Louisiana / Public News Service

In 2023, 25% of Louisiana's kids lived in poverty, well above the national rate of 16%. (Adobe Stock)

Louisiana kids improve reading proficiency in new national rankings

Louisiana performed better than many states in connecting young children to early care and education, and on fourth grade reading proficiency…

Under a bill pending in the state Legislature, members of Louisiana public employee unions would be required to declare annually whether they wish to remain in their union. (Adobe Stock)

Louisiana Democrats call union opt-out bill an 'attack on labor'

A bill pending in the state Legislature which would require public employees to opt in to their unions is being called a "direct attack on Louisiana w…

Some patients in rural Louisiana live 45 minutes to an hour away from the nearest hospital with an obstetrics department, a long way to drive in an emergency situation. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Expert: Medicaid cuts could cripple health care in rural Louisiana

As Congress debates the federal budget, House Republicans are looking to make deep cuts in the Medicaid program, which some experts warn could …

Tree pollen in Louisiana is often from elm, oak, poplar, cypress and maple among others. (Adobe Stock)

New Orleans ranked 2nd among cities with worst seasonal allergies

With temperatures warming, allergy season is underway in Louisiana and experts are offering tips on how to cope. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation …

A report commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund showed in 2024, there were 266 mitigation companies operating in the U.S., a 24% increase from 2021. (Adobe Stock / AI)

Report: Methane mitigation industry grows in LA, nationwide

A new report on growth in the methane mitigation industry shows positive developments for oil and gas companies, as well as the environment. The …

Louisiana's overall educational attainment rate has increased by 20.4% since 2009. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Report: LA educational attainment improving but below national average

Louisiana ranks below the national average in the percentage of adults with a college degree or other postsecondary credentials, according to the new …

A Dow Chemical plant, one of 200 such facilities, sits on the banks of the Mississippi River in what is called

LA community group wins suit against parish for open meeting violations

A judge has ruled that elected officials in St. James Parish broke Louisiana's open meetings law by conferring secretly with a Chinese company …

Many rural Louisiana residents use telemedicine appointments with doctors in distant towns, a service currently covered by the Medicaid program. (Wikimedia Commons)

Proposed Medicaid cuts threaten rural health care for low-income Louisianans

A new report finds that significant cuts proposed for Medicaid funding would disproportionately affect rural and small-town residents in Louisiana and…

A 2020 estimate found the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico caused up to $2.4 billion in damages to fisheries and marine habitats each year since 1980. (Adobe Stock)

Growing Gulf 'dead zone' may affect shrimp harvest

Scientists are sounding the alarm about growing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Dead zones are areas of water with hypoxia, or …

Dual Special Needs Plans cover things above and beyond standard Medicare and Medicaid programs but millions of people who qualify are not enrolled, according to the research organization KFF Health. (Adobe Stock)

Some Louisiana residents eligible for broader health coverage

Nearly 13 million people who receive Medicare and Medicaid may also qualify for even more coverage under a Dual Special Needs Plan. In 2023…

More babies are born in late summer than most other times of the year, with Sept. 9, 12 and 19 ranking as the most common birthdates on the calendar. (Adobe Stock)

New treatment options available for postpartum depression

More new babies are born in the fall than any other time of year, which also means some new mothers may be heading into winter with what is sometimes …

A proposed industrial complex in St. James Parish would be one of the largest plastic complexes of its kind. (Adobe Stock)

Plastics firm's expansion cited during Pollution Prevention Week

This is Pollution Prevention Week and advocates are renewing their call for one plastics manufacturer to clean up its act. An August demonstration …

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana opened a recycling collection operation in 2023 after receiving a $565,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock)

Coushatta Tribe works to overcome obstacles to recycling program

By Taylar Dawn Stagner for Grist.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Louisiana News Connection, reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

A letter signed by more 500 faith leaders was delivered to Citibank headquarters, calling on them to stop funding climate destruction and aggressively enable a green energy transition. (P�ter M�cs/Adobe Stock)

LA climate activists target Wall Street

Environmental activists of various faiths and denominations are spending the summer protesting on Wall Street to highlight the effects financial marke…

A Great Plains Institute study found health benefits valued at $73.4 million to $165.4 million from reducing harmful co-pollutants by installing carbon capture technologies in the Gulf Coast region.(kittyfly/Adobe Stock)

Balancing industry and environment: Carbon capture in Louisiana

Carbon capture and storage is often discussed as part of a broader portfolio of solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While not a …

Populations of some shark species have recovered from overfishing thanks to conservation efforts by NOAA Fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. (Adobe Stock)

Louisiana anglers push for change as shark depredation rises

Anglers in Louisiana are raising concerns as shark depredation increases. As shark populations rebound, tensions have grown between anglers and the …

Advocates said people in detention have come to depend on free phone access while navigating the isolation and deprivation behind bars. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates for immigration detainees want free phone call plan reinstated

Groups advocating for people detained in immigration facilities in Louisiana and elsewhere are calling for the reinstatement of a program subsidizing …

The five signs of dehydration are less frequent urination, fatigue, headache, dry mouth and constipation. (buritora/Adobe Stock)

Essential tips for a safe and healthy Louisiana summer

The Climate Prediction Center predicts a 40% to 50% chance of above-normal temperatures in Louisiana this summer, which some people are already …

Report: LA kids rank near bottom for poverty, health, family life

A report on the condition of America's children ranks Louisiana near the bottom of the 50 states for economic well-being, health and family, but …

Industrial emissions of carcinogenic chemicals disproportionately occur in neighborhoods where African American, Hispanic, Latino residents, including many living in poverty. (Oleksii Fadieiev/Adobe Stock)

Environmental group takes on polluters in historic Louisiana neighborhood

An environmental justice organization in Wallace, Louisiana, says it won't back down in a fight for the health of its historic community. The …

The current Louisiana Constitution protects Medicaid and salary stipends for police, firefighters and other first responders. (Felix Mizioznikov/Adobe Stock)

Potential state constitution changes worry LA teachers

Teachers in Louisiana are trying to stop an upcoming constitutional convention proposed by Gov. Jeff Landry. The governor, who has been in office for …

As of last December, 4.16 million fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program nationwide than the month before each state began the process of renewing post-COVID eligibility. (Adobe Stock)

Medicaid 'unwinding' leaves thousands of LA children without coverage

More than 56,000 children in Louisiana have lost their health insurance through Medicaid last year, despite being eligible for coverage, according to …

Louisiana teachers are concerned private schools using tax dollars for students will not be held to the same academic standards as public schools. (Adobe Stock)

LA teachers fight voucher plan to use public funds for private schools

A plan to use public money to fund vouchers for students to attend private schools is drawing pushback from Louisiana teachers, who say the plan …

Legislation to curtail the union membership rights of about 50,000 public school educators in Lousiana has the backing of some business and national conservative groups. (wavebreak3/Adobe Stock)

Louisiana teachers' union concerned about educators' future

Leaders of a teachers' union in Louisiana are voicing concerns about a package of bills they say would have the effect of dissolving labor unions in t…

Almost 900,000 individuals have received student loan forgiveness since 2021 as a result of the Biden administration streamlining and expanding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Nearly 400,000 more are within 24 loan payments of becoming eligible. (fizkes/Adobe Stock)

As Louisiana teachers await permanent pay hikes, federal loan relief helps some

In a 2023 survey, 66% of teachers -- compared with 39% of adults in other fields -- said they were unsatisfied with their starting salary. When …

Black students are twice as likely as white students to be in districts with funding below estimated

LA schools among the nation's most 'chronically underfunded'

A new report finds Louisiana is among a handful of states that chronically underfunds its K-12 schools. Public school funding is largely left up to …

The Race for Results index measures well-being indicators across states and racial/ethnic groups, highlighting differences in early childhood, education, family resources and neighborhood context.(Adobe Stock)

Louisiana children struggle compared to peers in other states

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2024 Race for Results report examines child well-being, and finds children of color in Louisiana face significant …

Feeding America estimates more than 57,000 food-insecure people live in Jefferson Parish. (Adobe Stock)<br />

AFT grants to combat food insecurity among students in Jefferson Parish

The American Federation of Teachers recently gave out grants in urban, suburban, and rural communities across America to increase literacy and …

The state established a 1-mile buffer zone off Elmers Island and Grand Terre Island, and a 3-mile buffer off of Grand Isle. (Adobe Stock)

Fish dumps bring calls for more regulations on commercial menhaden industry

With news of more large-scale fish dumps in coastal Louisiana waters in recent weeks, advocates are calling for more regulations on the menhaden …

Louisiana has the most narrow menhaden buffer zone among nearby Gulf states. (Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership)

Advocates Call for Menhaden Catch Limits, Buffer Zones off Louisiana Coast

Advocates are calling for catch limits and a buffer zone to protect menhaden in the Gulf of Mexico. Menhaden, known in Louisiana as pogies, are small …

One measure of children's well-being has not improved in Louisiana. The number of kids in poverty remained at 27% between 2019 and 2021, according to the new Kids Count Data Book. (Adobe Stock)

Report: LA Remains Stagnant in Overall Child Well-Being

A new annual report finds Louisiana has stagnated on measures to improve children's well-being. The Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey …

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Louisiana