Big, bad news about flood insurance prices

with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editor

Good morning! Here are a few important stories we published recently.

Flood insurance costs

The federal government is overhauling its flood insurance program, and that's going to cause massive fluctuations in what people pay. Some in Louisiana may end up paying less, but many more are likely to pay significantly more. 

We teamed up with ProPublica to get a sense of just how much our region could be affected. Overall, it's a pretty grim picture.

This is going to be a big story for years, and want readers' help in investigating. Here's how you can get involved. 

Coroners and mental health crises

In Louisiana, coroners play an unusual role in a mental health or substance abuse crisis. If a doctor wants to keep someone for more than 72 hours against their will, the coroner needs to issue an emergency certificate.

Many coroners have been issuing way more of those certificates recently, something they attribute to mental health problems caused by COVID and all its disruptions.

In one parish, the coroner has gone from issuing 180 certificates in 2018 to 776 in 2021. 

A fight over race and redistricting

As the state legislature redraws its own voting districts and those for the U.S. House, one of the central question is: How many districts should be majority-Black? 

For example, Black lawmakers say there should be two majority-Black congressional districts, given that about a third of the state's residents are Black. But Republicans, who hold majorities, are advancing a map that still has only one. 

Looming over the disagreement is the threat of a potential civil rights lawsuit.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!