September 2026

Step by Step: Tulane’s Non-Tenured Professors Secure the First Union Contract of its Kind in Louisiana

Three weeks after Tulane University’s non-tenure track professors’ union announced their historic first contract, I met professor and bargaining team member Matt Toups at a...

Jesse Lu Baum

June 2026

FOR THE RECORD

On April 16, the New Orleans City Council voted to approve a $250,000 expansion of the NOPD’s drone program, which passed in a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers Eugene Green, Jason...

Jesse Lu Baum

May 2026

REVIEWS

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Angela Calonder, Branna Elenz, Dalton Spangler, Danny Cherry Jr., Elisa Gomez, Eva Karl, Jesse Lu Baum, Mary Beth Campbell, Megan Burns, Robyn Kopeny, Sabrina Stone, Steven Melendez, William Archambeault

April 2026

FOR THE RECORD

On March 10, the City Council Public Works, Sanitation and Environment Committee convened to talk trash (among other topics). Committee Chair Councilmember Jason Hughes...

Jesse Lu Baum

March 2026

FOR THE RECORD

On January 28, the newly-minted City Council convened for a special meeting to discuss a proposed data center, meant to be built at I-10 and Read Boulevard in New Orleans East....

Jesse Lu Baum

January 2026

FOR THE RECORD

On December 4, residents came to the New Orleans City Council’s chambers to urge the Council to do more to protect New Orleanians from ICE (Immigration and Customs...

Jesse Lu Baum

December 2025

FOR THE RECORD

November 5 was “housing day” for the City of New Orleans’ proposed budget hearings—and boy, was it ever. The meeting started with a bombastic exchange between...

Jesse Lu Baum

December 2025

One Battle After Another: The ANTIGRAVITY 2025 Year-End Top 5

As Smash Mouth famously prophesized, “the years start comin’ and they don’t stop comin,’” and this latest chapter wrought an exceptionally high volume of...

Dalton Spangler, Danny Cherry Jr., Drew Hawkins, Holly Devon, Jesse Lu Baum, Mary Beth Campbell

September 2025

FOR THE RECORD

On July 22, Bike Easy and the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition gave a presentation before the New Orleans City Council Transportation Committee on their campaign for Safer...

Jesse Lu Baum

August 2025

POETRY

The Phantom When I haven’t the mettle to think for myself I have only to ask of the phantom For its presence will stay till I send it away And whenever it errs—well,...

Jesse Lu Baum

July 2025

FOR THE RECORD

On June 12, the New Orleans City Council approved a measure to amend a 2018 ordinance that barred the City of New Orleans and City contractors from discriminating against job...

Jesse Lu Baum

June 2025

FOR THE RECORD

On April 28, the New Orleans City Council joint Governmental Affairs/Community Development Committee voted to approve an ordinance that would protect sex workers from prosecution...

Jesse Lu Baum