News
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 […]
Pfizer vaccine booster shots become available to many adults in Louisiana
The Pfizer booster shot for the COVID-19 vaccine is now available to adults in Louisiana. Those who are eligible to receive the booster must have gotten the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. They also must meet one of the following criteria: be age 65 and over, be an adult who is at great […]
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 […]
New Orleans planned for years to send juvenile detainees to an adult prison during hurricanes
New Orleans has planned for three years to evacuate underage detainees to an adult prison during hurricanes and other disasters, government evacuation documents show, though children advocates say it’s illegal to house juvenile detainees at facilities for incarcerated adults. In 2018, the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center evacuation plan called for teens to be housed at […]
Who will get a booster shot? A Q-and-A about what the feds are saying
WASHINGTON — Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels in […]
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 […]
Virus kills another child, bringing Louisiana’s pediatric death toll to 16
Health officials confirmed Wednesday that the coronavirus killed another Louisiana child, bringing the state’s pediatric death toll to 16. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 99 new COVID-19 deaths for the day, including the child who was between the ages of 12 and 17, according to a health department press release. The news marks the […]
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 […]
Housing among biggest concerns for Terrebonne communities recovering from Hurricane Ida
Out in Chauvin, Melissa and Kimothy Guy wade through muddy water to get to their water-damaged home. It’s been 23 days since Hurricane Ida hit, and they’ve been driving in from Thibodaux every morning to work on fixing their trawl boat, hoping to make it livable–it’s an easier project than their house, which had the […]
Louisiana colleges, universities disrupted by Hurricane Ida back to teaching
Colleges and universities disrupted by Hurricane Ida are now operational — in-person or remotely. About 135,900 students — or 55 percent of Louisiana’s public university student population — were impacted directly by the storm, Board of Regents Chair Blake R. David said Wednesday at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. College campus buildings also “fared remarkably […]
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 […]