Govt + Politics
More COVID-19 cases, more restrictions for Louisiana
More than two months after Louisiana’s relatively low COVID-19 numbers gave Gov. John Bel Edwards a reason to move to Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, the governor announced Tuesday that he is returning the state to a “revised Phase Two.” That means lower capacities in restaurants, gyms and “nonessential” retail establishments and sports […]
Senators urge federal funding for state distribution of COVID-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON—More than a dozen U.S. Senate Democrats are urging congressional leaders to include “robust” funding in any coronavirus relief package for states to prepare for vaccine distribution. “Dedicated funding for COVID-19 vaccine distribution is especially critical now as jurisdictions are facing historic budget shortfalls amid the pandemic and funding for health departments had been inadequate […]
Quarantine rules irk Louisiana school superintendents
Some Louisiana public school superintendents are asking state legislators to reduce the 14-day quarantine period that is required of students who come into close contact with someone on campus who tests positive for COVID-19. The House Committee on Health and Welfare met Monday to discuss the Louisiana Department of Health’s emergency rule regarding quarantine procedures […]
Former LSU football star Derrius Guice’s name is redacted from a police report. Should it be?
At a state court hearing in Baton Rouge Monday, LSU attorneys repeatedly objected to former college football standout Derrius Guice being brought up by name. They insisted on referring to Guice as “the accused”. But that didn’t stop Samantha Brennan from using Guice’s full name when she was asked who she reported to campus police […]
Immigration advocates push Biden to not just bring back DACA but to expand it
WASHINGTON—President-elect Joe Biden is promising to reinstate an Obama-era program that shields deportation for some undocumented people who were brought to the United States by their parents when they were children. But immigration advocates are pushing for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to not just be reaffirmed but expanded, and written into law. […]
‘Every single one’ of Louisiana’s hospitals at risk of overflow
Gov. John Bel Edwards expressed deep concern Thursday about the continuous increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations across Louisiana, which have climbed by nearly 30 percent over the last seven days and are bringing hospitals to the brink of patient overflow. At a press conference Thursday, the governor reported 929 patients in hospitals due to COVID-19, an […]
Governor not prepared to fire anyone over LSU sexual misconduct scandal yet
Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday said he would not call for the terminations of any LSU administrators yet in the wake of a USA Today investigation in which several female students said university officials ignored acts of rape and domestic violence by football players and other male students. “I’m not prepared to say any […]
Louisiana has a sales tax holiday this weekend
Louisiana residents won’t have to pay the state sales tax on Friday and Saturday on most items due to a one-time sales tax holiday. The sales tax holiday was proposed by House Speaker Clay Shexnayder during last month’s special session and signed in by Gov. John Bel Edwards on Oct. 28. The tax exemption applies […]
Louisiana prisons hastily pull plug on resuming family visits during COVID-19
Louisiana prisons have been preparing for about a month to resume family visits during the week of Thanksgiving after suspending them over eight months ago. But prison officials hastily pulled back on those plans Thursday, saying family visits would no longer take place in a few days. The prison system is worried about the rising […]
Seven members of Congress test positive for COVID-19 in one week, as U.S. cases surge
WASHINGTON — Seven members of the U.S. House and Senate announced during the past week that they have tested positive for COVID-19, marking a burst of infections on Capitol Hill as cases have surged across the country. At least 29 members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began earlier this year, […]
Louisiana’s COVID-19 hospitalizations rate is on a trajectory that is ‘quite frankly unsustainable,’ Edwards said
Governor John Bel Edwards talked to Louisiana about COVID-19 cases in the state and his expected working relationship with President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris during the governor’s monthly call-in radio show. Here are the highlights: Louisiana is on trajectory to move backwards in COVID-19 statewide restrictions, Edwards says COVID-19 cases and the […]
These Louisiana Democrats are eyeing Cedric Richmond’s congressional seat
Several high-profile Louisiana Democrats are eyeing the soon-to-be vacant seat of the 2nd Congressional District after U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond announced Tuesday that he will resign his post in January to take a senior advisor position in the White House. President-elect Joe Biden tapped Richmond as his senior advisor and director of public engagement. The […]