1 month ago
4
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Eleven inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with two apprehended and nine still at large.
👥 Who’s Involved: The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Susan Hutson, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Your free, daily feed from The National Pulse.
📍 Where & When: The escape occurred Friday morning at the Orleans Justice Center, less than three miles from the French Quarter.
💬 Key Quote: Sheriff Susan Hutson described the situation as “very serious and unacceptable,” while Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated it’s “more than likely” the escapees had assistance.
⚠️ Impact: The public has been urged to remain vigilant as the escapees are considered armed and dangerous, and authorities are conducting a full-scale search.
IN FULL:
Authorities in New Orleans are conducting a “full-scale search operation” after eleven inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on Friday morning, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Two of the escapees, including Kendell Myles, have been apprehended, but nine others remain at large.
Sheriff Susan Hutson revealed the inmates were discovered missing during a routine headcount at 8:30 AM. She urged the public to stay alert, warning that the escapees should be considered armed and dangerous. “We are launching a full investigation to determine how this escape occurred, including reviewing facility protocols, staff performance, and physical security measures,” Hutson stated.
The escaped inmates have charges ranging from drug possession to murder, according to reports. Concerningly, the escape appears to have been a relatively simple matter of cutting through drywall and escaping through a space accommodating ventilation and piping behind a jail wall.
A law enforcement source shared a photo of a hole in the wall of the Orleans jail where 11 inmates reportedly escaped. Scribbled around the hole are messages including “To Easy LOL,” “Catch us when you can,” “We innocent,” “Most Hated,” and expletives. https://t.co/BYYesWprql pic.twitter.com/vtQSyTDBUT
— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) May 16, 2025
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office is collaborating with local, state, and federal law enforcement to locate the fugitives. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick suggested that the escapees likely received outside assistance and have since changed out of their jail uniforms. “We don’t want panic, but we do want people to be mindful,” Kirkpatrick noted.
The Orleans Justice Center, where the incident took place, is less than three miles from the French Quarter, a popular tourist destination. One of the fugitives, Kendell Myles, was apprehended on Royal Street, a busy and popular avenue in the French Quarter.
Sheriff Hutson emphasized the gravity of the situation, calling it “very serious and unacceptable,” and vowed accountability for anyone who aided in the escape.
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will allow Verizon’s purchase of Frontier, a regional telecom company, to move forward, with the former agreeing to enact a series of reforms in alignment with President Donald J. Trump’s pro-worker, America First agenda.
👥 Who’s Involved: Verizon, Frontier, the FCC, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, tower climbers, and telecom workers.
Your free, daily feed from The National Pulse.
📍 Where & When: Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 16, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “The agreement between NATE, Verizon, and the FCC is massive news. As a 36-year tower contractor and employer of over 200 tower technicians, this brings fairness back to our relationship. We can’t thank Chairman Carr enough for looking out for Main Street while still being fair to Wall Street. We hope T-Mobile and AT&T will follow Verizon’s lead,” said Craig Snyder, a tower climber and one of the negotiators for his industry in the Verizon acquisition deal, in comments to The National Pulse.
⚠️ Impact: Verizon’s acquisition approval comes with a commitment to ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs and agreeing to a new set of pro-worker conditions with the tower climber and telecom worker industries.
IN FULL:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is allowing telecom giant Verizon to acquire Frontier, a regional communications company, with the aim of expanding its fiber Internet service. Notably, Verizon’s acquisition was contingent on a series of policy and labor practice changes, in alignment with President Donald J. Trump’s pro-worker America First agenda, imposed by the FCC through its regulatory authority.
“By approving this deal, the FCC ensures that Americans will benefit from a series of good and common-sense wins. The transaction will unleash billions of dollars in new infrastructure builds in communities across the country—including rural America,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement announcing the acquisition approval. “This investment will accelerate the transition away from old, copper line networks to modern, high-speed ones. And it delivers for America’s tower and telecom crews who do the hard, often gritty work needed to build high-speed networks.”
One of the biggest concessions being made by Verizon is the company’s decision to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs. In a letter to Chairman Carr on May 15, the telecom company acknowledged that it “recognizes some DEI policies and practices could be associated with discrimination.” Verizon goes on to announce that it “is changing its HR structure and will no longer have a team or any individual roles focused on DEI.” The move comes after Chairman Carr informed a number of telecom and Internet technology companies that the FCC would halt license approvals and authorizations for those that maintain discriminatory DEI programs.
The FCC also highlights that the deal represents a win for American workers. Verizon, as part of the approval, is committing to rework its agreements with NATE, the Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, and remove the costly burdens its policies have placed on tower climbers. These new provisions include taking into account considerations in pricing when it comes to site conditions, the adoption of regional pricing for tower climbers and telecom workers’ labor, 30-day payment terms with fair indemnity clauses, and limits on Verizon’s use of 1099 outside contractors, which have been used to undercut worker wages.
Craig Snyder, a tower climber and negotiator for his industry in the Verizon acquisition deal, told The National Pulse: “The agreement between NATE, Verizon, and the FCC is massive news. As a 36-year tower contractor and employer of over 200 tower technicians, this brings fairness back to our relationship. We can’t thank Chairman Carr enough for looking out for Main Street while still being fair to Wall Street. We hope T-Mobile and AT&T will follow Verizon’s lead.”
show less
English (US) ·