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M o n d ay, J u ly 13, 2026
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Meta to expand AI data center in La. It will more than double the size of Richland Parish site BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
Meta is planning a major expansion of its Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, more than doubling the size of the already massive project and making Louisiana a key part of the social media giant’s artificial intelligence strategy. The Facebook parent, which began construction of Hyperion last year, now plans to spend as much
as $50 billion on the project and related infrastructure, up from $10 billion two years ago. The site will encompass more than 3,200 acres — more than four times larger than New York City’s Central Park — and increase its computational capacity to 5 gigawatts, making it among the largest in the world. The expansion will increase the number of construction jobs in Richland, which has just 20,000 residents, to some 7,500 — about 50% more than originally an-
nounced. And it will double the number of permanent jobs to 1,000 once both phases of the project are fully operational, which is estimated to be in 2036. For Louisiana, the size and scope of the Meta expansion is unprecedented. It represents a win for Gov. Jeff Landry, who has aggressively pursued large economic development projects in the state. It’s also setting a new bar for Meta, one of the world’s largest tech giants.
“It is huge for us,” Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said in an interview Sunday. “We could not be more proud to be an investor McCormick in this amazing state.” At the same time, the expansion is likely to raise new questions about the power demands of the “hyperscale” data center, its water use and its impact on Richland Parish, where many residents have cheered the project while others
‘FROM EVERY ANGLE’
worry about the rapid changes it is bringing to the rural farming community. As part of its expansion, Meta said it will spend $1 billion upgrading roads, water and wastewater systems in the parish, which is among the poorest in Louisiana and is now dealing with a construction project and an influx of workers. It is also providing $5 million to the Louisiana Delta Community College to train area residents for data center jobs and also donating
ä See META, page 4A
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 Close ally of Trump remembered for humor, zest in politics
BY SEUNG MIN KIM, MARY CLARE JALONICK and MEG KINNARD Associated Press
STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER
Hayden Barnes, right, makes notes as he and Kayla Melancon, back center, take turns arguing a ‘case’ before Judge Marcus DeLarge at the Criminal District Courthouse in New Orleans on Friday. They and other aspiring legal students are taking part in the Mayor’s Summer youth Employment Program.
N.O. City Hall internships give chance to see court, from all sides BY MATT BRUCE
Judge Marcus DeLarge listens as students argue their cases before him at the Criminal District Courthouse in New Orleans on Friday.
Staff writer
Hayden Barnes has always been interested in the law. He’s worked as a legal aide in the past, but recently, Barnes, 20, got his first taste of becoming a lawyer while participating in a summer internship through City Hall. Barnes was among a group of New Orleans high school and college students who completed their internships at the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. It was part of a citywide effort dubbed the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which offers hundreds of teens and young adults job placements in the profession of their interest. Under the tutelage of District Judge Marcus DeLarge, 14 aspiring lawyers and judges observed criminal proceedings and spent six weeks learning areas of law like the constitutional protections against illegal searches and seizures. Barnes, who just completed his freshman year at Rhodes College in
Memphis, Tennessee, said exposure to the real-life stakes of criminal court bolstered his goal of one day becoming a defense attorney. “It was probably one of the most educational experiences of my life,” he said, standing outside one of the courtrooms Friday. “I thought I knew the law in like a textbook setting. But not in a practical, live setting on the fly. Everything changes every day.
So it was a great experience.” The city began the Summer Youth Employment Program during former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration, using federal stimulus dollars from the American Rescue Plan to help fund the program. Participants stand to gain experience in all areas of government and
ä See INTERNSHIPS, page 3A
Neoprene plant settles hazardous waste probe
to settle the hazardous waste violations. Denka Performance Elastomer to pay nearly $1 million The plant, which suspended production
in May 2025, had long been the subject of it mishandled hazardous waste and dis- regulatory action and concern from resiStaff writer posed of the material in landfills not de- dents over its emissions of chloroprene, classified as a likely carcinogen. signed for it. For at least seven years, Denka Under a federal consent agreement, The now-idled Denka neoprene plant in LaPlace has reached a settlement with Denka Performance Elastomer has ä See PROBE, page 4A the federal government over allegations agreed to pay a nearly $1 million penalty
BY DAVID J. MITCHELL
WEATHER HIGH 84 LOW 74 PAGE 6C
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress who traveled the globe to advocate for a more aggressive U.S. foreign policy, has died after a “brief and sudden illness.” He was 71. His office’s statement posted on social media early Sunday said his family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.” It did not provide any additional details about the circumstances surrounding the Saturday night death of the prominent South Carolina Republican, a former Air Force lawyer who served in Congress for PROVIDED PHOTO By TNS three decades. Hours later, anU.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, other statement R-S.C., died Saturday from Graham’s ofnight. He was 71. fice said the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia’s preliminary findings are that the senator died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. That is an aorta rupture stemming from hardening of Graham’s arteries. Trump, who talked to Graham frequently, said he was “like a member of the family. It’s very tough.” He said on NBC’s ”Meet the Press” that Graham had called him on Saturday night after returning from a trip to Ukraine and “sounded a little bit tired, but perfect.” The president ordered that flags across the country be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening. A noted hawk, Graham was one of the most influential figures in Washington on foreign affairs and he advised Trump on matters such as the Iran war and Russia. On Friday, Graham had announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of Russia sanctions. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham also had a central role during Trump’s second term as Republicans pushed major legislation on party-line votes while holding a narrow 53-47 majority in the chamber. Under South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November. A new nominee will be selected in a special primary, which is required to be held within weeks of a vacancy. The winner
Classified .....................7D Living............................1D Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Lottery..........................2B Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
ä See GRAHAM, page 5A
13TH yEAR, NO. 335