Government & Politics
Lack of Medicaid expansion leaves 87% of state’s poor adults without coverage, report says | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune – A new study claims the overwhelming majority of impoverished Louisiana adults will be uninsured, because Gov. Bobby Jindal declined Medicaid expansion related to Obamacare. “In a July opinion piece for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, Jindal put the total percentage of low-income Louisianians without insurance at 6 percent.”
Street Repairs, Charity Hospital Renovations Proposed For 2014 | WWNO – In an audio segment that runs under a minute, The Lens’ Charles Maldonado discusses top priorities in Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s 2014 capital budget. In a separate concise segment, Maldonado summarizes the big question that looms over the proposed budget— funding for the federal consent decree on the city jail. (Text versions available for both stories.)
Republicans Back Down, Ending Crisis Over Shutdown and Debt Limit | The New York Times – Fresh off a last-minute agreement that ended a harrowing Congressional escapade to the edge of default, some members of the GOP are looking ahead to the next round of brinkmanship:
As Republican lawmakers left the closed meeting Wednesday, some were already thinking of the next fight. “I’ll vote against it,” said Representative John C. Fleming, Republican of Louisiana, referring to the Senate plan. “But that will get us into Round 2. See, we’re going to start this all over again.”
Criminal Justice
As trial date nears, former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin asks judge to toss indictment, delay trial | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune – Team Nagin is filing motion after motion related to prosecutorial misconduct in the U.S. Attorney’s Office related to the NOLA.com online comment scandal. Nagin wants to see the investigatory reports into the scandal, or evidentiary hearings or, preferably, have his case dismissed. Thus far, none of Nagin’s attempts have been successful.
James Gill: Amendment cause for applause among criminals | The Advocate – Gill discusses the unintended consequences of last year’s state constitutional amendment which made the right to bear arms a “fundamental” right in Louisiana. Gill notes that District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro anticipated the hazard posed in protecting the right even of criminals to bear arms.
The amendment, being stupid and serving no rational purpose, remains highly popular … even though the scale of the threat it poses to public safety is now apparent.
Cannizzaro was alive to that threat from the beginning, predicting at news conferences and in newspaper articles precisely the mess in which we find ourselves.
Schools
BESE acts to quell criticism | The Advocate – The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is yielding to critics of the Common Core:
Less than a day after hearing a barrage of criticism, the state’s top school board approved policies Wednesday aimed at quieting criticism of adding more rigor in public school classrooms. …
One of the changes approved by BESE would ban curriculum from being forced on local districts, “including any that may be recommended, endorsed or supported by any federal or state program or agency.”
The debt deal’s gift to Teach For America — yes, TFA | Washington Post – A very interesting catch: In the legislative deal cut yesterday that avoided government default, there is a two year extension “that allows the phrase ‘highly qualified teachers’ to include students still in teacher-training programs.” This provision would seem to benefit the Teach for America teacher-training program.
10 Questions: Common Core | Greater Baton Rouge Business Report – A Q & A that sheds some light on a heated issue.
Land Use
Uptown Polka Dot Mystery May Be Solved | Curbed NOLA – Polka dots on the street are a “traffic-calming solution” for school zones. Neighbors, however, don’t appear soothed.
Lender’s policies add to BR blight | The Advocate – “A nonprofit fair-housing group alleged Tuesday that a nationwide lender’s policies in dealing with foreclosed properties have contributed to blighted housing in black and other non-white neighborhoods in Louisiana’s capital city.”
Environment
More oil from BP spill found on Louisiana coastline in mid-2013 than year before | The Lens – “Oil collection on the Louisiana coastline from the Deepwater Horizon spill continues to increase three years after the disaster, a governor’s office representative told the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at the board’s monthly meeting in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.”
Jindal names 3 to board that sued oil companies | Associated Press – See the story for a spirited quote from former vice chairman John Barry, who was replaced on the levee board after spearheading a lawsuit to force Big Oil to pay for damaging the coast.
This Is Your Brain on Toxins | The New York Times – Opinion piece by Nicholas Kristoff on lead poisoning, a pet topic of mine. Kristoff calls it a slow motion “human catastrophe.”