“Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) continues to strike out with President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in her attempt to get their support for building the Keystone XL pipeline.” – Heartland

“Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, said he’s not optimistic that Congress will respond to Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s latest plea for more federal assistance to fight urban crime.” – NOLA.com

“Louisiana’s two largest statewide retirement systems took a step that could reduce their long-term debts and ultimately lower the costs paid for state government retirements. The Louisiana State Employees Retirement System and the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana boards voted to reduce their projected annual investment returns from 8 percent to 7.75 percent.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“The idea for biopic examining the life of former Gov. Edwin Edwards has been whispered about occasionally in recent years, but his biographer, Leo Honeycutt, is making moves to inch closer to making that idea a reality.” – NOLA.com

“While it may be too early to identify what the swing parishes will be in the developing U.S. Senate race, Republicans appear to be putting an early focus on St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes and, to a lesser extent, Washington, St. Helena and Livingston parishes.” – LAPolitics.com

” State Treasurer John Kennedy says a fund that was used to plug holes in the 2013-14 state budget ended the year with hole in it that the Jindal administration plugged by taking money from the new budget that went into effect July 1.” – Shreveport Times

“Justin Odom, a person of interest in the Bourbon Street shooting case, will be released from jail Thursday after being arrested on outstanding attachments in Jefferson Parish, according to sheriff’s spokesman Col. John Fortunato.” – Fox 8 Live

“Music, food and families will fill the riverfront alongside the Mississippi River as the 20th annual Essence Festival kicks off in New Orleans.” – WWL-TV

“With more than 400 festivals on Louisiana’s annual calendar, only a handful are major economic engines and cultural bastions. The journey from folksy festival to tourism powerhouse has as much to do with maintaining uniqueness as bringing in dollars.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Elaine Allen of El Dorado, Arkansas, had a vague awareness of Poverty Point State Historical Site in northeastern Louisiana, but until it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site last month, she’d never been motivated to visit.” – Monroe News-Star