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Category
Government & Politics

A police surveillance drone flies high above Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans against a clear blue sky.

NOPD floats ‘Drone as First Responder’ model, raising privacy concerns

On Monday, the French Quarter Management District’s security and enforcement committee took the first step toward drone response in New Orleans, as it voted to finance one $250,000 NOPD drone and docking station.
by Joshua Rosenberg March 9, 2026 Updated March 11, 2026

As Russia bombs Ukraine’s power plants, Gulf Coast LNG companies win big

LNG shipped from Louisiana is increasingly keeping the lights on in Ukraine, where relentless Russian airstrikes have left the country scrambling for fuel. That pushes up gas prices in the US.
by Delaney Nolan March 9, 2026 Updated March 11, 2026

Louisiana crawfish industry struggles with limited foreign workers, ag commissioner says

Gov. Landry says getting more visas is the state congressional delegation’s “lane to drive.”
by Julie O'Donoghue, Louisiana Illuminator March 6, 2026 Updated March 5, 2026

Louisiana National Guard to remain in New Orleans another 6 months

The additional six-month deployment will involve approximately 120 National Guard members—down from the 350 who were working during Carnival.
by Greg LaRose, Louisiana Illuminator March 3, 2026 Updated March 3, 2026

Louisiana, Trump FDA clash in court over abortion drug availability through telehealth

Despite the stringent abortion ban, AG Liz Murrill said almost 1,000 abortions per month are administered in Louisiana through medication obtained from out of state.
by Greg LaRose, Louisiana Illuminator February 27, 2026 Updated February 27, 2026
close up of computer hardware

Louisiana’s “Lightning Amendment” quietly shifts AI data-center costs onto your electric bill

Data centers are created by the nation’s wealthiest companies, like Meta. But in Louisiana, utility billpayers could cover up to 75% of AI data-center costs, thanks to a fast-track policy quietly passed by Louisiana regulators.
by Paul Arbaje, The Equation February 18, 2026 Updated February 18, 2026
SCOTUS exterior, 11/2/19 credit Jessica Rosgaard

The looming return of Jim Crow to Louisiana, America’s second-Blackest state

The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the central provision that has protected minority voters from discriminatory maps and election systems for 60 years.
by Adam Ganucheau, Deep South Today February 5, 2026 Updated February 7, 2026

The farcical case against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for protest reporting

The Justice Department is weaponizing a law intended to protect those seeking abortions to punish reporters covering anti-ICE activism.
by David Bralow, The Intercept February 2, 2026 Updated February 4, 2026

New Orleans historic landmarks on South Rampart back on the market. Again.

After spending seven years trying to create a cultural hub on a New Orleans block, a developer is offloading three of the block’s four landmark buildings that mark the beginnings of jazz.
by Jordan Hirsch January 22, 2026 Updated January 24, 2026

Blighted Bywater Navy base kicks off redevelopment with 300 affordable apartments

Poland Avenue base will be repurposed and rehabbed in three phases that will create a ‘mixed-use campus’ that includes affordable housing, retail, and a tech startup hub.
by Katy Reckdahl with photos by Gus Bennett January 22, 2026 Updated January 22, 2026

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