Govt + Politics
White House imposes travel restrictions for Africa amid new COVID-19 variant
WASHINGTON — The White House is set to announce travel restrictions to eight countries in Southern Africa on Monday due to the discovery of a new coronavirus variant, according to senior administration officials. The World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 variant as a “variant of concern” due to its high mutation and transmission rate, and […]
Immigration protections in Biden’s social policy bill face a new test in the Senate
WASHINGTON — Nearly 100 House Democrats are pushing the Senate to expand immigration protections in President Joe Biden’s massive social spending and climate bill, and advocates say that it may be a last opportunity for years to advance any reform. The letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and the chairman of […]
Giving thanks for vaccines, investments in American people, and those fighting gerrymandering
“Unfurrow your brow.” My mom’s frequent admonition to her easily impassioned daughter. I need a lot of reminding. I feel like I’ve been furrowing my forehead nonstop for almost two years straight. But on Turkey Day, I will take a moment, if not the whole day, to unknit that brow and give thanks for small […]
Lawsuit settlement breaks down between unvaccinated students and Louisiana medical school
Settlement negotiations appear to have broken down for three medical students who are suing a north Louisiana medical school over its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. The students asked a federal court in Monroe Tuesday to amend their complaint, lodging new allegations that the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) implemented new discriminatory policies that require […]
Legislative audit finds students at Northwest mistakenly overcharged for tuition
Hundreds of students at Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College were overcharged by more than $23,000 for tuition, according to a Louisiana legislative audit released Monday. The audit found that 188 students were undercharged by $3,760 for tuition and student fees, while 754 students were overcharged by $23,525 over the fall, spring and summer semesters in […]
Biden opens oil reserve to relieve high gas prices—but it won’t be immediate
As gasoline prices spiral ahead of the big holiday travel season, President Joe Biden authorized the release of a record 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Tuesday—complicating his administration’s goal to transition to cleaner energy sources. In prepared remarks, Biden said he coordinated the release from the reserve, a complex of […]
Demand for funding to fix decrepit Louisiana water systems exceeds available cash
With more than 500 applications submitted by Louisiana communities hoping to upgrade their failing water and sewer systems, lawmakers say there’s not enough money in the water sector program budget to fix everything. The program was created by the Louisiana Legislature earlier this year to allocate $300 million in federal pandemic aid. Under the guidelines, […]
Audit finds State Fire Marshal employee and brother bilked Louisiana for nearly $400,000
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor has released a report detailing the findings of a money laundering and racketeering investigation that led to indictments this summer of a State Fire Marshal’s Office employee, his brother and several others accused of defrauding the state of nearly $400,000. At the center of the scheme, according to the audit, was […]
New housing programs created for struggling Lake Charles residents
With promised federal assistance slow to come, $11.3 million in funding has been cobbled together from different state and federal sources to help Lake Charles residents whose homes were damaged from hurricanes and floods. The funding was announced Monday in a joint press conference with Gov. John Bel Edwards and Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. […]
Senate confirms first tribal member in history to lead National Park Service
The U.S. Senate approved by voice vote late Thursday the nomination of Charles F. Sams III as the first confirmed National Park Service director since 2017. Sams, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton, Ore., will be the first tribal member to lead the Park Service in the […]
Louisiana bond commission pulls bank from refinancing deal over gun policy
Louisiana’s State Bond Commission Thursday changed its mind about which bank should handle the refinancing of the $700 million worth of state debt based on the financial institutions’ policies toward gun manufacturers. The Bond Commission unanimously voted to give Wells Fargo the state’s refinancing contract after concerns were raised last month about JPMorgan Chase & […]
Medical marijuana prices soar in Louisiana due to regulatory bottleneck
A regulatory bottleneck in Louisiana’s medical marijuana supply chain has inflated costs far beyond the prices found in other states, according to industry experts who testified at the Louisiana Legislature’s Medical Marijuana Commission meeting Thursday. Armed with letters from constituents and business owners who have hit roadblocks trying to either buy or sell the pharmaceutical-grade […]