More audio from Verite News Charles Bouligny of New Orleans was first Hispanic American to serve in the U.S. Senate Bouligny entered politics by purchasing a seat on New Orleans' Cabildo, the city's governing council. 4m Food aid enrollment in Louisiana nosedives after SNAP rule changes It’s been more than a year since President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and SNAP enrollment is down by more than 20% in Louisiana. Anti-hunger groups say far more people could lose access if states are required to cover more of the program’s cost. 14m After Louisiana redistricting, a voting rights advocate fears a return to Jim Crow Press Robinson, 89, says the fight for voting rights has come full circle back to where it began. 15m State lawsuits over Venture Global LNG construction on hold due to federal order Plaintiffs, who are suing over a massive sediment spill last year that they claim caused millions in damage to the local seafood industry, worry that the pause in the lawsuits may imperil fact-finding efforts. 10m Once a slave, William Murrell went from the pulpit to the Louisiana Legislature Murrell's son, William Murrell Jr., also served in the state Legislature. 4m