Nick Chrastil on changes that have resulted in thousands of Louisianans losing food stamps and a new state law that threatens thousands more. And Delaney Dryfoos on spring flooding in the Midwest and how it can benefit Louisiana.
Posted inSchools
‘Robbed’ Kennedy High School grads get their day in court
Judge certifies Kennedy High School 2019 and 2020 seniors for class action, five years after graduation scandal
Posted inGovernment & Politics
15k Louisianans lose food stamps due to reinstated federal work requirements
Thousands more will likely lose benefits starting this fall, due to a new Louisiana law that bars state officials from doing what they’ve done for over 25 years – asking for waivers of federal work requirements in parishes with high unemployment.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Fifth Circuit appeals court sides with Angola’s Farm Line workers
Though the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals differed with some of the district court’s July 2 decision, the higher court agreed that Angola Farm Line workers deserve water, rest, and equipment to protect from heat
Posted inEnvironment
Water from flooded Upper Mississippi River offers relief after two years of drought
Higher river levels might stave off intense saltwater intrusion
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens episode 243: ‘The solar Motherhouse’
Nick Chrastil on a judge’s order to the Dept. of Corrections requiring a plan to protect Angola inmates working the Farm line in blistering heat. Delaney Dryfoos on the The Sisters of the Holy Family nuns who are working to build a solar-powered microgrid resilience hub for their neighbors in New Orleans East.
Posted inOpinion
Keeping Politics Out of Flood Protection
The writers, from levees.org, believe that Gov. Jeff Landry is acting against the intent of post-Katrina legislation meant to take politics out of the state’s flood-protection boards.
Posted inOpinion
A Decade of Delays: Time for Consumer-Focused Transmission
Although Entergy joined the regional grid to allay U.S. Department of Justice concerns about possible anticompetitive behavior, it seems to be more focused on profits than on the type of regional transmission projects that would most benefit Louisiana businesses and homeowners, says the writer, a former commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Judge orders Angola to provide Farm Line workers access to shade, rest, sunscreen, and water
DOC must submit plan within a week to protect incarcerated persons laboring on the Farm Line, who otherwise face “immediate threats” including death and permanent injury
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens episode 242: ‘Extreme heat and dirty water’
La’Shance Perry, Nick Chrastil and Katy Reckdahl on the jail exceeding its population cap and Angola prisoners still forced to work the fields in extreme summer heat.