with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editorConsider this your morning briefing: We'll get you up to speed on all the most important news in and around Baton Rouge.
Approaching a grim milestoneThe capital region is on track to see the most deaths ever from COVID, as the extra-virulent Delta strain tears through the area. In this story, we broke down the stats and talked to doctors about why it's happening. Hospitals are the front lines where most of these deaths are happening. Over the past few months, our reporters throughout South Louisiana have gone inside to see what doctors, nurses and patients are dealing with. We compiled a bunch of those stories here, in hopes of giving you a bigger-picture sense of what health care workers are up against. And, just days after the start of school, we're starting to see COVID put some campuses in lockdown already.
COVID heroicsThe fight against the virus isn't all defeats, though. Across our area, hero health care workers are stepping up in inspiring ways. Here's one: When Carla Brown, a nurse, lost her husband to COVID, she vowed to do everything she could to stop it from happening to anyone else. Since then, she's personally vaccinated more than 2,000 people, sometimes going door to door in her off hours.
Who regulates the big plants?Rookie Congressman Troy Carter's district includes a big swath along the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, where some of the fiercest debates over industry and environment take place. A recent letter to President Joe Biden's administration shows Carter's nuanced views on those debates: While he does think there are too many cases where industry is allowed to regulate itself, he also refrained from calling the area "Cancer Alley." Check out this story for a view into his thinking.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day. | 
