It took less than a year for grassroots support to combine with a willing affiliate for Planned Parenthood to return to Louisiana.

Why it matters: The nonprofit sexual health provider aims to reopen a New Orleans clinic by early November.

Catch up quick: Planned Parenthood announced last August it would somewhat suddenly close its two Louisiana clinics, including one in Baton Rouge and another in New Orleans.

Behind the scenes: Staffers for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, watched on with sympathy — and decided to step in.

• "Since we do provide care and operate in neighboring Arkansas, we felt that directly," recalls the organization's CEO and president Emily Wales. "We were concerned about where patients would go. We know how few providers there are in states where you haven't had a lot of investment into the safety net infrastructure."
• Local supporters in New Orleans were eager to see Planned Parenthood continue, too, Wales says.
• "People reached out to Planned Parenthood through social media, through our online website at the national level, and just said 'we care about healthcare access,'" she says.

Between the lines: Louisiana has consistently had high rates for maternal mortality and sexually transmitted infections, and little access to rural maternal health care.

Yes, but: Not everyone is excited about Planned Parenthood's return.

• Attorney General Liz Murrill has said the organization had "built a business around promoting death."

Zoom in: Wales anticipates Planned Parenthood's core services — STI testing and treatment, and contraception resources — will be the most urgent community needs when the new clinic opens.

• And although Planned Parenthood Great Plains does provide abortions in Kansas and Missouri, where the practice is legal, it will not offer those services in any capacity in Louisiana.

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Louisiana joined more than half of U.S. states earlier this year in requiring Medicaid to cover doula care.

Why it matters: The once-niche birth option is shown to support lower cesarean rates and fewer preterm births.

By the numbers: 26 states and D.C. are actively reimbursing for Medicaid coverage of doula care, according to the National Health Law Program.

• Before 2020, only Oregon and Minnesota offered Medicaid coverage for doula care — that's "a lot of progress" in a few years, says Amy Chen, senior attorney at the National Health Law Program.

Catch up quick: Louisiana became only the second state to require private insurance to cover doula care beginning in 2024.

• The legislation was penned by then-State Rep. Matthew Willard.

A doula is a trained birth support professional who offers emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor and postpartum.

• They may deliver affirmations, help with position changes in labor and advocate for the patient in the hospital says Nicole Sessions, an experienced doula and maternal mental health researcher.

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🚨 A jump in Vibrio vulnificus cases is prompting Louisiana health officials to urge caution around certain exposures to salt water and raw seafood. The bacteria is known for causing a "flesh-eating" infection. Nine people have been hospitalized, and five have died this year, officials said Thursday. (Press release)

✨ A Metairie 13-year-old named Helen is one of the "get ready with me" influencers helping vanities make a comeback. As a young teen, Chelsea always wanted one, so she loves this for Helen. (New York Times gift link)

💍 When Coach Ed Orgeron watched his son get married, the vibes were exactly what you'd expect. "You did good son," he said. "You did some recruiting!" (Instagram)

Former Vice President Kamala Harris plans to spend the next few months rallying Southern voters after the Supreme Court "basically undid the Voting Rights Act," she said while speaking to InspireNOLA students Friday.

The big picture: Harris characterized the Louisiana v. Callais decision, which narrowed legal protections against racial gerrymandering, as one of several "obstacles" to voting ahead of November's elections.

• "I'm spending my time to remind people that even though they're trying to put obstacles in front of us, even though they're trying to cheat — because they are trying to cheat," Harris said, "that that's not a reason that we just stay in bed and keep the covers over our heads and say, 'well, wake me up when it's over.'"

What she's saying: Harris framed the message for students as a reminder not to let others define their potential.

• "Never let anyone else's limited ability to see who you are and your capacity be a limitation on your ambition on who you are and what you become," she said.

Inside the room: The rally also featured Mayor Helena Moreno, who drew a similar lesson from recent political headlines.

• "You'll probably know that there's some people out there who are trying to define the city as something that it's not," she said. "But don't let anybody ever define you or our city."

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Drew Brees is officially a Hall of Famer.

Why it matters: The former New Orleans Saints quarterback was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on Saturday, and he made sure to thank the city that had his back while he laid it all on the field.

What he said: "New Orleans: You accepted me. You embraced me. You believed in me."

• "But more importantly, you trusted me with the soul of the city, and I would have died to protect that calling."

Go deeper: Watch the full speech here, or read the transcript from NOLA.com.