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Flu levels in Louisiana highest in the nation
Essence pledges to remedy last fest’s hiccups In negotiations, officials say it needs more support BY JONI HESS Staff writer
Health officials say Louisiana’s high levels of flu activity are a reminder to get vaccinated.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
in the week ending Nov. 15, almost ton Rouge, said Louisiana often sees flu Cases on the rise heading 3.9% double the national rate and the highest activity rise before much of the country. recorded in any state. It’s not always clear why — or if a worse into heightened season level Each week, the CDC ranks states on flu season will follow as a result.
BY EMILY WOODRUFF
Staff writer
Louisiana is heading into flu season and the Thanksgiving holiday with the highest flu activity level in the country. And while the number of severe cases of the illness at hospitals remains low, doctors are seeing signs that the respiratory virus season will get into full swing soon. New federal data released Friday shows the percentage of medical visits for flu symptoms in Louisiana climbed to
a 14-point scale based on the number of people who visit the doctor for a fever, plus a cough or sore throat. Louisiana is at level 7. Almost every other state is under level 3, except for Colorado, which is at level 4. Almost 100 people were admitted to the hospital for the flu last week in Louisiana, compared to 39 at the beginning of November. Dr. Michael Bolton, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Ba-
But he said the timing should serve as a reminder to get vaccinated, especially after last year’s difficult pediatric season. Nearly 300 children died nationally, close to half of them without underlying health conditions. Most of those children had not received a flu shot. “The flu vaccine is a vitally important piece of your health care plan,” Bolton said. “I can’t underscore that enough.” There’s also another reason the flu may
back to Louisiana. $1.1B facility trucks It’s no secret that Louisiana has long lost talent to its expected to western neighbor and has provide 800 jobs sought ways to entice them
Political adversaries seem to become allies
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL and ADAM DAIGLE Staff writers
BY MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press
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ä See ESSENCE, page 5A
Solar plant opens in Iberia Parish
Trump, Mamdani have friendly meeting
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday met the man who had proudly proclaimed himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” but he seemed to find the opposite. The Republican president and New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani were warm and friendly, speaking repeatedly of their shared goals to help Trump’s hometown rather than their combustible differences. Trump, who had in the past called
ä See FLU, page 4A
As the Essence Festival of Culture negotiates with city and state officials ahead of the 2026 event in New Orleans, Essence representatives this week pledged to remedy last summer’s hiccups and enact changes that could require more city and state support. Last year’s four-day summit of Black music, culture and wellness at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Caesars Superdome generated $345 million in economic activity for New Orleans, per one estimate by Dillard University. But there were obvious problems a year later, the festival’s first under a new leadership team: The nightly concert lineup was first released in April, but additional acts were added just a week before the event. The Superdome shows ran well into the morning hours. And the popular, mini-concert Superlounges were back, but access came at a premium cost. Essence leaders this week doubled down on past apologies for some of those missteps, pledging to release next year’s lineup well in advance, a move they said showed their sensitivity to people’s need to plan their finances in an uncertain economy. They vowed to reduce the number of nightly performers from 10 to 12 to five or six. They also floated the idea of hosting events in the city earlier during the July Fourth week, instead of the current four days, and said
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI
President Donald Trump shakes hands with New york City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday. Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” spoke openly of how impressed he was with the man who had called his administration “authoritarian.” “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually,” Trump said of the democratic social-
ist as Mamdani stood next to him in the Oval Office. The meeting offered political opportunities for both men. For Mamdani, a sit-down offered the state lawmaker — who until recently was
ä See MEETING, page 5A
When Georges Antoun came to Louisiana from Lebanon in the early 1980s, he needed money. The country was entering an oil crisis, and cities along the Gulf Coast — especially places like Lafayette that depended on oil and gas jobs — felt the hit first. As families moved to larger cities like Houston in search of work, Antoun began offering a service: For a fee, he’d drive their moving
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back. The opening of First Solar’s $1.1 billion solar panel manufacturing facility near New Iberia has allowed Antoun, now the company’s chief commercial officer, to have conversations with families who have chosen to return to Louisiana to work at the facility. The 2.4 million-square-foot mega complex is one of the largest investments in the Acadiana region and is expected to provide more than 800 jobs by the end of 2025. When the site selection
ä See PLANT, page 4A
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