Emily Woodruff

Poison at Play: Unsafe Levels of Lead Found in Half of New Orleans Playgrounds - KFF Health News Verite News’ reporters tested soil in more than 80 playgrounds for lead contamination. Even in trace amounts, lead exposure in children can result in lower IQs, learning challenges, and behavioral iss...

Over 15 years ago, playgrounds in New Orleans were giving children lead poisoning. The city undertook a remediation program. What's happened since?

“It’s a failed program,” said one expert.

bit.ly/3MdbMIo

From
@halleparker.bsky.social @tristanbaurick.bsky.social

Federal cuts leave Louisiana medical research gutted: 'We are on life support' The Trump administration’s abrupt shift in federal funding has reached into Louisiana’s research institutions.

Federal cuts leave Louisiana medical research gutted: 'We are on life support' www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/... via @emilywoodruff.bsky.social #lalege

He Became the Face of Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement. Now He’s Fed Up With It. A 54-year-old mechanic called Pathways to Coverage a “great program” at the governor’s press conference. But after getting kicked off the health insurance program for low-income Georgians twice, burea...

A 54-year-old mechanic agreed to promote Georgia's Medicaid work requirement program.

A year later, he says he was left "like a mushroom in the dark" after being kicked off the program twice due to paperwork issues.

www.propublica.org/article/geor...

@propublica.org

Louisiana receives millions a year in opioid settlement funds, but audit says there's no oversight No one is charged with enforcing requirements for hundreds of millions in Louisiana's opioid settlement money.

Louisiana receives millions a year in opioid settlement funds, but legislative auditor's office says there's no oversight www.nola.com/news/healthc... via @emilywoodruff.bsky.social #lalege

Federal and State Workers in Louisiana: We Want to Hear From You We would like to hear about your experience as a federal or state employee working in Louisiana under a second Trump administration. We may follow up about your submission, but we will not publish any...

🚨 Are you a federal or state employee in Louisiana?

I want to understand how federal cuts are affecting day-to-day work in our state.

We won’t publish anything without permission.

📬 forms.gle/Sr9zL4WRUrP6...

DMs open, or you can reach me on Signal at 850-445-0335.

I do. 850-445-0335

I'm looking to connect with people who have Medicaid coverage but weren’t eligible before the state's expansion — or those concerned they might lose coverage due to potential cuts. If this is you or someone you know, I’d love to hear your story. Feel free to reach out or share.

Today I feel very proud to be part of @nolanews.bsky.social. We've been hit with everything you could imagine over the last month - a terrorist attack, historic snowstorms and now the Super Bowl - and every time we've worked so hard to deliver incredible journalism. Some examples:

Where is bird flu in Louisiana? What we know about the outbreak and response The soaring price of eggs is a ripple effect of an ongoing outbreak of avian influenza, also known as H5N1 or bird flu, which has spread from wild birds to dairy and poultry farms, infected cats, and ...

Where is bird flu in Louisiana? What we know about the outbreak and response www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/... via @emilywoodruff.bsky.social #lalege

Louisiana grand jury indicts N.Y. doctor who allegedly prescribed abortion pill to minor A Port Allen grand jury on Friday indicted a New York doctor after she filled an online prescription request for for an abortion pill. A warrant has been issued for the doctor's arrest, the district a...

A New York doctor has been indicted in Louisiana for allegedly prescribing abortion pills online to a minor. This is the first known case of its kind in the state.

www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...

From a journalist friend: Just spreading the word. The CDC is purging data, so people should archive their favorite CDC datasets today, namely ones around race/ethnic diversity, LGBTQ, and reproductive health. Also health data involving climate. The youth risk behavior survey has already gone down.

Free books in the mail for New Orleans kids, thanks to Dolly Parton-inspired krewe See how to sign up your child for a free monthly book delivery.

“I just imagine all these little faces as the mail person is coming with something just for them. There is a level of pride and joy that will come with them being able to grow their own library.”

New Orleans kids can now sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

www.nola.com/news/educati...

'No peace': Bourbon Street attack survivors speak on pain and how they're forever changed Dozens injured in the Bourbon Street attack are irrevocably altered, with a long road ahead as they attempt to heal. People in their 20s are learning how to walk again. Others are undergoing grueling ...

57 people were injured in the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans. They survived, but they are forever changed by their injuries, grief and guilt. @nolanews.bsky.social

www.nola.com/news/crime_p...

In New Orleans since New Year's Day, journalists have worked tirelessly to find, vet and share information about the attack that killed 14 on Bourbon Street.

Here are highlights of some of that vital reporting (in no particular order). 🧵 #lalege #lagov

'She was very loved.' Family, friends remember joyful mother killed in New Year's Day attack She is remembered by her family and friends as a joyful, spontaneous person who loved to joke, laugh and dance. The single mother was devoted to her five-year-old son.

Yesterday, friends and family gathered to remember Nicole Perez, a 27-year-old devoted single mom whose life was cut short on New Year's Day.

www.nola.com/news/crime_p...

They got $23 million and a presidential visit. What's next for Tulane's Cancer Moonshot project? “We’re being scrappy," team lead for Tulane's cancer research contract Dr. J. Quincy Brown said. “It’s a white whale. This problem is so freaking hard.”

An uplifting story and a reminder that so many people are working to make good things happen in New Orleans.
@nolanews.bsky.social @tulanemedicine.bsky.social

www.nola.com/entertainmen...

Here's a list of people killed in New Orleans Bourbon Street attack on New Year's Day Officials have not yet released a list of names, but here's what we know so far.

More victim identifications are trickling out. They were so young, most on the cusp of adulthood or just starting their careers. They all had plans.

www.nola.com/news/crime_p...

Blood donation needs surge after mass casualty event in New Orleans The Blood Center of New Orleans is urgently calling for blood donations after a mass casualty event on New Year's Day left 10 dead and 35 injured, depleting local blood supplies.

The Blood Center of New Orleans is asking for blood donations in the wake of the Bourbon Street attack.

Details from @emilywoodruff.bsky.social

www.nola.com/news/crime_p...

Bourbon Street mass shooting witness describes dodging vehicle, hearing gunshots “As you’re walking down the street, you can just look and see bodies, just bodies of people, just bleeding, broken bones.”

Terrible account of Bourbon Street mass casualty attack from a witness @nolanews.bsky.social

“As you’re walking down the street, you can just look and see bodies, just bodies of people, just bleeding, broken bones.”

www.nola.com/news/crime_p...

What is bird flu, and how did it get to a Louisiana patient? Here's how it spreads to humans. Farmers, duck hunters and others should take extra precautions handling animals and animal products

How did bird flu infect a Louisiana patient?

“The way that this would happen is that the wild birds would bring the disease to the backyard chickens,” said Mark Mitchell, LSU veterinary epidemiologist. “The backyard chicken would then expose the human.”

www.nola.com/news/healthc...

Louisiana ranks No. 1 for flu in the U.S., expert says RSV is ‘off the charts’ At Children’s Hospital New Orleans, that has resulted in a full hospital across departments. The hospital has 34 NICU beds and currently 50 babies in need of care.

Louisiana ranks No. 1 for flu in the U.S., expert says RSV is ‘off the charts’ (from @emilywoodruff.bsky.social) www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/... #lalege

First human case of bird flu in Louisiana detected The person is from southwest Louisiana and currently hospitalized.

ICYMI: Louisiana detected its first human case of bird flu. The person had recently been around sick and dead birds -- a combination of "backyard and wild birds," according to LDH.

bit.ly/3BIX0Ux

Companies tighten security after a health care CEO's killing leads to a surge of threats The killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York has prompted health care companies to rethink and increase security for executives. Big health insurers have taken down photos of their top

Health care companies are tightening security after the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.

Two Louisiana companies -- Ochsner and Louisiana Blue -- have scrubbed exec profiles from websites. Ochsner said it was not in response to security issues.

bit.ly/4ffysAm

Dolphins in the Gulf have fentanyl under their skin. What does it mean for humans? About one-third of dolphins studied had drugs detectable in their blubber. How did it get there?

Dolphins near Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas were found to have fentanyl, sedatives and muscle relaxant residue in their blubber, study shows.

www.nola.com/news/environ...

What's causing that cough? These illnesses are on the rise among Louisiana kids These illnesses might be causing your child's cough.

As the parent of a toddler in daycare, I've been doing some on-the-ground reporting for this story, one might say. www.nola.com/news/healthc...

What We Know About the Killing of Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare C.E.O.

The words "delay" and "deny" were reportedly found on bullet casings in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing: nytimes.com/2024/12/04/n...

(Other outlets are reporting that the words are "deny," "defend" and "depose.")