BATON ROUGE — State senators combing through next year’s more than $25 billion operating budget are suggesting they’ll restore some money stripped by House Republicans and seek to lessen cuts to colleges and health programs. Members of the Senate Finance Committee told higher education and health care leaders Friday they…
Louisiana’s unemployment rate stood at 7.1 percent in April, unchanged from March, according to fresh data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The seasonally adjusted figures, though, revealed that overall the state’s unemployment rate has risen since the start of the year. Still, the number of people unemployed in…
HOUSTON — The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. is up 12 this week to 1,986. Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. reported today that 1,382 rigs were exploring for oil and 600 were looking for gas. Four were listed as miscellaneous.…
BATON ROUGE — First-time unemployment claims in the New Orleans area were up slightly last week to 796 from 738, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. The area, comprised of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John and St. Tammany parishes, posted the highest number of…
NEW ORLEANS — A former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company’s response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is asking for a federal judge’s permission to travel freely throughout the U.S. while he is free on bond. Earlier this month, a magistrate…
BATON ROUGE — As the state’s budget woes pile up and tax break bills continue to sail through the Legislature, lawmakers are setting the stage for a wholesale review of the billions of dollars in tax exemptions, rebates and credits on the books. The effort is being pushed by conservative…
The 2012 Health Care Heroes digital insert in now available by clicking here while photos from the May 10 event recognizing this year’s honorees can be found on the CityBusiness Facebook page by clicking here. Nominations for the 2013 event can be submitted online by clicking here.
WASHINGTON — Unemployment rates fell in two-thirds of U.S. states last month, evidence that modest economic growth is boosting hiring in most areas of the country. And in many states, unemployment has fallen well below the national average, which was 8.1 percent last month. Rates were lower than 7 percent…
BATON ROUGE — A proposal to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving has failed to win support in the Louisiana Senate. The Senate Transportation Committee voted 2-1 Thursday against the House-backed proposal. State Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, says he proposed the bill as a safety measure.…
The Orleans Parish School Board has appointed an interim superintendent. Stan Smith served as the chief financial officer for the board since 2006. The board said today that Smith will step in for Superintendent Darryl Kilbert, who officially retires June 30. While the state’s Recovery School District oversees charter groups…
BATON ROUGE — A bloc of conservative Republicans in the House didn’t muster enough support today to stall a budget bill that taps into one-time dollars to help piece together spending plans, giving the Senate a vehicle for restoring money stripped from next year’s operating budget. The House voted 63-38…
NEW YORK — U.S. airlines’ revenue from bag fees fell last year for the first time since they started collecting them, signaling that more passengers are packing light to save cash when they fly. The Transportation Department said today that the 17 largest airlines made $3.36 billion in bag fees…
“When you put the election calendar up against the Mardi Gras calendar moving forward, you are appalled,” said Linda Walker, who led the League of Women Voters committee that conducted a study on spring elections in New Orleans and the potential for conflict with Carnival parades and, as in 2010,…
What remains unclear is how the alliance’s proposal, which isn’t yet official policy, would mesh with existing incentive-granting processes already in place. Another lingering uncertainty is what exactly the city will be able to offer.
The National Flood Insurance Program, the federally backed coverage mandated for some 5.6 million properties owners nationwide, could see a long-term extension from Congress after nearly a decade of being held together with Band-Aids. But the solution will come at the expense of property owners in south Louisiana and other…
A worker’s rights group says the state has unnecessarily high standards for occupations such as interior design and floral arrangement. In all, Louisiana requires licensing for 71 low- to moderate-income professions.
WASHINGTON — The nearly bankrupt U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to close dozens of mail processing centers, saying it can no longer wait for Congress to decide how to cut postal costs. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says postal operations are simply too big given declining mail volume.…
WASHINGTON — A measure of future U.S. economic activity fell in April after six months of increases. The drop reflected fewer requests for building permits and a temporary spike in applications for unemployment benefits. The Conference Board said today that its index of leading economic indicators declined 0.1 percent in…
BATON ROUGE — Lawmakers say they have brokered an agreement in an ongoing dispute between the oil and gas industry and landowners over how to clean up environmental damage done in drilling years ago. The proposal, included today in a bill by Sen. Robert Adley, would allow cleanup plans devised…
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort has gotten permission to secure a $75 million cash line of credit in case a hurricane damages the state. The Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has enough money set aside to cover a $110 million legal judgment against the company, but…
The number of good used cars on the market is at an all time low, an effect of the recession when car manufacturers slowed down production after new car sales declined.
WASHINGTON — Average U.S. rates for 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgages fell to record lows for the third straight week. The steady decline has made home-buying and refinancing more affordable than ever for those who can qualify. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the rate on the 30-year loan dipped to…
WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits was unchanged last week, suggesting modest but steady gains in the job market. The Labor Department said today that weekly unemployment aid applications stayed at a seasonally adjusted 370,000, the same level as the previous week. The four-week average, a…
BATON ROUGE — A proposal that would give Louisiana’s sheriffs a pay raise opportunity is near final legislative passage. New Orleans Sen. J.P. Morrell’s bill would create an “executive management institute” for sheriffs, to teach them management skills and require annual follow-up training. When a sheriff has completed the training,…
BATON ROUGE– Gov. Bobby Jindal has called a special Nov. 6 election for the 5th District seat covering Baton Rouge on the Louisiana Supreme Court being vacated by Chief Justice Kitty Kimball. If no candidate wins outright, the runoff election would be held Dec. 1. Candidate qualifying will run Aug.…
Adolph and Naydja Bynum have invested in a number of properties in Treme. But some residents say the couple has gentrified the area to set the stage for their new business. The City Council will weigh in next on what’s become a very toxic issue in the neighborhood.
Last year the state exempted 94 percent of potential corporate income taxes, according to the Louisiana Department of Revenue. It’s the state’s only tax in which exemptions are greater than the net revenue it generates, and the exemption-revenue difference has more than quintupled in the last four years.
WASHINGTON — Maybe the U.S. economy’s strength this winter wasn’t just weather-related after all. Home construction is near a three-year high. And factory output has risen in three of the year’s first four months. The data released Wednesday suggest growth in the April-June quarter is off to a good start,…
The chance of getting murdered in New Orleans was down in the first quarter of the year. The chance of getting assaulted, have something stolen or being a victim of armed or simple robberies was greater. The Uniform Crime Report showed the murder rate fell more than 27 percent from…
In a story this week, we examine the issue of corporate tax incentives in Louisiana and whether exemptions granted to various companies and industries warrant the state missing out on potential revenue. It’s gaining notice among lawmakers in Baton Rouge who, while not taking any noteworthy measures to curb the…
WASHINGTON — U.S. factory output increased in April, helped by a gain in auto production. Busier factories have driven stronger hiring this year and helped the economy grow. The Federal Reserve said today that factory production rose 0.6 percent in April, erasing a 0.5 percent decline in March. Half of…
WASHINGTON — U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and requested more permits to build single-family homes. The increases suggest the battered housing market is healing. The Commerce Department said today that builders broke ground in April at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 717,000 homes.…
BATON ROUGE — Welfare recipients should be required to submit to random drug-testing, the Louisiana House voted Tuesday, with critics claiming the mandate is equivalent to class warfare by solely targeting poor mothers. The proposal by Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Livingston, was sent to the Senate with a 65-26 vote. Mack’s…
BATON ROUGE — A bid by higher education leaders to boost charges on college students has stalled, facing resistance from House lawmakers who question if students and families could afford the fee hike. Rep. Chris Broadwater shelved his fee increase bill today in the House Education Committee, likely dooming the…
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy accused Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration today of using scare tactics to drum up support for restoring hundreds of millions of dollars to next year’s budget. In a letter to Jindal, Kennedy asked his fellow Republican to “stop scaring our health care and higher…
A restaurateur once told me there wasn’t much to making a menu. “All you have to work with is beef, pork, veal, lamb, chicken, duck, shellfish and fish,” he said. “That’s it. Nobody wants anything else.” That man is no longer in the business. Chefs who attract much attention from…
Public transit advocates and area software developers started pressing the transit authority to release its GPS data to the public late last year, when online banter about improving the city’s transit system turned into a petition for public bus and streetcar data.
NEW YORK — Cheaper gas won’t be enough to get many more Americans on the road this summer. They’re still too worried about their jobs and the economy. Economists and tourism experts are expecting only a small uptick in summer travelers. Gas prices are still high enough to keep some…
WASHINGTON — U.S. companies restocked more slowly in March, continuing a trend that has weighed on growth this year. The Commerce Department said today that business inventories rose 0.3 percent in March, the smallest increase since November. Business sales rose 0.6 percent in March. The pace of restocking has diminished…
WASHINGTON — Confidence among U.S. builders rose to the highest level in five years, a hopeful sign that modest improvement in the housing market will pick up. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose to 29 in May. That’s the highest reading since May 2007 and…
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer prices were flat last month as cheaper gas offset modest increases for food, clothing and housing. The data indicate that inflation remains in check. The Labor Department said today that the seasonally adjusted consumer price index was unchanged in April, after a 0.3 percent gain in…
WASHINGTON — Lower gas prices in April weren’t enough to embolden U.S. consumers to spend much more elsewhere. The Commerce Department said retail sales rose only 0.1 percent last month. After excluding gasoline station sales, consumers increased their spending on retail goods by just 0.2 percent. That followed two stronger…
BATON ROUGE — The New Orleans Hornets will continue receiving a tax break that saves the NBA team $37 million over 10 years. The Senate sent the tax break bill to the governor’s desk Monday with a 28-7 vote. The measure, supported by Gov. Bobby Jindal, is part of the…
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Economic Development will be able to continue shielding records from public view, if the documents are involved in active negotiations to attract or keep companies to Louisiana. House Bill 208 by Rep. Erich Ponti, R-Baton Rouge, which would extend the public records exemption indefinitely, received final…
DES MOINES, Iowa — The U.S. Postal Service said today that its decision to halt the closing of more than 3,700 post offices includes roughly 600 urban and suburban postal branch offices and satellite stations. The facilities in many cities serve as neighborhood post offices. The Postal Service announced last…
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana senators agreed to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposal to boost the amount rank-and-file state workers pay for their retirement — but only after adding several provisions that make it unlikely the full 2 percentage point increase would take effect. The Senate agreed to amendments gutting the bill…
OKLAHOMA CITY – In the wake of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Japan in March 2011, a tsunami overwhelmed and shuttered the Fukushima nuclear power plant. That natural disaster, combined with a nuclear disaster, killed more than 10,000 people with more than 10,000 missing. These simultaneous disasters brought the country’s…
NEW YORK — The class of 2012 is leaving college with something that many graduates since the start of the Great Recession have lacked: jobs. To the relief of graduating seniors — and their anxious parents — the outlook is brighter than it has been in four years. Campus job…
BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal’s top budget adviser says the $25 billion budget proposal passed by the House could force steep cuts in public colleges and health care, damaging services. Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater outlined his concerns today to the Senate Finance Committee. GOP lawmakers in the House…
BATON ROUGE — House Republicans floated a proposal today to cut $268 million out of next year’s budget that could include furloughs for state workers, reductions to overtime pay and elimination of vacant jobs but would leave the decision-making to the Jindal administration. Lawmakers were trying to reach a compromise…