louisiana

June 17, 2015 - Last week a federal judge ordered the release of Albert Woodfox, who's been held in solitary confinement in Louisiana for 43 years, though a higher court blocked the move while the state appeals. Meanwhile, prisoners are suing over Virginia's policy of placing death row inmates in solitary, arguing that the practice amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

June 11, 2015 - The high-profile coming out of Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, as a trans woman has put transgender issues in the spotlight. Transgender people -- especially trans women of color -- face shockingly high levels of violence, and a disproportionate number of recent killings of transgender people took place in the South. But a new initiative is working for change.

May 22, 2015 - The disaster near Santa Barbara, the site of a 1969 oil spill that sparked the modern environmental movement, comes amid a push to open the Atlantic and Eastern Gulf to oil and gas drilling. It underscores the risk presented by coastal energy development coupled with weak regulation.

May 20, 2015 - Last week Florida became the latest among 28 states that now or will soon offer statewide online voter registration. Evidence shows such systems are less prone to fraud, more cost-effective and popular among voters and elections officials alike.

May 18, 2015 - The Republicans running Mississippi have the prison system in shambles, workers' compensation gutted, education on a precipice — and journalist Joe Atkins looking back to populist Louisiana Gov. "Uncle" Earl Long for solace.

May 12, 2015 - The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation has launched a "Southern Voices" oral history project to capture the stories of Southern leaders working for social and economic justice. This installment focuses on how organizations in the region are investing in ambitious plans to create diverse, sustainable economic engines.

May 8, 2015 - What do the numbers say about racial segregation in Southern cities? Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans are among the most racially divided, while Texas suburbs top the list for integration.

May 7, 2015 - As Louisiana struggles with a looming $1.6 billion budget deficit, the Jindal administration is helping the state's oil and gas industry avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes and royalties. A new video primer details the scheme using data from state audits.

April 30, 2015 - Five years after the BP disaster, a group of governors led by North Carolina's Pat McCrory is pushing for drilling in the Atlantic. The group has close ties to a secret-money nonprofit and energy lobbyists, a relationship that raises questions about transparency, ethics and the blurring of public and private interests.

April 23, 2015 - Five years after the BP oil spill, the people of the United Houma Nation continue to live with impacts of the disaster but are barred from recovery funds due to the tribe's lack of federal recognition. This week, the Houma are renewing their long fight for federal status by launching a petition to the Obama administration.