Environment
Restoration of the Gulf of Mexico can’t wait – The Washington Post | The former co-chairs of the National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling contend that coastal restoration efforts are being held up by a lack of planning by Gulf states. For example, only Florida and Louisiana have wetlands restoration plans in place. Mississippi, however, has quickly moved ahead with plans to spend BP money on a minor-league baseball stadium.
Louisiana turns sand berms into barrier islands — Huffington Post | An informative update on sand berm construction along the coast. (Via New Orleans Ladder.)
As hurricane season begins, don’t put faith in new levee systems, emergency officials warn — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is concerned that New Orleanians won’t evacuate now that the new levee system is in place.
Thirst for Fresh Water Threatens Apalachicola Bay Fisheries – The New York Times | A fascinating piece about dwindling oyster stocks in Apalachicola Bay. Low freshwater inflows from rivers in Georgia, combined with overfishing after the 2010 BP oil spill — Apalachicola didn’t see much oil — are to blame.
Land Use
Mid-City seeing commercial development boom — WWL-TV | Does the construction of a new Whole Foods on Broad Street, a new Costco and a Mid-City Market plaza on Carrollton, and the growing biomedical district mean that Mid-City is booming?
Learning To Swim, And Providing The Opportunity, Often A Challenge In New Orleans — WWNO | “Some kids spend more of their summers in water than on land. Yet in our city, surrounded by water, knowing how to swim, or simply finding a place to swim, can be challenging.”
Criminal Justice
It has been six years since the city last administered the test, which establishes the list of rank-and-file police officers in line for promotion to sergeant. Without regular chances to take that exam and similar tests for higher grades, officers can find themselves stuck in the same rank year after year, with little hope for promotion and higher pay. Indeed, the consent decree governing reforms in the NOPD requires that the city provide regular promotional opportunities in the department.
Medgar Evers’ death changed his wife, brother’s lives forever — The Clarion-Ledger | This is one of many stories The Clarion-Ledger ran on Sunday to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. The other links are in the sidebar, and I highly recommend them.
Schools
Our Views: LSU should open records — The Advocate | The editors at The Advocate are unimpressed by this unusual argument made by LSU general counsel Shelby McKenzie: “that LSU officials have ‘a moral obligation’ to keep the public from knowing who else was considered in the job search that led to the recent approval of F. King Alexander as the new LSU system president.”
Tea party groups rallying against Common Core education overhaul – The Washington Post | The tea party has successfully applied pressure in some states, as governors in Indiana and Michigan have paused their states’ transition to the federal education standards.
State Supreme Court vacates ruling that overturned teacher tenure law — NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune | In case you missed it, on Friday the Louisiana Supreme Court overruled a lower court’s ruling that a law limiting teacher tenure violated the state constitution.
Government & Politics
House unhappy with Senate spending plan — The Advocate
The smaller [Senate] chamber did add what one House member referred to as “candy,” including a decrease in the waiting list for home-based services for disabled children and $50 million in bonuses for public school workers. State Rep. Katrina Jackson, leader of the Legislative Black Caucus, said the bonus payment was created to pressure House members into voting in favor of the budget. She said the Jindal administration would have input into who gets the bonuses, creating the possibility that they wouldn’t be across the board.
Analysis: Hospital contracts have financial gaps – Associated Press | In its haste to cobble together privatization deals for LSU-run hospitals, the Jindal administration approved contracts with few financing details. Some of the contracts included 50 blank pages.
Live blog: Louisiana Senate passes 2014 budget — The Lens | Reporter Tyler Bridges has the play-by-play of Saturday’s budget debate.