Viewpoint: Supreme Court reminds us ‘there are no permanent victories’

“How dare they tell a woman what she can do or not do with her body,” exclaimed Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday (May 3) as she vented her frustration about the U.S. Supreme Court’s leaked draft ruling on abortion written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito. As early as June, the country’s highest court, led by its conservative majority, is expected to release an opinion that will reverse a precedent that millions of women have used to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. 

When the Roe v. Wade case was initially filed half a century ago, public opinion supported the right to choose and the majority of justices concurred. Over the decades, liberal Democrats became complacent that the existing law would remain in effect forever. Unfortunately, Republicans around the country began waging a slow but strategic campaign to sway public opinion and elect or appoint for more conservatives. The rise of Donald Trump — with his convenient, new-found anti-abortion rhetoric along with his ability to appoint judges and endorse candidates — was indeed a major tipping point. 

The mood of the public had also changed.

Boy shot in Lower Garden District may be child-abuse victim, NOPD says

A child was injured Tuesday night (May 3) by gunfire inside a Lower Garden District home, the New Orleans Police Department reported. The boy, whose age was not provided, suffered a single gunshot wound, police said. The Emergency Medical Service took him from the house in the 600 block of Felicity Street to the hospital around 8 p.m. The child’s condition was not available Wednesday. Police initially referred to the shooting as an aggravated battery. On Wednesday morning, the NOPD announced it is treating the shooting as a cruelty-to-a-juvenile incident.

Zee’s Pizzeria getting ready to fire up its ovens in the Milan neighborhood

Zee’s Pizzeria, the pizza popup slinging pies at Zony Mash Beer Project, is making a move to a place of its own in the Milan area. Owner Zander White is currently working on a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Baronne Street about a block from Martin’s Wine Cellar. He plans to open in mid-June. Pizza making had been a tradition for White and his father. When the family moved to New Orleans from Maine in 1994, they began buying dough from bakeries and making the Northeast-style pizza they missed from back home. 

“In the ’90s and early 2000s, there wasn’t a lot of good pizza options in New Orleans,” said White, who worked in New Orleans pizza parlors as a teenager.

‘Out of time and options,’ Live Oak Cafe is latest casualty of pandemic losses

The Live Oak Cafe — the epitome of Oak Street’s laid-back, creative vibe — is closing its doors Sunday (May 8) after its Mother’s Day brunch. Announcing the closure on the cafe’s Facebook page, chef and owner Clare Leavy said that the uptick in business during Carnival season was not enough to overcome the losses experienced during the pandemic. “Simply put, we are out of time and options,” Leavy stated. The cafe is known for its fresh, down-home renditions of classic brunch fare with dishes such as Sweet Potato Benedict and its beloved Shrimp & Grits. And every meal at Live Oak has been served with a side of live music.

Police blotter: Driver injured in shootout on I-10, armed robberies and burglary in Hollygrove area

Multiple armed robberies and a burglary were reported recently in the Hollygrove area, and a woman was caught in a shootout between vehicles on Interstate 10 near South Carrollton Avenue, according to the New Orleans Police Department. On Monday afternoon (May 2), a driver was struck by a bullet on Interstate 10 near the Carrollton Avenue exit. The victim, a 22-year-old woman, was caught in the crossfire as the occupants of two vehicles began firing at each other at about 2:45 p.m., police said. She was taken to the hospital for treatment. Early on Monday, three men held up a 44-year-old man at gunpoint in Hollygrove.

Mass shooting at Balcony Bar in Garden District blamed on ongoing violent rivalry

Six people were wounded late Friday (April 29) in a shootout at the Balcony Bar & Cafe on Magazine Street in the Garden District. Four women and two men sustained gunshot wounds to the lower body, the New Orleans Police Department said. The group was leaving the bar at about 10:15 p.m. when men in a dark-colored car spotted them and opened fire. The Emergency Medical Service took four female victims, ages 35, 34, 32 and 23, to the hospital. Two men, ages 23 and 25, arrived at an emergency room in a private vehicle, the NOPD reported.

Man shot to death in Irish Channel

The New Orleans Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred in the Irish Channel. Around 11:30 p.m., Sixth District officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 500 block of Second Street. They found MacArthur Spellman, who was unresponsive and had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Spellman was pronounced dead at the scene; he was 24. No further information is available at this time.