AGP Executive Report

Energy & Industry: Yokogawa Corporation of America was named main automation contractor for the $13 billion Commonwealth LNG project near Cameron, Louisiana, supplying engineering, integrated control and safety systems, and automation integration for a facility targeting about 9.5 million tonnes per year, with phase 1 operations aimed for 2030. Tech & Logistics: Amazon launched Prime Air drone delivery in Baton Rouge, letting eligible customers within a 7.5-mile radius of its Cortana fulfillment center pay for backyard drops of packages up to five pounds. Health Policy & Research: A Rutgers Health study reports rapid growth in long-acting injectable buprenorphine prescriptions for opioid use disorder from 2021 to 2024, while also finding major disparities across states and payer types. STEM & Medicine: Tulane researchers used spatial transcriptomics to map bone–muscle communication at the cellular level, a step toward better understanding and treating musculoskeletal disorders. Environment & Coastal Science: A lawsuit in Cameron Parish challenges a coastal use permit for the proposed Marais Pipeline tied to LNG exports, arguing regulators must consider combined climate and coastal-erosion impacts. Education: Louisiana’s LEAP results show statewide mastery/advanced mastery rising to a record 36% in grades 3–12, with New Orleans-area districts among those posting gains.

Louisiana Energy & Tech Push: Forged Energy Solutions says it’s betting on Louisiana’s offshore know-how and digital infrastructure to support new Gulf Coast energy, industrial, and AI-linked projects. Education Flexibility: Arkansas won U.S. Department of Education approval for Ed-Flex and a “Returning Education to the States” waiver, letting it consolidate federal funding streams and streamline compliance—an approach Louisiana schools may watch closely. STEM Scholarships in the Region: Communities In Schools of Houston announced 2026-27 Society of Petroleum Engineers scholarship winners, including students pursuing nursing and engineering paths. Mosquito Science: Reports highlight research that certain clothing colors can attract mosquitoes, adding another practical layer to Louisiana summer bite prevention. Public Health Alert: Cyclosporiasis cases are being investigated across multiple states, with officials tracing likely food and water sources. Local School Momentum: New Orleans students posted strong LEAP gains, keeping the city among Louisiana’s most-improved large districts. Early Literacy Boost: St. Charles Parish hit a milestone with 250,000 free books delivered through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. AI in Healthcare & Policy: New federal data shows Affordable Care Act enrollment drops tied to subsidy changes, while other coverage flags how policy shifts can ripple into care access.

LEAP Results: Louisiana students hit a record Mastery+ on the 2026 LEAP, with 36% scoring Mastery or Advanced in grades 3-12—up 2 points statewide—while nearly 9 in 10 school systems improved or held steady. Local Wins: Ascension Parish again topped the state for student achievement (53% Mastery/Advanced), and districts across the Baton Rouge region and beyond reported gains, including Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, Iberia, and St. James. Cancer Care Tech: Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center earned new ACS accreditations and recognition for excellence, highlighting coordinated, multidisciplinary cancer treatment. Health Policy Shock: A new FDA approval expands inhaled mealtime insulin (Afrezza) for children with diabetes, aiming to reduce needle burden and improve treatment satisfaction. Energy & Costs: Analysis links higher electricity rates in many “blue” states to net-zero and renewable mandates, with Louisiana named among the higher-cost examples. LNG Engineering: Argent LNG awarded marine, environmental, and site engineering services to GIS Engineering for its Port Fourchon export terminal permitting work. Public Safety: Doctors warn drownings are a growing threat to children, urging faster rescue and better prevention around pools and bathtubs. Community Tech Education: Louisiana’s Old Governor’s Mansion will host “From Retro to Robots,” a free robotics and VR/AR program in partnership with LSU engineering.

Education & Testing: Louisiana released 2026 LEAP results showing a record-high 36% statewide Mastery+ rate (up 2 points), with students improving or holding steady in 28 of 31 tested grades and courses under the new “Grow. Achieve. Thrive.” accountability system. Local School Wins: Multiple parishes highlighted gains: Rapides hit 40% Mastery+ (highest on record), Lafayette posted 43% Mastery+ and growth in science, social studies and math, and DeSoto reached 45% Mastery/Advanced while also improving across math, ELA, science and civics. STEM in Louisiana: The Old Governor’s Mansion is partnering with LSU’s College of Engineering to launch “From Retro to Robots,” a hands-on robotics and VR/AR program for visitors Aug. 2. Biomed Research: LSU Pennington Biomedical researchers published early data from the RURAL Heart and Lung study in Franklin Parish, linking rural health gaps to high obesity rates and income-linked differences in hypertension and diabetes risk. Tech Policy: Louisiana’s new NIL law (effective July 1) adds agent oversight—registration, background checks, and mandatory training—before representing student-athletes. Space Science: A new study reports a subtle “direct wave” in a major black hole merger signal, suggesting gravitational-wave data may reveal conditions near an event horizon.

Marine Science Honor: USC Beaufort marine biologist Mercer Brugler learned a deep-sea black coral now carries his name, Leiopathes brugleri, after years of pioneering black coral genetic work. Local STEM Achievement: ULL professor Linus Wilson became the first known Louisiana resident to climb all 50 U.S. state high points, summiting Mount McKinley/Denali in a 29-day solo expedition and carrying a flag to the top. Energy Policy Shock: A shelved $9.2B clean energy plan tied to Port of Greater Baton Rouge raises fresh questions about Louisiana’s carbon-cutting industrial boom as permitting for new carbon injection wells pauses. Tech & Travel Safety: TSA is tightening carry-on size rules at Louisiana airports using 3D CT scanning, meaning bags that “fit fine” before may no longer pass. Health Tech in Louisiana: Louisiana’s Lafayette City Court gets a historic appointment: the state Supreme Court named its first Black judge, Judge Vanessa Harris, as judge pro tempore. Coastal Restoration: Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands restoration plan cleared a major funding step, targeting rebuilding dunes and marsh to protect habitat and reduce storm impacts.

Robotics in Healthcare: Surrey Memorial Hospital in Louisiana’s region performed its first robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci Xi system, removing a lung tumor with smaller incisions and faster recovery. Space & Fundamental Physics: A single LIGO gravitational-wave signal (S251112cm) is being interpreted as a possible first collision of primordial black holes, a dark-matter candidate. Black History Preservation: New Orleans’ Amistad Research Center is spotlighted as the world’s largest independent Black-history archive, with millions of pages and major collections preserved for researchers. Rare Earth Supply Chains: A new analysis argues the real competitive edge in rare earths is midstream processing (separation and refining), not just mining. Energy & LNG Economics: Forecasts suggest U.S. Henry Hub natural gas prices could rise toward about $5/mmbtu by 2035, driven by demand growth from power, industry, and LNG exports. Coastal Restoration: Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands restoration plan moves forward with a major funding tranche aimed at rebuilding dunes, marsh, and storm protection. Public Health Watch: Health officials are investigating a growing outbreak of “explosive” watery diarrhoea linked to a parasite, with the source still unclear. Local STEM & Jobs: Edible Garden AG plans a $75M upgrade in Webster City, Louisiana, to expand shelf-stable plant- and dairy-based protein beverages and create new jobs. Legal & Civil Rights: The U.S. Supreme Court’s civil-rights rulings this term are reshaping voting protections and other rights, with major implications for access to justice.

Coastal Restoration: Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands restoration plan just cleared a major funding hurdle, with $90.8M earmarked to rebuild North Chandeleur’s beach, dunes and marsh—supporting sea grasses and endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Public Health: Doctors are warning about a rise in child drownings nationwide, stressing that rescue and resuscitation can’t wait—plus a separate report flags a growing U.S. outbreak of “explosive” watery diarrhoea tied to a parasite. Skin Cancer Risk: A Baton Rouge physician says indoor tanning is trending again, especially among Gen Z, and highlights how UV exposure from tanning beds can sharply raise melanoma risk. STEM & Education Moves: Louisiana’s university leadership continues to shift, including Louisiana Tech naming a new dean for its College of Applied and Natural Sciences. Local Tech/Health Community: Ochsner leadership is also changing, with Dr. Brian Moore set to lead Ochsner Clinic as chief physician executive and president. Tourism & Planning: Visit the Northshore got a clean financial audit and shared early findings from a new 10-year tourism master plan.

Public Health: A parasitic “explosive” watery diarrhoea outbreak (cyclosporiasis) has sickened 300+ people across multiple U.S. states and several countries in Europe, with health officials still working to identify the source; no deaths reported so far. Safety Watch: Doctors warn child drownings are rising, stressing that seconds matter and that many incidents happen in swimming pools—pushing families toward faster rescue and prevention steps. Louisiana Community & STEM: Visit the Northshore in St. Tammany received a clean financial audit and shared early findings from a new 10-year tourism master plan study. Education & Research Culture: Hammond’s International Baccalaureate program highlights research-heavy coursework and community service pathways for students. Tech & Society: A study on “America 250” era patriotism ranks states using military and civic engagement measures, with Virginia topping the list. Local Spotlight: The Sportspectrum Firecracker 5K in the New Orleans area drew 2,026 finishers and benefits the Spine Institute of Louisiana.

AI Infrastructure & Funding: Crusoe AI is in talks to raise about $3B at a ~$30B valuation, underscoring how power and data-center capacity are becoming the big bottlenecks for the next wave of AI. STEM Education Boost: Sci-Port in Shreveport won a $400,000 state appropriation to expand hands-on STEM programs and add new interactive exhibits. Louisiana Politics Meets the Courts: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill was indicted on 16 counts tied to alleged threats to New Orleans officials over court-system changes, escalating a state-city legal standoff. Local Tech for Learning: Hammond High Magnet School’s IB program lets students earn college credit and build research and critical-thinking skills through a diploma or career pathway. Public Health & Climate Risk: Scientists warn tick season is starting earlier and lasting longer as milder winters help ticks survive, with more cases of tick-borne illness showing up sooner.

Heat & Health: A major heat-and-humidity surge is breaking records across 21 states, with the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast still climbing as heat alerts cover 105 million people and humidity pushes heat index values to dangerous levels. Louisiana Courts & Governance: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill faces a 16-count indictment tied to alleged intimidation of New Orleans officials over court-system changes; the Louisiana Supreme Court has temporarily paused the arrest while legal challenges proceed. STEM Education in Louisiana: Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport secured a $400,000 state appropriation to expand hands-on exhibits and STEM programming, including new interactive displays and gallery upgrades. Workplace Policy: The DOJ challenges the EEOC’s disparate-impact approach while the EEOC rescinds decades-old affirmative-action guidance, signaling a shifting compliance landscape for employers. Diabetes Tech: New trial results at the American Diabetes Association meeting suggest continuous glucose monitors can improve blood sugar control for more people with type 2 diabetes, including those not using insulin. Public Health Watch: Cyclosporiasis (Cyclospora) is spreading internationally, with U.S. cases rising across multiple states as health officials work to identify sources.

Arctic Security Cutters: The U.S. Coast Guard finalized contracts for six Arctic Security Cutters, with Bollinger Shipyards Lockport (Louisiana) building four and Finland’s Rauma Marine building two—first delivery in 2028, all by 2031. AI in Higher Ed: More than 200 college leaders met in Chicago to plan AI governance, infrastructure, and change management, aiming to set guardrails on who benefits and who gets left behind. Louisiana Infrastructure: Lafayette and state officials signed a draft supplemental environmental impact statement for the long-delayed I-49 Lafayette Connector, unlocking federal grant applications for the next phase. Public Safety Funding: Louisiana awarded nearly $390,000 to Shreveport-area law enforcement for body cameras, ballistic vests, and expanded domestic violence victim resources. LSU Research Push: LSU cut 25 administrative positions to redirect money toward faculty and research as it targets “top 50” research status. Astronomy: A strange LIGO gravitational-wave signal is being studied as a possible clue to primordial black holes and dark matter. Scheduling Tech: Businesses are using AI to reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations, improving staffing and appointment reliability.

Nuclear Fuel Supply: Centrus Energy locked in a $900M DOE task order to move its HALEU enrichment cascade from demo to commercial operations, aiming to deliver 1 metric ton of HALEU UF6 by March 2032. University Research Funding: LSU cut 25 administrative positions to redirect money toward faculty and research as it pushes for “top 50” research status. Public Health Breakthrough: A Metairie man became Louisiana’s first functionally cured sickle cell patient via gene therapy after two years of treatment. AI + Transportation: Louisiana DOTD plans to use AI to improve interstate traffic flow, adding another practical use case for smart mobility. Drones in the Sky: ANRA says its drone management platform now supports 55,000+ BVLOS commercial operations per month, signaling faster scaling of beyond-visual operations. Energy & Industry Tech: Stax Engineering secured $150M from Bain Capital to expand emissions-capture services for tankers ahead of California’s at-berth rules. Local Tech & Business: CenturyLink’s chief innovation officer Lucas Carlson is leaving to pursue writing, with CenturyLink Labs responsibilities shifting internally. Data Center Reality: A look at how Pennsylvania’s power and gas advantages are drawing major data center investment.

Biomedical corridor push: Greater New Orleans Foundation CEO Andy Kopplin argues the long-stalled BioDistrict needs real momentum, with a redeveloped Charity Hospital as the anchor for a downtown biomedical future. Robotic pharmacy in Louisiana’s orbit: Palo Alto startup Queue says it can fill and verify prescriptions from a sealed pill bottle to a vial in about 30 seconds—no pharmacist on-site—after raising $18.6M. Student-athlete NIL rules: A new Louisiana law now requires NIL agents/attorneys to register with the state, pass a background check, and complete training before representing student-athletes. AI data-center ripple effects: Meta reportedly plans to rent out excess AI computing capacity; the company’s Hyperion build in Louisiana is expected to draw massive power. PFAS bottled-water limits: The FDA moves to regulate PFAS in bottled water, aligning with EPA’s drinking-water limits. Local health + tech giving: REV Fiber and CoBank partner to donate $30,000 to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. Energy + environment: Air Products cancels its Lake Maurepas carbon capture project, citing financial returns. Education snapshot: WalletHub ranks the Lafayette metro lowest in Louisiana for education, with Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans also trailing.

Louisiana Tech Leadership: Louisiana Tech names Dr. Jamie Newman dean of the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, highlighting her research and teaching leadership plus campus initiatives like the VISTA Center and the Hinckley Virtual Anatomy Lab. Carbon Capture Backlash: Air Products cancels its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex carbon sequestration project for Lake Maurepas, with Tangipahoa leaders calling it a win after years of community opposition. AI + Cloud in the Region: Meta plans to sell surplus AI computing capacity to outside customers, putting it in direct competition with AWS/Azure/Google Cloud and raising questions about what happens to its infrastructure partners. Healthcare Workforce Push: LSUA breaks ground on a $43M Health Education Campus in Alexandria aimed at doubling the region’s output of nurses and allied health professionals. Local Tech + Health Content: Ochsner launches “Decoded,” a physician-led podcast/video series with New Orleans musician Robin Barnes explaining emerging medical tech in plain language. Higher Ed System Shift: UNO officially returns to the LSU System as LSU New Orleans, unveiling new signage and pitching enrollment, research, and partnerships. Public Health Watch: CDC reports a rise in cyclosporiasis cases across multiple states, including Louisiana, with investigators still working to identify sources.

AI & Courts: A new study says AI-related mistakes in U.S. court filings are surging, with more fabricated citations and wrong legal support as lawyers and self-represented litigants lean on generative tools. Privacy Tech: The U.S. Supreme Court extended constitutional privacy protections to cellphone location info, limiting police use of geofence warrants tied to location history. Transportation Tech: Louisiana DOTD put an AI-powered queue detection system on I-12 in Denham Springs to spot slowdowns earlier and reduce crash risk. Energy & Data Centers: Louisiana regulators are debating how much data center power demand should stay confidential, as Entergy keeps key load forecasts out of public view. Grid Reliability: After Tropical Storm Arthur, Carrollton officials questioned who’s responsible for a substation failure that disrupted the city’s $300M drainage system. Louisiana Policy & Infrastructure: NTIA says BEAD broadband funds have connected residents in only two states so far—Nebraska and Louisiana—raising concerns about speed and deployment quality. Defense & Tech: Belle Chasse’s reserve base is set to receive new F/A-18 Super Hornets, bringing updated radar and jamming capabilities.

Library & STEM Learning: Lafayette unveiled designs for its Northeast Regional Library, built around community input (1,200 responses) with story time, teen space, STEAM/STEM rooms, maker space, study areas, and outdoor learning features; the 6.5-acre site (20,533 sq. ft.) is tied to a 99-year, $1-a-year lease of restored Holy Rosary Institute land, aiming for an opening by 2028. Heat & Public Health: Louisiana summers are getting hotter and more humid, with Climate Central reporting rising average temps since 1970; 2023 saw record heat deaths (88) and 6,187 heat-related ER visits, underscoring risks for outdoor workers and residents. Data Centers & Power Rules: Gov. Jeff Landry’s new data center “ratepayer and community protection” framework may not apply to major projects already granted tax exemptions, keeping the focus on electricity and water impacts from large campuses. Storm Resilience: New Orleans’ Sewerage and Water Board admitted its $300M Entergy-powered drainage power complex can fail, switching to in-house turbines during major storms after recent shutdowns. Rural Broadband Funding: About $20B in rural broadband funds is still delayed, with guidance promised “this summer,” while lawmakers press for clarity on AI-related conditions. Coastal Climate Lawsuit: Louisiana fishermen and groups sued over a Cameron Parish coastal use permit for the Marais methane pipeline, arguing regulators ignored cumulative climate and erosion impacts. Health & Tech in Schools/Clinics: ULM named Ashanti Jones director of its Doctor of Physical Therapy program, and Ochsner LSU Health Monroe earned an AHA stroke quality award. Policy Watch: The House passed the KIDS Act to curb harmful online practices for minors, including limits on disappearing messages and age verification for porn platforms. Energy Pivot: Air Products shelved a carbon capture project in Ascension Parish, citing project wind-down and shifting priorities. LGBTQ Youth Safety: Caddo Parish rejected a Pride Month resolution, with advocates pointing to Louisiana survey findings on discrimination and mental health strain.