By Greg LaRose | Editor-in-Chief
On this day in 1869, the tracks of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific were connected at Promontory, Utah, to create the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
State Sen. Rick Edmonds, said he will continue to campaign for the 5th Congressional District election, even after Gov. Jeff Landry called off Louisiana's U.S. House party primaries this month. Edmonds is pictured with his wife, Cindy, after he qualified to run for the 5th Congressional District at the State Archives in Baton Rouge on Feb. 11, 2026. (Greg LaRose/LAI)
By Julie O’Donoghue
Despite Louisiana’s top elections official saying the ballots won’t count, U.S. House candidates in Louisiana are still urging voters to check the box for them during the early voting period for the May 16 party primary elections.
Calvin Duncan is sworn in as Clerk of Criminal Court at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court on April 21, 2026. (Christiana Botic/Verite News)
By Greg LaRose
Just hours after a federal judge halted a new state law to eliminate the Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court’s office, an appellate court allowed the measure to take effect. Caught in the court chaos is Calvin Duncan, who officially began work Monday. The former “jailhouse lawyer” who was wrongfully imprisoned for 28 years, was elected court clerk in November with 68% support.
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
An administrative stay pauses a May 1 decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that blocked a 2023 U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule allowing mifepristone to be prescribed without an in-person visit with a healthcare provider and mailed to recipients in states with abortion bans.
MORE LOUISIANA NEWS
Water is held in an aerating pond at the Sewerage & Water Board plant in New Orleans. (Greg LaRose/LAI)
The Louisiana Department of Health released its annual drinking water report card last week. Just because a water system has an F doesn’t necessarily mean the water is unsafe to drink, and an A or a B doesn’t necessarily mean a system is without its problems.
Gov. Jeff Landry’s appointee who runs Louisiana’s public defender system is seeking more control over its remaining attorneys and budget, having already eliminated five of his most vocal critics.
Wildlife agents might soon have official legal rules to follow when seizing wild animals raised as pets or rescued injured animals that are against Louisiana law to keep. The goal would be to release more of them back into the wild and, when it’s been a last resort, put fewer to death.
IN NATIONAL NEWS
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Voters, including those within the Make America Healthy Again movement, say the rising cost of healthcare is a significant concern that will have an impact on whom they support in November’s midterm elections, according to a new KFF poll.
Walk through the nation's capital and you’ll notice the growing ubiquity of banners, signs and other images of President Trump on iconic landmarks and public buildings. Political historians note it’s a major change from the typical 8×10 portraits of past presidents featured in government offices and marks an increasing fealty to Trump.
Across the country, state and local officials are increasingly looking for ways to change that, expanding mental health resources and testing new approaches aimed at reducing stigma and improving access to care for 911 dispatchers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
COMMENTARY
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