multiple media reports. New York Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, is expected to review whether or how the Supreme […] The post Trump questions NY guilty verdicts after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Chlorine warehouse fire forces Calcasieu residents to shelter in place, I-10 closure
WESTLAKE — A fire broke out Tuesday morning at a chlorine products warehouse in Westlake, causing a portion of Interstate 10 to close and nearby residents and casino patrons to shelter in place. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The facility is owned by Bio-Lab, which manufactures trichloroisocyanuric acid, also known as TriChlor, […] The post Chlorine warehouse fire forces Calcasieu residents to shelter in place, I-10 closure appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Gov. Landry accuses EPA of trying to close Denka plant in LaPlace
LAPLACE — Top Louisiana officials are lining up in support of a St. John the Baptist Parish petrochemical plant, in defiance of a federal regulation that Gov. Jeff Landry says is unfair. As a show of support, Landry held a news conference Monday at the Denka Performance Elastomers facility in LaPlace flanked by Attorney General […] The post Gov. Landry accuses EPA of trying to close Denka plant in LaPlace appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Regulators asked to deny permits for giant Louisiana plastics plant
Environmental law advocates have asked Louisiana’s environmental regulating agency not to renew the air permits for a controversial planned plastics manufacturing facility, citing new federal air quality standards limiting toxic soot and dust pollution. In a separate action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmental advocates and local residents also are asking Louisiana to investigate what […] The post Regulators asked to deny permits for giant Louisiana plastics plant appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity
Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision granting the presumption of criminal immunity for official actions taken by a president fundamentally altered U.S. democracy, President Joe Biden said from the White House Monday evening. Speaking for less than five minutes, Biden said the 6-3 decision contradicted the spirit of the country’s founding — set to be celebrated […] The post ‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses
WASHINGTON – Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation. In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register Tuesday for review. Depending on the […] The post Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana National Guard engineers will deploy to Texas through mid-November, governor says
Engineers with the Louisiana National Guard will deploy in Texas to assist with border security through mid-November, Gov. Jeff Landry announced Monday. Their assignment extends Louisiana’s commitment of 150 personnel from its state militia for Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to enforce immigration law, which is the federal government’s responsibility. Landry said the additional time […] The post Louisiana National Guard engineers will deploy to Texas through mid-November, governor says appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana health officials get pay bumps with creation of surgeon general’s post
Two of the Louisiana Department of Health’s top officials received large pay increases after Gov. Jeff Landry and state lawmakers created the new surgeon general position last month. The governor’s administration eliminated another high-paying position in the agency to keep its budget in balance. Landry picked former Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham, a primary care physician, […] The post Louisiana health officials get pay bumps with creation of surgeon general’s post appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Search: How millions will be spent at Louisiana colleges and universities
Louisiana’s colleges and universities are taking home millions for construction and other budget needs. It’s perhaps the last such funding boost before the loss of state tax revenue could slash a quarter of a billion dollars from their operations in the 2026-27 academic year. The state budget for fiscal year 2024-25, which started Monday, includes […] The post Search: How millions will be spent at Louisiana colleges and universities appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact
Nevada voters may decide in November whether they should join three dozen other states in requiring voters to present valid identification before casting a ballot. And Maine may not be far behind, as the push for voter ID requirements grows nationwide despite conflicting studies over their effects. Conservative organizers in Nevada say they have gathered […] The post More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case
WASHINGTON — U.S. presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal charges for their official “core constitutional” acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, sending former President Donald Trump’s election interference case back to the lower courts. The justices left open the question of how far the boundaries of such official acts […] The post Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Political ‘deepfakes’ remain legal in Louisiana; Gov. Landry has First Amendment concerns.
Gov. Jeff Landry has vetoed a bill that would have made it illegal to deceive voters with false impersonations or depictions of a political candidate through audio or video manipulation techniques called “deepfakes.” House Bill 154, sponsored by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, was one among 31 bills the governor vetoed from the 2024 regular […] The post Political ‘deepfakes’ remain legal in Louisiana; Gov. Landry has First Amendment concerns. appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Supreme Court ruling on homelessness raises the risks for domestic violence survivors, experts say
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled in the case of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson, to uphold a law enacted by a small Oregon town that bars those experiencing homelessness from using blankets, pillows and cardboard boxes while sleeping outdoors within city limits. Those who are found doing so can impose […] The post Supreme Court ruling on homelessness raises the risks for domestic violence survivors, experts say appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing
Violent crime in the United States dropped significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the FBI’s Quarterly Uniform Crime Report released earlier this month. The FBI’s data, collected from nearly 12,000 law enforcement agencies representing about 77% of the country’s population, suggests violent crime dropped by […] The post Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Democrats reel from ‘terrible’ Biden debate performance as he defends candidacy
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden touched on a flood of criticism of his debate performance during a rally on Friday, while Democrats interviewed on Capitol Hill said the party must figure out a way to reassure voters after what they described as a “terrible” showing and a “bad night.” Biden, speaking from Raleigh, North Carolina, […] The post Democrats reel from ‘terrible’ Biden debate performance as he defends candidacy appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
LSU President William Tate to receive raise, contract extension
The LSU Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a three-year contract extension and a $25,000 raise for LSU System President William Tate. Tate, who has led the system and the main campus for three years, will receive an annual salary of $750,000, an increase from $725,000. The new contract will also offer him the opportunity to […] The post LSU President William Tate to receive raise, contract extension appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
U.S. Supreme Court ruling on obstruction law helps cases of Jan. 6 defendants
WASHINGTON — A former Pennsylvania police officer who joined the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results cannot be charged with obstructing an official proceeding unless a lower court finds otherwise, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday. The ruling throws into question the cases […] The post U.S. Supreme Court ruling on obstruction law helps cases of Jan. 6 defendants appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized. Here readers will find in-depth investigations and news stories, news briefs and commentary, all of which is intended to help them make sense of how state policy is crafted, how it helps or hurts them and how it helps or hurts their neighbors across the state. Notwithstanding the way political reporting is often presented, we see politics as neither sport nor entertainment. There are quality-of-life consequences – even life-and-death consequences – to environmental permitting decisions, to health care policy, to income- and sales-tax rates, to budgetary cuts and to economic development plans. For those reasons, the Illuminator does not cover politics in a way that centers on politicians, their squabbles with one another or their career ambitions. Instead, we center on Louisianians from Ouachita to Calcasieu, from Plaquemines to Caddo who must live with the decisions their political leaders make. Though we’re located in Baton Rouge, we understand that the ramifications of decisions made in our capital are felt across the state and that those stories are often best told in cities, towns and parishes far from the halls of power. As our name indicates, our mission is to shine a bright light on Louisiana, to highlight the state’s successes and its examples of good and responsive government and to expose its failures and corruption. An affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers like you, the Louisiana Illuminator retains editorial independence.
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