James Finn
@rjamesfinn
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Political reporter for The Times-Picayune (@nolanews). New Orleans via CA, VT, Baton Rouge. ✉️: [email protected]. Profile photo by @davidgrunfeld
New Orleans, LA
Joined December 2014
An Alabama mom hit by the Bourbon Street attacker's truck then shot in the attack, who still has a bullet lodged in her foot, told @Laranicholson_ that the @amazon warehouse where she works denied her request for a leave of absence.
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Linda Tirado, journalist shot by police in 2020 protest, is dying of her injuries, enters hospice care
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I live across the street from a New Orleans high school. Since school's been back in session, I've taken great joy in listening to marching band practice each evening (as loud as it may be).
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I’ve lived here for a year and a half and am just starting to grasp that if you buy bread in Louisiana and do not refrigerate or freeze it, it will mold in approximately 72 hours.
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.@HelenaMorenoLA, who is planning a run for New Orleans mayor, poses at the @DNC with a “mayors matter” sign. 👀Moreno has not publicly confirmed her plans but sources say she’s been hiring staff for a campaign
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NEWS: @LouisianaGov says he'll veto three anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the Louisiana Legislature this session. #lalege #lagov.
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🗞️Professional news: I'm excited to step into a new beat covering state politics for @NOLAnews, @theadvocatebr and @theadvocateaca. I hope to keep covering criminal justice at the policy level and to keep writing about impacts of that policy on Louisianans.
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Story from a very long House floor session last night: Louisiana House approves releasing youth crime records in majority-Black parishes #lalege #lagov via @theadvocatebr.
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New Louisiana achievement unlocked: filed a story from the Boutte Popeye’s drive-thru line after a hurricane.
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The FEC found Russian oligarchs funneled cash to some of the biggest names in Louisiana GOP circles: Sens. Kennedy and Cassidy, a fund run by Steve Scalise, a PAC backing AG Jeff Landry, and Reps. Mike Johnson and Garrett Graves, @MotherJones reports:.
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New: Baton Rouge murders dropped last year. Now, the city plans to invest more in non-law enforcement conflict mediation services that emerged during the pandemic, which leaders credit for the drop. via @theadvocatebr.
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This is a pretty big deal: In New Orleans, anyone age 16 to 24 can now ride public transit for free. Details from @Joni_Bologne:
The @CityOfNOLA, @NewOrleansRTA, @RideNewOrleans, @NOLALibrary, & @NOLACYPB announce the Opportunity Pass zero-fares pilot program starting 9/3/24. This aligns with the Youth Master Plan, offering Orleans Parish youth ages 16-24 FREE rides on RTA buses, streetcars, & ferries.
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NEW: @HelenaMorenoLA is officially running for New Orleans mayor. She's hired campaign staff and raised cash. And other candidates gave updates on their plans this week. The 2025 election to succeed @mayorcantrell is underway via @nolanews #lalege #lagov.
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Filing copy from the Waffle House in LaPlace, which is CLOSING at noon as Hurricane #francine approaches 👀
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If anything "bayou hours" would seem to mean working less in order to drink more and engage in general Louisiana-style debauchery.
can’t confirm that “bayou hours” exist but can confirm that a ton of louisiana businesses are either closed on friday or close at noon so this still doesn’t track.
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Professional news: I'm starting a new beat today covering criminal justice for @theadvocatebr. If you have tips, or if you're someone whose life has been touched by Louisiana's criminal justice system and just want to chat, please reach out. So excited to get started!.
Also very excited that I get to pass the baton to @rjamesfinn, who spent the past several months covering the Florida Parishes for @theadvocatebr — so please follow him for news about policing, criminal justice and general mayhem in Baton Rouge.
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Wow! @votelandry to House colleagues: "I just want to say I know there are a lot of you in this room who smoke weed, who ingest weed. If you don’t vote against this, I think you’re being a huge hypocrite.” Republicans, Dems alike crack smiles and laugh #lalege #lagov.
In a fiery address to House colleagues, Rep. Dustin Miller urges colleagues to reject amendments to @TAPressly's hemp bill, which he calls overly harsh to THC industry. Miller says it will "kill" Louisiana's hemp-THC industry. #lalege #lagov.
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A story of mine months in the making: How Louisiana crawfish workers organized for better wages and, in doing so, helped change U.S. immigration policy to protect workplace whistleblowers. @NOLAnews .
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Election news: Progressive New Orleans Rep. Mandie Landry (@votelandry) resoundingly defeats Madison O'Malley (@madisonforla) in primary election #lalege #lagov via @nolanews.
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Full story: A ban on youth gender-affirming care was killed by a state Senate panel today, making Louisiana the last state in the southeastern U.S. that has not yet banned or restricted trans healthcare. #lalege #lagov.via @theadvocatebr.
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.@davantelewis, Louisiana's first openly gay elected state official, is speaking against LA's version of the "don't say gay" bill. "This is the first time I’ve ever talked about being gay at this dais, in any committee," he said. "But I feel a responsibility." #lalege #lagov
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Story: Facing threats from national conservatives, a Louisiana Republican lawmaker who voted to kill a ban on gender-affirming health care for trans youth says he has no regrets. via @theadvocatebr #lalege #lagov.
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#BlackLivesMattter protest in Jackson, MS. In the words of one organizer, “when Mississippi moves, America moves.”
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News: Louisiana has received approval from the feds to participate in the summer EBT program, per @RepMcFarland. State lawmakers appropriated money and pushed for the program after @LAGovJeffLandry admin opted out. $3.6M from state will unlock $71M fed dollars. #lalege #lagov.
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Governor Tate Reeves said in a private conversation that Medicaid expansion would be in Mississippi's best interest — but that he refuses to support the policy for political reasons, @mikergoldberg reports:.
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Louisiana Rep. Francis Thompson announces at the state GOP headquarters that he will leave behind his longtime Democratic Party affiliation and caucus with House Republicans. The move gives the GOP a supermajority in both chambers of the #lalege
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.@RepTroyCarter on @FLOTUS’s comments about Iowa-LSU: “With no disrespect to the outstanding players from Iowa, they did not win.” #lalege #lagov
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.@LAGovJeffLandry has two days to report a flight to Eagle Pass, TX aboard a major donor's jet before he risks violating Louisiana ethics rules for public officials #lalege #lagov.
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Losing my blue check reminds me how things got blue when I didn’t check up on you enough
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New: @JeffLandry during the governor's race funneled $500k+ from his campaign war chest and associated super PAC into a staffing company he owns, a practice that ensures the public does not know who he pays for campaign work via @nolanews #lalege #lagov.
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Thrilled to be part of the 2021-2022 @Report4America corps, through which I'll be joining @theadvocatebr as a reporter covering Southeastern Louisiana's Florida Parishes in June.
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Still getting used to the happy nonchalance with which lots of Louisianans treat rapidly approaching, potentially destructive weather events.
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry says college athletes should lose their scholarships if they don’t show up for the national anthem before games #lalege #lagov.
My mother coached women’s high school basketball during the height of desegregation, no one has a greater respect for the sport and for Coach Mulkey. However, above respect for that game is a deeper respect for those that serve to protect us and unite us under one flag !. It is.
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Tfw the LSU library gods read your ESPN interview.
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In Senate, @luneau_jay accuses colleagues of hypocrisy as they discuss a bill to jail 17-year-olds with adults: "A 17-year-old can't make a decision about trans health care, but if they steal a bike we can put them in adult jail where they can be beaten and raped?" #lalege #lagov.
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This appears to be the same technology, developed by a company in Norway, used by Louisiana seafood restaurant Middendorf’s to protect their building near Lake Maurepas from storm surge
As #HurricaneHelene continues, the AquaFence at TGH stands firm. The water-impermeable barrier is designed to withstand storm surge up to 15 feet. It has worked through multiple rain events to prevent storm waters from impacting hospital operations. #WeAreTGH #StormWatch
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People in Louisiana love a drive thru. A line can be around the building and there still won’t be a soul ordering inside.
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Excited to share that I start tomorrow as an intern with .@vtdigger, where I'll be covering Addison County as I finish my last semester at Middlebury. I'm thrilled to play a role in coverage for an outlet I’ve read and admired since first coming to VT.
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New: A Louisiana Senate bill filed by @heathercloud would gut the state’s open records law by blocking from public view emails, text messages and other "deliberative" documents produced at all levels of government. #lalege #lagov.
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Congressman Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, was filmed accosting a protester Wednesday on U.S. Capitol grounds, @MarkBallardCnb reports: via @theadvocatebr.
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I’m at the crawfish festival in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, where a man has just consumed 30 pounds of crawfish in 30 minutes. I am, in a word, impressed.
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Scoop: After years of silence on the issue, @LouisianaGov said this week that he opposes the death penalty. Capital punishment is "so final," he said. "When you make a mistake, you can’t get it back." #lalege #lagov .
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NEW: A bill filed for the ##lalege regular session would exempt @LAGovJeffLandry’s office from public records law #lagov
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NEW: A bill filed for the ##lalege regular session would exempt @LAGovJeffLandry’s office from public records law #lagov
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.@votelandry this morning called for a moment of silence in the Louisiana House for Belle Adelman-Cannon, a Ben Franklin High student killed in an accident last week. “Make sure you tell people who you are and who you love,” Landry said. #lalege #lagov .
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Caught this view of the northern lights in Baton Rouge last night 👍
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.@LAGovJeffLandry yesterday likened public records access to being able to watch restaurant workers prepare food before you eat it. Restaurants aren’t funded by taxpayers, though, and restaurant health reports are public records #lalege #lagov.
My story today at noon on the bill that would decimate public records access in Louisiana. Governor Landry questioned if taxpayers have the right to see records on how government decisions are made. @FOX8NOLA
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Louisiana lawmakers and @LAGovJeffLandry are pushing for a sweeping rollback of public records law. Here's a thread of reporting I've done that wouldn't have been possible without that law.🧵 #lalege #lagov.
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Wilder owns a number of @SmoothieKing franchises across the Deep South. I reached out to Smoothie King to ask if they support his bill removing mandatory lunch breaks for child workers; the company did not respond #lalege #lagov.
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Come back for the fall they said it'll be fun they said.
Blood-sucking ‘vampire fish’ now spawning in Vermont’s coastal rivers, state says
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PERMITLESS CONCEALED CARRY: @LAGovJeffLandry gives a resounding endorsement of a bill to remove permitting requirements for carrying a hidden handgun: "Now you have a governor who will sign it." #lalege #lagov.
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Notice that just went out to @CoxComm customers about impacts they can expect from @LAGovJeffLandry’s tax plan #lalege #lagov
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If anyone happens to know more about the Louisiana strip club incident in question, my DMs are open.
“Hegseth had to be restrained while drunk from joining the dancers on the stage of a Louisiana strip club, where he had brought his staff…Hegseth, who was married, and other members of his management team sexually pursued the org’s female staffers” .
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This also happens to be my 700th story for The Advocate/Times-Picayune. Time flies when you're having fun🐊.
Full story: Here's @JeffLandry's pick to be Louisiana's next Commissioner of Administration, plus the recent history of that role — and the headwinds Landry's choice may face #lalege #lagov.
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Comment from @LouisianaGov on @AGJeffLandry lawsuit to stop clemency requests by death row prisoners: "(Landry) is not going to find a judge who is as ignorant of the law as he is, and he's not going to find one who is more politically motivated than he is either." #lalege #lagov.
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Rain is falling and winds are rising in Baton Rouge as I head to Livingston Parish’s emergency operations center for #hurricanida’s arrival. Stay with me for updates from the Florida Parishes as this fearsome storm nears Louisiana’s capital area @Report4America @theadvocatebr
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First day covering Louisiana politics officially in the books! Send your hottest #lalege tips to jfinn@theadvocate.com
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News: @JeffLandry and Orleans Parish DA Jason Williams announce that, under Landry’s administration, @LizMurrillforAG’s office will lead prosecutions of defendants arrested as a result of State Police investigations #lalege #lagov
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"I have never issued a veto message with the degree of detail that I am providing here. However, HB 648 is so blatantly defective on so many levels that brevity is impossible," @LouisianaGov writes #lalege #lagov.
.@LouisianaGov's veto letter for HB 648 contains this scathing rebuke of the proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors #lalege #lagov
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It's a "ticking" time bomb only if you don't live in Florida, Louisiana, California or a growing list of other states already mired in the industry's struggle to adjust to climate disaster.
Really think people vastly under appreciate the enormous ticking time bomb of the entire homeowners insurance industry.
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A little over a year ago I wrote about how Joe Washington, sentenced to life in Angola on Louisiana’s habitual offender law for stealing a book bag and some shoes, was serving an unconstitutional sentence. One year ago today he walked free.
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Worth noting that these same Louisiana lawmakers moved to ban talk of sexuality and gender identity in schools, saying LGBTQ+ students’ identities are being foisted upon others — which is widely denied by rights groups, students and teachers #lalege #lagov.
Great words from my colleague, State Rep. Lauren Ventrella (R), who co-authored a bill that requires the Ten Commandments be displayed in public schools: “Don't look at it.” / X
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New Orleans state Rep. Alonzo Knox (D) says he feels “disgust” at officials’ criticisms of @LAGovJeffLandry’s law enforcement response to the city’s homelessness problem, which defied @mayorcantrell and @NOLACityCouncil plans #lalege #lagov
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In the Louisiana Senate, @RoyceDuplessis seems to be emerging as a steady opposition voice for Dems against @LAGovJeffLandry and other Republicans' agenda. Duplessis prepares detailed remarks for many top GOP bills, incl. an immigration bill the Senate passed today #lalege #lagov.
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I'm officially moving to @NOLAnews| @theadvocatebr politics desk March 1. But I want to hear your pitches, tips and banter about LA politics starting now. No matter your connection to #lagov, I want to hear from you! Please reach out: jfinn@theadvocate.com/ rjamesfinn@proton.me.
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.@LAGovJeffLandry staff criticizes @theadvocatebr/@NOLAnews reporters for covering his trip to Europe while a hurricane hit the Gulf Coast #lalege #lagov
Where was Jeff Landry when Hurricane Beryl hit Louisiana? On vacation in Europe. #lalege #lagov via @nolanews @tegbridges.
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The officer in question is accused of performing the following incriminating Google searches
NEW: Feds accuse a New Orleans police officer of orchestrated a sweeping series of financial schemes, including fraudulently collecting unemployment cash, lying to secure a low-income homeowner's loan and "double dipping" on work hours. via @nolanews.
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Classless piece of shit.
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Statement from @ulsystem president @DrJBHenderson on @LAGOP resolution being considered tomorrow that would call on the Louisiana Legislature to ban DEI at colleges and universities #lalege #lagov
The @LAGOP will consider a resolution at its upcoming meeting to back a legislative effort to ban DEI at Louisiana universities #lalege #lagov
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