This week, two St. James Parish residents who recently wrote a piece for the Lens on their families’ deep roots in the region and how local histories like their own are threatened by the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Barbara Washington and Gail LeBoeuf are co-founders and co-directors of Inclusive Louisiana, a local organization dedicated […]
Behind the Lens episode 266 Carnival Part II: ‘The best spot on Fat Tuesday’
Mizani Ball on family and friends settling in to their traditional parade watching spots on the route. Katy Reckdahl on a Black Masking Indian continuing his father’s tradition.
Big boots to fill
Anthony Hingle Jr. didn’t touch beads or feathers for 32 years. Now he’s back in town, continuing the work of his father, Flagboy Meathead, a legend among Black Masking Indians.
Behind The Lens episode 268: ‘Cruel and unusual’
Special guest Ned Randolph on Entergy’s proposal to build a massive AI data center in an impoverished section of north Louisiana that Meta is eyeing. Nick Chrastil on the state’s push to use nitrogen hypoxia for executions.
Explaining Jessie Hoffman
People still say, ‘That’s not the Jessie I knew.’ But most didn’t know what he endured at home – and that’s likely what drove him on that day, psychiatrists say.
Who gets hurt by an execution?
Beyond the condemned, I’ve seen the harm done to family members, victims, prison guards, and even jurors. There may be too many people harmed by executions for Louisiana to bear. We don’t need this. Execution is not the solution.
The doctor defending Louisiana’s controversial execution method
Dr. Joseph Antognini travels across the nation, being paid over $500 an hour by government officials who rely on him to vouch for their execution protocols.
Firing up the chamber of death
THIS IS PART OF “OPERATING CAPITAL,” AN ONGOING LENS DISCUSSION ABOUT LOUISIANA’S RESUMPTION OF EXECUTIONS. Why do we kill people who may have killed people to show that killing people is wrong? It is important to keep the word “may” in there, because a shocking number of innocent people face execution. Over the last 30 […]
Behind The Lens episode 267: ‘Young, Black, vibrant’
Mizani Ball and Marta Jewson on how Mardi Gras Day parade route changes affected local businesses and marching bands. Delaney Dryfoos on Venture Global’s expansion plans amid its spotty environmental compliance record.
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