May 2020

Dispute erupts over virus aid for Louisiana local government

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards’ plan for steering more than $800 million in congressional aid to local government agencies struggling with the coronavirus outbreak ran into roadblocks Thursday with House Republicans who want a say in how the dollars are spent.

STATE BRIEFS

Starting jackpots for Louisiana Lotto to rise in August

Trump: US may rethink decision to exit surveillance

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russian violations make it untenable for the U.S. to stay in a treaty that permits 30-plus nations to conduct observation flights over each other’s territory, but he hinted it’s possible the U.S. will reconsider the decision to withdraw.

La. unemployment applications lowest since March

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — About 28,800 Louisiana residents filed for unemployment last week -- more than 12 times as many as a year earlier, but the lowest number since pandemic restrictions began pounding the state’s economy. The number of was down nearly 11,300 from the previous week, according to state and federal data.

Forecasters predict busy 2020 Atlantic hurricane season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — With forecasters predicting another intense Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 13 to 19 named storms, disaster preparedness experts say it’s critically important for people in evacuation zones to plan to stay with friends or family, rather than end up in shelters during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 39 million have lost jobs in US since virus took hold

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the two months since the coronavirus took hold in the U.S. has swelled to nearly 39 million, the government reported Thursday, even as states from coast to coast gradually reopen their economies and let people go back to work.

Cubs institute pay cuts, Pirates announce furloughs

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates are trimming payroll while they await word on the fate of the Major League Baseball season.

Arkansas posts largest single-day spike in virus cases

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas reported its largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases on Thursday as the state expanded the activities it’s allowing to resume to include overnight summer camps and youth sports.

Sessions defends himself, but stays loyal to POTUS

Article Image Alt Text

It hasn’t been in the news much, but former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, now in a tight Republican primary to win back his old Alabama Senate seat, has been talking a lot about his time in the Justice Department and the issue that made him a persona non grata in Trumpworld: his March 2017 decision to recuse himself from supervising the Trump-Russia investigation.

Direct assistance available for farmers

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.