www.thecentersquare.com – By Emilee Calametti | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-29 16:19:00
(The Center Square) — After over 50 years, an open desegregation case against Plaquemines Parish School Board filed by the U.S. Department of Justice was dismissed by efforts from Attorney General Liz Murrill and other representatives.
“After half a century of silence, the United States Department of Justice has dismissed the school desegregation case it filed against the Plaquemines Parish School Board back in 1966,” said Attorney General Liz Murrill. “Members of my solicitor general team recently met with representatives from the DOJ to express my and Governor Landry’s interest in starting to close out all of their remaining desegregation cases in Louisiana.”
The first-term GOP attorney general said the decision shows the recognition of the Plaquemines Parish School Board “operating “one system of schools” with no “effects of past discrimination” — and it has done so voluntarily without the need for court intervention.”
A vote was called April 17 by the school board to request assistance from the state Attorney General’s Office. The case dismissal was deemed historic by Board President Niko Tesvich and Superintendent Dr. Shelley Ritz Board. According to the news release, the dismissal was done voluntarily by the DOJ.
Gov. Jeff Landry thanked the President and many others in his statement.
“Thank you, President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, and their great team at USDOJ for ending this decades-long legal battle,” said Landry.
According to Landry, federal judges have set and imposed unnecessary requirements, costing schools and children millions of dollars. He is working to close other desegregation cases throughout the state as well.
The decision is an important step forward to Murrill when it comes to school boards across the state. She intends to work with other schools in similar cases to “put them in the past.”
“Louisiana got its act together decades ago, and it is past time to acknowledge how far we have come. America is back, and this Department of Justice is making sure the Civil Rights Division is correcting wrongs from the past and working for all Americans,” said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Civil Rights Division for the United States Department of Justice.
Emilee Ruth Calametti serves as staff reporter for The Center Square covering the Northwestern Louisiana region. She holds her M.A. in English from Georgia State University and soon, an additional M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Emilee has bylines in DIG Magazine, Houstonia Magazine, Bookstr, inRegister, The Click News, and the Virginia Woolf Miscellany.She is a Louisiana native with over seven years of journalism experience.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article primarily reports on the dismissal of a long-standing desegregation case involving the Plaquemines Parish School Board, highlighting statements from Republican officials such as Attorney General Liz Murrill and Governor Jeff Landry. The tone and language of the article lean towards a favorable portrayal of these GOP figures and their efforts to resolve the case, including positive framing of the Department of Justice’s decision and quotes that emphasize progress and fiscal responsibility. This framing suggests a Center-Right bias, as it aligns with conservative themes of reducing federal intervention and celebrating local governance autonomy, without overtly criticizing or endorsing opposing viewpoints. The article focuses on the actions and perspectives of the GOP officials involved rather than offering an explicitly balanced or critical examination, thus reflecting a Center-Right ideological stance rather than strict neutrality.
SUMMARY: Today’s weather forecast shows light showers and drizzle, mainly in parts of Union County and surrounding areas. Temperatures are in the mid-70s with a humid, muggy atmosphere. Cloud cover is increasing, and moisture from the southwest is affecting the region. Later today, temperatures will rise into the upper 80s and low 90s, with a chance for isolated thunderstorms, especially across southwest Arkansas. Severe weather is expected tomorrow, including high winds, hail, and possibly a tornado. Cooler temperatures are anticipated mid-week, with conditions clearing by Friday. Stay alert for any severe weather, especially tomorrow afternoon.
Clouds continue this morning and will stick around for most of the day. A low-pressure system will hold up to the north across the central plains where severe weather will be possible. For the ArkLaMiss, we sit just to the south of this system as warm and moist air continues to flow in with southerly winds. The system will track east tomorrow where we will see our best chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms. Isolated thunderstorms capable of producing high winds, hail and tornadoes will be possible during Tuesday afternoon into the evening hours along the frontal boundary. After the system passes, some slightly cooler and drier air will filter in making for some pleasant conditions during the mid and late week period.
SUMMARY: Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which has spread to his bones. Discovered following urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule, the cancer is described as more aggressive but hormone-sensitive, allowing for effective treatment options. Biden, 82, and his family are reviewing treatment plans with his doctors. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, with one in eight men diagnosed in their lifetime. Early detection provides various treatment options, although survival rates decrease if the cancer spreads. Biden’s health has been a consistent concern, and his “cancer moonshot” initiative aims to reduce cancer deaths.
lailluminator.com – Robert Faturechi, Brandon Roberts, ProPublica – 2025-05-18 12:02:00
On April 2, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million in Trump Media shares—the company behind Truth Social—coinciding with President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs that sharply dropped the stock market. Bondi’s sales occurred the same day Trump unveiled tariffs causing Trump Media’s stock to fall 13% before rebounding. It’s unclear if Bondi’s trades happened before or after the market closed or if she had nonpublic information, raising ethical concerns. Bondi, a former consultant for Trump Media’s SPAC, pledged to sell her shares within 90 days of confirmation, a deadline approaching in early May.
by Robert Faturechi and Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, Louisiana Illuminator May 18, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares of Trump Media the same day that President Donald Trump unveiled bruising new tariffs that caused the stock market to plummet, according to records obtained Wednesday by ProPublica.
Trump Media, which runs the social media platform Truth Social, fell 13% in the following days, before rebounding.
Trump’s “Liberation Day” press conference from the White House Rose Garden unveiling the tariffs came after the market closed on April 2. Bondi’s disclosure forms showing her Trump Media sales say the transactions were made on April 2 but do not disclose whether they occurred before or after the market closed.
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Trades by government officials informed by nonpublic information learned through work could violate the law. But cases against government officials are legally challenging, and in recent years judges have largely narrowed what constitutes illegal insider trading.
It’s unclear from the public record whether Bondi as attorney general would have known in advance any nonpublic details about the tariffs Trump was announcing that day. Trump, of course, publicly announced his plans to institute dramatic tariffs during the election campaign. But during the first weeks of his term, the market seemed to assume his campaign promises were bluster.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to questions about the trades.
The disclosure forms do not include the specific amount of stocks sold or their worth but instead provide a rough range. The documents do not say exactly what time she sold the shares or at what price. The company’s stock price closed on April 2 at $18.76 and opened the next morning, after the press conference, at $17.92 before falling more in the days ahead. In addition to selling between $1 million and $5 million worth of Trump Media shares, Bondi’s disclosure form shows she also sold between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of warrants in Trump Media, which typically give a holder the right to purchase the shares.
Bondi’s ownership of Trump Media shares has previously been disclosed. Before she became attorney general, Bondi was a consultant for Digital World Acquisition Corp., the special purpose acquisition company that merged with Trump Media to take the president’s social media company public.
As part of her ethics agreement, Bondi had pledged to sell her stake of Trump Media within 90 days of her confirmation, a deadline that would have allowed her until early May to sell the shares.
On April 1, Trump Media filed a disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission with details about holdings of various top shareholders, including Trump and Bondi. The purpose of the filing is unclear, as is whether it relates to Bondi’s sales the next day. It appeared to reregister for sale shares held by several of the company’s top shareholders.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This article reports on a situation involving Pam Bondi, a U.S. Attorney General, and the possible ethical implications of her stock trades in Trump Media during a critical market moment. The content is investigative in nature, focusing on the financial transactions and their potential conflicts of interest, particularly with regard to insider trading laws. The tone is factual and analytical, drawing attention to the legal and ethical concerns raised by the timing of Bondi’s sales. While the article raises questions about potential misconduct, it does not explicitly accuse her of wrongdoing, maintaining a neutral stance on the issue. The emphasis on transparency and public accountability aligns with a center-left perspective, which often supports scrutiny of public officials’ financial dealings.
