Louisiana

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DOJ: Scientist's Texts on Frog Embryos Did Her In
Judge:
Let Detained
Scientist
Out on Bail
UPDATED
May 29, 2025 7:00 AM CDT

Judge: Let Detained Scientist Out on Bail

Russian-born Harvard researcher accused of sneaking lab samples through Boston airport

(Newser) - A federal judge says a Harvard scientist from Russia should be released on bail after she was detained by immigration officials, reports the New York Times . "There does not seem to be either a factual or legal basis for the immigration officer's actions" against Kseniia Petrova, the judge...

Man Dies Rushing to Scene of Fiancee's Fatal Crash

The tragedy in Louisiana leaves a 4-year-old boy without his parents

(Newser) - A 4-year-old in Louisiana has been left an orphan after his engaged parents died in separate car crashes, two hours apart. Alexus Lee's SUV overturned after hitting a culvert in Zachary around 2am on May 16, according to state police . She was pronounced dead at the scene, per People...

Jail Worker Accused in Escape: Inmate Said He'd 'Shank' Me

Sterling Williams' explanation revealed as a fifth escapee is captured in New Orleans

(Newser) - A maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish jail says he helped 10 inmates escape after being threatened by one of them, according to an arrest warrant. As authorities race to capture the remaining five fugitives, questions are swirling about how such a large-scale jailbreak unfolded with inside assistance. Sterling...

Worker Charged With Assisting in Jailbreak

Employee Sterling Williams charged with aiding mass breakout from New Orleans jail

(Newser) - Indications that Friday's jailbreak in Louisiana was an inside job have been confirmed by authorities, who've charged an employee with assisting the 10 escapees. Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, turned from jail employee to inmate on Tuesday as he was booked into...

Louisiana Jailers: We Told You the Locks Were Bad

Sheriff's officials asked for funding days before inmates escaped

(Newser) - Days before 10 men broke out of a Louisiana jail, officials asked for funding to fix faulty locks and cell doors, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said. The investigation into the Friday jailbreak—which the escapees labeled as "easy" in a message scrawled on a cell wall above the...

Louisiana Officials Trace Inmates' Escape

FBI offers reward in search for seven fugitives, who may have left the state by now

(Newser) - Seven inmates remained on the run Sunday after a bold escape from New Orleans' main jail, as authorities race to find them and investigate what they said appears to be an inside job. Officials said the fugitives, who were awaiting trial on charges including murder and burglary, may have...

10 Inmates on the Run After Big Jail Escape in Louisiana

One other detainee was caught in New Orleans' French Quarter

(Newser) - Police in Louisiana are searching for 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish jail—now that an 11th has been caught after a foot chase in New Orleans' French Quarter. The men, who were awaiting trial, were discovered missing at 8:30am Friday during a regular head count, NBC...

Fire Guts South's Largest Antebellum Mansion

Former plantation house in Louisiana was completed in 1859

(Newser) - A towering Louisiana mansion that once stood as the South's largest surviving antebellum home was gutted by fire Thursday, wiping out a piece of American history along the Mississippi River. The cause of the blaze at Nottoway Plantation House, around 65 miles northwest of New Orleans remains under...

Court to ICE: Send Detained College Student to Vermont

Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk has been held in Louisiana detention center for 6 weeks

(Newser) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a judge's order to bring a Turkish Tufts University student from a Louisiana immigration detention center back to New England for hearings to determine whether her rights were violated and if she should be released. Denying a government request for a delay,...

One State Is Best in America for 3rd Year Straight

US News & World Report puts Utah at the top of its list

(Newser) - For the third year in a row, the Beehive State has topped the list of America's best US states to live in, per US News & World Report's annual rankings. To suss out the most (and least) competitive contenders, the outlet looked at all 50 Nifty using 70-plus...

States With the Biggest Drug Problem

New Mexico holds dubious No. 1 spot in WalletHub rankings, with Hawaii logging the least drug use

(Newser) - There's been some positive movement in the US on fighting drug overdose deaths in recent years, but the war on drugs continues to rage on, particularly in some states. WalletHub looked at all 50 states and the District of Columbia to try to suss out where the problem is...

Faulting Forensic Analysis, Judge Drops Murder Conviction

Jimmie Duncan's lawyers liken bite mark conclusions to 'junk science' in Louisiana murder case

(Newser) - A Louisiana man who has spent nearly three decades on death row has had his conviction overturned by a district judge following a review of forensic analysis that the inmate's legal team argued was based on "junk science." Jimmie Duncan was convicted of first-degree murder in 1998...

NFL Draft Prospect Dead in Apparent Suicide

Former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy found dead following a police chase

(Newser) - Former Louisiana State University wide receiver Kyren Lacy has died in an apparent suicide in Texas after he was chased by police late Saturday night. Harris County authorities said they were pursuing Lacy when he crashed his vehicle in Houston. Officers approached the vehicle and found Lacy had died in...

Louisiana Voters Reject Constitutional Amendments

Republican governor blames 'far left liberals'

(Newser) - Louisiana voters soundly rejected four constitutional amendments championed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry related to crime, courts, and finances. Voters said no to each amendment by margins exceeding 60%, according to preliminary results the secretary of state's office released after voting concluded Saturday evening.
  • Landry and his allies had
...

Woman Charged With Murder in Death of Super Bowl Reporter

Danette Colbert already faced property crime charges

(Newser) - The woman arrested in connection with the death of a TV reporter who was found in his New Orleans hotel room while he was in the city to cover the Super Bowl has now been charged with second-degree murder. Danette Colbert, 48, had previously been charged with robbing victim Adan...

Louisiana Carries Out First Execution With Nitrogen Gas

Jessie Hoffman Jr. is first person state has executed in 15 years

(Newser) - Louisiana used nitrogen gas to put a man to death Tuesday evening for a killing decades ago, marking the first time the state has used the method as it resumed executions after a 15-year hiatus. Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46, was pronounced dead at 6:50pm at the Louisiana State Penitentiary,...

Cops: Louisiana Frat Pledge Killed by Repeated Punches

A 23-year-old suspect faces charges of manslaughter and criminal hazing

(Newser) - Police believe a 20-year-old fraternity pledge at a Louisiana college who died after attending an off-campus event was repeatedly punched with boxing gloves during a hazing ritual. The New York Times reports Caleb Wilson, a student at Southern University and pledge at Omega Psi Phi, is believed to have been...

Powerful Storms Threaten Mardi Gras

New Orleans warns celebrations could be canceled at the last minute

(Newser) - Powerful storms with a threat of tornadoes are expected to punch through Louisiana and other parts of the South on Tuesday just as costumed revelers celebrate Mardi Gras in the streets of New Orleans and other cities in the region. New Orleans moved up its two biggest Mardi Gras Day...

Longtime Death-Row Inmate Dies Ahead of March Execution

'Justice should have been delivered long ago,' Louisiana AG says of death of 81-year-old inmate

(Newser) - The oldest inmate on Louisiana's death row, a terminally ill man convicted of killing his young stepson in the early '90s, has died, just weeks before he was set to be executed. The state's Department of Public Safety and Corrections announced that 81-year-old Christopher Sepulvado died Saturday...

States Where People Spend Less on Groceries

Consumers in Jersey spend the least, while those in Mississippi are paying the most, per WalletHub

(Newser) - With inflation rising and increasing prices for products like eggs making headlines, it's natural to want to cut your supermarket bill as much as possible. WalletHub used recent data from the US Census Bureau and Council for Community and Economic Research to assess the cost of a variety of...

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