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Louisiana Illuminator
SCOTUS rejects Louisiana, Missouri lawsuit alleging government bullying of social media
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected arguments by Missouri and Louisiana that the federal government violated the First Amendment in its efforts to combat false, misleading and dangerous information online. In a 6-3 decision written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court held that neither the states nor seven individuals who were co-plaintiffs in […] The post SCOTUS rejects Louisiana, Missouri lawsuit alleging government bullying of social media appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Funds for homeless shelter, housing for ex-incarcerated among Landry’s nonprofit budget vetoes
Gov. Jeff Landry’s line-item vetoes from the state budget include money for a homeless shelter in Lafayette and housing for the formerly incarcerated in New Orleans. In total, the governor took $4.5 million from nonprofits out of the $48 billion budget Louisiana lawmakers approved earlier this month. In one of his veto letters, Landry implied nongovernmental […] The post Funds for homeless shelter, housing for ex-incarcerated among Landry’s nonprofit budget vetoes appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Undecided voters are the prize for both Biden and Trump in Thursday presidential debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta. Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a […] The post Undecided voters are the prize for both Biden and Trump in Thursday presidential debate appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ residents ask for fed help in pollution fight
Black residents living in some of Louisiana’s most heavily industrialized communities are turning to the U.S. Department of Justice for protection against further expansion of the polluting facilities already impacting their health and quality of life. They see the federal government as their only option, accusing state leaders of selling out their lives to industry. […] The post Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ residents ask for fed help in pollution fight appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday. The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible. […] The post Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Tenured LSU Shreveport professor fired for ‘disruptive behavior’
A tenured LSU Shreveport professor has been terminated for what system President William Tate described as “disruptive behavior,” but what the professor calls free speech. Brian Salvatore, a tenured chemistry professor and longtime LSU Shreveport Faculty Senate member, was dismissed from his position effective Friday. In April, a panel of his colleagues recommended his dismissal […] The post Tenured LSU Shreveport professor fired for ‘disruptive behavior’ appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that four states will launch voluntary pilot programs in the days ahead to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for bird flu — a move that’s aimed at making it easier for farmers to ship herds across state lines and for public health officials to […] The post Four states to begin voluntary testing for bird flu in dairy farm milk tanks appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Issues with federal student aid application process led to fewer low-income recipients
Approximately 1 million fewer students are receiving federal aid for low income students in 2024 than previously projected due to issues with the rollout of a new financial aid application, a Congressional Budget Office analysis found. The bungled rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has led to a host of […] The post Issues with federal student aid application process led to fewer low-income recipients appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
A red state pioneers paying for roof upgrades as storms boost insurance costs
When Hurricane Sally struck coastal Alabama in 2020, many residents saw the roofs torn from their homes or damaged by the high winds. But not Matt Fetner. “Every house around had blue tarps on it, except for mine,” said the resident of Orange Beach, a small city on the Gulf Coast. Just a few years […] The post A red state pioneers paying for roof upgrades as storms boost insurance costs appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trump’s vice presidential pick
WASHINGTON — Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what they’d like to see in Donald Trump’s running mate. A “little calmer” than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if […] The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trump’s vice presidential pick appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Landry moves Ralph Abraham from health secretary to first-ever surgeon general position
Gov. Jeff Landry announced former Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham will be Louisiana’s first-ever surgeon general after serving as the Louisiana Department of Health secretary for six months. “This is going to help us improve the outcome of health care in the state of Louisiana,” Landry said at a news conference Tuesday to announce the move. […] The post Landry moves Ralph Abraham from health secretary to first-ever surgeon general position appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Candidates emerge for soon-vacant Public Service Commission seat
One race in this November’s election will be for perhaps the most influential seat on one of the most powerful state-level boards in Louisiana. Last week’s news that an incumbent won’t seek reelection is prompting considerable interest from three potential Republican candidates, and it remains to be seen if Democrats can develop a viable candidate. […] The post Candidates emerge for soon-vacant Public Service Commission seat appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Supreme Court to decide whether it’s unconstitutional to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth
The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of whether gender-affirming care bans for transgender youth are unconstitutional, in response to the Biden administration petitioning on behalf of trans youth and their families. The high court’s ruling on this issue has the potential to curtail — or bolster — access to gender-affirming care across the […] The post Supreme Court to decide whether it’s unconstitutional to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Gov. Jeff Landry rejects easier pardon process for minor marijuana offenses
Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed legislation that would have made it easier for him and future governors to pardon people for minor marijuana possession convictions. He said the proposal reflected a “soft-on-crime” attitude and alleged it violated the state constitution. Under House Bill 391, by Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, the governor would have been able […] The post Gov. Jeff Landry rejects easier pardon process for minor marijuana offenses appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
The Dobbs effect today: Abortion ballot initiatives, higher mortality, more litigation expected
In Arizona, the state’s highest court upheld a Civil War-era abortion ban. Florida and South Carolina moved to restrict abortion to six weeks — before many people know they are pregnant. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are “children,” temporarily throwing fertility treatments, such as IVF, into uncertainty and igniting a national debate. […] The post The Dobbs effect today: Abortion ballot initiatives, higher mortality, more litigation expected appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November
WASHINGTON — Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters […] The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Shreveport picked for North America’s second direct air capture facility
A decarbonization company plans to build North America’s second direct air capture facility in Louisiana as part of an effort to sequester industrial air pollution. Heirloom Carbon Technologies announced Monday it is moving forward with the first phase of a decarbonization project that combines public and private investment to build two direct air capture facilities […] The post Shreveport picked for North America’s second direct air capture facility appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
As dollar stores continue rural expansion, a Louisiana parish found a new way to push back
Dollar stores have become such common sights in the South that residents, like Randy Bush, can rattle them off like box scores. From the front porch of his house just outside Ponchatoula, he gestures toward the Family Dollar that’s west of Highway 22. There’s a Dollar General just off Interstate 55 and two more along […] The post As dollar stores continue rural expansion, a Louisiana parish found a new way to push back appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
‘You represent us’: What it’s like to lobby for abortion rights from a red state
Yolenna Regmi was on a mission. The 19-year-old college student from Nebraska was at the Capitol to lobby her representatives — all of them Republicans — for reproductive health. She cares deeply about comprehensive sex education and wants more access to abortion, including in red states like hers. “I’m here, and I’m very passionate about what we’re […] The post ‘You represent us’: What it’s like to lobby for abortion rights from a red state appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
More women are drinking themselves sick. The Biden administration is concerned.
When Karla Adkins looked in the rearview mirror of her car one morning nearly 10 years ago, she noticed the whites of her eyes had turned yellow. She was 36 at the time and working as a physician liaison for a hospital system on the South Carolina coast, where she helped build relationships among doctors. […] The post More women are drinking themselves sick. The Biden administration is concerned. 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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