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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.

Sheltering in place through the ICE storm

A survey in photo and text, of what New Orleanians are thinking about the local immigrants threatened by Catahoula Crunch.
by Gus Bennett December 12, 2025 Updated December 16, 2025

Why New Orleans Became Trump’s Newest Immigration Target

Recent legal changes, a Trump-friendly governor and a large immigration detention infrastructure could make the New Orleans crackdown easier for the administration.
by Jamiles Lartey, The Marshall Project December 12, 2025 Updated December 22, 2025

To combat violence, Young Rollers offer a happier alternative: New Orleans culture

At age 15, Jahmad Randolph gave his club an anti-violence theme and christened it the Young Rollers, to imbue the club with a certain state of mind, rooted in freedom and motion. “It makes you feel light. It makes you hopeful.”
by Katy Reckdahl with photos by Gus Bennett December 7, 2025 Updated December 7, 2025

Murrill: NOPD is breaking laws if it doesn’t ‘fully cooperate’ with ICE, Border Patrol

In the letter, Murrill cited policy in the NOPD Operations Manual that bars NOPD officers from assisting federal immigration authorities except in limited instances.
by Greg LaRose, Louisiana Illuminator December 5, 2025 Updated December 7, 2025

Reapproval of Commonwealth LNG project rankles Cameron locals, environmentalists

Louisiana Dept. of Conservation and Energy issues another permit after state judge ruled the original shouldn’t have been granted.
by Elise Plunk, Louisiana Illuminator December 5, 2025 Updated December 5, 2025

How cornbread dressing was banned from Angola prison’s Thanksgiving menu

by Bernard Smith November 26, 2025 Updated December 2, 2025
Four men smile as they stand behind large wooden bins filled with sweet potatoes, loading black “Inspire the City” tote bags during a Thanksgiving food giveaway outside the Mahalia Jackson Center in New Orleans.

Holiday giveaway brings hope to Tremé amid immigration fears

“When I saw the brother Jamar (McNeely) giving out turkeys and hams, I said, ‘Let me bring the vegetables,’” said DeLance Vanderhorst of Healthier NOLA.
by Gus Bennett November 26, 2025 Updated December 2, 2025
Assistant principal at Frederick A. Douglass High School smiles and dances among students in a school auditorium after announcing the school earned an A+ rating, with the stage band playing and students celebrating around him.

Compare 2025 school performance scores for New Orleans charters

As a district, NOLA Public Schools improved from a C to a B. The move up appears to be driven by a jump in A-rated schools in the city.
by Marta Jewson November 20, 2025 Updated November 23, 2025

Oily waste from Smitty’s Supply disaster sent to Jefferson Parish landfill

Waste has been stored and recycled at other sites, but LDEQ grants an emergency exemption for River Birch
by Wesley Muller, Louisiana Illuminator November 14, 2025 Updated January 6, 2026

States’ death penalty policies are heading in sharply different directions

Forty-one people have been executed so far this year, the highest number since 2012.
by Amanda Watford, Stateline November 7, 2025 Updated December 17, 2025

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