Health
In five years, 786 people died in Louisiana’s jails and prisons, a new report finds
As a law professor in Louisiana, the state that leads the country and world in the percentage of residents it incarcerates, Andrea Armstrong of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law had a question: How many people are dying in Louisiana’s jails and prisons? Armstrong, a national expert on prison and jail conditions, couldn’t answer […]
Louisiana won’t legalize recreational marijuana this year
The push to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Louisiana died Tuesday, when the Louisiana House rejected legislation to tax recreational marijuana. The proposed tax needed 70 House votes — two-thirds of the chamber — to pass. It only got 47 votes. After the tax bill failed, Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, shelved a second, separate […]
Louisiana bill takes lenient approach to employers who misclassify workers
The Louisiana House unanimously passed a bill Monday meant to discourage employers from misclassifying workers as independent contractors and, thus, depriving the state of taxes and the misclassified workers of protections that include overtime pay and workers compensation. Sponsored by Rep. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, House Bill 705 proposes a $500 first-offense penalty for each individual […]
Should my child get the COVID-19 vaccine? 7 questions answered by a pediatric infectious disease expert
The Food and Drug Administration expanded emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 to 15 years of age on May 10, 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed with recommendations endorsing use in this age group after their advisory group meeting on May 12. The American Academy of […]
Louisiana boil water notices paint a picture of the state’s failing drinking water infrastructure
This story was co-published with WWNO/WRKF. As far back as Fannie King, 39, can remember, there have been problems with the drinking water in Tallulah, a small city in northeastern Louisiana. King’s experienced water outages, discolored water and backups that cause the water to drain slowly. “As long as I’ve been living, there’s always been […]
CDC: You can ditch the mask in most places, indoors and out, if fully vaccinated
WASHINGTON — Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear a mask in most situations, indoors and outdoors, federal health officials said in an updated set of recommendations Thursday that marks a major turning point in the pandemic. The announcement is a shift from earlier federal guidance, which had urged people who are vaccinated […]
Louisiana may look at changing medical release for sick, dying incarcerated people — again
A lawmaker wants the state to put together a commission to study Louisiana’s policies related to the release of incarcerated people who are sick and dying in prison — just three years after the Legislature voted to tighten the rules on those same releases. The Louisiana House will have to approve the measure before it […]
FDA green lights Pfizer vaccine for kids 12-15, with CDC still to act
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday signed off on expanding the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12 to 15, clearing one key hurdle before that age group can begin receiving the two-shot vaccine. But another step is needed before tweens and teens can line up for shots. The […]
Nothing but racism explains Black women’s higher rate of horrible birth stories | Jarvis DeBerry
Tatyana Ali, who starred as Ashley Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from 1990 to 1996, entered Harvard the next year where she double majored in government and African-American studies. In 2016, Ali and her husband, an English professor at Stanford, welcomed their first child, but only after mother and baby were roughly treated […]
Heartbreaking stories of Black maternal deaths, pregnancy complications, racism related at hearing
WASHINGTON — When U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri was pregnant with her first child, Zion, she saw a sign in her doctor’s office encouraging her to speak up about anything unusual she was feeling. She did so, telling her physician that she was having severe pains, but her concerns were swiftly dismissed. The doctor […]
Legislation that slashes unemployment benefits by half gets support of Senate committee
A Senate committee approved a bill Thursday that would cut unemployment benefits in Louisiana, leaving laid-off workers to collect about half the total amount they are eligible for under the current program in exchange for an extra $30 per week. Senate Bill 225, sponsored by Sen. Mike Reese, R-Leesville, proposes multiple formulas that tie an […]
Senator pulls bill that would have imposed health care restrictions for transgender youth
Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, pulled his legislation Wednesday that would have restricted health care access for transgender children and teenagers by requiring people under 18 years old to get written permission from both their parents before pursuing medical care and mental health services based on their gender identity. This means that Fesi’s proposal is no […]