A nonprofit opposed to the construction of a grain elevator in St. John the Baptist Parish sued the company behind the project, Greenfield Louisiana, along with the parish’s tax assessor, arguing Greenfield is being shielded from $209 million in property taxes. The Descendants Project, founded by twin sister Jo and Joy Banner, said in a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff turns over information related to questionable uses of force
After weeks of delay, civil rights attorneys representing people locked up in the New Orleans jail are now satisfied that the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has turned over all the records they have related to several questionable uses of force at the facility earlier this year. But they say many investigative records they requested that […]
Posted inBehind The Lens
Behind the Lens episode 199
Reporter Nick Chrastil on the trial of Linda Frickey’s death being delayed for about a year, Joshua Rosenberg discusses the latest on Gordon Plaza and Marta Jewson on charter school renewals in New Orleans.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
SWB outages leave pumping system, city vulnerable
Over half of the machines which provide antiquated 25 cycle power to drainage, water, and sewer pumps across the city’s east bank are currently out of service, the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board said, sinking the utility’s ability to quickly move water off streets during severe spring storms below its own stated needs. The […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Orleans Parish Sheriff Hutson withholding investigative records related several ‘serious’ uses of force on mental health tier
In late January, a sergeant working in the New Orleans jail called for backup because a detainee, who was housed on a tier reserved for people with mental health needs, had a broomstick in his cell. When three deputies arrived, they found the cell window covered in feces and “a large amount of unknown liquid […]
Posted inUncategorized
These global banks made emission pledges. They’re still investing billions in expanding US gas exports
America’s massive gas export boom is about to get bigger. By the end of the decade, the Gulf Coast could see as many as 12 new liquefied natural gas terminals (LNG) built along its shores. This expansion would triple the amount of gas the US currently exports to be burned around the world, adding more […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Drug-related deaths at Angola prompted strip searches, but who is bringing in contraband?
Abdullah Muhammad entered the gates of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola as a 25-year-old with a freshly issued life sentence. At intake, before he was issued a prison jumpsuit, guards searched him and told him to disrobe. “Anytime anyone forces you to take your clothes off, it’s traumatizing,” Muhammad said. He remembers feeling tense […]
Posted inEnvironment
Gordon Plaza residents warn their attorney: Hands off of $35 million allocated by the City Council
Residents of Gordon Plaza, which sits atop a toxic landfill, want to keep their lawyers away from $35 million the New Orleans City Council set aside for people who lived there.
Posted inCriminal Justice
In Linda Frickey case, DA Williams using controversial legal doctrine to seek life sentences for 4 teens
The decision by District Attorney Jason William to charge the teens as adults was controversial, if not surprising. During his campaign for DA, Williams promised to keep all cases involving kids in juvenile court, and frequently cited research on youth brain development that indicates kids are more susceptible to peer pressure, more likely to engage in risky behavior, and less likely to consider the consequences of that behavior.
Posted inEnvironment
Tax incentives start rush for carbon capture projects
For years, fossil fuel companies have been reluctant to build carbon capture facilities, except to recover oil, because it was too expensive. Now, with the aid of a federal tax credit in the 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act, they are lining up to capture and store carbon with the potential to make billions of dollars in profit.