Land Use
Is Frenchmen still cool — or just a Bourbon Street for hipsters? | The Lens – Smart commentary on the sea change on Frenchmen Street over the past thirty years by Loyola University’s C.W. Cannon.
High Rent is Public Policy | Hurricane Radio – Blogger “Cousin Pat” uses the The Lens’ property tax calculator to argue that the city’s land policies “reward real estate speculation over getting properties back into commerce.”
Lower 9th Ward Village Scrambles For Funding | WWNO – A Kickstarter campaign hopes to raise more $160,000 to save the Lower Ninth Ward community center from foreclosure.
Schools
A 13-year-old mother, a drug-dealer father and a scholarship to Yale | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune – NOCCA and Cohen College Prep senior Leonard Galmo, defying long odds, will attend Yale University.
Criminal Justice
Marshall Coulter: arrested at 10, shot at 14, arrested again | NOLA.com/The Times Picayune – Between ages 10 and 14, Marshall Coulter had “cycled a half-dozen times in and out of police handcuffs and courtrooms.”
Cost of Prisons | davidbreston.com – This map shows the financial cost of prisons for each state.
City Council seeks ends to rotation requirement for NOPD details | The New Orleans Advocate – The City Council asked the U.S. Department of Justice to remove the one-year rotation requirement for off-duty police details.
The requirement was supposed to open up lucrative details to all NOPD officers, not just a favored few, and to prevent overly cozy relationships between customers and officers.
Councilwoman Susan Guidry, who authored the council resolution asking for an amendment to the agreement, said the mandate, “while perhaps rooted in good intentions,” is unnecessary and possibly dangerous.
Environment
Morganza to the Gulf wins congressional authorization, but where will the $10.3 billion come from? | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune – Sen. David Vitter says there are reasons to hope that costs on the flood protection project can be reduced to raise the chances of funding.
Scientists tagging sharks in Gulf to predict hurricane intensity | Houston Chronicle – Sensors on sharks measure water temperature at different depths. (Via @duris)
Oyster harvesters alarmed at finding fewer oysters | WWL-TV – As an oyster festival approaches, harvests are down and prices are up. (I’ve enjoyed the oysters so far this year — some of the best I’ve tasted since the 2010 spill.)
Government & Politics
Zurik: When you don’t like the questions, you stop answering | FOX 8 WVUE – Lee Zurik tries to get answers about seemingly exorbitant travel expense claims by two rural state legislators. The investigation uncovered “17 instances where Rep. [Frank] Howard charged something to his campaign account and, for that same expense, also received a reimbursement from the House – in other words, from taxpayers.”
Pro-Life Victory: Restrictive Abortion Bill Heads To Jindal’s Desk | The Hayride – “In a major victory for the Louisiana pro-life movement, legislation that puts further restrictions on abortion clinics, which will likely help close three of the state’s five abortion clinics, has been sent to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s desk for approval. “