iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 6h

#TheLensNola🔍 Crescent City Schools' Constellations program fills crucial service gaps in New Orleans’ decentralized school system by offering specialized education for students with cognitive disabilities. ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Read full story: buff.ly/mfuzwXz

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 16h

#TheLensNola🔍 A growing body of work illustrating the effect of gun violence on overall physical health. That matters in Orleans Parish… ✍️ Fairriona Magee, The Trace Full story 🔗: buff.ly/NXwjjwO

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 The alumni picnic came at a time of high tension across the city for smaller legacy high schools like Cohen that might soon be vulnerable to closure… ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Full article 🔗: buff.ly/NzE5KIn

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

#OPINION The Board of Commissioners traded the safety of immigrant families for a $530,000 contract on a toxic site. Though the doors are opening in a few days, the commissioners still have time. ✍️ Tania Wolf Full article 🔗: buff.ly/foSR2cd

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 In tense meeting, SpaceX managers told locals the massive spaceport won’t affect them at all, until locals pressed them for specifics. ✍️ Delaney Nolan Full story 🔗: buff.ly/MsRIgwT #spacex #rocketlaunch #localaccess

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 As a national parasite outbreak leaves New Orleans residents looking for regionally grown produce, corner stores and growers step in to fill healthy food gaps. ✍️ Fallon Brannon Full story 🔗: buff.ly/LWCQOU9 #neworleans #clyclospora #foodsystems

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 The feds have allocated $4 billion in 2025 and $31 in June 2026 toward 287(g) agreements between ICE and local law enforcement agencies. ✍️ Ariana Figueroa, Stateline Full article 🔗: buff.ly/aKISVqI #federalfunds #ICE #locallawenforcement

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#OPINION 'A Louisiana state court holding court on a mass grave violates everything I learned in law school,' writes Moore, a retired attorney. ✍️ Charles R. Moore Read full story: buff.ly/nW8dV1f #colfaxmassacre #grantparishcourthouse #louisianadistrict #TheLensNola

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 At this year's annual alumni picnic, Cohen graduates remembered the school's lively atmosphere, its music, sports and teachers who forged authentic relationships with students. ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Read full story: buff.ly/NzE5KIn

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 A DeSmog review found that, across major fossil fuel companies, AI is increasingly being integrated into fossil fuel operations, from seismic exploration and drilling to equipment monitoring… ✍️ Sarah Hofmann, DeSmog Full article 🔗: buff.ly/SHtCoe1

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Constructed from corrugated steel shipping containers and fitted with solar panels, the sustainable 2,000-square-foot schoolhouse holds digital art classrooms, a gallery, and combination library… ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Read full story: buff.ly/JdmvVYb

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 The fire marshal’s decision to allow Sunrise Foods to install out-of-compliance sprinkler system is “abuse of power,” suit alleges. ✍️ Delaney Nolan Full story 🔗: buff.ly/450wsc2 #firemarshal #sprinklersystem #holycrossneighborhood

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Elliott Callier, who died last month at age 83, was known for his Super Fly swagger, fanciful stories, and his fat mellow sound on the tenor sax, which created a distinct New Orleans sound. ✍️ Katy Reckdahl Full article: buff.ly/AvT4LLn

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Georges is speaking of Meta, and how their perception of him impacts his efforts to get AI licensing contracts with the tech giant ✍️ By Drew Hawkins from Gulf States Newsroom, Delaney Nolan and Vivi Smilgius from The Lens Full article 🔗: buff.ly/aAWQX5F

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Georges dismissed concerns from some of his reporters that his embrace of Meta blurs the line between the news and business. ✍️ Drew Hawkins from Gulf States Newsroom, Delaney Nolan and Vivi Smilgius from The Lens Full article 🔗: buff.ly/lmhU66R

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 The disaster the justices have unleashed has its roots in one of the darkest periods of our history. ✍️ Ari Berman and Pema Levy Full story 🔗: buff.ly/vTUaWKp #blackinjustice #louisiana #history

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Former EPA officials warn that rapid AI data center expansion, combined with weakened federal pollution safeguards, could increase health risks associated with air pollution… ✍️ Sophie Hurwitz, Mother Jones Full article 🔗: buff.ly/VJVzaWb

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Medicaid enrollees from five states and leading medical organizations filed a lawsuit Friday challenging new Medicaid work requirements, which they argue will threaten people’s coverage… ✍️ Nada Hassanein, Stateline Full story 🔗: buff.ly/1M2hWlQ

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 SpaceX’s planned launch facility in Vermilion Parish could transform South Louisiana while raising questions about impacts on coastal wetlands, migratory birds, wildlife and environment… ✍️ Stephen Marcentel, The Current Full story 🔗: buff.ly/SVQFIiG

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#BehindTheLensPodcast🎙️ Changes to federal food assistance and a new recognition of Black education history raise important questions about students, schools, and the history taught in New Orleans classrooms. Ft. Vivi Smilgius Listen wherever you get your podcasts🎧

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 As family and friends mourn the 18-year-old, supporters continue to push for answers in how he died while on a boat trip with friends. ✍️ Aallyah Wright, Capital B Full article 🔗: buff.ly/RFXxj9d #nolanwells #juryverdict #collegestudent

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#OPINION Sometimes, being recognized for the community work you do gives you a moment to pause and ask an even bigger question: What happens when that same community needs its leaders to stand up for what’s right? ✍️ Dwayne "Prince" Holmes Jr Full article 🔗: buff.ly/2UVyB7i

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Stay ahead of the stories shaping your community! Subscribe to The Lens newsletter for free and get independent in-depth journalism straight to your inbox📬 Join through 🔗 in bio! #Nonprofit #neworleans #independentnews #TheLensNola🔍 #newsletter

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Nonprofits like YEP, The 18th Ward, and Café Reconcile go beyond child care, keeping New Orleans kids active, connected, and reaching goals. ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Full story 🔗 in bio! #youthempowermentproject #neworleanskids #the18thward

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Students, teachers and neighbors gathered near Norman Mayer Library to remember the 14-year-old Abramson student and band member. ✍️ Gus Bennett Full article 🔗 in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 An open letter to Mayor Helena Moreno and the New Orleans City Council. ✍️ Bruce Reilly Full article 🔗 in bio! #surveillance #neworleanscitycouncil #mayorhelenamoreno

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#OPINION The jury room can risk becoming a mere numbers game — a race to a unanimous verdict that targets dissenting voices rather than thoroughly analyzing the testimony. ✍️ William C. Snowden Full article 🔗 in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 The initiative brings New Orleans’ Civil Rights and education history to life during the third week of November with field trips, reenactments and social events. ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Full story 🔗 in bio! #blackeducationhistoryweek #neworleans

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Flaws in the plans for the warehouse's fire sprinkler system in the Lower 9 are “so egregious” they should not be permitted, one fire protection expert warned. ✍️ Delaney Nolan Full article 🔗 in bio! #sunrisefoods #firesprinklersystem #lower9

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#OPINION After the passing of Jerome “Big Duck” Smith, how must we as a community honor his legacy? ✍️ Mizani Ball Read full article in bio #jeromesmith #legacy #neworleans #TheLensNola🔍

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#BehindTheLensPodcast🎙️ Journalist Emmanuel Felton talks about traveling through Louisiana’s disputed congressional district, examining the communities at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on racial gerrymandering… Tune in wherever you get your podcast🎧

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 A series by Louisiana for Children’s Rights, in partnership with The Lens, that elevates the voices and experiences of Black youth currently or formerly detained in the Orleans Parish juvenile jail. ✍️ Cierra Chenier with youth poets Full story 🔗 in bio

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 More than 90% of Orleans public schools automatically offer free breakfast and lunch to all students due to high SNAP enrollment rates. With Louisiana SNAP cutting 1 in 5 recipients, school cafeterias could also be serving fewer free meals. ✍️ Vivi Smilgius Full story 🔗 in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Damari Eves was a 10th-grade horn player who played mellophone and baritone in Abe's band, known as the Beast from the East. In Gentilly, the close-knit Eves family is also mourning the sudden loss... ✍️ Gus Bennett Full story 🔗 in bio

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Abramson Sci Academy and the Gentilly community mourn 14-year-old band student Damari Eves, tragically killed in a traffic collision on his mini-bike. ✍️ Gus Bennett Full story 🔗 in bio

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#OPINION Twenty-one years after Katrina, New Orleans is still here — not because we can take a beating, but because we keep choosing one another. ✍️ Kristyna Jones Read full article in bio! #hurricanekatrina #neworleans #communitysupport #TheLensNola🔍

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

#OPINION Black communities stretching across Louisiana did not suddenly become connected when legislators drew a congressional district around them. ✍️ Sen. Royce Duplessis Full article 🔗 in bio #senroyceduplessis #blackhistory #louisiana

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Environmental science students are exploring affordable alternatives that honor loved ones while protecting wildlife, waterways and local infrastructure. ✍️ Vivi Smilgius and Delaney Nolan Full article 🔗 in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#OPINION Loss, tragedy, classism, and racism were flung in our faces. To solve this nation’s greatest sins, the country left us with only our willpower and tenacity. ✍️ Jessica Dandridge-Smith, The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans Full story 🔗 in bio

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#BehindTheLensPodcast🎙️ From stalled criminal-record reforms to the difficult choices facing families seeking early childhood education, this episode explores what happens when access to opportunity depends not only on policy… Listen wherever you get your podcasts🎧

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 ICE arrests in Louisiana have reached record highs, as more people without criminal histories are being detained. ✍️ Delaney Nolan Read full article in bio #ICE #arrest #louisiana

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

#OPINION On empty seats, full buildings and who gets left holding them. ✍️ Kristyna Jones Read full story in bio👀 #TheLensNola🔍 #orleansdistrict #schools

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

#DrivingDistrict6 Residents of the enclaves of District 6 carry a shared inheritance: cancer, pennies-an-hour wages, broken sewer lines, and highways aimed at their front doors. ✍️ Emmanuel Felton and Gus Bennett Full story 🔗 in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

#DrivingDistrict6 The neighborhoods that the old 6th District gathered up—strung along rivers, railroads, and interstates from Shreveport to Baton Rouge—are the exact communities left scattered apart... ✍️ Emmanuel Felton and Gus Bennett Read full article in bio

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

#DrivingDistrict6 Within the serpentine 6th District, Black voters face similar struggles with low wages, poor healthcare, and a fight for historic recognition. ✍️ Emmanuel Felton with photos by Gus Bennett Read full article in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 In every corner of the now-scuttled 6th District, Black residents tell of deep connections through Louisiana history, food, and today’s struggles. ✍️ Emmanuel Felton and Gus Bennett Full story in bio!

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Get New Orleans’ most trustworthy news right to your inbox every week! Subscribe for free today to stay in the know about your community. Join the community: buff.ly/lzsGSNj

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The Lens Nola @thelensnola.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

#TheLensNola🔍 Former Maryland acting field office director Vernon Liggins knew he was violating a court order, the court finds. ✍️ Delaney Nolan Full story 🔗: thelensnola.org/2026/08/21/l... #baltimore #iceofficial #courtorderviolation

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