Louisiana
DOJ ends another desegregation consent decree in Louisiana
Donald Trump is leading the most openly pro-segregation administration in recent American history, and it advanced that agenda this week when it killed yet another school desegregation agreement with a Louisiana parish.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that the Trump administration got a George W. Bush-appointed judge to lift another decades-old anti-segregation consent decree in the Bayou State.
Per the AP:
A federal judge on Monday approved a joint motion from Louisiana and the U.S. Justice Department to dismiss a 1967 lawsuit in DeSoto Parish schools, a district of about 5,000 students in the state’s northwest. It’s the second such dismissal since the Justice Department began working to overturn desegregation cases it once championed. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill thanked President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday for ‘helping us to finally end some of these cases.’
The AP quoted Murrill saying, “DeSoto Parish has its school system back,” and that “for the last 10 years, there have been no disputes among the parties, yet the consent decree remained.”
Of course, the absence of disputes under a consent decree is not exactly proof that the consent decree is no longer needed. To borrow an analogy from the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her dissent from Shelby County, to throw out a consent decree because there’s been no resegregation or discrimination “is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”
This follows the administration in February removing language that banned federal contractors from operating segregated facilities, and its decision last spring to quash a different consent decree with Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish.
For over a week, rumors have been circling that southwest Louisiana will once again see snow.
While it is not going to be the type of snowstorm that Louisiana saw last January, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles is forecasting there is some potential for southwest Louisiana to see some snow Sunday morning.
“A cold front will move through the region (Friday night) into early Saturday morning accompanied by a few showers,” the forecast states. “Lingering moisture behind the cold front may produce a brief period of light snow or flurries early Sunday morning across south central Louisiana.”
Specifically, the forecast states that there is a less than 10% chance of snow with no expected accumulation or travel hazards.
The snow chances are due to a light freeze with wind chills in the low to mid-20s that is expected Saturday night into Sunday morning across the entire region away from the immediate coastline.
The forecast states that the service does not know if snow will actually happen since the precipitation chances are “very low” and that the specific areas that may see snow are unknown, but that lower Acadiana is the most likely.
“Rely on trusted, official sources for weather information, not all social media posts are trustworthy,” the forecast states. “Stay informed by monitoring the forecast for updates and changes.”
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana’s Department of Government Efficiency has concluded its work with a final report showing just under $1 billion in state savings and a plan to overhaul the Inspector General’s office.
“Every permanent process we put in place ensures that those services only get stronger,” Governor Jeff Landry said at a press conference Thursday.
Federal program savings drive results
The report shows a large portion of the savings comes from federal dollars, with just over $600 million in total. At least half of that stems from removing ineligible people from Medicaid and SNAP programs. The full itemized breakdown of savings has not been released to the media.
“But I mean, just think about it, if you are deceased, incarcerated, no longer eligible for Medicaid, no longer live in the state — you should not be on the Medicaid rolls,” said Angele Davis, member of the LADOGE team and former Commissioner of Administration.
Landry said the removals targeted fraud in the system.
Contract streamlining and DCFS restructuring
The remaining savings in state dollars came from streamlining state contracts for services like IT and decommissioning outdated technology. Landry claims the restructuring of the Department of Children and Family Services also saves dollars and improves services.
“By adding our staff back to the front lines where we come into contact with children and families, we were able to reduce our caseloads by 17% — that produces more meaningful engagement with families and better-informed decisions for children,” DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris said.
New Inspector General appointment
Landry appointed Davis as the next State Inspector General to maintain efficiency focus for a six-year term. The goal is to put audit reports into action rather than letting them sit unused.
“But if there are a duplication in services, the inspector general doesn’t need to be doing the same thing as the attorney general is doing or the legislative auditor is doing,” Davis said.
The changes will require legislative approval. The 2025 legislative session begins March 9.
Savings breakdown from LADOGE Final Report:
Medicaid Eligibility: $285.5 million
SNAP Eligibility: $14.9 million
State/Federal Contracts: $206.4 million
Technology Services: $68.4 Million
Telecommunications: $2.8 million
Travel / Conferences: $1.3 million
Utilization of Assets: $9.6 million
Leases: $3 million
Process Efficiency / Service and Workforce Optimization: $407.6 million
TOTAL SAVINGS: $999.5 million
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Louisiana
Deputies investigate unusual incident at Louisiana elementary; uber driver buries Buddhist items near school
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating a suspicious incident reported Wednesday afternoon at Norco Elementary School but says there is no credible threat to the public.
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According to the sheriff’s office, deputies received the report around 5 p.m. after an Uber driver dropped off a grandparent at the school to pick up a student. The driver was operating a light-colored truck with Uber and foreign-language stickers and a bed rack decorated with Tibetan prayer flags.
Deputies said the driver parked, got out of the vehicle and walked around the area before digging a small hole at the base of a tree and placing an object inside. The item was later identified as a religious prayer pendant. The driver also placed religious stickers on electrical poles near the school.
Investigators said the stickers and pendant are commonly used in Tibetan Buddhist practices meant for protection and purification and are not intended to convey any harm.
Detectives identified the driver as a Chinese national and contacted the FBI for assistance.
MORE: Serpentine traffic barriers expected again on St. Charles Avenue during Carnival
Federal authorities confirmed the man is a lawful permanent U.S. resident with a green card issued in 2010 and no known criminal history.
The sheriff’s office said that although the behavior appeared unusual, investigators found no credible threats to the school, students or staff. The investigation remains ongoing as a precaution.
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