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Louisiana Illuminator
Candidates sign up to run in new majority-Black Louisiana Supreme Court district
Two state appellate court judges and a Baton Rouge government administrator signed up Wednesday to run for a newly-created majority-Black seat on Louisiana’s Supreme Court. All three candidates for the court’s District 2 slot, based primarily in Baton Rouge, are Democrats. Baton Rouge native John Michael Guidry is the chief judge for the Louisiana First […] The post Candidates sign up to run in new majority-Black Louisiana Supreme Court district appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
On the trail of J.D. Vance’s Kentucky mountain roots
JACKSON, Kentucky — In the 24 hours after J.D. Vance became Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s running mate, Stephen Bowling, city council member and director of the Breathitt County Public Library, fielded more than a dozen calls from news media outlets large and small. J.D. Vance is scheduled to speak at 9:31 p.m. Central, the […] The post On the trail of J.D. Vance’s Kentucky mountain roots appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana still hasn’t recovered all the jobs it lost during the pandemic
While the rest of the nation has far surpassed the number of jobs lost during the coronavirus pandemic, Louisiana is one of only a handful of states that has still not recovered to what is a relatively low threshold in a burgeoning economy. Louisiana had roughly 1.96 million jobs in February 2020, about a month […] The post Louisiana still hasn’t recovered all the jobs it lost during the pandemic appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Angry patients spur new state watchdogs to bring down drug prices
Spurred by fed-up consumers, states are trying to curb spiraling prescription drug costs by assembling special public boards to investigate and regulate pricing. The idea is similar to a local utility board: a public group that sets rules or makes recommendations to ensure that what they’re regulating — in this case, prescription medications — is […] The post Angry patients spur new state watchdogs to bring down drug prices appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Protection plan stalls for rare Gulf whale
The first significant effort to protect the habitat of an exceedingly rare Gulf of Mexico whale is getting pushback from several members of Congress who represent the Gulf Coast region. A plan from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would designate just over 28,000 square miles of the Gulf as critical habitat for the approximately […] The post Protection plan stalls for rare Gulf whale appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Trump unexpectedly drops in on convention in first public appearance since shooting
MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump made a surprise appearance at the end of the first day of the Republican National Convention on Monday, his first public event since a gunman attempted to kill him during a campaign rally last weekend. Trump, who became the party’s official presidential nominee earlier in the day, walked into the arena […] The post Trump unexpectedly drops in on convention in first public appearance since shooting appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Protest march reaches perimeter of Republican convention site in Milwaukee Monday
MILWAUKEE — A few blocks from the security fence surrounding the 2024 Republican National Convention, hundreds of protesters gathered, advocating for the rights of Palestinians, immigrants, women, people of color and LGBTQ people. They came representing groups as varied as “proud Democrats” and “anarchists of Wisconsin” to gather in Red Arrow Park for a rally […] The post Protest march reaches perimeter of Republican convention site in Milwaukee Monday appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Who is J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024?
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A little more than three years ago, J.D. Vance was just an author and conservative commentator. Now he might be next in line for the White House. It’s a dizzying political ascent for the 39-year-old man from Middletown, Ohio. Presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump announced Monday during the first day […] The post Who is J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024? appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
U.S. Senate committee to investigate Trump assassination attempt
An investigation has been announced to look into the security failures that led to Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced the bipartisan investigation Monday along with the committee’s ranking member, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). “There is […] The post U.S. Senate committee to investigate Trump assassination attempt appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
‘Desperate, last-ditch attempt’: GOP mega donor makes final pitch for La. constitutional rewrite
One week after he circulated a draft rewrite of Louisiana’s constitution to legislators, retired construction mogul Lane Grigsby pitched his vision of a slimmer version with fewer budgetary protections to the public. At the Baton Rouge Press Club Monday, Grigsby offered a vision of constitutional reform very different from the one legislative leaders spoke of […] The post ‘Desperate, last-ditch attempt’: GOP mega donor makes final pitch for La. constitutional rewrite appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Reporting live from Native America and the Republican National Convention
MILWAUKEE — I’m in Milwaukee with a team of Native American journalists at the Republican National Convention to understand more about the relationship between the federal government and the colonized people that will continue to exist within the United States project — whichever man becomes president again in 2025. Wherever the U.S. goes after Nov. […] The post Reporting live from Native America and the Republican National Convention appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
The far-right fuss over voter rolls isn’t about election integrity. It’s an effort to suppress.
If you’re to believe the far right, our voter rolls face constant peril from the threat of ill-willed hackers, nefarious foreign conspirators and evil villains that make James Bond’s various nemeses look like Teletubbies. I could argue that Teletubbies are actually evil in their own way, but the point is that Republican leaders from Congress […] The post The far-right fuss over voter rolls isn’t about election integrity. It’s an effort to suppress. appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
If you’re in the military, voting this year could be tricky
It was time to vote in the 2020 election and Megan Paone, a U.S. military spouse, was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Everything seemed straightforward: Request an absentee ballot, fill it out and send it back. When the ballot arrived, Paone made sure to fill it out and mail it back the next day to ensure […] The post If you’re in the military, voting this year could be tricky appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year
More than a dozen Republican governors gathered in Eagle Pass in February, heeding a call from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to confront what he labeled “President Joe Biden’s border crisis.” The governors, along with other GOP state leaders, vowed to send another round of National Guard troops from their states to the Texas-Mexico border. With […] The post States pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions to help Texas at the border so far this year appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Eagle Pass residents have mixed feelings about sharing their city with the National Guard
EAGLE PASS, Texas — From a shaded bench off Main Street, next to the city park the state of Texas seized in January for its border operations, Jessie Fuentes sometimes likes to count the number of humvees, Department of Public Safety SUVs and unmarked trucks driven by uniformed soldiers that pass him. Often, Fuentes said, […] The post Eagle Pass residents have mixed feelings about sharing their city with the National Guard appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Protesters, law enforcement discuss security at the RNC after Trump shooting
MILWAUKEE — On Sunday, the Coalition to March on the Republican National Convention (RNC) affirmed its determination to march Monday morning, on the convention’s first day. Their announcement came after former President Donald Trump was shot during a rally in Pennsylvania. The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthews Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, […] The post Protesters, law enforcement discuss security at the RNC after Trump shooting appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
‘One inch from a potential civil war’: Near miss in Trump shooting a close call for democracy
With an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, the U.S. experienced another violent episode in its increasingly polarized politics. Former President Trump, who’s about to formally become the GOP nominee for president in the 2024 election, survived the attempted assassination when, initial reports said, a bullet grazed […] The post ‘One inch from a potential civil war’: Near miss in Trump shooting a close call for democracy appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
FBI identifies shooter, slain attendee in assassination attempt on Trump at rally
BUTLER, Penn. — The FBI said early Sunday it had identified the man who shot former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler on Saturday as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park. Crooks was killed at the scene. Trump was pronounced safe shortly after the incident. Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, who […] The post FBI identifies shooter, slain attendee in assassination attempt on Trump at rally appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana’s ‘business-friendly’ climate response: Canceled home insurance plans
Louisiana homeowners will no longer have the assurance of holding onto their longtime property insurance policies after a damaging storm. And they could start seeing increases in premiums and deductibles since the state’s insurance commissioner convinced lawmakers to deregulate Louisiana’s insurance industry. In the past, most Louisianans who purchased homeowners’ insurance could not be denied […] The post Louisiana’s ‘business-friendly’ climate response: Canceled home insurance plans appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana officials react to Trump rally shooting
Concern, condemnation and prayers were the reactions among elected officials from Louisiana after learning that former President Donald Trump had been wounded Saturday during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service agents surrounded Trump after several gunshots were heard, covering him on the floor and then escorting him off the stage. A Secret Service […] The post Louisiana officials react to Trump rally shooting 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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