Govt + Politics
Huge uptick in pandemic ‘air rage’ hits flight attendants
Flight attendants have been subject to unprecedented harassment over masks and more during the pandemic, and a U.S. House panel on Thursday heard the raw details of those “air rage” incidents. While there’s no hard data, the leader of the flight attendants’ union said the most aggression appears to occur in Southern states where there’s […]
Louisiana education department releases proposed social studies standards for K-8 schools
A Louisiana Department of Education steering committee Saturday released a new version of the standards for Louisiana students learning social studies, updating the content and timeline of what history is taught in public schools. Under the proposed new standards, kindergarten through second grade students will be taught Louisiana and world history at an introductory level. By […]
Deadlines for water-sewer funding applications extended because of Hurricane Ida disruptions
In the wake of Hurricane Ida, deadlines for communities to apply for water and sewer funding have been extended to Nov. 1. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said this new time frame would allow government agencies to focus on hurricane relief. “Obviously, Hurricane Ida has affected government operations as well as disrupted the lives of […]
Housing shortage is ‘single greatest concern’ in Louisiana, governor says
A shortage in housing is the single greatest concern in Louisiana with an estimated $2.5 billion in unmet housing needs due to Hurricane Ida on top of the $900 million still needed due to the storms that struck the state over a year ago, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday. The governor has been in […]
Advocates press for action in Congress on voting rights, despite grim outlook
WASHINGTON — Activists are ramping up the pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move on his chamber’s version of a voting rights bill, even though there’s no sign there will be enough Republican support to advance it. Alternatively, they’re pressing for an end to the filibuster, though there’s no indication there would be […]
The COVID-19 vaccine has been effective, but some Louisiana health care workers are still skeptical
In spite of overwhelming evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine protects against death and serious illness, one-third of health care workers surveyed across Louisiana are not convinced vaccines are necessary to end the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the preliminary results of a Louisiana Department of Health survey of roughly 10,000 medical workers. The survey, which began […]
Louisiana residents are sleeping in tents because of damaged housing, lawmaker says
Lafourche and Terrebonne parish residents displaced by Hurricane Ida have been sleeping in tents and “using the rubble to build their own sort of makeshift structure” since the storm made landfall last month, said Speaker Pro Tempore Tanner Magee during a legislative hearing Monday. “And when I say tent, I’m not talking about like some […]
FDA panel backs COVID-19 booster shots only for elderly and high-risk Americans
WASHINGTON — A federal health advisory panel wrestled Friday with whether to widely authorize a booster dose of Pfizer’s two-shot COVID-19 vaccine for most Americans, ultimately recommending that a third dose be offered only to older or higher-risk individuals. The Biden administration had hoped that states could begin rolling out a wide national booster shot […]
Putting on pandemic pounds: State obesity rates hit all-time highs
WASHINGTON — The number of states with high obesity among residents has nearly doubled since 2018, according to new data Wednesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 16 states that had obesity rates among adult residents of at least 35% last year, with Iowa, Ohio, Delaware and Texas on that […]
Louisiana political districts will have to undergo drastic changes, legislative staff says
In a process that will impact every state-level and congressional election in Louisiana for the next decade, lawmakers met Friday for the first of what will be many redistricting sessions in which legislators draw new maps that determine which voters to include in their districts and other statewide political boundaries. The Legislature’s Joint Governmental Affairs […]
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 […]