SUMMARY: Catholic cardinals elected Robert Prevost, a Chicago-born Augustinian missionary and former Peruvian bishop, as the 267th pope, naming him Leo XIV. He emphasized peace, dialogue, and missionary evangelization in his first address. Prevost is the first U.S. pope, a breakthrough given historical resistance, partly due to his dual U.S.-Peruvian citizenship. A close ally and successor to Pope Francis, Prevost pioneered reforms including adding women to Vatican voting ranks. His papacy signals continuity with Francis’ vision and echoes the social justice legacy of Leo XIII. The election thrilled Catholics worldwide, marking a significant moment amid global turmoil.

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Flowers grow Dec. 15, 2022, in front of the University of New Orleans sign on Lakeshore Drive. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator)

Louisiana legislators are advancing legislation to move the University of New Orleans, which has struggled with enrollment and finances, back into the LSU System.

Senate Bill 202 by Sen. Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans, unanimously cleared the Senate Education committee Thursday. The bill would reverse the action legislators took 14 years ago to move UNO to the University of Louisiana System from the LSU System, where it had operated since the university was founded in 1958. 

The university’s possible return to LSU’s control is in response to UNO’s acute budget crisis. The school faces a $10 million budget shortfall and has implemented a spending freeze, layoffs and staff furloughs in an attempt to make ends meet. 

UNO administrators have kept open the possibility of further layoffs and furloughs. Its budget crisis is largely tied to enrollment. The school had a student body of around 17,000 before Hurricane Katrina, with an immediate drop to around 6,000 after the storm. For the fall 2024 semester, its total enrollment was 6,488. 

Unlike UNO, every school in the LSU System has reported enrollment increases over the past few years, in contrast to nationwide trends of declining student numbers on college campuses. 

One notable opponent of the UNO transfer is Julie Stokes, a University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors member and former Republican state representative from Kenner. She also earned an accounting degree from UNO.

Stokes raised concerns that there is no transition plan yet for the system switch. Harris’ bill requires one, but not until April 1, 2026. That would be after an Aug. 1, 2025, deadline UNO President Kathy Johnson is required to meet to notify the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges of its intent to transfer systems. The association is the accrediting body for UNO and other schools in the region, providing assurance that its educational offerings meet high standards. 

Stokes also objected to the composition of the transition team in Harris’ legislation. It calls for a committee made up of “stakeholders from the Greater New Orleans region” and members of the legislature’s two education committees. Stokes said she believed the committee should include members of the LSU and University of Louisiana system boards. 

The Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees all higher education in the state, has already approved the transfer. Shortly after the Regents gave their approval, Johnson said in an interview with the Illuminator that she was “agnostic” on the plan. She declined to answer questions Thursday as she left the Senate Committee on Education meeting with Stokes. 

At the time of the system switch in 2011, UNO alumni and boosters applauded the plan, as many felt the university was overshadowed in the LSU System.

UNO would be the only institution in the LSU System classified as an R2 university, meaning it has high levels of research activity, second only to LSU’s main campus, which is a R1 school with the highest research activity rating. 

In the University of Louisiana System, there are two other schools with research-level rankings: the University of Louisiana Lafayette, an R1, and Louisiana Tech, an R2. 

UNO would also be the only other school in the LSU System with an NCAA Division I athletics program.

Harris’ bill will next be discussed by the Senate.

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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: Centrist

The content presents a balanced and factual report on the legislative efforts to move the University of New Orleans back into the LSU System. It includes perspectives from both supporters and opponents of the bill and focuses on practical issues like budgetary constraints, enrollment trends, and administrative concerns without promoting a partisan agenda. The coverage is informative and neutral, reflecting a centrist approach to the topic.

SUMMARY: The morning forecast for Thursday, May 8th, starts with mostly clear skies and no significant rain despite a slight cold front passing through. Patchy to dense fog is present, especially in Greenville and Chico County, with a dense fog advisory until 9 a.m. Temperatures range from mid-50s to upper 70s, influenced by the frontal boundary. Winds shifting west bring drier air, but rain chances will linger later in the week due to a low-pressure system south of the region. Isolated showers are possible Friday and Saturday, with a drier and warmer trend expected next week, reaching mid-80s.

Partly cloudy skies as the clouds have snuck back in for some. Others may be experiencing some patchy to dense fog as fog advisories have been put out for areas off to the northeast.

Today, some areas could wake up to some patchy fog while others wake up to none at all. Our system is still lingering with in the region continuing to bring rain chances, but with weak forcing along the front, chances are spotty at best and mainly to the east. Others see a mix of sun and clouds with highs reaching the mid 80s and winds are light out of the west.

Tonight, cloud cover may stay away for the early part of the night along with the rain. However, a boundary lingers just south of the area allowing cloud cover to slowly increase overnight into the morning hours. Rain chances may also increase early tomorrow morning morning as well, but most stay dry overnight. Lows fall into the low to mid 60s with light winds out of the northwest.

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