Behind The Lens episode 105: Fair Share
The Kennedy HS lawsuit. City budget hearings in a tough year. A controversial tax proposal on the ballot. And New Orleans public defenders are demanding parity with the DA's office.
‘No indication’ COVID-19 spreading in NOLA Public Schools classrooms, city officials say
The New Orleans school district announced 12 new cases in staff and students at its Thursday update.
New Orleans Police Department using facial recognition despite years of denial
Explaining its previous denials, the department said that it doesn’t employ its own facial recognition software. Instead, it accesses the technology through state and federal partners. An ACLU lawyer said that was a ‘distinction without a difference.’
NOPD presents budget to City Council, as activists continue calls to defund
The police department is facing a cut next year, but it’s relatively modest compared to other departments.
In final year of charter contracts, selective schools again sit out OneApp
Officials say they aren’t required to use the centralized enrollment system until their new contracts begin.
In city budget hearing, council members say they want public defender funding closer to DA, but it’s unclear where they’ll find the money
An August ordinance calls for the defenders to be funded at 85 percent of the DA’s Office. Cantrell ignored it in her budget proposal. One council member floated the idea of cutting the DA’s budget.
‘I hope the voters kill it:’ Library board member comes out against Cantrell-backed tax proposal on December ballot
Board member Andrea Neighbours also criticized a proposed policy from the Cantrell administration to change employee discipline and grievance policies.
New testimony reveals record-keeping issues at Kennedy HS went back years
Staff malfeasance and record-keeping issues caused problems for Kennedy's class of 2019.
‘An entirely different ball game’: City Council begins 2021 budget hearings under fog of uncertainty
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a new president and Mayor Cantrell’s property tax proposal make it tough to predict how much money the city will have to work with next year.
Health providers warn of diminished HIV testing during pandemic
Metro New Orleans testing and treatment hub reports that its tests are down nearly 90 percent from an average year.
