Govt + Politics
New Orleans construction projects see funding restored — for now
The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved funding Thursday for over $30 million worth of New Orleans area construction projects and committed to spending $53 million more on city projects a month after blocking the same money over COVID-19 restrictions. Republicans on the bond commission withheld funding for New Orleans projects in August in part because […]
New Orleans lawmakers disapprove of detention center evacuation to adult prison
Two New Orleans state lawmakers called for changes Thursday to the city’s juvenile detention center evacuation policy after 36 teenagers were sent to an adult prison for five days around Hurricane Ida. Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, said she thought the public needs an explanation about why the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center went to Elayn […]
How House Democrats would expand Medicare and Medicaid and lower prescription drug costs
WASHINGTON — New Medicare benefits for older Americans, like dental care. An expansion of eligibility for Medicaid for low-income people in Republican-controlled states that have declined to take that step. And potentially an historic effort to rein in prescription drug prices — if congressional Democrats can work through objections from moderates in their party. The massive […]
Insurance commissioner doubles down as State Farm refuses to cover evacuation costs
For the second time in a week, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has said he is considering levying fines against insurance companies that continue to refuse to comply with his emergency directive to cover the temporary living expenses of policyholders who evacuated during Hurricane Ida. “What I would do is find that they are not […]
Gymnasts urge U.S. Senate to investigate Larry Nassar sexual abuse after botched FBI inquiry
WASHINGTON — Olympic gold medalists including Simone Biles and Aly Raisman on Wednesday detailed for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee the failure of the FBI to investigate dozens of complaints of sexual abuse committed by Larry Nassar, the disgraced team doctor for USA Gymnastics and a former Michigan State University physician. The gymnasts also urged […]
U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail in second shot at infrastructure bill
The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in the Senate-led bipartisan […]
LSU says 81 percent of students have had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine
Eighty-one percent of LSU students have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, President William Tate announced Wednesday. Meanwhile, 72 percent of the university’s faculty and staff are fully vaccinated, an LSU spokesperson said. “If you had asked me two months ago whether this was imaginable, I would have said no,” Tate said […]
Arizona attorney general first to sue over Biden vaccine mandate on private businesses
WASHINGTON — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit against the Biden administration’s upcoming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private companies with at least 100 employees, arguing that the federal requirement violates the U.S. Constitution. In the legal complaint, Brnovich argues that the vaccine mandate President Joe Biden announced last week violates the […]
Tropical Storm Nicholas expected to dump rain on areas recovering from Hurricane Ida
South Louisiana is already experiencing outages and flooding due to Tropical Storm Nicholas, Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, but the heaviest rainfall from Nicholas is yet to come. And it is expected “in areas most devastated by Hurricane Ida down in Southeast Louisiana.” “That’s particularly challenging because many individuals […]
Four big climate items in the reconciliation bill in Congress
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee late Thursday approved its first piece of Democrats’ sweeping $3.5 trillion spending blueprint on a party-line 24-13 vote. Among the highest priorities for President Joe Biden in the plan was addressing climate change, and the panel included initiatives ranging from oil and gas reform to offshore wind ventures. The […]
Agriculture section of reconciliation bill centers on fighting climate change, enhancing research
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Monday finished marking up its section of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. The agriculture portion would provide funding for historically Black land grant colleges and investments in urban agriculture, along with boosting U.S. Department of Agriculture programs to address climate change threats in farming. The $66 billion agriculture measure […]
Louisiana deals with Tropical Storm Nicholas, while still recovering from Hurricane Ida
Ahead of Tropical Storm Nicholas, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced precautions are in place, including stationing the National Guard with 80 high water vehicles and 23 boats. The storm is expected to hit the Texas coast directly, but could dump life-threatening rain across southwestern Louisiana. Currently, flash flooding seems to be the biggest danger the […]