Sunday Brunch

By Greg LaRose

A federal judge HAS questioned whether demand for abortion medication would go away even if he were to force the Trump administration to end the policy that allows the drugs to be prescribed remotely and mailed across state lines. The case in question could determine whether people in Louisiana and other states where abortion has been outlawed can still obtain the prescription needed to end a pregnancy from an out-of-state doctor through a telehealth appointment. 

By Else Plunk, Lucas Dufalla & Phillip Powell

Infrastructure issues in Tallulah’s water highlight how severely poor drinking water can affect small towns. They face a variety of problems, from aging infrastructure to too few customers to support the needed upgrades. And help from state and federal governments, when it can be obtained, often comes with financial strings attached.

The Smitty’s Supply Inc. petroleum products plant that exploded in August might have missed a step in the approval process before it began pumping millions of gallons of treated water last week into a ditch that drains to the Tangipahoa River.

Amazon said it plans to invest more than $12 billion into three interconnected campuses across in the Shreveport area, promising to pay for its electricity and limit its water use while also investing in local infrastructure. 

Gov. Jeff Landry wants the Trump administration to expand its investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion policy and practices at the state’s public colleges and universities.

States are scrambling to meet rising demand for newly expanded school choice initiatives, pouring more money into the programs as waiting lists — and budget concerns — grow. Supporters tout such programs as a lifeline for parents desperate to get their kids out of failing public schools, while opponents have long warned that they drain resources from public education as students move from public schools to private ones.

Republicans and Democrats will spend billions of dollars and countless hours campaigning throughout the country ahead of November’s midterm elections, even though control of Congress likely will be decided by a relatively small number of toss-up races and the voters who actually turn out to cast a ballot for their preferred candidate.

After years of states pushing legislation to accelerate the development of data centers, some legislators want to limit or repeal state and local incentives that paved their way. President Donald Trump also has changed his tone. Last year he issued an executive order and other federal initiatives meant to support accelerated data center development. Then last month, he cited rising electricity bills in saying technology companies that build data centers must “pay their own way,” in a post on Truth Social.