Briefs
St. James Parish resident to testify at United Nations session on “Cancer Alley”
A St. James Parish resident who has been pushing for cleaner air surrounding her home in “Cancer Alley” will address the United Nations Working Group on Peoples of African Descent on Thursday. The session is public and available online through the OHCHR’s website. Sharon Lavigne, founder of the grassroots, faith-based activist organization RISE St. James, […]
Louisiana is planning to keep ‘two warehouses’ full of PPE after COVID-19 pandemic
Louisiana plans to keep two warehouses full of personal protective equipment in case the state ever runs short on surgical masks, gloves and gowns again. The government will retain the materials, even if the COVID-19 pandemic ends. “There is an understanding that we will keep a certain amount in stock,” said Casey Tingle, deputy director […]
More than 10,000 Louisianians have now died of COVID-19
Louisiana officials were celebrating the news last week that the number of Louisianians hospitalized with COVID-19 in had dipped to the lowest level since near the beginning of the devastating worldwide pandemic. To illustrate how much things had changed, an administrator for LCMC Health tweeted Wednesday that Touro Infirmary in New Orleans was “COVID free […]
Gov. Edwards predicts LSU board will fix LSU’s sexual misconduct reporting scandal
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday that the recent report detailing LSU’s failure to report sexual misconduct is “very, very troubling because it was obviously an institutional failure of leadership at the highest levels.” However, Edwards said he has “every confidence” that the LSU Board of Supervisors is going to do “everything they can to […]
Jeff Landry fights to keep Trump immigration rule that Biden changed
President Joe Biden’s administration declined March 9 to defend in court a policy established by President Donald Trump that denied entry into the United States for immigrants that the government predicted would eventually need some kind of public benefits. The U.S. Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed pending cases, and according […]
Governor inks deal with NASA to create ‘Louisiana Space Campus’ 50-acre business park
Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an agreement Wednesday with NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility that could lead to the creation of the Louisiana Space Campus, a 50-acre business park within NASA’s 829-acre site in New Orleans. NASA and Louisiana Economic Development signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, to mutually explore development of the space campus […]
President Biden approves Louisiana disaster declaration
President Joe Biden made a major disaster declaration for Louisiana and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms Feb. 11 to 19, the administration announced Tuesday. “We appreciate President Biden’s approval for this assistance. Winter weather events on this magnitude or not a […]
John Bel Edwards places white flags on Capitol lawn to mark COVID-19 deaths
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ staff placed 9,758 white flags on the lawn of the Louisiana Capitol Monday — one for each person in Louisiana who has died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Wednesday marks the one year anniversary since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Louisiana. Sunday marks the year anniversary of […]
Edwards announces new statewide rental assistance program
Louisiana renters and landlords who are struggling financially can now apply for rental assistance from the state’s newest rental assistance program. On Friday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the launch of the state’s latest new program, funded by the COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress at the end of 2020 that allocated $309 million to […]
As university-wide cases trend down, LSU will move into Phase 3 of its COVID-19 reopening plan
Louisiana State University will follow the state’s lead and move into Phase 3 of its COVID-19 reopening plan, the university announced Thursday afternoon. As of March 4, there are 29 active COVID-19 cases among LSU’s total student and employee population of 39,000 — or .07 percent, according to the university’s dashboard. The university’s active case […]
Insurance companies reminded to obey law after complaints stream into commissioner’s office
Following complaints against insurance companies that are refusing to give policyholders full copies of their policies and refusing to work with public adjusters, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon released a statement Wednesday reminding insurers of their legal obligations to consumers as they work on claims from the devastating 2020 hurricane season and last month’s extreme […]
More than a million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Louisiana
More than a million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced on Twitter Monday. “We still have work to do, but this milestone marks a big step in putting this pandemic behind us,” Gov. John Bel Edward wrote. “These vaccines are saving lives every day and bringing us closer […]