Government & Politics
Live blog: Mayor Landrieu inaugurated to second term Monday morning | The Lens – The Lens live-blogged the inaugural ceremony. Later today, we’ll ask readers to pick a statement made during the event, and we’ll fact-check it.
Feds reject LSU hospital deals | Associated Press
Federal officials on Friday rejected Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s financing plans for the privatization of six state-owned hospitals that care for the poor and uninsured, dealing a potentially significant blow to the state’s health care operations.
Jindal deceived citizens – AGAIN! | Forgotston.com – Legislative watchdog and critic C.B. Forgotston writes that the hospital financing “scheme was nothing more than a rip-off of the U.S. taxpayers by using Fed funds to match Fed funds.”
Mayoral appointees get raises, promotions while Landrieu thins ranks at City Hall | The Lens – The mayor has touted how he’s made City Hall leaner and more efficient. But there’s one place that hasn’t seen much belt-tightening: the mayor’s office itself. He’s hired more appointees and boosted their pay as the number of police officers and firefighters has dropped.
Fiscal problems loom large as Mayor Landrieu starts new term | The New Orleans Advocate – How will Landrieu pay for the “decades of alleged neglect and mismanagement”? Those bills are now due.
Schools
Students give Common Core tests high marks | The Advocate – A survey shows that most Louisiana students say the Common Core test is easier or about the same as their current schoolwork.
Lawmakers wanting to repeal the academic standards are still pursuing several avenues for making a dent in the state’s Common Core implementation. As important, they’ve recently acquired acquired a powerful political ally in Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has become critical of the educational guidelines and their associated test, named the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or PARCC for short.
Schools Seek Changes to Healthier Lunch Rules | Associated Press – Many kids have rejected new federally-approved lunches that contain more whole grains and fruits and vegetables.
US teachers nowhere as diverse as their students | Associated Press – “Almost half the students attending public schools are minorities, yet fewer than 1 in 5 of their teachers is nonwhite.”
Environment
BP cries foul in massive oil spill settlement | CBS News – Lawyers for BP tell “60 Minutes” that claimants are fraudulently taking advantage of the damage settlement the company agreed to.
Stephanie Grace: Pipeline bill has complicated politics | The Advocate – Both of Louisiana’s U.S. senators are maneuvering, in different ways, to get the Keystone XL pipeline project approved.
Political Horizons: Industry aims a smart bomb at lawsuits | The New Orleans Advocate – Perhaps lacking enough votes, legislators opposed to a lawsuit against oil and gas companies have reworked bills to find a new legislative route to scuttle the lawsuit.
Criminal Justice
Questions surround legal case of Marigny homeowner involved in shooting | FOX 8 News – Marshall Coulter, who was shot in the head by Marigny homeowner Merritt Landry last year, was arrested Friday for simple burglary.
2 NOLA journos are being forced to testify in a federal criminal case | Columbia Journalism Review – In a case with little precedent, former reporters from The Times-Picayune would be required to testify about a meeting with the FBI held before the newspaper published a story about local crime boss Telly Hankton. Gordon Russell, who now works at The Advocate, says “the idea that a grand jury proceeding might have been prejudiced by this article seems a bit far-fetched.”
Land Use
Owen Courreges: To solve rising rents and the Magazine Street chain invasion, open up neighborhoods for business | Uptown Messenger – Courreges argues that local retailers don’t need special zoning protections to stave off competition from national chains. “What local retailers need is for the city to be more friendly to business in general.”