‘Tis the season for school closures
Four city schools are likely to close. Budget shortfall could top $49 million.
Recent Posts
HIV treatment disrupted by climate change
A new analysis finds that New Orleans and other parts of the country with high HIV prevalence are also some of the most at-risk areas for climate disasters
Maurepas Swamp’s upcoming reintroduction to the Mississippi River
Reconnecting the dying swamp to fresh river water is vital for the health of the swamp’s cypress-tupelo forest, which minimizes storm surge damage for communities in St. John the Baptist, St. James, Ascension and Livingston Parishes.
Saving St. Louis No. 2 Cemetery from cars and longtime neglect
Though an SUV caused a recent injury to the historic burial ground, a preservationist found that the biggest risks to public safety in the cemetery came from some of its most magnificent structures: tombs built for now-dissolved society groups. Now, a five-generation master plasterer is determined to repair them.
The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty: validating the struggles of fenceline communities in Louisiana
Though the Biden Administration backtracked its support of a cap on plastic production only a week before UN negotiations begin in South Korea, Louisiana advocates see the tide turning on plastics in a way that could turn future plastic-production facilities in Louisiana into even riskier investments.
Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice to end contract with troubled Jackson Parish jail
Invoices show that Jackson charged OJJ nearly $2 million dollars over the past year to house juveniles in the jail, despite grave allegations of abuse and mistreatment.
Compare 2024 school performance scores for New Orleans charters
Though its score climbed a little, the NOLA Public Schools district received the same grade, a C, from the state of Louisiana for the third year in a row. The state’s A-F letter grades are particularly high-stakes for 12 charters, who could face closure at the end of the school year.
opinion
Oil and gaffe
Prominent oil-backed politicians claim that fossil fuels support Louisiana’s economy and that community activists are the problem. The facts say otherwise.
The increased urgency of Planned Parenthood’s work
Like most Americans, most Louisianans support abortion access. And when we show up, especially when it’s difficult and the odds feel stacked against us, we remind our legislative leaders that this government is supposed to work for us and reflect our values.
Behind The Lens episode 259: Opinion: ‘The education situation’
In a special episode, Adrinda Kelly, the founding Executive Director of Black Education for New Orleans (BE NOLA), whose mission is to support Black educators and Black-led schools, reflects on two decades of changes in New Orleans education.
Raised on meat, but going meatless one day a week.
Meat connected my family and so many Black families across the South – really across the world. Now, by embracing Meatless Mondays, I am weaning myself from it, for my health – and to help save Planet Earth.
PODCAST
Behind The Lens episode 260: ‘Tough Transitions’
Marta Jewson on the annual December announcement of which charter schools will close. Delaney Dryfoos on work to revitalize Maurepas Swamp.
About the Lens
The Lens aims to engage and empower the residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. We provide the information and analysis necessary to advocate for more accountable and just governance.