Commentary
Hurricane Ian brings a surge of the usual pointless pundits
There are three irritating things you can depend on when a major storm takes aim at the Gulf Coast and other storm-vulnerable areas of the country. We’re experiencing them yet again as Hurricane Ian wallops a large section of Florida. First, you can count on The Weather Channel to send Jim Cantore and other poor […]
Supreme Court will revisit a wetlands question it has struggled with in the past
The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new session on Oct. 3, 2022, with a high-profile case that could fundamentally alter the federal government’s ability to address water pollution. Sackett v. EPA turns on a question that courts and regulators have struggled to answer for several decades: Which wetlands and bodies of water can the federal […]
8 proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution: What you need to know
Congratulations. If you’ve clicked through a link to read this, you’ve already done more homework than many Louisiana voters when it comes to learning more about the eight proposed amendments to the state constitution on the Nov. 8 ballot. In the spirit of efficiency inside the voting booth, let’s stop patting one another on the […]
Natural disasters, sexual violence create terrifying storm with double victims
For those of us residing in Louisiana, and all along the Gulf and Atlantic coastal areas, we are well aware that hurricane season began almost three months ago. From June 1 till November, people in this region are on high alert even during a relatively quiet season like we are having in 2022 (still, though, […]
Lack of options behind recent moves away from progressive juvenile justice reform
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, arguably the state’s most progressive prosecutor, swam against the current last week when he secured an indictment against a teenager accused of attempted second-degree murder to be charged as an adult. It’s the first time in his term that Williams will elevate a juvenile case for a crime other […]
Louisiana DCFS will get close scrutiny; it needs full accountability
Members of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee made it clear Tuesday that they intend to take a good, long look at deficiencies within the state Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Their hearing this week comes after the deaths of two toddlers over the summer, one from a fentanyl overdose and the other […]
Happy Labor Day: 5 things to know about the holiday
Today is Labor Day. It’s a time to gather with family and friends to mark the end of summer, to honor and celebrate the contributions of the America worker and labor movement, and … because ‘Murica … a time for markdowns and sales. But who created the holiday? And when did we first start celebrating it? Excellent […]
Workers demanding reforms lead the new American labor movement
You can listen to more narrated articles here. April 1, 2022, may go down as a pivotal day in the history of American unions. In a result that could reverberate in workplaces across the U.S., the independent Amazon Labor Union – first formed in 2020 by Chris Smalls, an Amazon worker fired for protesting what […]
Dysfunctional DCFS culture demands immediate change
Those in charge of DCFS must act now and decisively to prevent more tragic loss and lifelong trauma. Anything short of that is unacceptable.
In Louisiana, health inequities raise risks for Black community
Too many African Americans contract serious diseases and die much earlier than white Americans from preventable and treatable diseases due to a lack of information, access to and the affordability of quality health care. This is heath inequity. This is economically damaging for Louisiana, morally wrong, and something we can reverse if we act now. […]
Louisiana’s abortion law, maternal mortality rate a double burden to sexual assault survivors
Maternal mortality – pregnancy-related death – refers to the death of a pregnant person during pregnancy, labor, or shortly after delivery. Aside from the United States, every other country in the G7 – France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, and England – has had a steady decline in the number of maternal deaths since 1990. Even […]
Unlicensed nursing home evacuation sites are a problem Louisiana can’t wait to fix
A public records request from the Louisiana Illuminator found documents that show more than a dozen hurricane-prone nursing homes plan to use evacuation sites the state health department has deemed unfit for that purpose.