Welcome to our "beta site" for the States-Item podcast and print products, a platform that will formally launch during the annual Washington Mardi Gras in January 2024. Until the grand opening, we are posting selected content we believe might immediately become part of public policy debates.
This S-I content platform is being formed in collaboration with The Louisiana Weekly newspaper and other organizations to help count down to the Weekly’s 100th Birthday. Also, much of the original content posted here will also appear in the Weekly, both online and in the print edition.
We hope to celebrate, amplify and perhaps even provide a bit of historical lagniappe to the vibrant Louisiana media landscape. And for the locals: Yes, of course the name is a nod to the legendary late-great newspaper.
For journalists, 2024 shapes up as a clear opportunity to buy the ticket, take the ride.
We hope you'll join us.
No Taxes After 4 Children?
Hungarians have boosted their birthrate by enacting a lifelong ban on income taxes for women who bear four children. Could the US do the same?
Could a third-party candidate be the only chance Biden has?
The general wisdom amongst the pundit class has been that any third-party effort, particularly a ballot access drive by the “no-labels” group, would elect Donald Trump. However, new polling data suggests that it could level the proverbial playing-field—or even potentially benefit a Biden candidacy. That bolsters the argument that Jennifer Franks of the Draft Romney-Manchin PAC seeks to make. It is not a “zero-sum game” of two parties. Voters are really searching for another choice in 2024.
Top 10 Stories of 2023
As the new year dawns, The Louisiana Weekly & The States-Item wanted to highlight those stories from 2023 which particularly impacted our community of readers—and more importantly will continue to influence our local politics and society for months, and years, to come. Truly, “news that matters to us”…
Meta-Dollars Seek to Ban TikTok
In Congress, the key vote on whether to ban TikTok, may be with New Orleans’ own Second Congressional District Rep. Troy Carter. Many small businesses argue that TikTok is a lifeline. These entrepreneurs argue that their very existence is at stake. As a key committee member overseeing the fate of TikTok’s presence in North America, Congressman Carter could serve as the key bipartisan voice—bringing a little bit more perspective into this debate.
Podcast – Future Freight: Flying Cars and Cargo with AURA CEO Bill Tolpegin
In this podcast, Christopher Tidmore speaks Bill Tolpegin, CEO of AURA Network Systems, a comms firm which has announced that Shreveport will be one of its first-round commercial facilities.
Automated, Electric Barges on US Waterways
Elon Musk and other tech luminaries constantly tout the future of electric propelled, self-driving trucking. Musk’s Tesla recently unveiled its autonomous Semi, and the Swedish transportation company Einride introduced their electric truck, the T-Pod, with a range of 124 miles and a 20kWh capacity.
However, an Eighteen-Wheeler’s potential to create a revolution in autonomous, carbon-free commercial shipping pales before news out of the Netherlands that self-guiding, electric barges may soon take to the waterways…
Geography is Political Destiny
Some communities that carved their current political dynamics from the “white flight” of the 1970s offer an example of demographic power shifts…
The Election Cycle Never Really Ends
As the 2024 election cycle moves front-and-center for American politics, it’s worth noting that there’s no such thing as time off these days…
Jimmy Buffet Passes; Was A Louisiana and U.S. Icon
The States-Item’s own Christopher Tidmore discusses the life and legend of Jimmy Buffet, who was a longtime friend of the gonzo journalist and New Orleans regular.
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