Local Politics

Kamala Harris, Jeff Landry, top LA lawmakers speak out after Trump assassination attempt

By JUSTIN MITCHELL | Staff writer
8 hrs ago

Top Louisiana lawmakers are praying for former President Donald Trump after an apparent assassination attempt in Florida on Sunday afternoon.

Suspect in apparent attempted assassination of Donald Trump identified

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, MICHAEL R. SISAK, ERIC TUCKER, COLLEEN LONG, MICHAEL BALSAMO | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
9 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who authorities say pointed a rifle with a scope into former President Donald Trump’s golf club and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh, three law enforcement officials…

Citing "wide ranging" federal probe of Mayor Cantrell, city asks judge to stay this lawsuit

BY MISSY WILKINSON AND JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writers
21 hrs ago

City attorneys have asked a federal judge to stay a civil rights lawsuit recently filed against Mayor LaToya Cantrell by?French Quarter resident Anne Breaud, citing a "pending, ongoing, wide-r…

Fight over proof of citizenship for people registering to vote could lead to government shutdown

BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
21 hrs ago

WASHINGTON — Facing a government shutdown in 15 days, House Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to drum up support among Republicans to pass his plan to continue authorization for government spendi…

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Who wins? Who loses? A new Louisiana tax plan in is in the works under Gov. Jeff Landry

BY TYLER BRIDGES | Staff writer
23 hrs ago

Over the past 20 years, governors and state legislators have said repeatedly that Louisiana needs to reform its complicated tax system.

Landry, LaToya Cantrell disagree after governor claims S&WB was 'misleading' in Francine

By JAMES FINN and BEN MYERS | Staff writers
Sep 13, 2024

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry pressed New Orleans officials about the state of the city’s dilapidated water infrastructure in a closed-door meeting Friday following Hurricane Francine, reviving …

Louisiana congressional delegation seeks major disaster declaration for Hurricane Francine

BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
Sep 13, 2024

WASHINGTON — Louisiana’s congressional delegation is asking President Joe Biden to issue a major disaster declaration for the damage caused by Hurricane Francine.

Food, water and ice distribution points set up in areas in Louisiana impacted by Francine

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer
Sep 13, 2024

Several temporary sites in Terrebonne and St. Mary Parish will distribute food and water through the weekend as areas deal with post-storm power outages.

New trial date for Jeffrey Vappie, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's former bodyguard

By JAMES FINN | Staff writer
Sep 13, 2024

The federal corruption trial of Jeffrey Vappie, Mayor LaToya Cantrell's former bodyguard accused of concealing an affair with the mayor in order to keep collecting his police salary, has been …

New Orleans, storm-tested, weathers Francine: 'Very fortunate'

By JONI HESS, BEN MYERS and SOPHIE KASAKOVE | Staff writers
Sep 13, 2024

A day after Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 storm, New Orleanians grappled with scattered branches, downed trees, some waterlogged businesses and power outages in many neig…

Jeff Landry says spending on flood barriers, coastal projects saved Louisiana from Francine

By JAMES FINN | Staff writer
Sep 12, 2024

GRAY — After taking a helicopter tour of areas damaged by Hurricane Francine, Gov. Jeff Landry praised the state’s investment in coastal protection and levee infrastructure, calling them the r…

Jeff Landry hopes to win legislative approval for tax revamp in November

BY TYLER BRIDGES | Staff writer
Sep 12, 2024

During the initial months of his term, Gov. Jeff Landry tried but failed to get legislators to support holding a special assembly in August to rewrite the state constitution.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy says Louisiana will get federal money it deserves after Francine

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer
Sep 12, 2024

The U.S. senator joined Gov. Jeff Landry at a Thursday news conference in Baton Rouge less than a day after Hurricane Francine whipped through Louisiana Wednesday.

New Orleans S&WB generators went down briefly during Francine amid flooding

Staff report
Updated Sep 11, 2024

The large generators the Sewerage and Water Board uses to supplement its turbines and provide power to its drainage system went offline repeatedly late Wednesday as Francine battered New Orlea…

Garret Graves presses against the odds to get changes to Social Security law

BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
Sep 11, 2024

WASHINGTON?— U.S. Rep. Garret Graves was about halfway toward getting enough support Wednesday to force a vote on a bill that would free up Social Security benefits for police officers, firefi…

'The time to evacuate has now passed': State officials, governor say stay put before Francine landfall

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer
Sep 11, 2024

Gov. Jeff Landry and state officials said Louisianans should stay home and stay off the roads as Hurricane Francine approaches the coast Wednesday afternon.

During Hurricane Francine, out-of-service pump station shouldn't affect drainage, S&WB says

BY BEN MYERS | Staff writer
Sep 11, 2024

Broken pumps at an Upper 9th Ward pump station should not affect the Sewerage and Water Board’s ability to drain the area during Hurricane Francine, since that station is not typically used fo…

Despite dysfunction in Congress on the budget, lawmakers say Francine storm recovery money safe

BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
Sep 10, 2024

WASHINGTON — Though Louisiana’s congressional delegation is elbow deep in a bitter fight to authorize funding and keep the government from shutting down in 20 days, they also watched Francine …

State surgeon general provides shelter, nursing home update ahead of Francine

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer
Sep 10, 2024

Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham said that as of midday Tuesday, most nursing homes plan to shelter in place.?

Susan Hutson, New Orleans sheriff, hit with ethics charges over ties to contractor

By JOSEPH CRANNEY | Staff writer
Sep 10, 2024

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson approved more than $55,000 in payments to the son of a top adviser who also served as Hutson's campaign manager.

Jeff Landry urges public to prepare for Francine and listen to local officials for guidance

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

“We want everyone in the state to be cautious and vigilant,” Landry said. "But we also do not want people to panic.”

For Tropical Storm Francine, LaToya Cantrell urges residents to shelter in place

BY BEN MYERS | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

New Orleans officials on Monday urged residents to prepare to shelter in place with Tropical Storm Francine forecast to strike southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday evening.

New Orleans could give parking discounts to hospitality workers. Here's what to know.

By JAMES FINN | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

New Orleans officials want to offer discounted downtown parking spaces to hospitality industry workers and performers, part of a bid by Mayor LaToya Cantrell to bolster the backbone of the cit…

Louisiana's U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy asks President Biden for emergency declaration ahead of storm

BY MARK BALLARD | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy on Monday asked President Joe Biden to start the process for approving an emergency declaration in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine coming ashore in …

Are New Orleans S&WB pumps in good shape ahead of Francine? Here's the latest update.

BY BEN MYERS | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board has plenty of power available to run its drainage system ahead of a hurricane forecasted to strike somewhere along the Louisiana coast this week, accor…

New Orleans housing authority seeks to take over this development. Here's why.

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE | Staff writer
Sep 9, 2024

Less than two months ago, officials at the Housing Authority of New Orleans said it would?get out of the business of directly running housing developments,?after its oversight was dinged by re…

New Orleans owes them for wrecks, fatal injuries. Decades later, they may finally get paid.

By JAMES FINN | Staff writer
Sep 7, 2024

Gregory Jackson was driving home from work on a raised section of Interstate 10 in New Orleans when a city-owned ambulance slammed into his Dodge van, crunching the sturdy vehicle against the …

EPA pushes state to cut Cabot Corporation's Ville Platte sulfur dioxide pollution

BY MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN | Staff writer
Sep 6, 2024

The Environmental Protection Agency took steps this week to get the state Department of Environmental Quality to assure that the Cabot Corporation’s Ville Platte carbon black manufacturing pla…