NATIONAL

“California’s terrible drought has become — like just about everything else in the United States — a political issue. Many liberals have taken to blaming anthropogenic climate change for the drought, while some conservatives have placed the blame at the feet of ‘liberal environmentalists.’ The political point-scoring is tiring and just plain silly, given that the drought is almost certainly a result of natural processes — processes that we humans, conservatives and liberals alike, have precious little to do with. Another problem is that our partisan pugilists are conflating two separate issues: the drought, which is the lack of rainfall that California has suffered over the past four years, and the water shortages, which may indeed have some man-made causes.” – Weekly Standard

“The very thin fiction of Obama’s ‘historic’ agreement with Iran is unraveling with amazing speed. It’s notable that the Iranians never felt any urge to play along with Obama, not even for a few hours. They were loudly announcing his spin on the deal was false before the sun set on the day the agreement was announced.” – Breitbart

“Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s lead is wilting against leading Republican presidential candidates in three critical swing states, Colorado, Iowa and Virginia, and she finds herself in a close race with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in each state, according to a Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll released today. In head-to-head matchups, every Republican candidate effectively ties her in Colorado and almost all Republicans effectively tie her in Iowa.” – Quinnipiac

“University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh announced on Twitter Wednesday night that his team will hold a screening of ‘American Sniper’ after the school pulled a showing when some students called it ‘anti-Muslim.'” – The Blaze

“Politico senior staff writer Glenn Thrush opined on Twitter that the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign was ‘collapsing completely‘ before it started, and that she ‘shouldn’t even bother to enter the race.'” – Daily Caller

“Another day, another scandalous tale involving the Clinton Foundation’s suspect ethics.” – Hot Air

“Yet as union leaders and human rights activists conveyed these harrowing reports of violence to then-Secretary of State Clinton in late 2011, urging her to pressure the Colombian government to protect labor organizers, she responded first with silence, these organizers say. The State Department publicly praised Colombia’s progress on human rights, thereby permitting hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid to flow to the same Colombian military that labor activists say helped intimidate workers.” – IBTimes

“Meanwhile, on the right, Paul was experiencing some of his best, warmest press since his 2013 drone filibuster. The reason was the pugnacious pro-life answer he gave at Wednesday’s availability in New Hampshire, when asked to clarify his abortion views.” – Dave Weigel/Bloomberg

“Later Thursday, when it finally regained control of its website, the network posted that it had been the “victim of piracy unprecedented in the world history of broadcasting.” The attack began around 10 p.m. (4 p.m. ET). The screens of the 11 networks went dark. The network said a message written in three languages — French, Arabic and English — was then posted on one of its social media sites. The message, the network said, included threats to the network and ‘a glorification of Sharia.'” – CNN

“As lawmakers at the State Capitol consider a bill that would no longer allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children over personal beliefs, vaccination critic Robert Kennedy Jr. waded into the debate at a Sacramento appearance.” – CBS San Francisco

LOUISIANA

“Dooley has set up shop in Louisiana of late, attempting to save the doomed state tax credits for solar energy that a recent study calculates is costing Louisiana taxpayers a net $63 million per year — making those tax breaks a certified goner amid a budget deficit of some $1.6 billion thanks in large part to depressed prices of oil and gas. There is little appetite in the state legislature, and not much more on the Republican-controlled Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities in Louisiana, to continue subsidizing rooftop solar energy.” – Scott McKay/The American Spectator

“U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., took in $1.5 million in political conbtributions in the first three months of 2015, a strong showing that suggests his fundraising has suffered little if at all from the controversy over his speech to white supremacists in 2002.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“What he found were companies aggressively using tax avoidance options and tax breaks to avoid owing anything to Louisiana. His office has opened more than 100 audits based on its findings, and he’s talking to lawmakers about possibly closing some of the loopholes in the upcoming legislative session that begins next week. In a review of the state’s largest companies, Barfield said his agency found only about one-fourth of them were paying corporate taxes to Louisiana.” – NOLA.com

“The federal judge overseeing a class-action lawsuit over the Bayou Corne sinkhole told plaintiffs upset with their attorneys’ handling of the case that he believes the lawyers, the suit’s court-appointed special master and the $48.1 million settlement they put together were ‘very fair.’” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“This summer, gas prices are predicted to be the lowest they’ve been in six years. According to The Associated Press, prices should be down by 32% between April and September. Good news for consumers, but as we’ve seen with the latest slump in oil prices, it’s not good news for the oil and gas industry. Three of the largest oil companies have announced layoffs. Baker Hughes, Schlumberger and Halliburton are in the process of cutting close to 21,000 jobs.” – KATC

“Louisiana colleges are at risk of cutting back programs and services for students, losing accreditation, laying off workers and, eventually, closing altogether under the grim budget picture they face in the coming year, higher education leaders told a key House panel Wednesday.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“The Baton Rouge Area Chamber will focus on tax credits, education and transportation as its priorities for the upcoming legislative session, which begins Monday (April 13).” – NOLA.com

“A fired up Sheriff Newell Normand on Wednesday defended police action and the officers who shot and killed a ‘drug-dealing gangster’ Monday. During the tirade at a press conference on Wednesday, the sheriff also said legalizing and decriminalizing pot would not stop drug related violence.” –

“Two more Republican congressmen from Louisiana — Ralph Abraham, of Alto, and John Fleming, of Minden — have thrown their support in this year’s governor’s race behind U.S. Sen. David Vitter.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“The head of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau worries that a religious freedom bill filed in the Louisiana Legislature last week could threaten the city’s thriving tourism industry and economy.” – NOLA.com

“All of the major candidates for governor have emphatically promised to call a special session next year to address the state’s budget predicament. It’s a misconception, however, to assume they would all do so immediately upon taking their oath, if elected, and moving into the Baton Rouge mansion.” – LAPolitics.com