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Source: First responders requested emergency alert at least 90 minutes before it was sent

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www.youtube.com – KSAT 12 – 2025-07-08 22:18:11

SUMMARY: On July 4th, during rapidly rising floodwaters in Kerr County, first responders requested an emergency “Code Red” alert around 4:22 AM to warn residents. However, the official system was not activated until nearly six hours later, around 10 AM. Despite having the capability to send mass alerts, approval from supervisors was required, causing delays. Kerr County officials acknowledged the complexity of issuing alerts, with the sheriff stating it’s “not that easy” to just push a button. Meanwhile, families faced growing death tolls and missing persons, with search and rescue efforts still ongoing amid questions about earlier warnings and emergency preparedness.

First responders requested a Code Red Alert nearly six hours before it was issued, a source confirmed with KSAT.

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Morning Forecast – Wednesday, July 9th

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www.youtube.com – KTVE – 2025-07-09 08:57:53

SUMMARY: Morning Forecast for Wednesday, July 9th from Shawl Pryor on FOX 14: Showers and thunderstorms from Tuesday dissipated before midnight as a frontal boundary stalled just to the north. Showers and storms will redevelop around lunchtime and persist into the afternoon, weakening after sunset. The stalled front may bring continued rain chances through Thursday. Temperatures will remain in the lower 90s, climbing toward the weekend with heat indices reaching triple digits. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are likely near and north of the I-20 Corridor late tonight due to an upper trough and high moisture levels. Storm coverage will decrease by Friday with drier air moving in, leading to hotter and less stormy conditions.

Most of the showers and t-storms from yesterday completely dissipated prior to midnight. A frontal boundary will sit just to our north. More showers and t-storms will develop around lunchtime and continue into the afternoon. Most of these storms will weaken after sunset, but the stalled front may help to keep more rain chances in the forecast for tomorrow. Temperatures will stay in the lower 90’s but begin their climb for this weekend. Heat indices will climb into the triple digits.

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Get ready to pass through US airport security checkpoints with your shoes on your feet

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wgno.com – MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press – 2025-07-08 16:04:00

SUMMARY: For the first time in nearly 20 years, travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, announced TSA Secretary Kristi Noem. This rule, established after the 2001 “shoe bomber” incident, will be phased out starting Sunday at many airports and soon expanded nationwide. Previously, only TSA PreCheck members could keep their shoes on. The TSA, created post-9/11 to enhance airport security, continues improving traveler experience with measures like facial recognition and Real ID enforcement. Noem’s policy aims to simplify security checks, reduce wait times, and boost passenger satisfaction.

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With brand new members, Louisiana board votes to oust local lead public defenders

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lailluminator.com – Julie O’Donoghue – 2025-07-07 22:10:00


The Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board voted 5-4 to uphold the dismissal of five lead public defenders, amid recent board member turnovers. The attorneys, who allege retaliation and gender discrimination by State Public Defender Rémy Starns, plan to sue the Landry administration. None faced negative reviews, and non-renewal of chief public defender contracts is rare. The board’s composition shifted to predominantly white members after six resignations. Critics argue Starns’ decision undermines independence and justice. Starns denies discrimination claims and declined to explain the firings, asserting no legal obligation to do so. The dispute highlights tensions over control and accountability within Louisiana’s public defense system.

by Julie O’Donoghue, Louisiana Illuminator
July 7, 2025

The Louisiana Public Defender Oversight Board voted 5-4 Monday to uphold the ouster of five attorneys who lead local public defender offices. The decision follows the replacement of more than half of the board’s members over the past six weeks.

The vote means the attorneys won’t be returning to their jobs anytime soon, but it doesn’t end their dispute with Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration. 

“This wasn’t so much the board’s decision as it was the governor’s decision in my opinion,” Rick Schroeder, a New Orleans area lawyer representing the dismissed attorneys, said in an interview. 

The ousted attorneys appear to be gearing up to sue the Landry administration and their former boss, State Public Defender Rémy Starns. 

Starns became state public defender in 2020 when former Gov. John Bel Edwards was in office and was reappointed last year by Landry. The lawyers allege he took away their jobs because they spoke out against him in front of the public defender board and state lawmakers. They’ve also accused him of targeting women for retribution. 

They include Michelle AndrePont of Caddo Parish, Brett Brunson of Natchitoches Parish, Deirdre Fuller of Rapides Parish, Trisha Ward of Evangeline Parish and John Hogue, who worked in Madison, Tensas and East Carroll parishes. 

“I’ve opposed every one of his efforts to seize power because I believe in independence, accountability and justice,” AndrePont told the board Monday. “I have lost my job, but I will not lose my voice, and I will not lose my integrity.” 

In June, Starns denied allegations of gender discrimination, though he hasn’t offered an explanation as to why he dismissed the attorneys. He has said he is not legally required to share his reasons for not renewing the attorneys’ annual contracts, which expired July 1. 

None of the terminated lawyers received negative performance reviews or problematic office audits while in their jobs. It is rare for chief public defenders contracts to not be renewed.

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Jean Faria, who was state public defender from 2008-13 and continued to work with the office through 2020, testified Monday before the board. During her time with the agency, no lead local public defenders had their contract renewals rejected without cause, she said.    

For weeks, Starns’ decision to remove the attorneys has given rise to consternation within the public defender board. Six of its nine members have resigned since the end of May, as the board’s vote over whether to intervene in the dismissals became unavoidable. 

The board was forced to reschedule its decision on the terminations three times in the past three weeks. Until Monday, not enough board members were showing up to legally take a vote. 

The five members who voted to uphold Starns’ decision to fire the attorneys have only joined the board in the last month. Three had never attended a board meeting before Monday, and the other two had only been to one previous meeting on June 16. 

The four board members who voted against Starns’ decision have been with the board for over a year. 

Starns didn’t attend the board meeting in person Monday, even though he was out in the hallway yards away from the meeting room entrance as it convened. When the board members took a recess, Starns walked by and looked through a door window into the meeting room but didn’t enter. 

When a reporter asked him in the hallway why he wasn’t attending meeting, Starns said he was watching it remotely.

As a result of the recent board resignations, its makeup changed. A few weeks ago, the board included three Black members. Now, eight of its nine members are white, though a third of Louisiana’s population is Black and many of the people who rely on public defense are not white. 

Its only Black member, Baton Rouge attorney Adrejia Boutte, was one of three nominees submitted by the public defender and state criminal defense attorney associations for Landry’s selection last year. She had also served on a previous public defender board during the Edwards administration.

The board also went from having five retired state judges as members, to just three.

Its newest members include: 

  • Mary Devereux, a retired district court judge who worked in St. Tammany and Washington parishes and was appointed to the board by the Supreme Court; 
  • Kevin Landreneau, a Baton Rouge attorney appointed by Louisiana Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie
  • Medlock Harbison, a New Orleans-area attorney appointed by House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice.

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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.

The post With brand new members, Louisiana board votes to oust local lead public defenders appeared first on 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 leans center-left by highlighting concerns about potential political interference and lack of transparency in the ousting of public defenders under Governor Jeff Landry’s administration. The framing emphasizes the perspective of the dismissed attorneys and critics who question the fairness and diversity of the Public Defender Oversight Board’s recent changes. It underscores allegations of retaliation and discrimination, as well as shifts in board membership that raise equity concerns. While presenting factual details and some statements from officials, the article’s focus on potential abuses of power and the defenders’ integrity aligns with a center-left viewpoint favoring government accountability and justice system fairness.

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