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Dominque Jones built a life and a nonprofit on her father’s daily advice from the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Now, strokes have stolen his ability to speak, read, and write — but parole officials rarely consider cognitive decline on a par with physical ailments.
Artist Terrance Osborne describes the New Orleans art legends who taught him — and tells us exactly how their influences show up in his tiny civic canvas.
An influx of cash, a last-minute AI attack ad, and a last-minute Trump tele-rally. Are Republicans scrambling to save the party’s once-secure seat for Julie Letlow?
When Katrina took the family albums, it stole a visual bridge to the past. Though the loss permanently altered the holiday, New Orleanians cleaning cemeteries this weekend say that love doesn't need paper to survive. When Katrina took the family albums off the shelf and photos from local walls, it stole visual bridges…
Chronic absenteeism and educational opportunities for students with cognitive disabilities are at the center of this episode of Behind The Lens, as New Orleans public schools take new approaches to addressing two significant challenges facing students and families. NOLA Public Schools has established a new office…
Trimming a fraction of NOPD's budget or rightsizing the jail population would fully fund a low-barrier shelter, crisis units, youth programs, and eviction defense.
City Hall is once again asking residents to pay more to close its budget gaps. But to win over skeptical voters, we need real transparency. City leaders must pull back the curtain on spending and codify financial transparency into law.
Despite its “A” rating, the French immersion school has been battling an exodus of students and teachers, and ticking off parents, for several years. Parents say it’s because of the administration.
New Orleanians who rely on transit can reach less than one-third of jobs in one hour. The city needs a dedicated transportation fund that prioritizes youth transit passes and connects residents of all ages to jobs, school, and ways to explore the city.
Brandon Guidry, known as Lil Real One, was handcuffed and shackled when another incarcerated man stabbed him, according to family members, who have not yet heard from prison officials.
The public health department leads effective, innovative efforts to prevent violence, end homelessness, support youth, and maintain mental and maternal health in New Orleans. But it is facing a 64% cut in the city budget.
Davis is closing the gap as he bids to be Louisiana’s first Black U.S. Senator since Reconstruction, leaving Letlow without the sure victory Republicans had hoped for. ‘This is not going to be a slam dunk,’ a pollster warns.
Youth were hit by 40% of previous budget reductions; they cannot afford to absorb more cuts.
Meta has held back crucial details about the jobs, investment and needed energy for its data center, argue advocates, who note that Louisianans could end up subsidizing 75% of data center power. For its single Hyperion data center, Meta has asked for 10 Entergy gas plants supplying 754 megawatts — more than the…
Though the city of New Orleans is creating the 2027 amid a fiscal crisis, it cannot afford to dismantle the data-driven community safety programs that brought crime to a 50-year low.
Lerone Crayton, whose aim is to improve attendance in a district where a third of students are chronically absent, says that he is a “living example” of the importance of attending school every day. (Photo by Gus Bennett / The Lens)
The Right to Counsel program is a proven way to prevent evictions and homelessness — but the current city budget leaves it completely unfunded.
Deep ties connect New Orleans to a cluster of West Bank villages where several Palestinian-Americans have been killed. To date, Israeli prosecutors have not even released the shooters’ names.
A proposed $100 billion SpaceX spaceport in Louisiana’s Vermilion Parish is raising questions about the potential impact of large-scale space operations on nearby communities and the environment.
On budget holes, dead malls, and the habit of rebuilding what we let fall apart.
About 70,000 Louisiana Medicaid patients could lose in-network access to Ochsner Health providers after Dec. 1 as contract negotiations between Ochsner and Louisiana Healthcare Connections remain unresolved.
Crescent City Schools' Constellations program fills crucial service gaps in New Orleans’ decentralized school system by offering specialized education for students with cognitive disabilities.
A growing body of work illustrating the effect of gun violence on overall physical health. That matters in Orleans Parish, which has historically ranked among the worst in the nation for per-capita gun violence.
... the owner of the paper of record in the state, John Georges, rolls out the red carpet for Meta and explains how he thinks these deals will save journalism in the state.
As a national parasite outbreak leaves New Orleans residents looking for regionally grown produce, corner stores and growers step in to fill healthy food gaps.
In tense meeting, SpaceX managers told locals the massive spaceport won’t affect them at all, until locals pressed them for specifics
The Board of Commissioners traded the safety of immigrant families for a $530,000 contract on a toxic site. Though the doors are opening in a few days, the commissioners still have time. What they may not have is the courage to undo this mistake.
Republicans in Congress provided billions in federal funding for local departments that are now an active arm of the nation's mass deportation campaign.
'A Louisiana state court holding court on a mass grave violates everything I learned in law school,' writes Moore, a retired attorney.
At this year’s annual alumni picnic, Cohen graduates remembered the school’s lively atmosphere, its music, sports and teachers who forged authentic relationships with students.
... the owner of the paper of record in the state, John Georges, rolls out the red carpet for Meta and explains how he thinks these deals will save journalism in the state.
A DeSmog review found that, across major fossil fuel companies, AI is increasingly being integrated into fossil fuel operations, from seismic exploration and drilling to equipment monitoring and field development.
Constructed from corrugated steel shipping containers and fitted with solar panels, the sustainable 2,000-square-foot schoolhouse holds digital art classrooms, a gallery, a combination library and meditation room, and an outdoor fruit tree orchard.
The fire marshal’s decision to allow Sunrise Foods to install out-of-compliance sprinkler system is “abuse of power,” suit alleges
Elliott 'Stackman' Callier, who died recently at age 83, was known for his 'Super Fly' swagger, fanciful stories, and a fat, mellow tenor sax tone that helped define the New Orleans sound.
Georges dismissed concerns from some of his reporters that his embrace of Meta blurs the line between the news and business.
The disaster the justices have unleashed has its roots in one of the darkest periods of our history.
In this episode of “Behind The Lens,” questions of public safety, regulatory oversight and neighborhood concern come into focus in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. Sunrise Foods International has received approval for a sprinkler system at a large grain-loading facility at the Alabo Wharf, despite the use of a system…
Former EPA officials warn that rapid AI data center expansion, combined with weakened federal pollution safeguards, could increase health risks associated with air pollution and fossil-fuel-powered energy production. Their report identifies at least 30 federal actions they say could make a more polluting data center…
Medicaid enrollees from five states and leading medical organizations filed a lawsuit Friday challenging new Medicaid work requirements, which they argue will threaten people’s coverage and care.
SpaceX’s planned launch facility in Vermilion Parish could transform South Louisiana while raising questions about impacts on coastal wetlands, migratory birds, wildlife and environmental protections.
As family and friends mourn the 18-year-old, supporters continue to push for answers in how he died while on a boat trip with friends.
Sometimes, being recognized for the community work you do gives you a moment to pause and ask an even bigger question: What happens when that same community needs its leaders to stand up for what’s right?
Nonprofits like YEP, 18th Ward, and Café Reconcile go beyond childcare, keeping New Orleans kids active, connected, and reaching goals.
Students, teachers and neighbors gathered near Norman Mayer Library to remember the 14-year-old Abramson student and band member.
An open letter to Mayor Helena Moreno and the New Orleans City Council. Read More... from It is time for New Orleans to pause on surveillance technology
Changes to federal food assistance and a new recognition of Black education history raise important questions about students, schools, and the history taught in New Orleans classrooms.
The jury room can risk becoming a mere numbers game — a race to a unanimous verdict that targets dissenting voices rather than thoroughly analyzing the testimony. But when a single juror holds out, they force evidence-driven deliberations rather than verdict-driven ones.
The initiative brings New Orleans’ Civil Rights and education history to life during the third week of November with field trips, reenactments and social events.
Flaws in the plans for the warehouse's fire sprinkler system in the Lower 9 are “so egregious” they should not be permitted, one fire protection expert warned.
After the passing of Jerome “Big Duck” Smith, how must we as a community honor his legacy?
Journalist Emmanuel Felton talks about traveling through Louisiana’s disputed congressional district, examining the communities at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on racial gerrymandering, representation and political power.
Laws in Louisiana and other states now curb the use of community-collected data. In Louisiana, public air monitors are often located miles from major industrial polluters and fail to test for some of the most dangerous chemicals.
A series by Louisiana for Children’s Rights, in partnership with The Lens, that elevates the voices and experiences of Black youth currently or formerly detained in the Orleans Parish juvenile jail
More than 90% of Orleans public schools automatically offer free breakfast and lunch to all students due to high SNAP enrollment rates. With Louisiana SNAP cutting 1 in 5 recipients, school cafeterias could also be serving fewer free meals.
Abramson Sci Academy and the Gentilly community mourn 14-year-old band student Damiri Eves, tragically killed in a traffic collision on his mini-bike.
Twenty-one years after Katrina, New Orleans is still here — not because we can take a beating, but because we keep choosing one another.
Black communities stretching across Louisiana did not suddenly become connected when legislators drew a congressional district around them.
Environmental science students are exploring affordable alternatives that honor loved ones while protecting wildlife, waterways and local infrastructure.
New Orleanians left with only our tenacity after Hurricane Katrina 21 years ago, stepped up with ingenuity and solutions. Now it’s up to our elected officials. If they don’t step up soon, we will lose the most important city in the nation.
Research shows that AI data center facilities are landing in Black and low-income communities already treated as environmental sacrifice zones. In Louisiana, the two neighboring towns have a majority Black population, but residents fear that the jobs are not reaching them.
ICE arrests in Louisiana have reached record highs, as more people without criminal histories are being detained.
This week on Behind The Lens, a federal judge takes an extraordinary step in response to the illegal detention of an Ethiopian man living in the United States, holding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in contempt of court after the official twice ignored the judge’s orders. Reporter Delaney Nolan and…
On empty seats, full buildings and who gets left holding them. Read More... from When the school closes, what happens to the community?
Residents of the enclaves of District 6 carry a shared inheritance: cancer, pennies-an-hour wages, broken sewer lines, and highways aimed at their front doors. When divided into separate voting districts, those griefs were left unheard and isolated.
Criminal justice reporter Bernard Smith looks at a law passed by the Louisiana Legislature three years ago to automatically clear eligible criminal records. Despite its promise of a cleaner slate, the effort has yet to get past the starting gate because of technological hurdles. Smith explains what is preventing the…
The neighborhoods that the old 6th District gathered up—strung along rivers, railroads, and interstates from Shreveport to Baton Rouge—are the exact communities left scattered apart by two centuries of plantations, Jim Crow, and systemic disinvestment.
Within the serpentine 6th District, Black voters face similar struggles with low wages, poor healthcare, and a fight for historic recognition
In every corner of the now-scuttled 6th District, Black residents tell of deep connections through Louisiana history, food, and today’s struggles. But this spring, the nation’s highest court concluded that those voters share only race, not a cohesive culture.
Former Maryland acting field office director Vernon Liggins knew he was violating a court order, the court finds.
Louisiana judge will decide Wednesday whether to charge ICE officials with contempt for flouting his orders releasing an unlawfully detained Ethiopian man
Despite last Wednesday's procedural setback, the PSC's final decision on all these new gas plants is not scheduled to take place until December 16th. "The fight isn’t over, writes Paul Arbaje, as he outlines the substance of Meta's proposal and why it’s a risky proposition for Louisiana ratepayers.
Advocates celebrated the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, even after Supreme Court rulings gutted key federal protections and threw Southern congressional maps into chaos.
Louisiana's two biggest cities took different paths: New Orleans funded community programs to historic success, while Baton Rouge shifted its priorities, leaving the program with little to no funding.
A firm number of employees affected depends on school staffing plans that are still being finalized
A series by Louisiana for Children’s Rights, in partnership with The Lens, that elevates the voices and experiences of Black youth currently or formerly detained in the Orleans Parish juvenile jail
New Orleans experiences an exceptional number of fair-weather power outages as aging and failing equipment raises concerns across the city.
No single policy stands out among all the new state and districts policies governing technology. What's notable is how quickly the conversation around education and technology has changed.
Act 141 aims to protect Louisiana educators by removing students who assault school employees.
Despite 2023 law, eligible Louisiana residents must still petition and wait to clear old criminal records instead of sealing them automatically, like 14 other states do.
More than 888,000 Louisiana residents struggle with hunger as SNAP cuts and reduced federal funding place growing pressure on families, seniors, people with disabilities and food banks.
New Orleans serves about 84% of 4-year-olds from low-income families. That leaves many New Orleans children entering kindergarten without necessary skills, and hundreds of parents who are not able to work as much as they want to, or at all, creating economic hardship.
Musicians in bands at Angola often come from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, and from the nearby Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues.
A quarter of Louisiana's marketplace enrollees from 2025 no longer have coverage in 2026.
Black defendants face major barriers to securing representative juries, while a Lower Ninth Ward family farm wins a settlement after its property was mistakenly treated with pesticides.
Constructing the massive Delfin LNG deepwater export terminal 40 miles off the Louisiana coast could threaten protected marine life, exacerbate the state’s already poor air quality, and contribute to heating our planet, writes attorney Lauren Parker of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute.
While Entergy struggles with everyday power outages, city officials are skeptical of the utility’s ability to keep the lights on during hurricane season
Louisiana deserves a correctional system that prepares people for successful re-entry, an agricultural system built on dignity rather than exploitation and a public conversation honest enough to recognize that slavery's legacy is not only in the past.
Glenn Davis instinctively connected his predominantly white jury and his wrongful verdict. His instincts are supported by jury-deliberation studies, which shows that non-diverse juries like his err more often.
Dozens of Landry employees, from the most senior aides to the most junior temps, inked strict confidentiality agreements with the governor’s office binding them to secrecy about what they learn on the job.
Questions about how power Is exercised in Louisiana, as the governor vetoes more money for wrongfully convicted exonerees and a 14-year-old student is handcuffed and barred from her middle-school graduation.
In his research, Dr. Sharven Taghavi, a Tulane trauma surgeon, found a "clear association" between hunger and gun violence. A trauma surgeon in Atlanta had similar findings.
As Louisiana’s petrochemical industrial facilities expand, the children that live near them are faced with long-term health and developmental impacts
An Orkin man went to the wrong address, fogged Fat River Farm in the Lower 9th Ward with pesticides, ruined the farm’s ability to market its produce as organic, and upset the garden’s natural balance of insects.
After being kicked out of her house and expelled from school, a 16-year-old girl, Mea, learns to survive on her own.
The winners include three first places Read More... from The Lens Earns 11 Honors at Press Club of New Orleans Journalism Awards
The state’s air monitors are often miles from its biggest polluters and residents have little way of knowing what they’re breathing. That’s no accident.
Reporter Delaney Nolan and editor Katy Reckdahl examine the surge in ICE activity across Louisiana.
As Meta’s massive AI data center, the most expensive in the nation, transforms rural Richland Parish, Louisiana's Black and white churches are divided over whether technological progress represents a God-given opportunity or a powerful new force likely to deepen inequities.
If a new federal rule is enacted, the administration could deny research grant applications related to life-saving issues like vaccine safety, climate science, and LGBTQ+ health.