George Carter, 15, was not a demon and not an angel, but he’s dead — and that should be our focus

George was found shot to death on Piety Street on Oct. 21. News reports picked up on his membership in Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools, and subsequent reports say he may have been involved in an armed robbery. Are these the facts that really matter?
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Hey, all you bloggers out there: Any word from Perricone lately?

Ouroboros: the beast that devours its tail. Wikipedia To “Jack,” an open letter: Many thanks for your comment on my Dec. 11 column about U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s resignation. Your overarching message seems to be that Letten’s disgraced former assistant Sal Perricone really did nothing wrong in commenting publicly on federal cases the office was handling. Informed feedback […]

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With Letten gone, ’tis the season for intrigue and wild rumors

Mob boss Carlos Marcello. Wikimedia It’s transition time at the local U.S. attorney’s office, now that Jim Letten, the nation’s longest-serving federal prosecutor, and his top three lieutenants have retired in the wake of a scandal involving anonymous online comments. No doubt candidates aspiring to replace Letten have quietly expressed interest to U.S. Sen. Mary […]

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Those who suspect child abuse carry major new legal responsibilities

After the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal became national news, state Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, sponsored legislation requiring coaches to report suspected child abuse. State Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, also filed a bill, one that extended whistleblower protections to employees who report abuse of a minor by a co-worker or supervisor. The bills […]

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Skies will soon buzz with drones—but cops may not like it

They say character is what you do when no one else is watching. But these days I’m wondering: What if someone’s always watching? What happens to character then? And that leads to larger questions, such as how do you even form an authentic “self” in a surveillance society? When Plato wrote The Republic 24 centuries ago, […]

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A drone of our own! How the city should sell its latest dream

An eye in the sky, the Bravo 300 is made in New Orleans but has yet to find a buyer in local government. Photo courtesy of Crescent Unmanned Systems City Hall has reversed plans to use drone surveillance over New Orleans during the Super Bowl in February. That’s surprising, because Deputy Mayor Jerry Sneed had […]

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