On flood insurance, here’s why John Kennedy thinks reform is languishing

The National Flood Insurance Program , a vital but cracking foundation for homeowners and businesses alike in south Louisiana, expires in one month. Lawmakers have been trying for years to stabilize it for the long term, but they might simply pass yet another short-term extension by mid-summer, again putting off the painful repairs.

Louisiana Spotlight: With the special session’s deadline nearing, will Louisiana have a budget?

Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at Earl K. Long Gym on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, La. Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at Earl K. Long Gym on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, La.

Looking for Louisiana women to join a nationwide conversation across divides

Are you a woman in Louisiana interested in joining a respectful online conversation with women from around the country who have different political opinions, experiences and backgrounds? The Times-Picayune and Spaceship Media are hosting a moderated conversation in a closed Facebook group that will bring together women of all political stripes, from conservative to libertarian to liberal. The conversation, The Many: A Conversation Across Divides , is supported by journalists and librarians who supply research to inform the group's discussions.

Tammy Savoie, retired Air Force colonel, running for Congress against Steve Scalise

Tammy Savoie, a retired Air Force psychologist, is taking on U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise in the Nov. 6 election. She's the fourth candidate in Louisiana's 1st Congressional District race but the first who is a not a married man with a computer programming background.

State defends law on abortion doctors’ hospital privileges

Lawyers for the state of Louisiana asked a federal appeals court Thursday to uphold a law requiring that doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The arguments involve a law blocked by a federal judge in Baton Rouge last year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar Texas law.

Mayo: Crime consultant CenturyLink’s idea

The city of Monroe retained a consultant last year to propose "best practices" to combat crime and improve community confidence at the request of Glen Post, CenturyLink's chief executive officer, Mayor Jamie Mayo says. In recent years, the city has faced record highs in violent crime, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's uniform crime reporting data, as previously reported by The Ouachita Citizen .

Community column for April 10

John James Audubon Chapter members attended the Louisiana Daughters of the American Revolution State Conference March 15-17 at the Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge. Shown are, from left, seated, Chapter Regent Georgia LaCour, President General Ann Dillon, State Regent Zora Olsson, State Third Vice Regent Margaret Tyler, State Treasurer Charlotte White; standing, Nola Labat, Yvonne Lewis Day, Amy Fontenot, Denise Malesic, Betty Jo Snellgrove, Stella Tanoos, Bridget May, Carole Gloger, Norma Gerace, Essie Mongeau, Shirley Newsham, Gloria Wilbert, Paula Wilbert, Sue Ann Shore, Sue Badeaux, Denise Lindsly and Glenda Carlile.

Analysis: Louisiana lawmakers seek to keep records hidden

Louisiana's lawmakers are considering ways to lock away more information from public view this session, proposing a list of public records exemptions that would chip away at people's rights to see information from government agencies. The number and breadth of exemptions filed for consideration represent an uptick, raising concerns that public officials are working to shield too many documents that tell citizens about the inner workings of their taxpayer-financed government agencies.

Lawyers: Prosecutors withheld evidence of teen’s innocence

A legal team has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its claim that Louisiana prosecutors withheld evidence for a murder trial that ended in a guilty verdict against an intellectually disabled teenager accused of killing a pizza deliveryman. Corey Williams was 16 years old when police arrested him in the shooting death of Jarvis Griffin two decades ago in Caddo Parish, where prosecutors have been widely criticized for their aggressive approach to seeking the death penalty.

Stephanie Grace: Retiring Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran was there was Louisiana needed him

In this Jan. 21, 2018, photo, lights shine inside the U.S. Capitol Building as night falls in Washington. President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address Tuesday night but, as always, lawmakers are angling to steal part of the spotlight.

Scalise back for congressional game a year after shooting

Republicans and Democrats put aside the sectarian hostilities that have increasingly defined this town and came together on the baseball diamond Thursday, a year after bullets from a would-be mass assassin shook Congress to its core. Democrats prevailed 21-5 in the 57th Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nationals Park.