June 2021

NOAA: Average-sized ‘dead zone’ likely off La. Gulf coast

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An average “dead zone” is likely in the Gulf of Mexico, where a large area of water holding too little oxygen to keep marine animals alive forms every summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

Justice Department stepping up enforcement of hate crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is stepping up its enforcement of hate crimes and other biasrelated incidents, furthering a promise by Attorney General Merrick Garland to focus on civil rights violations.

Tax collection change sent to voters for decision

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers Thursday gave final passage to an effort pushed by Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder to begin the centralization of the state’s sales tax collections, a long-sought goal of business organizations.

Governor’s office: Animation studio expanding in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans-area animation studio will add six permanent jobs in a planned expansion, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office said Thursday.

North Louisiana housing agency to get 44 emergency vouchers

SHREVEPORT (AP) — A housing agency in north Louisiana is getting emergency vouchers to help the homeless and other vulnerable groups find affordable places to live.

20-year sentence in deadly heroin case

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A drug dealer who prosecutors say sold heroin to a man who died from an overdose in suburban New Orleans in 2018 has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

US adds 559K jobs, firms still struggle to fill positions

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a modest 559,000 jobs in May, an improvement from April’s sluggish gain but still evidence that many companies are struggling to find enough workers as the economy rapidly recovers from the pandemic recession.

House Dems unveil $547B infrastructure bill amid Biden talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats released a plan Friday for spending $547 billion over the next five years on road, mass transit and rail projects, a blueprint for what they want parts of President Joe Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal to look like.

Cheers to Lucifer

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for taking us on one hell of a ride. The long-awaited second half of the devilish Netflix dramedy’s fifth season brought God (Dennis Haysbert) down to Earth, served up a pitch-perfect musical episode, amped up the romance and threw in a tragic twist. In a word, it was--sorry, Lucifer (Tom Ellis)--heavenly.

50 years ago

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1971 might best be remembered as a time of transition, both in popular culture and on a nationwide scale, with political and judicial decisions that will ultimately have long-term impacts on the American people being made during the course of the year.