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Verite News

@veritenews.org
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Nonprofit news for New Orleans elevating voices from communities that have been historically dismissed or ignored to create thoughtful, solution-based coverage on crucial topics. Sign up for our newsletters here: veritenews.org/newsletter-signup

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Verite News @veritenews.org · 56m
LGBTQ+ pop-up bookstore launching with banned books cabaret The Lavender Cafe will start out as a pop-up shop, but the founder has plans to open up a brick-and-mortar location for the LGBTQ+ community.
veritenews.org
LGBTQ+ pop-up bookstore launching with banned books cabaret
The Lavender Cafe will start out as a pop-up shop, but the founder has plans to open up a brick-and-mortar location for the LGBTQ+ community.
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drew xolaya costley (they/she) @drewcostley.northsky.social · 29/09/2026
New Orleans is poised to close L.B. Landry, one of two high schools on the city's West Bank. Troy Carter, the U.S. Congressman who is an alum of the school, pleaded in an open letter to keep the school open. More @veritenews.org. veritenews.org/2026/09/29/l...
veritenews.org
District officials unsure if L.B. Landry can stay open after 26-27 school year
As the district works to increase fill rates in schools, underenrolled campuses such as Landry might see changes.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 2h
City leaders are wrangling a significant budget deficit for the second year in a row. With limited funds, what should they prioritize? At a community town hall hosted by the Big Easy Budget Coalition, community members debated how the city should spend its waning general fund — and argued that it…
veritenews.org
City leaders are wrangling a significant budget deficit for the second year in a row. With limited funds, what should they prioritize?
At a community town hall hosted by the Big Easy Budget Coalition, community members debated how the city should spend its waning general fund — and argued that it shouldn't be on the police.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 5h
Min Khant Zaw was flying back home to Louisiana from a West Coast vacation when he was detained by ICE officers at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. ow.ly/w1hH50ZSW5J
Text: He fled genocide in Myanmar. ICE detained him in Louisiana.

Image: Min Khant Zaw, who spent seven weeks in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention before being released, poses for a portrait at his host family’s home in Covington.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 6h
Louisiana-born baseball player, Oliver “The Ghost” Marcelle, was quick-tempered but gifted on the field He played for several teams, from 1918 to 1931, winning pennants twice with the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and once with the Baltimore Black Sox.
veritenews.org
Louisiana-born baseball player, Oliver “The Ghost” Marcelle, was quick-tempered but gifted on the field
He played for several teams, from 1918 to 1931, winning pennants twice with the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and once with the Baltimore Black Sox.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 20h
St. Tammany Library Control Board votes on collection criteria, access to some books angers residents Tensions in St. Tammany rose after the Library Board of Control voted on a resolution to change the book collection guidelines and keep restricting access to seven young adult graphic novels.
veritenews.org
St. Tammany Library Control Board votes on collection criteria, access to some books angers residents
Tensions in St. Tammany rose after the Library Board of Control voted on a resolution to change the book collection guidelines and keep restricting access to seven young adult graphic novels.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 29/09/2026
At meeting, community members ask to keep L.B. Landry High School open. But the district says that might not be viable. As the district works to increase fill rates in schools, underenrolled campuses such as Landry might see changes.
veritenews.org
At meeting, community members ask to keep L.B. Landry High School open. But the district says that might not be viable.
As the district works to increase fill rates in schools, underenrolled campuses such as Landry might see changes.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 29/09/2026
News Quiz: 2027 New Orleans city budget proposal relies largely on cuts Think you know New Orleans? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz on Mayor Moreno's proposed budget cuts.
veritenews.org
News Quiz: 2027 New Orleans city budget proposal relies largely on cuts
Think you know New Orleans? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz on Mayor Moreno's proposed budget cuts.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 28/09/2026
New community arts center to open in New Orleans’ 7th Ward The Black Schoolhouse will bring youth arts programming to a neighborhood lacking community arts centers.
veritenews.org
New community arts center to open in New Orleans’ 7th Ward
The Black Schoolhouse will bring youth arts programming to a neighborhood lacking community arts centers.
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"For months, a group of central Louisianans and its growing coalition of allies have come together to thwart the family and child detention facility from taking root in Alexandria..." veritenews.org/2026/09/22/o...
veritenews.org
Opponents of Alexandria ICE detention facility hold community forum - Verite News New Orleans
The England Authority Board of Commissioners is slated to discuss the planned ICE detention facility at a meeting on Thursday.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 28/09/2026
Marino Casem knew football, helped lead Southern, Alcorn and Alabama State teams to victory Marino Casem took college football seriously. Wherever he coached or served as athletic director, he made his mark. “On the East Coast, football is a cultural experience,” he said. “In the Midwest, it’s a…
veritenews.org
Marino Casem knew football, helped lead Southern, Alcorn and Alabama State teams to victory
Marino Casem took college football seriously. Wherever he coached or served as athletic director, he made his mark. “On the East Coast, football is a cultural experience,” he said. “In the Midwest, it’s a form of cannibalism. On the West Coast, it’s a tourist attraction. And in the South, football is religion, and Saturday is the holy day.” Casem spent more than three decades coaching and leading college athletics. He was head football coach at Alabama State, Alcorn State and Southern University, compiling a 159-93-8 record. He was Alcorn’s athletic director for 20 years and Southern’s for 13.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 28/09/2026
In Southeast Louisiana, Tangipahoa Parish has seen the highest growth in voters being moved to the inactive list with more than 23,000 people being placed on it. ow.ly/hTLk50ZRSOq
Text: Tangipahoa residents want to make sure all voters know about inactive list

Image: Tamara Whittington looks at a canvasing app during a voter registration and inactive voter training meeting in Hammond.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 28/09/2026
He fled genocide in Myanmar. ICE detained him in Louisiana. Min Khant Zaw, a Rohingya and Kaman activist and asylum seeker, had his life upended after spending seven weeks inside an ICE detention facility in Louisiana.
veritenews.org
He fled genocide in Myanmar. ICE detained him in Louisiana.
Min Khant Zaw, a Rohingya and Kaman activist and asylum seeker, had his life upended after spending seven weeks inside an ICE detention facility in Louisiana.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 28/09/2026
The Fred Hampton Free Store in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward turned an abandoned building into a community sanctuary and resource. ow.ly/X0py50ZS1yu
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 26/09/2026
In Southeast Louisiana, Tangipahoa Parish has seen the highest growth in voters being moved to the inactive list with more than 23,000 people being placed on it. ow.ly/spP350ZReCe
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Tangipahoa residents want to make sure all voters know about inactive list - Verite News New Orleans
A coalition of organizations has mobilized in Tangipahoa Parish advance of the midterms to make sure as many parish residents as possible know about the inactive voter list and how to get off of it.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 26/09/2026
Pianist and composer Clarence Williams partnered with violinist Armand J. Piron to start a music publishing business that would became the country’s leading Black-owned music publisher. ow.ly/QHLf50ZPMev
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 25/09/2026
The 2027 budget Moreno presented relies primarily on cuts, though it’s possible that property tax increases may be on the table. ow.ly/2K0C50ZRBln
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 25/09/2026
The shelter is the only New Orleans shelter that boards pets and does not require sobriety tests and identification. ow.ly/EFBR50ZReI6
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 25/09/2026
Terrence Duvernay was a champion for affordable housing from New Orleans to D.C. He helped set housing policy across the nation, working during the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
veritenews.org
Terrence Duvernay was a champion for affordable housing from New Orleans to D.C.
He helped set housing policy across the nation, working during the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 24/09/2026
“They promised us a special meeting … and then a few days later, they canceled it.” Opponents of the proposed ICE detention facility at England Airpark held their own public forum, saying the community deserves information and a chance to ask questions.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 24/09/2026
Tangipahoa residents want to make sure all voters know about inactive list A coalition of organizations has mobilized in Tangipahoa Parish advance of the midterms to make sure as many parish residents as possible know about the inactive voter list and how to get off of it.
veritenews.org
Tangipahoa residents want to make sure all voters know about inactive list
A coalition of organizations has mobilized in Tangipahoa Parish advance of the midterms to make sure as many parish residents as possible know about the inactive voter list and how to get off of it.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 24/09/2026
Concerns raised included the lack of transparency around contracts with the federal government and the trauma children will experience in detention. ow.ly/1ua850ZQPvO
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drew xolaya costley (they/she) @drewcostley.northsky.social · 23/09/2026
The largest homeless shelter in New Orleans could close if the proposed $5 million cut to it in the 2027 city of New Orleans budget is approved by the City Council. We spoke to people who use the facility and advocates about the proposal. More @veritenews.org. veritenews.org/2026/09/23/l...
veritenews.org
Low-barrier homeless shelter could close due to budget cuts
Mayor Helena Moreno proposed that $5 million be cut from the city’s contribution to the largest shelter for people experiencing homelessness in New Orleans.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 24/09/2026
Louisiana’s AG has pushed back against almost all compensation claims brought by the wrongfully convicted, even in cases where men were exonerated by DNA evidence. “She knows people are innocent but she doesn’t care,” one man said. with @veritenews.org
propublica.org
He’s Eligible for Up to $480,000 After Being Wrongly Imprisoned for 42 Years. The State Says No.
Elvis Brooks’ case was an egregious example of a wrongful conviction, civil rights attorneys said. But Louisiana’s attorney general maintains that Brooks and other exonerees are guilty — and therefore...
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 24/09/2026
After spending years of listening to stories from fellow immigrants, this New Orleans-area artist has released a new album inspired by their experiences. ow.ly/EnQw50ZQPtG
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 23/09/2026
Operator says Low Barrier Shelter could close due to budget cuts Mayor Helena Moreno proposed that $5 million be cut from the city’s contribution to the largest shelter for people experiencing homelessness in New Orleans.
veritenews.org
Operator says Low Barrier Shelter could close due to budget cuts
Mayor Helena Moreno proposed that $5 million be cut from the city’s contribution to the largest shelter for people experiencing homelessness in New Orleans.
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drew xolaya costley (they/she) @drewcostley.northsky.social · 21/09/2026
The teachers union at Bricolage Academy is alleging that school violated its contract with the union twice in the past year, and hasn't responded to requests for arbitration. More @veritenews.org. veritenews.org/2026/09/21/b...
veritenews.org
Bricolage union alleges charter school violated contract - Verite News New Orleans
The union says that Bricolage wrongfully fired a kindergarten teacher who had been at the school for a decade.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 23/09/2026
The Ouachita Parish DA’s office attempted to obtain a DNA sample this week from former death row inmate Jimmie “Chris” Duncan in an apparent effort to reopen the case against him for the 1993 death of his former girlfriend’s 23-month-old daughter. ow.ly/KKIS50ZPMCP
Text: Ouachita DA reopens prosecution of former death row prisoner Jimmie Duncan

Image: Jimmie “Chris” Duncan stands in front of a motel in Alexandria, Louisiana, where he lived for weeks until he found an apartment.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 23/09/2026
Actor Clarence Williams III’s New Orleans connection runs deep He was the grandson of New Orleans musician, songwriter and music publisher Clarence Williams.
veritenews.org
Actor Clarence Williams III’s New Orleans connection runs deep
He was the grandson of New Orleans musician, songwriter and music publisher Clarence Williams.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 23/09/2026
Commentary: Jamie Davis can run a competitive race, but he will need to turn out Black voters in high numbers, while also attracting crossover white, rural, working-class Republican voters. ow.ly/oKjm50ZMWab
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Can Jamie Davis run a competitive Louisiana U.S. Senate campaign? - Verite News New Orleans
For Davis to do well in the November Senate election, he will need to find a way to significantly increase turnout in traditional Democratic strongholds like New Orleans.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 23/09/2026
Pianist and composer Clarence Williams partnered with violinist Armand J. Piron to start a music publishing business that would became the country’s leading Black-owned music publisher. ow.ly/53O650ZQlCk
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 22/09/2026
Moreno proposes lean $1.47 billion city budget for 2027, with layoffs and further cuts Moreno’s 2027 budget proposes cutting about 150 full-time positions and cutting operational budgets nearly across the board.
veritenews.org
Moreno proposes lean $1.47 billion city budget for 2027, with layoffs and further cuts
Moreno’s 2027 budget proposes cutting about 150 full-time positions and cutting operational budgets nearly across the board.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 22/09/2026
Opponents of Alexandria ICE detention facility hold community forum The England Authority Board of Commissioners is slated to discuss the planned ICE detention facility at a meeting on Thursday.
veritenews.org
Opponents of Alexandria ICE detention facility hold community forum
The England Authority Board of Commissioners is slated to discuss the planned ICE detention facility at a meeting on Thursday.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 21/09/2026
Bricolage union alleges charter school violated contract The union says that Bricolage wrongfully fired a kindergarten teacher who had been at the school for a decade.
veritenews.org
Bricolage union alleges charter school violated contract
The union says that Bricolage wrongfully fired a kindergarten teacher who had been at the school for a decade.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 21/09/2026
Clarence Williams wasn’t known just for music; he left his mark in publishing too Williams partnered with violinist Armand J. Piron to start a music publishing business that would became the country's leading Black-owned music publisher.
veritenews.org
Clarence Williams wasn’t known just for music; he left his mark in publishing too
Williams partnered with violinist Armand J. Piron to start a music publishing business that would became the country's leading Black-owned music publisher.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 21/09/2026
Fermín Ceballos examines the American dream for immigrants under threat in new album After spending years of listening to stories from fellow immigrants, this New Orleans-area artist has released a new album inspired by their experiences.
veritenews.org
Fermín Ceballos examines the American dream for immigrants under threat in new album
After spending years of listening to stories from fellow immigrants, this New Orleans-area artist has released a new album inspired by their experiences.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 20/09/2026
A long-abandoned 114-year-old Central City building that was once used as a firehouse is being reopened as an early childhood education center with seven affordable housing units. ow.ly/khJw50ZPq9H
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 19/09/2026
Over the past decade, the country has seen historic increases in voter turnout for federal elections. But young voters ages 18 to 24 have consistently lagged all other age ranges in election turnout. ow.ly/aC4u50ZPq9c
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 19/09/2026
As summer comes to a close, workers in the hospitality industry reflect on what some say was the hardest summer they’ve experienced. ow.ly/HMnK50ZPq84
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 19/09/2026
Ouachita DA reopens prosecution of former death row prisoner Jimmie Duncan Duncan spent nearly three decades in prison before his murder case was finally overturned by the state Supreme Court. But this week, the DA’s office obtained a warrant to obtain a DNA sample from him. His attorneys are…
veritenews.org
Ouachita DA reopens prosecution of former death row prisoner Jimmie Duncan
Duncan spent nearly three decades in prison before his murder case was finally overturned by the state Supreme Court. But this week, the DA’s office obtained a warrant to obtain a DNA sample from him. His attorneys are asking for the warrant to be thrown out.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 19/09/2026
Louisiana Freedom Summer volunteers were on the frontlines, challenging obstacles to voter registration. ow.ly/waJt50ZPq7Q
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Volunteers flood Louisiana in Summer '64 to get Black people registered to vote - Verite News New Orleans
Louisiana Freedom Summer volunteers were on the frontlines, challenging obstacles to voter registration.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 18/09/2026
Investigation into fatal toddler shooting in Mississippi is now on AG’s desk, Senatobia police chief confirms Mukta Joshi is a reporter at Mississippi Today. She is spending a year as a New York Times Local Investigations fellow. Joseph Cranney is a reporter at Verite News. Both report for the…
veritenews.org
Investigation into fatal toddler shooting in Mississippi is now on AG’s desk, Senatobia police chief confirms
Mukta Joshi is a reporter at Mississippi Today. She is spending a year as a New York Times Local Investigations fellow. Joseph Cranney is a reporter at Verite News. Both report for the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center in collaboration with The Times. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has completed its review of the Senatobia Police Department’s fatal shooting of a Black toddler and sent its findings to Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the department’s interim police chief said this week. Angelica Maze, the chief, said Fitch will decide when to release more information about the shooting of the toddler, 1-year-old Kohen Wiley.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 18/09/2026
TODAY: Join us for a Reddit AMA with The Current and the Gulf States Newsroom! What do you want to know about how Louisiana sheriffs are spending millions in opioid settlement funds? We'll answer your questions starting at noon. ow.ly/Vk5P50ZOY8P
Text: Sheriffs are getting 20% of Louisiana’s $621M in opioid settlement funds but aren’t required to report their spending.

Ask reporters Katie Jane Fernelius, Alena Maschke and Drew Hawkins anything about what they found when they followed the money.

Image: (from left to right) reporters Katie Jane Fernelius, Alena Maschke and Drew Hawkins
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 18/09/2026
A long-abandoned 114-year-old Central City building that was once used as a firehouse is being reopened as an early childhood education center with seven affordable housing units. ow.ly/1ZA350ZOY5N
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 18/09/2026
State proposal would shift tens of millions in homeless housing assistance funds to open 200-bed shelter in Baton Rouge A Louisiana Housing Corporation proposal, obtained by Verite News, would take federal money now used to provide rental assistance for thousands of formerly homeless people and…
veritenews.org
State proposal would shift tens of millions in homeless housing assistance funds to open 200-bed shelter in Baton Rouge
A Louisiana Housing Corporation proposal, obtained by Verite News, would take federal money now used to provide rental assistance for thousands of formerly homeless people and put it into a planned 200-bed shelter. The proposal follows a Trump administration order to curtail support for ‘Housing First’ strategies for addressing homelessness.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 18/09/2026
The Red Onion drew all kinds, including some of New Orleans’ greatest musicians Police targeted the saloon and others as part of a crackdown on New Orleans nightclubs considered breeding grounds for crime.
veritenews.org
The Red Onion drew all kinds, including some of New Orleans’ greatest musicians
Police targeted the saloon and others as part of a crackdown on New Orleans nightclubs considered breeding grounds for crime.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 18/09/2026
Records show the NOPD met drone usage reporting requirements. Some say that’s not enough. Privacy advocates argue the New Orleans Police Department should do more to increase transparency into how it uses drones.
veritenews.org
Records show the NOPD met drone usage reporting requirements. Some say that’s not enough.
Privacy advocates argue the New Orleans Police Department should do more to increase transparency into how it uses drones.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 17/09/2026
Livingston Parish residents worry about CO2 pipeline proximity Livingston Parish residents are speaking out against the construction of a carbon dioxide pipeline they say will bring risks right up to their backyards and near community schools.
veritenews.org
Livingston Parish residents worry about CO2 pipeline proximity
Livingston Parish residents are speaking out against the construction of a carbon dioxide pipeline they say will bring risks right up to their backyards and near community schools.
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Verite News @veritenews.org · 17/09/2026
Over the past decade, the country has seen historic increases in voter turnout for federal elections. But young voters ages 18 to 24 have consistently lagged all other age ranges in election turnout. ow.ly/k9jn50ZOPUc
"If nothing else motivates you, realize your relatives, your loved ones had a cost they had to pay for us to vote and have the rights that we have today."

Roderick Morning-Trice, Dillard University senior
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Warwick Sabin @warwicksabin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Glad to share that @veritenews.org has been selected by @rns.org to participate in the Atlas of American Belonging, a national journalism project examining immigration, faith, and belonging in communities across the United States. deepsouthtoday.org/2026/09/16/v...
deepsouthtoday.org
Verite News selected for reporting collaboration with Religion News Service on immigration, faith, and belonging - Deep South Today
Verite News, which is part of the Deep South Today nonprofit network of newsrooms, has been selected by Religion News Service to participate in the Atlas of
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