During the critical hours on Sunday, July 21, when President Joe Biden dropped his election bid, New Orleans City Council Member Helena Moreno and other long-time Harris allies across the U.S. jumped into action to secure support for her presidential bid from Democratic National Committee delegates — the people who choose who the party backs as its nominee for president. That behind-the-scenes work in Louisiana and elsewhere helped anoint Harris as Biden’s presumptive replacement on the ticket. Baton Rouge mayoral candidate Ted James was a part of the effort. Read the full story. Five days after his late entrance and selection as the next superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system, LaMont Cole shared his vision for the school district. He said he wants it to be a place of "human connection," and shared stories of his time as a student in Baton Rouge schools Monday. Read more about Cole's plans here. Air quality is no joke. A new state task force charged with examining the feasibility of real-time community air pollution monitoring in Louisiana met for the first time on Monday, but new members of the group were still grappling with what kinds of monitoring they were going to study. Read the full story about their considerations. | 