A year that shaped New Orleans: 2025 in photos
From the year’s biggest stories to its quieter moments, Verite News captured 2025 in photos.
Criminal Justice Rollback:
How Louisiana Is Keeping People in Prison
Devil’s Bargain:
How New Orleans was built by slave labor, made wealthy by slave trade and molded by the cultures of the enslaved
Justice
Murrill: NOPD is breaking laws if it doesn’t ‘fully cooperate’ with ICE, Border Patrol
Attorney General Liz Murrill told NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick that the department’s immigration policies ‘conflict with current state law.’
ENVIRONMENT
Mid-Barataria’s muddy end
Louisiana’s decision to kill the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, its cornerstone coastal restoration project, leaves the state without a clear plan as it faces some of the fastest rates of sea level rise on Earth.
government
Council set to green light $30 million power resiliency plan
New Orleans is poised to move towards a more sustainable power grid following a Tuesday (Dec. 16) meeting.
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Housing
River District developers inch closer to securing affordable housing amid uncertainty for the riverside development
Developers working on the River District say they are a step closer to delivering on their promise of affordable housing.
Education
Chase family tells parents to ‘stay put’ as OPSB questions future of the Leah Chase school
Members of Leah Chase’s family say they will reconsider giving NOLA Public Schools permission to use the iconic chef’s name if the district-run school is transferred to a charter group.
Health
‘The baby was completely gray’: Immigrants choose between health care and risk of deportation
More immigrants in New Orleans and Mississippi are skipping important health care appointments and experiencing heightened stress amid federal immigration raids.
Stay ready for Hurricane Season with our preparedness guide.
Back in the Day
Tammy C. Barney’s column on New Orleans history. Get the Newsletter→
More news
‘People will die’: Suspended FEMA employees say their agency isn’t delivering
FEMA employees who were suspended, reinstated, then suspended again fret over the agency “failing the American public.”
‘Catahoula Crunch’ has heightened fear for many immigrants. These groups are trying to support them.
Community organizations are supporting immigrants and their families amid “Catahoula Crunch” immigration operation through food deliveries, childcare, legal services and more.
Immigration crackdown leaves teens to care for siblings after parents get detained
An immigration crackdown in Louisiana has forced some teenagers to grow up fast after their parents were arrested by federal agents.
Deep South Today hosts virtual town hall on opioid settlement spending across the region
A behind-the-scenes look at how investigative journalists are tracking the opioid settlement.
No moves from New Orleans City Council to suspend Entergy shutoffs
Energy access advocates are asking City Council to freeze all Entergy New Orleans power disconnects through March 1, citing safety concerns due to cold weather.
Families ‘fearful’ of Border Patrol presence at annual toy distribution, Doll and Toy Fund board members say
The Times-Picayune Doll and Toy Fund marks 130 years this weekend, but members of the fund’s board of directors tell Verite News that families are worried about whether federal immigration agents in town for “Catahoula Crunch” will be present at the annual toy giveaway on Saturday.
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