News
‘We’re in a new normal,’ Gov. Edwards says about coronavirus restrictions
Though statewide mandates and closures have changed relatively frequently over the past couple months, Gov. Edwards said the current restrictions and order should not change anytime soon. Undeterred by a lawsuit filed against him by bar owners who accuse him of overreach, Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a Thursday press conference that the White […]
Louisiana says it’s getting ‘mass testing’ of prisoners underway
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Louisiana has started a “mass testing” program for COVID-19 in prisons weeks after experts said the state should be doing more to monitor for coronavirus in correctional facilities. The state intends to test inmates and staff at the Allen, Raymond LaBorde, and Rayburn correctional centers. The testing at Allen — […]
Louisiana’s gig workers can still get a fraction of the unemployment help they’d been getting
The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program has expired, which means that the federal government has stopped adding $600 to the unemployment benefits provided by the states. But contrary to what was previously reported in the Illuminator, that does not mean that gig workers in Louisiana, who are ineligible for state benefits, will see their checks […]
Bar owners file federal lawsuit challenging Gov. John Bel Edwards’ order shutting bars down
An attorney who served as executive counsel in former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of eleven bar owners who claim that Gov. John Bel Edwards’ July 11 emergency order limiting bars to takeout and delivery service is unlawful and overly harsh. The lawsuit names Edwards and Fire Marshal Butch […]
Advocates want to bulldoze highways that bulldozed Black neighborhoods
By Caitlin Dewey Stateline As protesters in cities from Richmond, Virginia, to San Francisco toppled statues last month, urban planner Amy Stelly allowed herself to hope that New Orleans might soon fell its own worst “racist monument.” For much of her life, Stelly, who is Black, has lived in the shadow of the Claiborne expressway, […]
Louisiana lags behind in Census response
Only about 57 percent of Louisiana residents have responded to the 2020 Census, which means the state has one of the lowest response rates in the country. As of Wednesday, Louisiana ranked 45th in the nation for the Census Bureau’s self-response ratings. The census, which occurs every 10 years, was written into the U.S. Constitution […]
U.S. House passes bills to help a child-care industry that’s struggled during pandemic
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House stepped in Wednesday to try to rescue the nation’s child care system from collapse under the weight of the pandemic. The chamber approved a pair of bills that backers say are needed to fully reopen the economy and shore up the child care industry in the longer term. The bills […]
Louisiana: 5 numbers that explain our coronavirus outbreak right now
There’s a lot of data getting released about Louisiana’s coronavirus outbreak each day. It can be overwhelming. Here’s a few numbers we’ve cherry picked to help give you a better understanding of what’s going on during this pandemic — or at least what’s going on this week. Number one in the country for coronavirus cases […]
As John Lewis lies in state at the U.S. Capitol, mourners reminded to get in ‘good trouble’
WASHINGTON — The immortal words of the late civil rights leader John Lewis rang out from the U.S. Capitol Monday during a private ceremony in celebration of his life. “You must find a way to get in the way,” he said in a recording of a 2014 commencement speech he gave at Emory University. “You must […]
Louisiana small businesses can now seek reimbursement for pandemic-related costs
Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder announced Tuesday that Louisiana’s small businesses can now apply for grants that the Louisiana Legislature established to help them survive the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Main Street Recovery Program is funded with $275 million the Louisiana Legislature set aside during this year’s regular session to help the state’s small businesses. Republicans […]
If $600 checks from Washington disappear, unemployed workers will have to make do with state’s amount
CORRECTION: A new Illuminator story has been published explaining that self-employed workers in Louisiana are entitled to a fraction of the $600 they’d been getting and, therefore, won’t see their checks fall to zero. Also, the headline of this story has been edited for accuracy. The expiration of the $600 supplement that the federal […]
Louisiana ranked next to last in quality of its schools
When measured against the other states and Washington, D.C., Louisiana’s school systems rank 50 out of 51 in the quality, according to WalletHub, a personal finance website based in the nation’s capital. “Unlike other research that focuses primarily on academic outcomes or school finance, WalletHub’s analysis takes a more comprehensive approach,” said Adam McCann, WalletHub […]