Mark Schleifstein
@mschleifstein.bsky.social
Freelance environment reporter in the Big Easy, retired from The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate | nola.com
A chilly morning. As temps finally dropped below freezing overnight -- at 31 now -- Anna II and her two chicks seem to be weathering the frontal system in Kisatchie National Forest, despite now having some frozen stuff on and around her in the nest. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3pJ...
Kisatchie National Forest E-1 Nest Cam, Louis II and Anna II.
YouTube video by bald eagle
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:59 PM
A chilly morning. As temps finally dropped below freezing overnight -- at 31 now -- Anna II and her two chicks seem to be weathering the frontal system in Kisatchie National Forest, despite now having some frozen stuff on and around her in the nest. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3pJ...
So the clear message here is that videoing improperly trained and instructed federal agents is an offense that is being responded to with deadly force.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Videos Show Moments in Which Agents Killed a Man in Minneapolis
www.nytimes.com
January 24, 2026 at 9:52 PM
So the clear message here is that videoing improperly trained and instructed federal agents is an offense that is being responded to with deadly force.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
Among those watching carefully for snow to begin is Anna II, in Kisatchie National Forest near Alexandria Louisiana. She’s keeping two chicks warm. www.youtube.com/live/A3pJIBK...
Kisatchie National Forest E-1 Nest Cam, Louis II and Anna II.
YouTube video by bald eagle
www.youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Among those watching carefully for snow to begin is Anna II, in Kisatchie National Forest near Alexandria Louisiana. She’s keeping two chicks warm. www.youtube.com/live/A3pJIBK...
Good news, but the proof of success could actually be when the names of LSU-associated scientists show up more often in lists of authors in major science journals.
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
Can unifying the LSU System make it a top-50 research university? Here’s the plan.
LSU has intensified efforts to become one of U.S. higher education’s biggest research spenders, starting with major organizational changes.The system needs to jump over 30 spots in the national rankin...
www.theadvocate.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Good news, but the proof of success could actually be when the names of LSU-associated scientists show up more often in lists of authors in major science journals.
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
My wife has “all the right moves!” wgno.com/video/mah-jo...
Mah-jong anyone? Learn to play in Metairie at the Jefferson Parish Library
Mah-jong anyone? Learn to play in Metairie at the Jefferson Parish Library
wgno.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:15 PM
My wife has “all the right moves!” wgno.com/video/mah-jo...
Rewriting history as white. Isn't that what Hitler did in Germany?
wapo.st/3LxnCgq
wapo.st/3LxnCgq
Park Service removes slavery exhibit at Independence Park in Philadelphia
Park staff dismantled an exhibit about George Washington’s slave ownership amid a wider push to remove information on racism, sexism and climate change.
wapo.st
January 23, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Rewriting history as white. Isn't that what Hitler did in Germany?
wapo.st/3LxnCgq
wapo.st/3LxnCgq
Report for America handles hiring of reporters for this, and first deadline for applications is Feb. 20!
agwaterdesk.org/2026/01/20/s...
agwaterdesk.org/2026/01/20/s...
Six newsrooms join Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk to expand environmental coverage - Ag & Water Desk
Collaborative journalism network adds outlets from Minnesota to Louisiana, strengthening critical reporting in the nation’s largest watershed. Journalists can apply for these positions now.
agwaterdesk.org
January 21, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Report for America handles hiring of reporters for this, and first deadline for applications is Feb. 20!
agwaterdesk.org/2026/01/20/s...
agwaterdesk.org/2026/01/20/s...
“If you live in the area, you know that there’s a problem,” said Cynthia Robinson of Sulphur, La. “It’s just that the powers that be refuse to acknowledge that there’s a problem.”
lailluminator.com/2026/01/13/a...
lailluminator.com/2026/01/13/a...
Grassroots monitoring, helping neighbors track industrial pollution, is under threat in Louisiana. • Louisiana Illuminator
In 2024, Louisiana passed the Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act, a law that critics say effectively bars local groups from alleging air quality violations using commercial sensors.
lailluminator.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:33 PM
“If you live in the area, you know that there’s a problem,” said Cynthia Robinson of Sulphur, La. “It’s just that the powers that be refuse to acknowledge that there’s a problem.”
lailluminator.com/2026/01/13/a...
lailluminator.com/2026/01/13/a...
Inspectors documented more than 200 spills at the Roseland area plant that largely predated the fire, more than 250 damaged waste containers and more than 300 unlabeled or mislabeled containers.
www.nola.com/news/busines...
www.nola.com/news/busines...
Louisiana plant that exploded hit with order from regulators
The order is the second the EPA has issued against Smitty's and the third regulatory action overall since the devastating fire at the plant on Aug. 22.
www.nola.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Inspectors documented more than 200 spills at the Roseland area plant that largely predated the fire, more than 250 damaged waste containers and more than 300 unlabeled or mislabeled containers.
www.nola.com/news/busines...
www.nola.com/news/busines...
Will the Justice Department investigate, indict these lawbreakers?
--The agency also acknowledged for the first time that DOGE members had shared data with each other using an unsanctioned third-party service that Social Security officials have been unable to access.--
wapo.st/4qDimam
--The agency also acknowledged for the first time that DOGE members had shared data with each other using an unsanctioned third-party service that Social Security officials have been unable to access.--
wapo.st/4qDimam
Trump administration admits DOGE accessed personal Social Security data
A DOGE employee signed an agreement to share Social Security data with the aim of overturning election results in certain states, according to a new court filing.
wapo.st
January 21, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Will the Justice Department investigate, indict these lawbreakers?
--The agency also acknowledged for the first time that DOGE members had shared data with each other using an unsanctioned third-party service that Social Security officials have been unable to access.--
wapo.st/4qDimam
--The agency also acknowledged for the first time that DOGE members had shared data with each other using an unsanctioned third-party service that Social Security officials have been unable to access.--
wapo.st/4qDimam
Autin confirmed the Corps has enough money to finish the work after cost overruns forced a major influx of new cash from Congress a few years ago as the price rose to nearly $1 billion.
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
After decades of effort, a Baton Rouge-area flood control canal could be complete in 2 years
The Comite River Diversion Canal has been under construction for more than six years but should be done by mid-2028, officials say.
www.theadvocate.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Autin confirmed the Corps has enough money to finish the work after cost overruns forced a major influx of new cash from Congress a few years ago as the price rose to nearly $1 billion.
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
Louisiana’s three existing LNG export terminals were among the state’s top 10 carbon emitting facilities, as of 2023. A dozen more terminals are approved or proposed for Louisiana. Other top emitters were chemical plants and refineries.
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
Is Louisiana bucking a national trend on greenhouse gas emissions? Here's what the numbers say.
Any reduction classifies as good news. But industry and environmental analysts say that Louisiana's figures should be taken with a heavy dose of caution.
www.theadvocate.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Louisiana’s three existing LNG export terminals were among the state’s top 10 carbon emitting facilities, as of 2023. A dozen more terminals are approved or proposed for Louisiana. Other top emitters were chemical plants and refineries.
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...
“For us Jews, we have been here for literally thousands of years – between dark and light, hate and love, between being feared and accepted, between going and coming, between birth and destruction and rebuilding,” he said. “And we will always rebuild.”
mississippitoday.org/2026/01/16/j...
mississippitoday.org/2026/01/16/j...
At Jackson prayer service, people of many faiths support Beth Israel after synagogue arson - Mississippi Today
After the recent arson of the Beth Israel synagogue, community support for Jackson's only Jewish congregation was strong at the city's interfaith prayer service.
mississippitoday.org
January 19, 2026 at 2:53 PM
“For us Jews, we have been here for literally thousands of years – between dark and light, hate and love, between being feared and accepted, between going and coming, between birth and destruction and rebuilding,” he said. “And we will always rebuild.”
mississippitoday.org/2026/01/16/j...
mississippitoday.org/2026/01/16/j...
Trump declares war on NATO. Where the hell is Congress? (Republicans, obviously.)
apnews.com/article/denm...
apnews.com/article/denm...
Trump says 8 European countries will face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
President Donald Trump says he'll impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to American control of Greenland.
apnews.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Trump declares war on NATO. Where the hell is Congress? (Republicans, obviously.)
apnews.com/article/denm...
apnews.com/article/denm...
Trump declares war on NATO. Where the hell is Congress? (Republicans, obviously.)
apnews.com/article/denm...
apnews.com/article/denm...
Trump says 8 European countries will face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
President Donald Trump says he'll impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to American control of Greenland.
apnews.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Trump declares war on NATO. Where the hell is Congress? (Republicans, obviously.)
apnews.com/article/denm...
apnews.com/article/denm...
Great to see SEJ stepping forward:
January 16, 2026
The Society of Environmental Journalists joined SPJ & 18 other orgs condemning FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home, seizure of electronic devices.
Read the organizations' letter to AG Pam Bondi
www.sej.org/sites/defaul...
January 16, 2026
The Society of Environmental Journalists joined SPJ & 18 other orgs condemning FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home, seizure of electronic devices.
Read the organizations' letter to AG Pam Bondi
www.sej.org/sites/defaul...
www.sej.org
January 16, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Great to see SEJ stepping forward:
January 16, 2026
The Society of Environmental Journalists joined SPJ & 18 other orgs condemning FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home, seizure of electronic devices.
Read the organizations' letter to AG Pam Bondi
www.sej.org/sites/defaul...
January 16, 2026
The Society of Environmental Journalists joined SPJ & 18 other orgs condemning FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home, seizure of electronic devices.
Read the organizations' letter to AG Pam Bondi
www.sej.org/sites/defaul...
Maybe he was wielding a snow shovel in his cell and it took three guards to restrain him.
wapo.st/49FW4NG
wapo.st/49FW4NG
Medical examiner believes death of man in ICE custody was homicide, recording says
A fellow detainee says he witnessed Geraldo Lunas Campos being choked to death by guards at the ICE detention center in Texas on Jan. 3.
wapo.st
January 15, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Maybe he was wielding a snow shovel in his cell and it took three guards to restrain him.
wapo.st/49FW4NG
wapo.st/49FW4NG
Factcheck's realistic explanation of the U.S. Insurrection Act. (Did Iran institute their Insurrection Act against the demonstrators Trump says he wants to defend???)
www.factcheck.org/2026/01/the-...
www.factcheck.org/2026/01/the-...
The Threat of the Insurrection Act in Minnesota - FactCheck.org
President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to send federal military forces to Minneapolis in response to protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in the c...
www.factcheck.org
January 15, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Factcheck's realistic explanation of the U.S. Insurrection Act. (Did Iran institute their Insurrection Act against the demonstrators Trump says he wants to defend???)
www.factcheck.org/2026/01/the-...
www.factcheck.org/2026/01/the-...
ICE agents were not on META construction site, officials said
www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/news/ice-arr...
www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/news/ice-arr...
ICE arrests two immigrant workers heading to Meta site in Louisiana, sheriff says
ICE agents were assisted by the Richland Parish Sheriff's Office in the arrests. Here’s more.
www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM
ICE agents were not on META construction site, officials said
www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/news/ice-arr...
www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/news/ice-arr...
Is White House targeting WP reporter Hannah Natanson? Could this be why?
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
The year Trump broke the federal government
How DOGE and the White House carried out a once-unthinkable transformation of the nation’s sprawling bureaucracy.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Is White House targeting WP reporter Hannah Natanson? Could this be why?
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
Iran? No. Minneapolis!
“We were not charged with a crime,” said Sigüenza. “We were released and then tear-gassed on our way out.”
www.wfmj.com/story/533792...
“We were not charged with a crime,” said Sigüenza. “We were released and then tear-gassed on our way out.”
www.wfmj.com/story/533792...
Minneapolis duo details their ICE detention, including pressure to rat on protest organizers
By SARAH RAZA Associated Press
www.wfmj.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Iran? No. Minneapolis!
“We were not charged with a crime,” said Sigüenza. “We were released and then tear-gassed on our way out.”
www.wfmj.com/story/533792...
“We were not charged with a crime,” said Sigüenza. “We were released and then tear-gassed on our way out.”
www.wfmj.com/story/533792...
Trump executive order could be bad news for defense contractors: "Effective immediately, they are not permitted in any way, shape, or form to pay dividends or buy back stock, until such time as they are able to produce a superior product, on time and on budget."
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...
Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 8 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)
www.govinfo.gov
January 13, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Trump executive order could be bad news for defense contractors: "Effective immediately, they are not permitted in any way, shape, or form to pay dividends or buy back stock, until such time as they are able to produce a superior product, on time and on budget."
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...