The Advocate's Top Headlines

with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editor

Power is steadily returning to the Baton Rouge area, but things are nowhere near back to normal for a lot of people. Here's the latest in our continuing coverage of Hurricane Ida:

• Still reeling: In the parishes East of Baton Rouge, the situation is still pretty dire in some places. We talked to residents of Tangipahoa Parish, who say 'it's still a nightmare over here.' And, while Ida was mostly about the wind for most people, those who live near Lake Maurepas also faced storm surge powerful enough to pick up and move whole houses. 
• Hospital shortages: Things are even worse down in coastal parishes, like Terrebonne and Lafourche. There, several hospitals are still out of commission or short on beds, pushing patients to other parts of the state — including Baton Rouge. 
• A moment of levity: One of the inspiring things about Ida's aftermath has been the thousands of people who have come from out of state to help. The Hammond Police Department shared a video of two NYPD volunteers learning how to pronounce Louisiana words; it's a much-needed bit of hilarity and happiness.

Reaction to LSU's loss

Our sports staff has the breakdown of LSU's disappointing loss to UCLA late Saturday night. We've got a main game story, an analysis by Scott Rabalais, some intel on why two key players were out, and a roundup of how national media reacted to the loss.

Thanks for reading, and let's hope this week is better than the last one!