Dollar stores have taken over. The big brands have more stores in the U.S. than Starbucks, Walmart, and McDonald’s combined. And they’re especially huge in Louisiana, where there are more than twice as many dollar stores per person compared to the national average.
Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom recently brought us four stories on dollar stores, exploring what’s behind the growth and why it’s worrying some communities. He joins us today for an inside look at his reporting.
A recent complaint submitted to the Department of Homeland Security detailed multiple issues of medical neglect at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center. The man at the center of the complaint, Daniel Cortest De La Valle, was suffering from seizures when he claimed he had trouble getting his medication, and experienced painful procedures and neglectful treatment while at a hospital.
Sofia Casini, the Director of Monitoring and Community Advocacy at Freedom for Immigrants, and Sarah Decker, staff attorney at RFK Human Rights, spearheaded this complaint. They join us for more along with Areley Westley, former detainee and current activist with Home is Here NOLA, an organization that offers resources to people leaving detention in Louisiana.
Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bobbi-Jeanne Misick. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.
You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts.
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