Cantrell, administration officials began meeting with Mastercard, MoCaFi and Ignite Cities to develop the Crescent City Card a year before publicly requesting bids for the project.
The 5th Circuit affirmed a 2021 order requiring the city to move forward with Phase III facility, finding all of its arguments unconvincing.
Groups opposed to the project say construction could damage what they say is a historically significant site, possibly containing graves of enslaved people from nearby plantations.
The report shows increasingly wetter conditions over the past few decades in the floodplain — a trend that, spurred by climate change and land-use practices, looks likely to continue.
The ruling comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that established the fundamental right to abortion.
Williams called the court decision overturning Roe 'cruel and irresponsible.' His position could lead to conflict with the state's top prosecutor, AG Jeff Landry, who is staunchly anti-abortion and supports prosecution.
The remaining residents of the subdivision have been fighting for relocation funding for years.
The youths were transferred to Alabama without notice, according to the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights.
A majority of a council committee voted to defer the ordinance. But it appears it will still go before the full council as early as next week.
