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Federal judge halts La. execution
Ruling pauses first usage of nitrogen gas BY ANDREA GALLO and JOHN SIMERMAN
state immediately moved to appeal her ruling. U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Staff writers Dick granted the preliminary inA federal judge in Baton Rouge junction Tuesday after a daylong has issued a preliminary injunc- hearing last week in which attortion to stop Louisiana from moving neys for condemned inmate Jessie forward with its first nitrogen gas Hoffman Jr. argued that the state’s execution March 18, though the plan to kill him with nitrogen
amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, which is forbidden under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. She also wrote that she was persuaded by arguments that death by a firing squad would be a quicker and more humane method, though it is not currently legal in Louisiana.
“Now, after an expedited hearing, and absent a fully developed record, this Court must answer the ultimate question: is nitrogen hypoxia cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment?” Dick wrote in her ruling. She said Hoffman’s attorneys had proved enough to warrant a delay until she can fully consider the issue. “Plaintiff has shown that nitrogen hypoxia superadds psycho-
Report details roof impacts
La. homes with fortified coverings can save residents money
logical pain, suffering, and terror to his execution when compared to execution by firing squad,” Dick added. “He has shown that execution by firing squad is a feasible and readily available alternative that the State has no legitimate penological reason for not adopting.” Attorneys for the state filed a notice of appeal within minutes of Dick releasing her ruling Tuesday
ä See EXECUTION, page 5A
Education Dept. cuts half its staff More than 1,300 workers laid off
BY COLLIN BINKLEY and MORIAH BALINGIT Associated Press
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BILL FEIG
A fortified roof in south Louisiana can mean fewer hurricane losses, according to a new study by state auditors. BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer
The benefits of getting a fortified roof in south Louisiana — including lower insurance premiums and fewer hurricane losses — generally outweigh the cost of putting the roof on, according to a new study by state auditors. The report, released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, found most people who have taken advantage of a state grant program to install a stronger roof have seen insurance pre-
miums drop. The median recipient saw a 22% discount, saving them $1,250 a year. The findings are a boost to the state’s fortified roof program as lawmakers consider whether to continue funding it. High insurance premiums are wreaking havoc in hurricane-prone communities in south Louisiana. Still, the report found that Louisiana is behind the curve in widespread adoption of fortified roofs, and adding more of them could make the state more attractive to the reinsurance market and lower insurance costs. Reinsurers, which offer
insurance for insurance companies, play an outsized role in deciding how much Louisiana homeowners pay in premiums. And strengthening Louisiana’s buildings en masse could ultimately result in bigger drops in premiums. Fortified roofs, which involve stronger fasteners and water sealant, are more wind resistant, making it less likely a home will take on serious damage if a hurricane hits. Louisiana, which began offering grants to help build them in 2023, has
ä See ROOF, page 5A
WASHINGTON — The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organization’s staff — a prelude to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency. Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agency’s ability to continue usual operations. The Trump administration had already been whittling the agency’s staff, though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesday’s layoffs, the Education Department’s staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said. The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies. The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said. Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution
ä See EDUCATION, page 4A
BESE adds Gulf of America to school social studies standards BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
Louisiana’s state board of education voted unanimously Tuesday to align the state’s fourth- and fifthgrade social studies standards with President Donald Trump’s
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executive order mandating that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed to the Gulf of America. The board’s embrace of the name change, which sparked controversy when Trump announced it in January, means that Louisiana teachers will be encouraged to
refer to the body of water between Mexico and North America by the new name in classroom lessons, and all new fourth- and fifth-grade social studies materials — the two grades whose standards mention the Gulf in units on world history — will be required to reflect the
change moving forward. However, schools will not be required to replace their existing textbooks, state officials said. To ensure Louisiana is aligned with the president’s order, “I recommend striking the name ‘Mexico’ and replacing it with ‘America’
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in reference to the Gulf in Louisiana’s standards for social studies education,” state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, who has periodically dipped his toes into the U.S.’s education culture
ä See GULF, page 4A
12TH yEAR, NO. 212