Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann) header
Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann) profile picture

Meghan Friedmann

@meg_friedmann

Louisiana state politics reporter @NOLANews & @theadvocatebr. Past: @nhregister. "Fast, thorough and sharp as a tack." Tips: [email protected]

 Baton Rouge, LA
Joined November 2018
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Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)Photo by Meghan Friedmann (@meg_friedmann)
Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Sam Karlin (@samkarlin) profile picture
Sam Karlin@samkarlinOct 26
Several real estate brokers bought up tracts of land in the months before Meta announced its "Hyperion" data center in north Louisiana. Now, the land is worth 10 times what the previous owners sold it for. And they're calling foul. My story on the gold rush:
Image from Sam Karlin (@samkarlin)
Image from Sam Karlin (@samkarlin)
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Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) profile picture
Melinda Deslatte@MelindaDeslatteOct 26
Early voting is underway, wrapping up tomorrow. @PARLouisiana has election resources for you. Constitutional amendment guide: parlouisiana.org/resources/g… Amendment webinar: youtube.com/watch?v=Bqg7huDI… And our 5th Congressional District candidate webinar: youtube.com/watch?v=YnKyRhUS… #lalege
Guide to the Constitutional Amendments Public Affairs Research Council - Louisiana

Guide to the Constitutional Amendments Public Affairs Research Council - Louisiana

PAR Guide to the Fall 2026 Constitutional Amendments The Fall 2026 Guide covers the potential impact of 10 constitutional amendments the public will consider on the Nov. 3 ballot. This nonpartisan,...

parlouisiana.org
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Louisiana will soon choose whether to give governors lifetime term limits. Here's what to know. #lalege #lagov nola.com/news/louisiana-will…
Louisiana will soon choose whether to give governors lifetime term limits. Here’s what to know.

Louisiana will soon choose whether to give governors lifetime term limits. Here’s what to know.

A constitutional amendment on the fall ballot in Louisiana would bar governors from ever serving a third term. Current law restricts them from running for a third consecutive term but allows them to...

nola.com
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Data centers, water rates are key issues in a three-way race for a seat on Louisiana's Public Service Commission, a powerful board that regulates utility companies. #lalege #lagov theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/…
Data centers, water rates are key issues in three-way race for Louisiana utility board

Data centers, water rates are key issues in three-way race for Louisiana utility board

The Louisiana Public Service Commission decides whether utility companies can raise rates and build infrastructure to power new projects. In a three-way race for the District 1 seat, concerns about...

theadvocate.com
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Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Tyler Bridges (@tegbridges) profile picture
Tyler Bridges
@tegbridgesOct 7
Louisiana voters: The Public Affairs Research Council just released its guide for the 10 constitutional amendments on the Nov 3 ballot. Good info here to help you decide how to vote on all 10 @MelindaDeslatte #lalege #lagov parlouisiana.org/resources/g…
Guide to the Constitutional Amendments Public Affairs Research Council - Louisiana

Guide to the Constitutional Amendments Public Affairs Research Council - Louisiana

PAR Guide to the Fall 2026 Constitutional Amendments The Fall 2026 Guide covers the potential impact of 10 constitutional amendments the public will consider on the Nov. 3 ballot. This nonpartisan,...

parlouisiana.org
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Great story from the @nytimes: How Meta uses AI data centers to avoid billions in federal taxes Meta has been characterizing its data centers as experimental to claim a research tax credit. nytimes.com/2026/09/30/techn…
How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes

How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes

Meta is exploiting a lucrative tax break intended to support research and experimentation. Its own accountants say the gambit is risky.

nytimes.com
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We got a guest log for a Louisiana-owned French Quarter apartment. LA's tourism agency, which recently hid guests' names from the state auditor, repeatedly let politicians use the apartment from 2024-2026.#lalege #lagov nola.com/news/pontalba-apart…
Louisiana lets politicians use its French Quarter Pontalba apartment. See who, what for.

Louisiana lets politicians use its French Quarter Pontalba apartment. See who, what for.

As the state auditor raises questions about whether the apartment is being used for its intended purpose, officials who stayed there defended its use.

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Officials in the Dept. of Culture, Recreation & Tourism won't say which guests stayed at the state-owned Pontalba apartment in the French Quarter. They redacted that information during a recent state audit. #lalege #lagov theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/… #lalege #lagov
Who’s used the state-owned Pontalba apartment in the French Quarter? LA officials won’t say.

Who’s used the state-owned Pontalba apartment in the French Quarter? LA officials won’t say.

The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism redacted the names of apartment guests when it submitted records to the state auditor. The auditor has repeatedly questioned the agency’s use...

theadvocate.com
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NEW: Louisiana said it fixed overdetention in prisons. A new lawsuit says that isn't true. #lalege #lagov nola.com/news/louisiana-said…
Louisiana said it fixed overdetention in prisons. A new lawsuit says that isn’t true.

Louisiana said it fixed overdetention in prisons. A new lawsuit says that isn’t true.

For over a decade, the state struggled to release inmates on time, but officials in recent years have claimed they adequately addressed that problem. A new lawsuit says that isn’t true.

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Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Alex Lubben (@alexlubben) profile picture
Alex Lubben@alexlubbenAug 27
How seriously should we take Elon's plans to build a huge spaceport in Vermilion Parish? "I wouldn't bet against it," space experts said. What SpaceX sets out to do, it usually does. It just might take them longer than they say.
If Musk accomplishes what he has set out to do, the new spaceport along an eroding stretch of coastline in Vermilion Parish will represent one of the largest and fastest expansions of space launch capacity in the history of spaceflight. In his announcement on Tuesday, he said the site will launch 30 rockets a day — as busy as a commercial airport. But while Musk has set a goal for the first launch to take place in 2029, close watchers of the aerospace industry said that they anticipate the project will take longer to develop. “What they say they want to do, they usually end up doing,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who retired from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and tracks the commercial aerospace industry. “It usually takes them a lot longer than they say, but they eventually do it. I wouldn’t bet against it.”

ALT If Musk accomplishes what he has set out to do, the new spaceport along an eroding stretch of coastline in Vermilion Parish will represent one of the largest and fastest expansions of space launch capacity in the history of spaceflight. In his announcement on Tuesday, he said the site will launch 30 rockets a day — as busy as a commercial airport. But while Musk has set a goal for the first launch to take place in 2029, close watchers of the aerospace industry said that they anticipate the project will take longer to develop. “What they say they want to do, they usually end up doing,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who retired from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and tracks the commercial aerospace industry. “It usually takes them a lot longer than they say, but they eventually do it. I wouldn’t bet against it.”

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Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Sam Karlin (@samkarlin) profile picture
Sam Karlin@samkarlinAug 26
New from me: I obtained 31 NDAs signed by Jeff Landry's administration and other public officials for SpaceX. They had previously withheld them from my public records request, citing ongoing negotiations. See who signed: nola.com/news/business/louis…
See which Louisiana officials signed NDAs for SpaceX’s ‘Project Osprey’

See which Louisiana officials signed NDAs for SpaceX’s ‘Project Osprey’

Asked Tuesday about the NDAs, Gov. Jeff Landry suggested the agreements were needed to lure SpaceX to Louisiana.

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Louisiana waits to see how Trump, Congress will regulate AI as political pressure mounts #lalege #lagov nola.com/news/politics/natio…
Louisiana waits to see how Trump, Congress will regulate AI as political pressure mounts

Louisiana waits to see how Trump, Congress will regulate AI as political pressure mounts

“As we see abuses, we will make sure we address them, but you also don’t want to limit innovation,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson.

nola.com
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ICYMI: Candidates pile into races for Louisiana's open congressional seats. See who's running. #lalege theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/…
Candidates pile into races for open Louisiana congressional seats. See the biggest names.

Candidates pile into races for open Louisiana congressional seats. See the biggest names.

State Sen. Blake Miguez announced he was entering the race for the Sixth District, answering one of the biggest questions before the election. But there some other surprises, too.

theadvocate.com
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Inside the debate over how to protect Louisianans from paying for Meta’s power needs #lalege #lagov nola.com/news/louisiana-poli…
Inside the political debate over how to protect Louisianans from paying for Meta’s power needs

Inside the political debate over how to protect Louisianans from paying for Meta’s power needs

Some argue the current rules are strong enough to protect consumers. Others think the state should go further, including potentially passing a new law.

nola.com
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AG Liz Murrill tells Moon Griffon: “I think it is naïve and at best it’s giving people the benefit of the doubt to suggest that” things can go back to “business as usual” between New Orleans officials and the state after she was indicted by an Orleans grand jury. #lalege #lagov
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Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) profile picture
Melinda Deslatte@MelindaDeslatteJul 23
Gov. Jeff Landry says Legislature could meet for special session on New Orleans courts theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/… via @meg_friedmann #lalege
Gov. Jeff Landry says Legislature could meet for special session on New Orleans courts

Gov. Jeff Landry says Legislature could meet for special session on New Orleans courts

Lawmakers “want to look at ways that they can take more control of the court system in the city of New Orleans,” Landry said Wednesday.

theadvocate.com
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Louisiana bills to regulate AI did not pass this year. Will they come back? #lalege #lagov nola.com/news/louisiana-bill…
Louisiana bills to regulate AI did not pass this year. Will they come back?

Louisiana bills to regulate AI did not pass this year. Will they come back?

In 2026, a slew of bipartisan bills regulating how businesses use AI stalled amid opposition from President Donald Trump’s administration. Some lawmakers have expressed a desire to move them forward...

nola.com
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Former Orleans DA Leon Cannizzaro joins Louisiana panel overseeing judges. Cannizzaro, who vigorously defended his record, came under heavy fire as DA over his use of fake subpoenas of witnesses. #lalege #lagov theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/…

Former Orleans DA Leon Cannizzaro joins Louisiana panel overseeing judges

Leon Cannizzaro, the former district attorney for Orleans Parish,has joined the state panel responsible for investigating complaints against judges. The appointment raised concerns from criminal...

theadvocate.com
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Meghan Friedmann retweeted
Melinda Deslatte (@MelindaDeslatte) profile picture
Melinda Deslatte@MelindaDeslatteJul 13
Meta plans $40 billion expansion of Louisiana AI data center, more than doubling its size (from @stephanieriegel) #lalege theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/…
Meta plans $40 billion expansion of Louisiana AI data center, more than doubling its size

Meta plans $40 billion expansion of Louisiana AI data center, more than doubling its size

“Hyperion” is slated to be four times the size of Central Park in New York City. The AI data center will bring thousands of jobs and $1 billion in updated infrastructure to tiny Richland Parish....

theadvocate.com
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Jeff Landry promised to pardon Liz Murrill. That may not be simple. #lalege #lagov nola.com/news/politics/jeff-…
Jeff Landry promised to pardon Liz Murrill. That might not be simple.

Jeff Landry promised to pardon Liz Murrill. That might not be simple.

Louisiana’s clemency system is very different from the president’s pardon powers at the federal level.

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