LOUISIANA

“District Attorney Hillar Moore III has opened an official investigation into forgeries on the petition to incorporate the proposed city of St. George. Moore said St. George organizers reported that the people accused of the forgeries were hired by private firms retained by the group to boost the petition effort.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Can Algiers stand as a city independent of New Orleans? State Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-Algiers, is sponsoring legislation that would let the West Bank community go on its own with a mayor and city council. Dissatisfaction with New Orleans officials’ attention to Algiers and a lack of resources commensurate with the community’s contribution to city coffers are the impetus for the move, Arnold has said.” – NOLA.com

“Fighting to keep its tax break program from being gutted, the film industry is circulating a rosier economic analysis of the program’s impact in Louisiana than a state-financed study.” – WBRZ

“A New Jersey federal judge has dismissed a libel case filed by a conservative video maker James O’Keefe, who disputed a news account of his misdemeanor conviction for trying to gain access to then Sen. Mary Landrieu’s New Orleans office in 2010.” – NOLA.com

“State lawmakers are looking to tackle major social issues in the upcoming legislative session that begins Monday, April 13 at noon.” – KPLC

“The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Mike Johnson, may strike a passage in the bill thought to allow private companies to not offer the same benefits to legally-recognized same-sex married couples as other married couples, on the basis of a religious objection. The rest of the bill deals with government regulation of businesses based on their view of marriage, and would remain the same.” – NOLA.com

“Louisiana-native and former Democratic Party executive director Scott Arceneaux might be leaving his job as executive director of the Florida Democratic Party to join Hillary Clinton’s inevitable second run for president.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“More people in Louisiana oppose legalizing same-sex marriage (51 percent) than support it (42 percent), which puts Louisiana out of sync with national opinion, according to an annual survey of Louisiana residents conducted by LSU this winter.” – NOLA.com

“Gov. Bobby Jindal hasn’t formally announced it yet, but he’s clearly in campaign mode. His appearance last week at a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Good Friday breakfast is just the latest signal that he’s plotting a presidential run. U.S. Sen. David Vitter, meanwhile, is spending less time in Washington and more in Louisiana as he campaigns for Jindal’s job.” – Stephanie Grace/Baton Rouge Advocate

“The Mississippi River is now open in St. James Parish following a vessel collision and oil spill late Monday afternoon.” – Fox 8 Live

NATIONAL

“After watching his father try for the presidency and fail three separate times, Rand Paul on Tuesday officially embarked on his own White House bid, a campaign designed to tap into Ron Paul’s legacy without being suffocated by it.” – POLITICO

“Perhaps it’s time to spend a little less time worrying about gay marriage and more time worrying about plain old regular marriage, among other cultural disasters.” – Robert Tracinski/The Federalist

“Let this also be clear: The organized Left and its media mouthpieces have won this week’s skirmishes, largely because the Right’s would-be champions proved to be invertebrate; but advocates of religious freedom have not lost the war, and cannot, must not, and will not retreat — and we have every chance of ultimately prevailing.” – Quin Hillyer/National Review

“Clearly, Obama was both untested and unready, but don’t expect him to display an ounce of awareness of that condition or humility in his disgrace. Forever the narcissist, Barack Obama has the temerity to scold Scott Walker for – get this — lacking experience on the issue of foreign relations ahead of the Wisconsin governor’s likely presidential bid.” – Hot Air

“Count the mistakes: Helping overthrow Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, leading to anarchy and civil war. Pressuring Husni Mubarak of Egypt to resign, then backing the Muslim Brotherhood, leading now-president Sisi to turn toward Moscow. Alienating Washington’s most stalwart ally in the region, the Government of Israel. Dismissing ISIS as “junior varsity” just before it seized major cities. Hailing Yemen as a counterterrorism success just before its government was overthrown. Alarming the Saudi authorities to the point that they put together a military alliance against Iran. Coddling Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, encouraging his dictatorial tendencies. Leaving Iraq and Afghanistan prematurely, dooming the vast American investment in those two countries. And, most of all: Making dangerously flawed deals with the nuclear-ambitious mullahs of Iran.” – Daniel Pipes

“The Environmental Protection Agency’s comprehensive study on environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is set to be released in the near future, and environmentalists are groaning that it’s tainted with oil and gas industry influence. Why the complaining? It’s likely environmental groups know something about the report the general public doesn’t — namely, it probably takes a more favorable view of fracking than activists would like.” – Daily Caller

“Mayor Rahm Emanuel and challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia marked a frenetic final weekend of campaigning by making their cases to voters everywhere from Sunday church services and Easter egg hunts to street demonstrations and Wrigley Field. With the campaign cash raised, the TV ads aired and early voting over, the focus shifted to motivating supporters to get to the polls Tuesday while persuading the few who might still be on the fence to get off of it.” – Chicago Tribune

“The 137th annual Easter Egg Roll festivities drew an estimated 35,000 people to the White House Monday morning. Years of tradition and decorum were abandoned as the first lady Michelle Obama took the opportunity to shake her tail feather in front of cameras once again.” – BizPAC Review

“Lacking the public release of this information from the Capitol Police, several critical questions about the circumstances surrounding Reid’s injuries will remain unanswered:” – Breitbart

“Two other large retailers have decided to pull Blue Bell Ice Cream from their shelves as a precautionary measure after the company announced it was temporarily closing an Oklahoma production plant.” – AP