Louisiana – WUVS 103.7 The Beat

Black Patient May Become First Person in Louisiana to Be Cured of Sickle Cell Disease

Nationwide — Daniel Cressy, a 22-year-old African American man from New Orleans, Louisiana, is hoping to make history as the first person in the state to be cured of sickle cell disease using a groundbreaking new gene therapy. Daniel, who dreams of one day becoming a pilot, has been told he can only obtain a pilot’s license if he is fully cured of the disease. On Wednesday, he began the first step toward that goal at Manning Family Children’s Hospital, […]

August 6, 2025

News

Battle over Black voter representation in Louisiana heads to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a case that could determine whether Louisiana will have to uphold a second majority-Black congressional district. The case more broadly will focus on the future enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as it relates to how race is legally considered in the drawing of district lines around the state and beyond. The consolidated cases, Louisiana v. Callais and Robinson v. Callais, are focused on a map first crafted by […]

March 24, 2025

News

New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom, the latest move from a GOP-dominated Legislature pushing a conservative agenda under a new governor. The legislation that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law on Wednesday requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. “If you want to respect the rule […]

June 20, 2024

Economy

19-Year-Old Black Teen Real Estate Broker From Louisiana Already Making Six Figures

Meet Shakira Scott, a 19-year-old African American teen real estate broker from Plaquemine, Louisiana, who has already earned six figures after just one year since starting her career. Her journey into the real estate industry began early with inspiration from her mom, who is also a real estate broker.Graduating high school at age 17, Shakira wasted no time diving into real estate. She took her pre-license real estate course while juggling her freshman year at Louisiana State University. Some questioned […]

June 11, 2024 1

News

New Louisiana law will criminalize approaching police under certain circumstances

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Critics of a new Louisiana law, which makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet (7.6 meters) of a police officer under certain circumstances, fear that the measure could hinder the public’s ability to film officers — a tool that has increasingly been used to hold police accountable. Under the law, anyone who is convicted of “knowingly or intentionally” approaching an officer, who is “lawfully engaged in the execution of his official duties,” and […]

May 30, 2024 1

News

Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district in 2024 vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections in 2024 using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that has majority Black populations in two of the state’s six congressional districts, potentially boosting Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the closely divided House of Representatives in the 2024 elections. The justices acted […]

May 17, 2024 1

News

Louisiana congressional map dispute could go to Supreme Court

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Voting rights advocates said Wednesday they will go to the Supreme Court in hopes of preserving a new majority Black congressional district in Louisiana for the fall elections, the latest step in a complicated legal fight that could determine the fate of political careers and the balance of power in the next Congress. A divided panel of federal judges on Tuesday rejected a map approved in January by an unusual alliance of Republicans, who dominate the […]

May 5, 2024 1

News

Henry Whitehorn elected first Black sheriff of Louisiana parish

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Months after his disputed one-vote victory in a Louisiana sheriff’s race was tossed by a court, a career law enforcement officer was decisively elected on his second try Saturday. Democratic candidate Henry Whitehorn got 53% of the vote in Saturday’s election in northwest Louisiana’s Caddo Parish. He’ll be the parish’s first Black sheriff. Returns from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office show Whitehorn defeated Republican John Nickelson — this time by more than 4,000 votes. Henry […]

March 29, 2024

News

Proposed Louisiana congressional map advances to the House with a second majority-Black district

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — With bipartisan support, a proposed Louisiana congressional map that would create a second majority-Black district sailed through the state Senate on Wednesday and will advance to the House chamber for debate. The Senate’s approval is a win for Democrats who have long demanded a second majority-minority district, arguing that the congressional map currently in place discriminates against Black voters, who make up one-third of Louisiana’s population. A second majority-Black district could also result in another Democratic seat in […]

January 18, 2024