Spanish Town parade theme ruffles feathers

with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editor

Good morning. Here are some of our most interesting reads from yesterday.

'Porn again flamingos'

That's the theme for this year's Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade, a play on the Christian phrase "born again." It's the latest provocation from a krewe known for ruffling feathers.

But this time, some residents think they've gone too far, including a mom who doesn't want to have to explain to her kids what porn is.

This story runs through the controversy and organizers' defiant response to it.

Race and the balance of power

The 2020 Census found that there are more Black residents than White residents in East Baton Rouge Parish, and some Black members of the Metro Council think that means there should be at least one more majority-Black district.

But not everybody interprets the data that way. Here's how the debate over redistricting is shaping up, and what it means for Baton Rouge politics. 

Teacher background checks

Some Louisiana schools are caught in a vise: On the one hand, they desperately need more teachers, but it's taking a long time for them to get background checks done. And the consequences of skipping those checks can be dire — when East Baton Rouge schools started hiring some teachers conditionally before the checks were finished, one accidentally hired a felon. 

One state lawmaker says the problem is turning into a crisis.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!