New Orleans aims to fix cash crunch with $125 million loan The New Orleans City Council on Thursday (Nov. 13) discussed an emergency loan that aims to meet payroll expenses in the midst of a severe budget shortfall. 

Federal oversight of special education in New Orleans could soon end The judge overseeing a 10-year-old legal agreement, requiring intensive monitoring of special education in New Orleans, has indicated he will end court oversight by the end of the year

Lombard, Duncan face off in election to lead the office of the Orleans Parish Clerk of the Criminal District Court Two men are campaigning for the office of the Orleans Parish clerk of Criminal District Court, and with early voting over, they’re both in the homestretch of a tight and, at times,…

Conditions at La. ICE lockup worsening as detained population grows under Trump, immigrant rights advocates say The Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center appears to have been operating well over its contracted capacity since April.

Gayle Exposé Jenkins: A ‘forgotten’ civil rights hero from Bogalusa Born in Bogalusa in 1927, Jenkins helped lead the 1967 freedom march from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge.

‘I didn’t know it was this bad’: Clerk Lombard’s office alleged to have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to records Last Monday (Nov. 3), Calvin Duncan’s campaign released several emails, obtained through a public records request, in which the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s…

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New Orleans needs to diversify its economy to avoid the next crisis If New Orleans is to maintain basic services for its residents, it cannot cut its way out of a crisis.

Bogalusa civil rights leader Bob Hicks formed Deacons for Defense The home of Robert “Bob” Hicks served as a hub for the Civil Rights Movement in Bogalusa.

‘I’m excited’: Sci High students empowered through learning to build solar generators Students in New Orleans are learning clean energy practices, thanks to a physics program at New Orleans Charter Math and Science High School, also known as "Sci High," that installs generators at community…

State challenge to ‘sanctuary’ policy at N.O. jail can move forward, judge rules The state hopes to dissolve a 2013 court settlement that led to the jail's current immigration policy, which prohibits jail staff from honoring ICE detainer requests.

Orleans sheriff Susan Hutson says she missed campaign report deadline because her attorney was incarcerated Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson successfully argued Friday that she shouldn’t have to pay the full fine for missing a campaign reporting deadline because her attorney was incarcerated at…

Bogalusa’s A.Z. Young: ‘Civil rights movement was made for me’ A.Z. Young of Bogalusa said he came out of his mother’s womb in 1920 fighting for civil rights.

Why are affordable housing advocates divided on a $45 million bond dedicated to housing? On Nov. 15, New Orleanians will vote on three bond propositions, which together could provide an infusion of $510 million to support capital projects across the city. But one $45 million bond dedicated to…

1967 Bogalusa to Baton Rouge march tested federal government The civil rights march from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge was known as the "longest freedom walk."

Is the NOPD breaking the law by using tips from Project NOLA? Depends who you ask. The non-profit Project NOLA sends information gathered from its network of facial recognition cameras to NOPD to aid in arrests. Legal experts have concerns.

What’s on the ballot for New Orleans’ Nov. 15 election? New Orleans voters will choose city councilmembers for District A and District E, as well as the Clerk of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court this election.

Louisiana took months to sound alarm after two babies died in whooping cough outbreak By Rosemary Westwood, WWNO When there’s an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, state health officials typically take certain steps to alert residents and issue public updates about the growing threat.…

ICE detains 25 Hondurans at Jefferson Parish shipyard A federal immigration raid at a Jefferson Parish shipyard last week resulted in the detention of 25 people without legal resident status, according to the Homeland Security Investigations office in New Orleans.

Can this Louisiana case be a thorn in Trump’s immigration detention plans? A Maryland man was released on bond after being in immigration detention in Jonesboro, Louisiana. Could the ruling on his case lead to other immigrants getting released on bond?

They survived the hurricane. Their insurance company didn’t. Hurricane Ida revealed a fragile insurance industry ill-prepared for the consequences of climate change. More than four years later, what's changed?

Guatemalan teen returns home after judge rules detention unlawful Carlos Guerra Leon, 18, had been held for more than three months in immigration lockup in north Louisiana even though he was granted deferred action status until the end of next year.

Politician Theophile T. Allain helped establish SUNO Theophile T. Allain, who helped​​ to establish Southern University in New Orleans in 1880, believed in building alliances between the races.

Nguyen vs Hughes: District E hopefuls aim to fight blight, food insecurity District E voters will decide between Cyndi Nguyen and Jason Hughes, two longtime residents of the district with deep ties to the community, during a runoff election on Nov. 15. 

James Henry Ingraham fought for rights for Civil War’s Black soldiers James Henry Ingraham asked a poignant question in the New Orleans Tribune in 1865: “We must ask for our rights as men. If we are not citizens, why make soldiers of us?” 

Judge rules that Lloyd Gray, convicted by a nonunanimous decision, can continue his bid for freedom Gray, convicted by a 10-2 jury vote, remains in prison five years after the Supreme Court ruled such verdicts unconstitutional. A 2024 law passed at the urging of conservative Gov. Jeff Landry makes…

Louisiana will cover most SNAP recipients for November About 53,000 'able-bodied' SNAP recipients will have to lean on their local food banks as long as the shutdown persists, according to the governor. 

Friedman vs McCarron: Two former Giarrusso staffers vie for his council seat Aimee McCarron and Holly Friedman, two former staffers of outgoing City Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, will compete in a Nov. 15 runoff.

Freedom fighters: Black soldiers in Louisiana Black soldiers have historically played a vital role in fighting for the liberty of their communities.

New Orleans staves off state-led takeover by withdrawing $125 million loan request Facing a $160 million deficit and an immediate cash-flow shortage, city leaders are now considering cuts. ‘Everything is on the table,’ said Councilmember JP Morrell.

‘In a mess’: Leah Chase School deficit could triple over next several years Leah Chase, the only public school in New Orleans run by the school district, has a lower-than-expected student retention rate and is below its enrollment target for the year.

Author Frances Watkins Harper fought for the rights of Black people, women Born free in 1825, Harper was an abolitionist, suffragist, poet, teacher and public speaker

Student protestors voice concerns as Tulane closes LGBTQIA+ meeting space Tulane University students gathered across from Stern Hall last Friday (Oct. 24) to denounce a recent  decision to relocate the Q Spot, closing an office space previously designated for LGBTQIA+ students.

FCC votes to loosen caps on jail, prison phone calls in 2024, the FCC voted to set six-cent per minute caps on phone calls from prisons and jails. The rule never fully took effect. After pushback from telecoms, the commission voted to raise the cap to 11 cents.

State begins process of potential takeover of New Orleans finances A little-known state committee will meet Wednesday to determine whether the financially troubled city meets legal criteria for a takeover.

‘The well has run dry’: States scramble to find funding solutions for SNAP SNAP funding runs out at the end of October, and states are considering legal action and emergency funding to try to make up for it as the government shutdown continues.

Parents accuse Bonnabel High employees of hitting, humiliating special education student The federal civil rights suit was based on footage from in-classroom cameras, which will soon be required in special education classrooms around the state.

Lit Louisiana: Louisiana elders were discouraged from passing down French language The West Baton Rouge Museum has published a book of Louisiana French folktales called 'Kont Kréole-yé.'

Rep. Julie Emerson enters field to challenge U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy Emerson’s campaign launch video includes direct appeals to Trump voters.

Freedmen’s Bureau offered hope, but not for long In the post-Civil War South, the federal government worked to protect newly freed citizens and immigrants by establishing social support and legal oversight through the Freedmen's Bureau. 

Federal shutdown to pause SNAP benefits, causing concerns about food insecurity Tens of thousands of low-income New Orleans residents who receive monthly SNAP stipends to purchase food will be affected unless the shutdown ends imminently.

First Black Lt. Governor C.C. Antoine was also a soldier A soldier, businessman and newspaper editor, Caesar Carpentier “C.C.” Antoine was elected as Louisiana’s 13th Lt. Governor in 1872.  

Landry warns Louisiana won’t issue SNAP benefits for November if shutdown persists More than 800,000 people in Louisiana receive SNAP benefits.

The war on truth, part 1: Erasure by design — 300 Years of Native exclusion in Louisiana’s classrooms From the early 1700s to now, education has never been neutral for Native people. It has been a weapon, a battleground, and — in recent years — a site of reclamation

Loss of $120M in expected FEMA funding threatens city’s ability to pay bills, officials say A Cantrell administration official says that FEMA has not been kicking out expected funding because of New Orleans’ status as a ‘sanctuary city’ on immigration. . New Orleans, facing a $160M deficit, may…

Last night's #RCFPAwards25 was an inspiring celebration of press freedom — and a reminder that there are champions of the First Amendment fighting for the public's right to know at a time when America's free press is under attack. Our thanks to everyone who supported the event.

Trump’s budget law ‘solidified’ a Georgia hospital’s decision to shutter delivery unit Due to Medicaid cuts, other hospitals could soon follow, particularly in the South.

Complaint: Pregnant immigration detainees in Louisiana and Georgia experiencing abuse, neglect Mistreatment of pregnant people in detention facilities has resulted in miscarriage in some cases, civil rights groups allege.

Antoine Dubuclet served three terms as state treasurer As state treasurer in Louisiana from 1868-1878, Antoine Dubuclet, Jr. was praised by both Republicans and Democrats.

A St. James man’s murder conviction was overturned, but his bail hearing was denied Keith Ezidore’s second-degree murder conviction was overturned in July by an appellate court.