New Orleans

The 311 Lifeline: How Governments Enhanced Call Centers During the Pandemic

State and municipal governments established special hotlines or expanded the type of services residents could access through 311 call centers during the pandemic.

  • By Andrea Noble

These Cities Raised Wages for Municipal Workers to $15 an Hour

To attract and keep employees in a tight labor market, some local governments are bumping up hourly pay.

  • By Andrea Noble

When the Place You Live Becomes Unlivable

After Hurricane Ida, New Orleanians are weighing the emotional, cultural, and financial costs of leaving the place they call home.

  • By Anya Groner, The Atlantic

Biden Names Intergovernmental Affairs Chief

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | New Orleans nixes Mardi Gras parades due to Covid … Mississippi governor calls for axing state’s income tax … Leaders in both parties urge against out-of-state political supporters moving to Georgia ahead of special election.

  • By Bill Lucia

Black Homeowners Pay More Than ‘Fair Share’ in Property Taxes

Many tax assessors still routinely saddle Black and minority residents with property tax bills that are too high given the value of their homes.

  • By Teresa Wiltz, Stateline

Concerts and Sporting Events Could Be Canceled Until 2021, Mayors Say

Fearing a resurgence of the novel coronavirus, a handful of mayors said they would consider banning mass gatherings until next year.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Watch New Orleans

With the country’s attention turned north, the coronavirus pandemic is exploding in Louisiana.

  • By Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic

A City Could Wipe Away 55,000 Old Warrants

More than 44,000 people in New Orleans have warrants for traffic violations and what advocates call “crimes of poverty.” City leaders say the system needs to be overhauled.

  • By Emma Coleman

What New Orleans Can Teach Other Cities About Reducing Homelessness

New Orleans slashed its homelessness numbers by 90% over a decade but has hit a plateau.

  • By Teresa Wiltz

Denver Voters Decriminalize Psychedelic Mushrooms

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Police find over 1,000 guns in a home in Los Angeles … Ohio considers nixing film tax credits … New Orleans seeks infrastructure funding.

  • By Emma Coleman

Integrating Data Into City Hall

COMMENTARY | How New Orleans used data in the rebuilding of a devastated city.

  • By Mitch Landrieu

A World-Class Airport for the End of the World

New Orleans is building a state-of-the-art, billion-dollar terminal. But is it planning for a future doomed by climate change?

  • By Christopher Schaberg, The Atlantic
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Mayors More Likely to Perceive Discrimination Nationally than Locally, Report Says

The survey, released by the National League of Cities, is based on interviews with 115 mayors from 39 states.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

In New Orleans, Using Administrative Data to Save Lives

Local governments collect reams of data, but much of it goes unused. New Orleans shows how cities can tap into this data to reduce EMS response times.

  • By Linda Gibbs and Maia Jachimowicz

How Exposed Is Your State to Trade Tensions?

More than a dozen states have above-average international trade exposure, per a new Moody’s report.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

Tropical Storm Nate Could Hit New Orleans as a Hurricane This Weekend

The city is rushing to repair its aging drainage system.

  • By Molly Rubin, Quartz

Tropical System Headed to Gulf Coast Prompts Hurricane Watch and Flooding Concerns

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Oregon wildfires grow; 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage flood repair trench in a Detroit suburb; and Baltimore mayor’s good government book club pick.

  • By Route Fifty Staff

Tense Days in New Orleans as City's Pump Network Struggles to Keep Up

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | San José officials reject affordable housing for teachers proposal; designs are revealed for a new iconic bridge in Washington, D.C.; and Dayton sees inspiration in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

  • By Route Fifty Staff

New Orleans Mayor Responds to U.S. Senator’s Remarks About City’s ‘Huge Crime Problem’

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican, said the city was “rapidly becoming the murder and armed robbery capital of the Western Hemisphere."

  • By Bill Lucia

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Reaction to Shooting at Congressional Baseball Practice

"Now more than ever we have to put aside our differences and unite against cowardly violence," the mayor said.

  • By Quinn Libson

Next Stop on the Route Fifty Roadshow: New Orleans

In the Big Easy, experts from across the Gulf Coast and the nation will share the changing nature of disasters and what 'Responding to Modern Emergencies' looks like.

  • By Mitch Herckis