Halle Parker • Journalist

3. Could Louisiana do more to help residents evacuate in the era of rapidly intensifying hurricanes?

20 Years After Katrina, Louisiana Still Struggles With Evacuation Plans That Minimize Health Risks - Verite News New Orleans As the climate changes, hurricanes are intensifying more quickly, leaving Louisiana’s current mass evacuation plan in limbo. But transportation officials say the price is too high to switch to methods...

Could Louisiana do more to help residents evacuate in the era of rapidly intensifying hurricanes? A state task force thought so.

I dove into one of their big recommendations: widen Louisiana highways so shoulders can act as temporary travel lanes.

Similar "evaculanes" are used in Texas & Florida.

Fueling Knowledge: Part One Universities have grown cozy with the oil and gas industry. In Louisiana, one college’s bond dates back nearly a century.

A fine two-part podcast series that explores the century-old bond between the petrochemical industry and Louisiana’s flagship university. ‪‪What is the price of oil-and-gas money? @halleparker.bsky.social @piperhutch.bsky.social @pradtke.bsky.social @wwno.org @floodlightnews.org @lailluminator.com

I'm really thankful for the recognition from fellow reporters covering climate and environmental issues. I'm also thankful to the @pulitzercenter.org for taking a chance and funding this globetrotting project. It was my biggest reporting idea yet and I'm so proud of the project.

Check it out!

All Gassed Up WWNO IN NEW ORLEANS & WRKF IN BATON ROUGE | AUDIO Carlyle Calhoun & Halle Parker

In this three-episode series for NPR-affiliate stations in Louisiana (@wwno.org & WRKF), journalists Carlyle Calhoun and @halleparker.bsky.social take a big swing at liquified natural gas, also known as methane gas, a major source of atmospheric carbon. 🎧: www.wwno.org/podcast/sea-...

Study: Heatwaves in New Orleans may trigger spikes in domestic violence-related calls - Verite News New Orleans The study reviewed more than 150,000 domestic violence calls over 10 years to the New Orleans Police Department.

Extended heatwaves in New Orleans have been linked to an increase in domestic-violence calls in a new study. More on the study from @halleparker.bsky.social on @veritenews.org.

veritenews.org/2025/09/09/n...

Wow, that's a longgg journey to Montgomery. Sounds like some funny company to have

CALLING LOUISIANIANS! How long were you stuck in traffic when evacuating for Hurricane Laura or Hurricane Ida? When did you leave? Any health concerns while evacuating?

(I'm a journalist working on a story and I'd love to hear from you!)

Louisiana Upholds Its HIV Exposure Law as Other States Change or Repeal Theirs - KFF Health News State lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to extend the law this year to cover the intentional exposure of other sexually transmitted infections.

4/4: At least 4,400 people in 14 states have been arrested under these laws, though data is limited and the actual number is likely higher, and the arrests aren’t decreasing.

@halleparker.bsky.social, @veritenews.org + KFF Health News: bit.ly/4lE8Pgx

3/4: “I’ve been undetectable for 15 years, but that law still punishes us,” Smith said.

For nearly two decades, Smith had dealt with the stigma associated with having HIV; the registry added another layer of exclusion, severely restricting where he could live and work to avoid minors

2/4: Louisiana is one of 30 states with criminal penalties related to exposing or transmitting HIV.

Most of the laws were passed in the 1980s during the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. Since then, several states have amended or repealed their laws.

But Louisiana’s law remains among the harshest.

🧵After an ex-girlfriend accused Robert Smith of a felony called "intentional exposure to HIV," he accepted a plea deal to spend six months in prison without realizing the conviction would also land him on the sex offender registry.

Louisiana upholds its HIV exposure law as other states change or repeal theirs • Louisiana Illuminator Louisiana is one of 30 states with criminal penalties related to HIV exposure. Most were created in the 1980s during the AIDS epidemic.

"I've been undetectable for 15 years, but that law still punishes us."

"Public health officials maintain that [..] laws criminalizing HIV exposure hurt efforts to end the HIV epidemic."

"Black people made up nearly three-quarters of the people convicted."
#Louisiana #USA #Healthcare #Incarceration

For more from Halle Parker: @halleparker.bsky.social
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Find Louisiana Illuminator here: @lailluminator.com
Find Verite News here: @veritenews.org

Louisiana upholds its HIV exposure law as other states change or repeal theirs State lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to extend the law this year to cover the intentional exposure of other sexually transmitted infections.

When Robert Smith and his girlfriend broke up, she accused him of breaking a Louisiana law criminalizing the intentional exposure of a person to HIV. —in partnership with @kffhealthnews.org veritenews.org/2025/07/18/l...

Big thanks to SEJ member Alix Underwood for taking over for us today! ICYMI, check out her #SEJSpotlight thread below. More on Alix and her work: www.sej.org/sejspotlight...

Join Alix in our incredible network of environmental journalists, educators, students and more — apply today: sej.org/join

How do we visualize the climate crisis? At #20CongressoAbraji, SEJ board member Michael Kodas of @insideclimatenews.org shares how photojournalism and audiovisual storytelling can powerfully capture this defining story of our time. congresso.abraji.org.br/mesa/cobrind...

What forces shape climate talks behind closed doors? SEJ board members @bobbymagill.bsky.social and @bykarlamendes.bsky.social dive into lobbying power at @cop30brazil.bsky.social at this week’s #20CongressoAbraji @abraji.bsky.social.

congresso.abraji.org.br/mesa/o-lobby...

SEJ Secretary @mollypeterson.bsky.social moderates today’s #20CongressoAbraji session with Brazil’s Environment Minister @marinasilva.bsky.social and @uol.com.br's @thais-bilenky.bsky.social‬ on climate diplomacy, balancing development & press freedom ahead of @cop30nobrasil.bsky.social.

congresso.abraji.org.br/mesa/rumo-a-cop30-desafios-e-pressoes-da-politica-ambiental-brasileira

SEJ board members are on the ground at #20CongressoAbraji! @mongabay.com’s @bykarlamendes.bsky.social, @insideclimatenews.org’s Michael Kodas, @bloomberglaw.com’s @bobbymagill.bsky.social, @mollypeterson.bsky.social are sharing insights on panels, special Abraji membership details at our table (2/2)

As Brazil's largest journalism conference takes off in São Paulo, SEJ celebrates our partnership with the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism @abraji.bsky.social, advancing investigative environmental reporting throughout Latin America (1/2)
congresso.abraji.org.br

Congratulations to @tristanbaurick.bsky.social & @halleparker.bsky.social of @veritenews.org; @bwd.bsky.social of @star-telegram.com; @maxfilby.dispatch.com of @dispatch.com who will tackle lead poisoning, emissions data and radon, respectively ...

New outlets are literally giving more smoke to a candidate for A LOCAL ELECTION who wants to pilot 5 state owned grocery stores, fix vendor licenses and raise taxes on the rich by 2% then Trump literally doing fascism

Iranian immigrant who has lived in New Orleans nearly 50 years arrested outside Lakeview home Federal agents arrested an Iranian woman who has lived in the United States for more than four decades outside her Lakeview home Sunday.

Federal agents arrested an Iranian woman who has lived in the United States for more than four decades outside her Lakeview home Sunday.

UMC nurses rally against move to terminate union organizer Dozens of unionized nurses at University Medical Center gathered Monday (June 16) to protest an alleged attempt by the hospital to terminate a prominent nurse and union organizer.

Nurses at University Medical Center rallied yesterday to support a nurse and union organizer who is at risk of being terminated by the hospital administration. More for
@veritenews.org ews.org rom @madhri.bsky.social.

veritenews.org/2025/06/17/u...

Buzzzzzzzzz Something to actually do about insect decline

"To our untrained eye, a corn field looks more 'natural' than an array of solar panels. But a corn field is a biological desert ... Put up some solar panels, and add some plants that only need to be mowed once a year or so (sometimes with sheep) and you see an explosion of life."

Hi! I am Olga Loginova, a freelance environmental journalist from Brooklyn, and the producer and host of Leaving the Island, an investigative podcast about the resettlement of an entire island in Louisiana. Honored to be in this week’s #SEJSpotlight! www.audiation.fm/leaving-the-...

NPR wants to hear from interracial couples to commemorate Loving Day Loving Day, the landmark case that overturned U.S. state laws against interracial marriage, is on June 12. NPR wants to hear from people who celebrate this day.

Loving Day, the landmark case that overturned U.S. state laws against interracial marriage, is on June 12. NPR wants to hear from people who celebrate this day.

Lawsuit alleges Louisiana law undermines community air monitoring - Verite News New Orleans Environmental justice groups say the state law has had a chilling effect on their work.

Environmental groups are suing over a new Louisiana law that makes it harder for residents to share data collected about air pollution near refineries and chemical plants.

By @halleparker.bsky.social

veritenews.org/2025/05/23/l...