Gov. John Bel Edwards says he could announce a decision as soon as Wednesday (Sept. 9) if Louisiana will roll out Phase III of its reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The current executive order that details the state's Phase II reopening and restrictions is set to expire on at midnight on...
Lessons Learned: From Katrina to COVID-19: We Cannot Afford Another Replay of Hurricane Katrina
By Kristen Burras What world do we want on the other side of COVID-19? We cannot afford a Katrina replay. There are policymakers who will balk at the thought of redistributive, race conscious policies for historically marginalized groups. It is critical to recognize, like historian Robin D. G. Kelley, that...
Help May Be On the Way for 20,000 Unemployed Louisianans Locked Out of $300 Lost Wage Assistance
With only $44 billion in FEMA funding earmarked for Lost Wages Assistance, the program will likely be short-lived depending on the number of states participating and how many eligible claimants each state has. The Louisiana Workforce Commission will conduct an outreach effort to help qualify as many as 20,000 Louisianans...
Businesses Should Prepare to Apply for State Main Street Recovery Program
Mayor LaToya Cantrell is urging eligible businesses in New Orleans to prepare for the state of Louisiana-administered Main Street Recovery Program application period, which will begin no later than July 28. And grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The Louisiana Legislature has designated $300 million from the...
City of New Orleans Wants to Suspend Plans for Phase III of OPSO Jail Facility Indefinitely
The city of New Orleans is seeking to suspend the programming, design and construction of a new Phase III of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office (OPSO) jail facility, with city officials announcing today that it has requested a modification of prior court orders in order halt jail expansion plans indefinitely....
COVID Cases Continue Climb
With the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans both paused at Phase 2 of reopening, Louisiana is reporting 845 new cases of COVID from the previous day's case count and more than 12,260 new cases than reported exactly one week ago, when Gov. John Bel Edwards announced...
New Orleans Health Department Investigates Apparent Clusters of COVID-19 Cases
The New Orleans Health Department and the Louisiana Department of Health announced today that the agencies are investigating apparent clusters of cases of COVID-19 in Orleans Parish. The two separate clusters are related to a New Orleans high school graduation party and a large, non-physically distant gathering at a bar...
House Leaders Demand Details on PPP Small-Business Loan Program
As June 30 application deadline nears, newer and shorter forgiveness form announced By Charlene CrowellNNPA Newswire Contributor As the remaining days dwindle for small businesses to apply for loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), both banks and federal officials are being challenged by several House leaders to explain...