A public-relations firm billed Entergy New Orleans about $55,000 to bring supporters of a new power plant to two public meetings. Some of those people were actors. Documents turned over to the city council raise questions about Entergy's claim that it didn't know supporters would be paid.
The house was moved from the site of the VA hospital, torn down at its new location and then replaced.
Personalized learning is transforming schools in the Crescent City, but what does that mean for students? Some educators support the philosophy but worry it’s causing kids to spend too much time learning alone in front of a screen.
The investigation will "dig as deep as humanly possible" into the astroturfing campaign, said Council President Jason Williams.
The company said it has ended its relationship with The Hawthorn Group. It hired Crowds on Demand, which hired the actors.
Dozens of people in orange shirts showed up at meetings to support Entergy's new power plant. But for many of them, it was just an acting gig. They were paid to show up and speak on the company's behalf. The Lens interviewed a few of them and reviewed messages outlining the astroturfing effort.
With friends in high places, the Rev. Charles Southall evaded seizure and auction of the property, which he claimed he would rehabilitate through tax breaks and government grants for affordable housing.
Entergy says a new plant can handle periods of unusually high demand, and it will protect against a catastrophic situation in which the city can't get power. Energy experts and opponents say the company's argument doesn't hold up, and it has an incentive to build new facilities rather than improve transmission reliability.
Nearly 20 percent of the nation's oil and gas passes through Port Fourchon, accessible only by a battered, two-lane road. With the Gulf of Mexico rising and wetlands crumbling, it's on the way to becoming an island.
Some have asked how Orleans Parish prosecutors used fake subpoenas for so long with no repercussions. We found several instances in which lawyers protested their use in court, but nothing happened. The practice stopped only when it was made public.
