What's up with people's muted reactions? This is insane shit that should not be happening - replicated at a global scale. And it's getting worse day by day.
#lailluminator #wildfires #Louisiana
I woke up this morning to the smell and haze of smoke coming from the southwestern end of the state, hundred of miles away. I can’t remember ever seeing anything like this. 17 parishes across the state of #Louisiana have declared a state of emergency due to #wildfires - meaning there are active fires in a quarter of the state’s parishes.
From #LAIlluminator:
#louisiana #wildfires #lailluminator
Residents in #Louisiana’s #RiverParishes - colloquially known as #CancerAlley - are looking to the #EPA to enforce common sense regulations, such as fence line monitoring.
From #FloodlightNews and #LAIlluminator:
#louisiana #riverparishes #canceralley #epa #floodlightnews #lailluminator
The #Louisiana Legislature appears to want to continue our race to the bottom in #education. The current teacher shortage isn’t because it’s too hard to become a teacher. It’s because it doesn’t make economic sense to continue being a teacher when so many other fields will give you less work for better pay.
From #LAIlluminator:
https://lailluminator.com/2023/05/04/louisiana-lawmakers-consider-softer-qualifications-to-attract-more-uncertified-teachers/
#Louisiana #education #lailluminator #labor #fairpay
The Louisiana Industry Defense Council has rebranded itself as the Louisiana Industry Sustainability Council, but don’t let that fool you, their message is the same: ignore locals’ desires for a clean, healthy #environment and promote #industry at all costs.
In an area known as #CancerAlley is it really unreasonable to be weary of new development?
From #FloodlightNews and #LAIlluminator:
https://lailluminator.com/2023/05/04/petrochemical-industry-in-louisiana-plans-a-defense-amid-growing-opposition/
#environment #industry #canceralley #floodlightnews #lailluminator #Louisiana #chemicalindustry
#ElectronicArts has laid off 200 employees from their facility at #LSU in #BatonRouge #Louisiana. Unlike many tech layoffs, it doesn’t seem that #EA was seeking to reduce it’s workforce. Instead, QA professionals were instructed to train new employees from the UK and Romania, whom they believed to be their replacements.
The #layoffs are suspiciously timed as employees were in discussions about #unionizing.
From #LAIlluminator:
https://lailluminator.com/2023/03/02/laid-off-ea-workers-in-baton-rouge-allege-retaliation-for-union-efforts/
#electronicarts #lsu #batonrouge #Louisiana #ea #layoffs #unionizing #lailluminator
#Louisiana’s #ITEP program offers big businesses relief from local taxes while largely cutting local taxing authorities out of the picture. In recent years, reform of ITEP gave local leaders a voice in vetoing applications, but now it seems companies can appeal to the Board of Commerce and Industry (and win).
#FolgersCoffee sought an appeal to the board, which let them off the hook for at least $5 million in unpaid taxes.
From #LAIlluminator:
https://lailluminator.com/2023/03/02/state-commerce-board-wrestles-taxation-power-from-locals-in-folgers-case/
#Louisiana #itep #folgerscoffee #lailluminator
Boring elections have vast consequences. By the sound of it, Devonte Louis is actually walking the walk on #energy, #sustainability, and #environmental policy. Now let’s see if the #Louisiana Public Service Commission can push utilities in the right direction.
From #LAIlluminator in partnership with #FloodlightNews and #TheLensNOLA
#Energy #sustainability #environmental #Louisiana #lailluminator #floodlightnews #thelensnola
Once again #Louisiana AG Jeff Landry has decided to target #Libraries in an attempt to bolster his run for Governor.
#Louisiana #libraries #lailluminator #firstamendment #FreeSpeech
#LAIlluminator has some thoughts on what #LSU could have done with the $1 million dollars they overpaid to #BrianKelly.
#Athletics (especially #football ) have long been a priority over just about everything else at #Louisiana’s flagship #university, this piece simply highlights the cost of those priorities.
#lailluminator #lsu #briankelly #athletics #football #Louisiana #university #education #educationfunding
This makes Devonte Lewis’ election to the #Louisiana Public Service Commission even more impressive. It’s also proof that there is a strong base of support in favor of proper oversight and regulation of utility companies and is one more piece of evidence of the #FossilFuel industry’s corrupting influence on our politics.
Another great story from the #LAIlluminator with references from #TheLensNOLA.
#Louisiana #fossilfuel #lailluminator #thelensnola #nonprofitnews #localnews #energypolicy #environment
We have to demand more from our public utilities, and that means demanding more from the Public Service Commission.
Not just for our pocket books, but for the #environment.
/end rant
This rant brought to you by reporting from the #LAIlluminator: https://lailluminator.com/2023/01/19/entergy-to-shift-another-1-5b-in-storm-costs-to-customers/
In 2022, the US recognized the harm that #BurnPits do to the health of our military personal with the PACT Act. Meanwhile, in #Louisiana, LDEQ is considering continuing the permits for a burn pit in #Colfax a town in #GrantParish.
The site is used to dispose of military ordinance, as well as unused fireworks from Disney World.
From the #LAIlluminator:
https://lailluminator.com/2023/01/15/tight-knit-colfax-community-combats-open-burn-pit-we-are-the-flush-toilet/
#burnpits #Louisiana #colfax #grantparish #environment #publichealth #lailluminator
I’m sad to say that there’s a lot that feels quite typical in this article from #LaIlluminator about the way industry and #LocalGovernment behaves in the #RiverParishes of #Louisiana. For some, these projects bring jobs, but for others they bring health risks and further the lack of investment in their communities.
#lailluminator #localgovernment #riverparishes #Louisiana
From Julie O’Donoghue of the #LAIlluminator:
Youth held at #Angola allege violence from guards, extended lockdown in lawsuit
#lailluminator #angola #juvenilejustice
How did I not know that #TheLensNOLA has a #podcast? I used to listen to the #LAIlluminator podcast, but it’s been inactive for some time. I’m excited to get more #LocalNews in my ears!
#thelensnola #Podcast #lailluminator #localnews #lagov #nolanews
The one thing I’m missing from the bird site is local news. Hopefully this latest wave of the #TwitterMigration will bring over some of my favorite local #Journalists as well...
#LAIlluminator #NolaDotCom #PARLouisiana #Louisiana #NOLA #LocalNews
#twittermigration #journalists #lailluminator #noladotcom #parlouisiana #Louisiana #nola #localnews