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Criminal Justice

Boston Marathon Bombing — Today’s Front Pages — Newseum | This gallery of front-page newspaper headlines and soon-to-be iconic photographs shows wounded victims and first responders. As I reviewed some of the more graphic photos, it struck me that many people have never seen this much blood on an American street. Also worth a look: The New York Times’ map of the bombings and The Boston Globe’s continuing live-blog.

NOPD paid detail reform — Gambit | Next week, the City Council is set to discuss an overhaul of the NOPD’s off-duty, paid detail system — unless it’s rescheduled, which has happened twice already. The U.S. Department of Justice had called the system an “aorta of corruption” in 2011. The article cites surveys showing that many, if not most, officers take on paid details as a crucial source of supplemental income. Not surprisingly, most are opposed to the changes City Hall wants to make, which include a flat pay scale and oversight to conform with Justice Department mandates.

Live blog: 2 companies vie to monitor reforms to New Orleans Police Department — The Lens | The Lens covered Monday’s meeting to discuss the two finalists to monitor compliance with the NOPD consent decree. A selection is expected by the end of the month.

Pushing Cops to Consider Kids When Arresting Parents – CityLimits.org |  Can more discretion reduce trauma?

A recent survey by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) found that nearly one-fifth of parents surveyed (18 percent) reported that their child had witnessed their arrest. Of those, all but one had also been handcuffed in front of their child, while 9 percent said their child had witnessed guns drawn. The fact that the government has begun to collect these numbers is significant, because for a long time, the trauma suffered by children during their parents’ arrest and incarceration was a relatively invisible phenomenon. 

Environment

Federal judge blasts Army Corps of Engineers for failing to protect New Orleanians during Katrina — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval has ruled the widening of the locks in the Industrial Canal did not contribute to the catastrophic floodwall breaches.

Duval pointed out that he had presided “over this hydra-like ‘Katrina Umbrella’ litigation for almost eight years. One central theme has been painfully obvious throughout this entire process,” he wrote. “Many of the levees protecting New Orleans and the surrounding area were tragically flawed.”

Louisiana sinkhole shatters calm, prompts buyouts on the bayou — The Center for Public Integrity | Lack of political clout slows the buyout process for communities facing environmental hazards, such as sinkholes.

Schools

Plan would allow some charter schools to reserve seats while taking part in OneApp — The Lens | An interesting tension has arisen between charter school specialization and the single-application process that reduces paperwork for parents of students.

OneApp was established to allow Orleans Parish students to apply to multiple schools with a single application. If there are more applicants than seats, students are selected through a lottery.

The plan allows the [New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy] to hold spots, outside of the enrollment lottery, for military families who enroll late. The school’s charter requires it to set aside up to 20 percent of its seats for military families… And a school such as the International School of Louisiana can hold spots for study-abroad students.

Legislative audit finds nearly $39,000 in fraud at Delgado Community College — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | The audit indicates that the fraud had been occurring for years. Delgado is in tough straits as the school endures  shortfalls in attendance and revenue.   

KIPP New Orleans prepares to expand beyond nine charter schools — The Lens 

Government & Politics

With income tax repeal dead, lawmakers to focus on ending years of spending cuts — The Lens | This is a stunning rebuke of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s key legislative initiative. The ramifications are immense, in my opinion. It redefines Jindal’s relationship with the Legislature and weakens his national profile in advance of 2016. Consider: The governor of a red state seemed to “bet it all” on a tax cut, and a Republican-led Legislature killed it. Now focus shifts to the budget. Tyler Bridges notes, a “Southern Media poll showed that nearly 80 percent of voters opposed further cuts to higher education and health care.”

Texas Governor Perry calls for tax cuts for business — Reuters | Gov. Rick Perry “pointed out that Governor Bobby Jindal of neighboring Louisiana is seeking to remove personal income tax in his state. But Jindal’s proposal – which sought to make Louisiana more competitive with no-income-tax states such as Texas – appeared dead on Monday, after a key committee chairman declined to hold hearings on proposals aimed at accomplishing Jindal’s goal.”

Republicans and Dems Come Together — to Keep IRS From Competing with TurboTax – ProPublica | “At issue is how Americans file their taxes and whether electronic filing can be offered directly through the IRS. “

Land Use

Fat City food truck rally Monday evening in Metairie — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | The food truck festival on April 15 is part of Jefferson Parish’s attempt to rebrand and reinvigorate Fat City. Food trucks had been banned in Jefferson Parish after an initial post-Katrina influx, but were granted an exemption for the rally. 

Mark Moseley

Mark Moseley blogs at Your Right Hand Thief. Until mid 2014, Mark Moseley was The Lens' opinion writer, engagement specialist and coordinator for the Charter Schools Reporting Corps. After Katrina and...