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Category
News

Timely coverage of the people, policies, and events shaping New Orleans and Louisiana. This category delivers clear, factual reporting that keeps readers informed about local government, community issues, and stories that matter most to everyday residents.

PODCAST: Why New Orleans keeps losing power in fair weather (Audio)

New Orleans experiences an exceptional number of fair-weather power outages as aging and failing equipment raises concerns across the city.
by Carolyne Heldman August 7, 2026 Updated August 7, 2026

Schools are rethinking whether every student needs a laptop

No single policy stands out among all the new state and districts policies governing technology. What's notable is how quickly the conversation around education and technology has changed.
by Janice Mak, The Conversation August 7, 2026 Updated August 7, 2026

Louisiana has waited three years for computer update to move the state beyond clunky old expungement process

by Bernard Smith August 5, 2026 Updated August 4, 2026

Cuts to Louisiana food stamps lead to hunger: 10 facts

More than 888,000 Louisiana residents struggle with hunger as SNAP cuts and reduced federal funding place growing pressure on families, seniors, people with disabilities and food banks.
by Bill Quigley August 4, 2026 Updated August 3, 2026

Pre-k seats are a scarce resource in New Orleans — and Louisiana budget cuts might make them more difficult to get

New Orleans serves about 84% of 4-year-olds from low-income families. That leaves many New Orleans children entering kindergarten without necessary skills, and hundreds of parents who are not able to work as much as they want to, or at all, creating economic hardship.
by Vivi Smilgius August 3, 2026 Updated August 5, 2026

‘Music From the Big House’ delivers blues and soul from Angola prison

Musicians in bands at Angola often come from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, and from the nearby Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues.
by Maurice Chammah, The Marshall Project July 31, 2026 Updated July 31, 2026
healthcare professional checking blood pressure outdoors

Louisiana’s Obamacare drop rate among the nation’s largest

A quarter of Louisiana's marketplace enrollees from 2025 no longer have coverage in 2026.
by Shalina Chatlani, Stateline July 31, 2026 Updated July 31, 2026

PODCAST: “Where did all my people go?”  (Audio)

Black defendants face major barriers to securing representative juries, while a Lower Ninth Ward family farm wins a settlement after its property was mistakenly treated with pesticides.
by Carolyne Heldman July 30, 2026 Updated August 3, 2026

‘We aren’t prepared’: New Orleans City Council pushes Entergy on unreliable equipment

by Vivi Smilgius July 29, 2026 Updated July 30, 2026

The future of farming cannot be built on forced labor

Louisiana deserves a correctional system that prepares people for successful re-entry, an agricultural system built on dignity rather than exploitation and a public conversation honest enough to recognize that slavery's legacy is not only in the past.
by Ronald "DC" Reynolds and Keket Sanders July 28, 2026 Updated July 28, 2026

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Most Popular

Jury rules against Orkin for spraying pesticide on New Orleans organic farmJury rules against Orkin for spraying pesticide on New Orleans organic farmJuly 22, 2026La'Shance PerryEnvironment
Before Teacher Shield is needed, provide resources to prevent aggressionBefore Teacher Shield is needed, provide resources to prevent aggressionAugust 6, 2026Julienne Louis-AndersonCriminal Justice
Cuts to Louisiana food stamps lead to hunger: 10 factsCuts to Louisiana food stamps lead to hunger: 10 factsAugust 4, 2026Bill QuigleyGovernment & Politics

The Lens
The Lens fights to reveal and report on issues that impact the community and the region. Staunchly defending the public's right to know and deeply committed to sharing our knowledge with the community at large. We center human impact in all our work.
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Our reporting has more urgency than ever.


For more than a decade, we have reported on issues as well as public policy meant to address the needs of residents. The Lens seeks to focus on the inherent inequality that has created a multi-tiered system. We, at The Lens seek to uncover, illuminate, inform and take part in a forward-looking community. Join us.

 
 

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