AGP Executive Report

AI Workforce & Data Centers: Meta is launching a $115M “America’s Workforce Academy” to train skilled trades workers for AI data center construction and maintenance, with free training and job offers in Louisiana and three other states. Diabetes Breakthroughs: Novo Nordisk’s once-weekly CagriSema (cagrilintide + semaglutide) showed stronger weight loss and A1c improvements in phase 3 trials, including for people on insulin, adding to the fast-moving obesity/diabetes drug race. Coastal Flood Risk: A Tulane-led study finds human-driven sea-level rise has made extreme coastal flooding far more frequent worldwide—floods once expected every 100 years now happening about 12 times more often on average. Local Tech & Startup Costs: A HostingAdvice.com ranking puts Metairie No. 4 nationally for affordable tech startups, with New Orleans also placing in the top 12. Public Safety Tech: New Orleans is working toward rules for driverless ride-hailing, with a likely start date no earlier than 2027. Environment & Industry: Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel revised its air permit after environmental pressure, aiming to cut emissions via equipment changes. Healthcare Costs: The Trump administration warned hundreds of hospitals nationwide to post pricing or face fines, including Louisiana-linked facilities.

Healthcare transparency: The Trump administration warned 500+ hospitals nationwide to post basic pricing or face penalties up to $2M annually, with Louisiana OMV and other state tech issues showing how enforcement and systems reliability both hinge on execution. Public safety tech: A Louisiana DWI suspect, Victor Rivas, fled into swamps and was attacked by an alligator; authorities say drone tech helped capture him. State IT reliability: Louisiana OMV locations saw network outages after a weekend core hardware upgrade, with crews working to restore full connectivity. Workforce + AI infrastructure: Meta launched America’s Workforce Academy with $115M to train skilled trades for data center construction, with Louisiana listed among pilot locations. Education outcomes: DeSoto Parish topped Louisiana for K-3 reading at/above grade level, and statewide K-3 reading gains hit a 16.5-point jump. Energy infrastructure: Sempra Infrastructure began operating the Port Arthur Louisiana Connector pipeline, expanding Gulf Coast LNG supply capacity. Local STEM + learning: Pennsylvania College of Technology IT students earned a free trip to POWERUp 2026 in New Orleans after building agentic AI solutions for real-world needs.

AI Infrastructure Jobs in Louisiana: Meta is funding a $115M “America’s Workforce Academy” to train skilled trades for data centers, with a free, five-week program launching in Louisiana (plus Indiana, Ohio, Texas) and a job guarantee for graduates. Public Tech Glitch: Louisiana OMV offices statewide reported network outages after a core hardware upgrade, with OTS saying connectivity to the new system is being restored. Health Tech & Obesity Research: At ADA 2026, researchers reported phase 2 results for berobenatide, including favorable weight loss and A1c reductions with weekly-to-monthly dosing options. Education Evidence: A new report finds slightly more than half of teacher prep programs align with the science of reading, but many still teach outdated methods. Water Safety Vote: New Orleans lead-pipe replacement plans would use federal funds for private properties, but voters statewide must approve a constitutional amendment in November. Defense Drones at Work: The Navy’s Saronic Corsair USV completed its first drone rescue at sea in Oman, highlighting unmanned maritime recovery capabilities. Local STEM/Industry Growth: Faith Technologies will invest $80.5M in a Monroe manufacturing facility for electrical assemblies, aiming to start operations in spring 2027.

AI Workforce & Data Centers: Meta is rolling out a $115M America’s Workforce Academy with free, five-week skilled-trades training and job guarantees for graduates, with Louisiana among the pilot states—aimed at staffing AI data-center construction and operations. Obesity Drug Pipeline: At ADA 2026 in New Orleans, new GLP-1-adjacent results kept coming—petrelintide showed improved tolerability alongside meaningful weight loss, while survodutide phase 3 data highlighted large visceral and liver fat reductions. Energy & Manufacturing in Louisiana: NovaSpark plans hydrogen generator production in Ouachita and Terrebonne Parishes, and SLB OneSubsea won a subsea boosting contract for BP’s Thunder Horse in the Gulf. Coastal & Climate Science: Satellite-based research suggests mangroves are rebounding globally since 2010, while a record sargassum bloom is pushing into Gulf-area coastlines. Public Health Watch: Louisiana tightened animal-entry rules as New World screwworm spreads beyond Texas, and Louisiana’s K-3 reading proficiency rose 16.5 points in 2025–26. Local Tech/Business: 1 Percent Lists is giving franchisees 90 days of free “agentic” AI marketing tools after launching free custom websites.

Education & Literacy: Louisiana reports a 16.5-point jump in K-3 reading proficiency for 2025-26, with kindergarten up nearly 40 percentage points—credited to a “science of reading” back-to-basics push. STEM & Local Tech: HII partner Bayou Metals launched a dedicated manufacturing line in Slidell to speed ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel production, feeding precision-built aluminum components into final USV integration. Diabetes Tech & Care Access: A Dexcom CONNECT trial found CGM use improved blood sugar control for adults with type 2 diabetes not on insulin, with more time in target range in primary care settings. Biotech Pipeline: Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide Phase III analysis highlights targeted visceral and liver fat reductions with limited lean mass loss, while ADA updates keep obesity drug competition heating up. Energy & Water Stress: New analysis warns most planned U.S. AI data centers sit in drought-hit areas, raising fresh questions about cooling water and grid strain. Policy & Research Freedom: Police removed diabetes experts from an ADA conference after they distributed a critique of Trump administration research cuts—sparking a debate over access and scientific speech.

Diabetes Research Under Pressure: Police removed five researchers from the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans after they distributed a peer-reviewed editorial criticizing NIH budget cuts, escalating concerns about restrictions on biomedical science. Obesity & Metabolic Drug Pipeline: At ADA 2026, multiple next-gen weight-loss and diabetes candidates drew attention, including once-weekly CagriSema (amylin+GLP-1) data, survodutide’s liver-fat and visceral-fat reductions, and new results for petrelintide, berobenatide, orforglipron, and retatrutide. Diabetes Tech Gets Real-World Boost: Studies highlighted continuous glucose monitoring for non-insulin type 2 diabetes and automated insulin delivery benefits during hospitalization, plus Omnipod 6 updates aimed at improving time in range. Louisiana Coast & Flood Costs: A new Nature Water study links upstream wetland loss to higher residential flood insurance claims, with impacts noted for southeastern Louisiana. Local Science & Community: Louisiana Sea Grant and partners will host a commercial oyster workshop in Jeanerette focused on coastal habitat, workforce, and seafood markets. Public Health & Policy: The FDA is moving forward with a safety review of mifepristone, while education and faculty-support commentary continues to spotlight how learning outcomes depend on sustained teaching investment.

Obesity & fatty liver drug momentum: At ADA 2026 in New Orleans, Zealand/Boehringer Ingelheim’s once-weekly survodutide added liver-focused results, including up to 34% visceral fat and 63% liver fat reductions, plus MASLD improvements in SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD. Next-gen GLP-1 competition: Sciwind Biosciences’ ecnoglutide head-to-head against semaglutide reported a 35% greater weight loss at Week 20 in a late-breaking ADA abstract. Triple-hormone pipeline: Eli Lilly’s retatrutide Phase 3 updates tied weight loss to A1C gains and also highlighted improvements in sleep apnea and knee osteoarthritis pain. Diabetes tech in the spotlight: A randomized CONNECT study backed CGM for type 2 diabetes not on insulin, showing meaningful A1C reductions in primary care settings. Diabetes care gaps: Researchers urged that infections be treated as a major “health hazard” in diabetes, calling for prevention and earlier management to be built into guidelines. Louisiana research in action: LSU Health Shreveport is enrolling patients in a bromocriptine trial for peripartum cardiomyopathy. Local STEM & health: Southern University expanded esports training via EDGE, while Acadiana Hyperbarics is drawing attention to HBOT’s growing use beyond wounds.

Diabetes Tech in Louisiana Spotlight: At ADA 2026 in New Orleans, Dexcom’s CONNECT trial reported clinically meaningful A1C drops for adults with type 2 diabetes not using insulin, strengthening the case for CGM in primary care. Next-Gen Obesity Drugs: ADA also highlighted phase 3 retatrutide results (TRANSCEND-T2D-1 and TRIUMPH-1), with major weight and A1C improvements plus benefits tied to knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea. Diabetes Care Beyond Glucose: A major study presented at ADA warned infections should be treated as a “health hazard” for people with diabetes, calling for earlier prevention and management in guidelines. ADA Innovation Push: The American Diabetes Association named winners of its 2026 Innovation Challenge, including wearable biosensors and an AI-powered behavioral support platform. Local Tech & Education: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl’s youth football clinic in Shreveport drew 300+ kids coached by current LA Tech players. Safety & Public Health: Louisiana drivers were warned about heat risks to items left in parked cars, including aerosol cans and temperature-sensitive medicines.

Diabetes Tech & Trials: Dexcom’s CONNECT study reports clinically meaningful HbA1c and glucose-control gains for people with Type 2 diabetes not using insulin, reinforcing CGM as a new standard of care. Obesity Drug Pipeline: Pfizer and Novo Nordisk both pushed next-gen weight-loss data at ADA 2026 in New Orleans, including monthly berobenatide results and zenagamtide’s GLP-1/amylin approach with up to 14.6% weight loss. Kidney & Inflammation: A semaglutide analysis from STEP UP T2D links higher dosing with improved kidney markers and lower systemic inflammation in adults with obesity. Diabetes Devices: Insulet shared STRIVE and EVOLUTION 3 findings for Omnipod 6 and a fully closed-loop system aimed at reducing user burden for people with diabetes. Local Science & Environment: Air Products backed Lake Maurepas fisheries research with a $230,000 grant to assess habitat and bolster Gulf-striped bass stocking. Climate Resilience: Tulane research finds mangrove forests are rebounding globally after decades of loss, suggesting a real turning point for coastal protection. Public Safety (Louisiana): Heat safety tips warn drivers not to leave common items—especially meds and aerosols—in parked cars. Research Freedom Clash: Police escorted diabetes researchers out of the ADA conference after they distributed an editorial criticizing federal research cuts. Education (Louisiana): New scorecard coverage says Louisiana leads the nation in reading growth and ranks second in math. Food Access: Baton Rouge-area reporting highlights a long-awaited grocery store plan to reduce food desert pressures.

Diabetes Research Clash in New Orleans: Police escorted UW diabetes experts and other scientists out of the American Diabetes Association conference after they handed out an editorial criticizing Trump-era biomedical research cuts, raising fresh alarms about how politics is colliding with STEM meetings. FDA Abortion Pill Safety Review: The FDA launched a safety study of mifepristone, with officials saying work has been underway for months—an effort that could shape future distribution rules. Obesity Drug Pipeline at ADA: Multiple Louisiana-linked biotech announcements and ADA presentations highlighted next-gen metabolic therapies, including saRNA obesity work from Ractigen, oral and injectable GLP-1/GIP and amylin-based approaches from Biomea Fusion, Hengrui/Kailera, Oban BioPharma, and others—most focused on weight loss plus preserving lean muscle. Coastal Resilience Science: Tulane research reports global mangrove forests are rebounding, offering a hopeful signal for climate and coastal protection. Louisiana Digital Access: ConnectLA launched the ÉTOUFFÉE grant to help community groups provide devices and digital skills training statewide. Public Health Watch: New Orleans mosquito surveillance found West Nile virus, and helicopter spraying was scheduled in multiple neighborhoods. Local Tech & Infrastructure: A Louisiana data center cooling patent lawsuit landed in federal court, while Louisiana’s broadband office continues pushing device-and-skills programs to close the digital divide.

FDA Review: The FDA has started a new safety review of mifepristone, focusing on telehealth prescribing and mail-order distribution—an effort that could reshape abortion-pill rules nationwide. Diabetes Tech: At ADA 2026 in New Orleans, clinicians highlighted automated insulin delivery as the preferred insulin approach in new standards, while pointing to remaining insurance and access barriers. Louisiana Education & Pay: DeSoto Parish approved a 6.8% pay increase for staff, as state leaders push additional teacher stipends. Defense Training in Louisiana: The 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team began a JRTC rotation at Fort Polk, testing a mobile brigade combat team structure for readiness. AI & Power Buildout: Meta is using tent-style AI data centers to speed deployment, raising questions about cost, safety, and local environmental impact. Energy & Shipping: C&C Marine delivered the pushboat Cabby H. Boone, part of a new inland towboat series for Louisiana’s waterways. Public Health & Climate: A Louisiana-linked study finds mangrove forests show recovery trends, but could still face drowning risks as seas rise.

Workforce & Energy Training: River Parishes Community College will start evening process technology classes at Donaldsonville High School in fall 2026, aiming to feed Louisiana’s petrochemical, refining, and manufacturing talent pipeline. Manufacturing Quality: F. D. Hurka Metrology warns that common setup mistakes—especially lighting and edge detection—can quietly ruin vision measurement accuracy in precision manufacturing. AI Infrastructure & Water Stress: Reporting on the Hut 8 AI data center near Robstown highlights the big unanswered questions on power and drought-era water use, even with claims of closed-loop cooling. Local Tech & Learning: Louisiana Tech launched a Center for Literacy and Learning to expand evidence-based reading support and educator training across North Louisiana. Health Research: Pennington Biomedical is testing whether eating one avocado a day can improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Environmental Monitoring: New Orleans mosquito surveillance detected West Nile virus, with helicopter spraying scheduled in multiple neighborhoods. Tech & IP in Louisiana: A federal lawsuit alleges Baton Rouge-based Lumen Technologies infringes cooling-related patents tied to Ireland-based patent monetization firms. Public Health Powers: A new report says post-COVID cuts and state rule changes have weakened outbreak response authority, including in Louisiana.

ADA 2026 in New Orleans: The American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions runs June 5–8 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, with major focus on obesity and diabetes plus debates like “BMI on Trial” and therapy questions around GLP-1s. Public Health + Tech: Dexcom is buying Nutrisense and plans upgrades to its Stelo app, aiming to connect glucose data with nutrition guidance and behavior support. Louisiana Privacy Law: Gov. Jeff Landry signed new rules shielding hunters’ and fishers’ personal info and wildlife GPS data from public records requests starting Aug. 1. Coastal Science: Tulane research finds mangrove forests are shifting from net loss to net recovery, using decades of satellite data—good news for carbon storage and coastal protection. Infrastructure + Daily Life: DOTD will switch a Monroe US 165/Technology Drive signal to flash-only mode Friday, and a Shreveport–Bossier express road project is moving toward approval. Justice + Oversight: A DHS watchdog report says Louisiana’s Winn ICE detention center fell short on sanitation, food handling, use-of-force reporting, and medical records. Energy Jobs: NovaSpark Energy announced a $30M Houma manufacturing site for atmospheric hydrogen generators plus West Monroe expansion.

Energy & Shipping: Delfin Midstream has reached a final investment decision for Delfin FLNG 1, set to be the first U.S. floating LNG export project off Louisiana, targeting 4.4 million tonnes per year and scaling toward 13.2 MTPA, with Samsung Heavy also getting a green light to proceed on the first FLNG build. AI Governance: OpenAI is proposing a federal AI safety framework that leans on civilian oversight, while CEO Sam Altman urges lawmakers not to require AI model approvals. Critical Minerals: The DOE awarded $67 million to ElementUSA and Colorado School of Mines to build a rare-earth processing demonstration plant in Gramercy using alumina tailings near New Orleans. Public Safety & Health Tech: Louisiana ends vehicle inspection stickers, replacing them with $6 QR codes starting Jan. 1. Local Accountability: A DHS watchdog report says Winn Correctional Center staff used a prohibited chokehold and unsafe conditions were found at the Louisiana ICE detention site. Healthcare Workforce Policy: “Conscience protection” laws are spreading, with Louisiana among states considering similar measures for healthcare employers.

AI Data Centers & Power Strain: Hut 8’s CEO says new AI data centers should look like “museums” to ease local backlash, as the company lines up massive long-term leases for AI capacity in Louisiana and Texas. Local Tech Governance: A Louisiana parish approved its first data-center zoning rules, adding definitions plus limits on setbacks, noise, and buffering after officials found a “hole” in the existing code. Rare Earths Push: ElementUSA and Colorado School of Mines won a $67M DOE award to build a rare-earth processing facility in St. John the Baptist Parish, aiming to scale recovery from bauxite residue. Gulf Energy & Environmental Tension: Residents in Cameron County challenged an LDEQ hearing over whether an LNG project can discharge wastewater into Cameron waters, demanding transparency after limited public input. AI Regulation Watch: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged lawmakers not to require U.S. approval before releasing new AI models, while backing more government testing funding. Climate Risk for Louisiana: A new study says coastal Louisiana could shift more than 30 miles inland as warming, subsidence, and wetland loss accelerate, tightening the timeline for adaptation. STEM Workforce & Early Learning: LSU Shreveport offers free play-based development screenings for kids ages 2–6, aiming to catch readiness gaps early. Education Staffing Crunch: A national report highlights Louisiana’s teacher shortages and the scale of unfilled and out-of-field assignments. Health Tech Paperwork Automation: Forbes reports Collate raised $95M to automate life-sciences paperwork with AI, signaling a fast-growing “documentation” battleground.

AI Oversight: Trump signed an executive order to vet advanced AI models for national security risks before public release, aiming for “secure innovation” and faster review. Critical Minerals: DOE picked Louisiana and Oklahoma projects for $134M to extract rare earths from waste streams, including a Louisiana facility targeting rare earth output from bauxite tailings. Autonomous Shipping: Fleetzero, Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, and Glosten announced a push toward long-duration autonomous diesel-electric vessels for commercial and defense use. Flood Risk & Policy: New research links wetlands loss to a $10B rise in flood insurance claims, warning Supreme Court rollbacks could worsen gaps as climate change intensifies storms. Hurricane Science: A new Gulf Coast hurricane map tracks more than 170 years of storms, quantifying which Louisiana parishes have been hit most. Public Health: Louisiana health officials report a surge in flea-borne typhus (17 cases in 18 months), urging prevention and early care. Local Tech/Infrastructure: New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno created an advisory subgroup to guide Sewerage & Water Board reforms under expanded City Council oversight. Education & Reading: Educators warn of a “reading recession,” pointing to renewed focus on the science of reading and phonics. Energy & Industry: Samsung Heavy won a $2.7B order for an FLNG facility tied to a Louisiana-area LNG project. Healthcare Workforce: The Louisiana EMS Education Conference & Expo opens in Shreveport, spotlighting emerging tech and training for prehospital care. Food Transparency: Genetic shrimp testing finds ongoing mislabeling of imported shrimp in parts of the Gulf, including Baton Rouge.