Govt + Politics
Vaccine makers say a COVID-19 shot could be available in early 2021
WASHINGTON — Leaders of the companies working on some of the top candidates for COVID-19 vaccines predict they should have shots available by early 2021, but said they will rely on the federal government to determine how to distribute them. The heads of five biopharmaceutical companies with promising vaccine candidates told members of Congress Tuesday […]
Trump repeats threat to veto defense bill if military bases honoring Confederates are renamed
WASHINGTON — Despite the assertion from leading senators that they have the votes to override him, President Donald Trump repeated his threat to veto the National Defense Authorization Act if it includes a provision to rename 10 U.S. Army bases that were named for Confederates. Those 10 Army bases include Fort Polk in Vernon Parish […]
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extends coronavirus restrictions
Gov. John Bel Edwards will extend the state’s current coronavirus restrictions — including its face covering mandate, 50-person gathering cap and bar closures — for an additional two weeks Friday. The limitations, commonly referred to as “Phase 2”, will now go until Aug. 7, the day after Louisiana’s public school students are scheduled to resume […]
Gov. Edwards’ rent relief program runs out of money in 3 days
On Thursday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program that he said would help about 10,000 people in Louisiana who are struggling to pay rent because of the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By Sunday, 40,000 Louisianians had applied, and the application process was suspended. “The response to our […]
Civil Rights hero John Lewis changed America making ‘good trouble’
Civil Rights icon and longtime Georgia Congressman John Lewis, who advocated for change through nonviolence, died late Friday night at the age of 80. The Georgia Democrat was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in late December. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed his death, saying the country had lost “one of the greatest heroes of […]
Louisiana Republicans don’t plan to sue over mask order, leader says
State Rep. Blake Miguez, chairman of the House Republican caucus, said Friday that there are no plans for Louisiana House Republicans to take legal action against the governor’s mandatory mask requirement after an opinion from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry that says the order “does not pass the constitutional test” and “cannot be enforced with […]
White House determines 18 states are in coronavirus ‘red zone,’ but doesn’t publicize findings
This article about the coronavirus red zone was originally published by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom based in Washington, D.C. By Liz Essley Whyte A document prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force but not publicized suggests more than a dozen states, including Louisiana, should revert to more stringent protective measures, limiting […]
Louisiana’s face-mask order gets push back from multiple sources across the state
Governor John Bel Edwards’ new mask mandate is getting push back and resistance from officials, businesses and attorneys across Louisiana. A Jefferson Parish law firm is even offering to represent, at no cost, businesses that are reprimanded for violating the mask mandate. Stephen Petit, an attorney and founder of Petit Law Firm in Harahan, on his […]
Louisiana sets up rental assistance program for people affected by economic slowdown
Louisiana has set up a rental assistance program for people who are in jeopardy of losing their housing. The program is starting out with $7 million in federal funding, and is expected to grow to at least $24 million. Officials said they are also searching for more financial support. The assistance is available on a […]
Louisiana’s $250 front-line worker payment may run out by the end of the week
Louisiana’s supplemental $250 payments for front-line workers looks likely to run out in the next day or so. Gov. John Bel Edwards encouraged people who qualify to file their applications in a matter of hours if they want to receive a payment. The state has already received 125,000 applications for the $250 payment since the […]
Attorney General Jeff Landry says governor’s face-mask mandate can’t be enforced
Two days after Gov. John Bel Edwards’ order that shuts down bars and mandates face coverings went into effect, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who has often clashed with Edwards, issued an official opinion that the governor’s order “does not pass the constitutional test” and “cannot be enforced with criminal or financial sanctions.” In a […]
Child advocates warned of a surge in abuse cases, but there’s no evidence that’s happened
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has seen a nearly 50 percent decline in the number of hotline reports of suspected child abuse and neglect since March. While some have warned that school closures related to the novel coronavirus would cause a spike in the number of children being abused, experts say […]