NATIONAL

“Hahn and many other liberals like to talk about the lack of infrastructure upkeep, but few actually want to take really tough steps to solve the problem. The awful truth is that government officials always will find it easier to fund new projects they can use for ribbon-cutting photo ops. Allocating money for bridge repair or new safety equipment is boring.” – John Fund/National Review

“ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos, who for 15 years expertly navigated his re-invention from tough Clinton operative to respected television journalist, has finally—and perhaps inevitably—slipped up.” – Daily Beast

“I’ve spent my entire life in ‘organized religion’ — first in a truly fundamentalist church, then (in my adult life) in the Presbyterian Church in America — and I’ve never heard a single sermon about contraception and less than ten about homosexuality. In fact, the first two items on our denomination’s website currently deal with disaster relief, responding to tornadoes in the U.S. and earthquakes in Nepal. Sexual politics is simply not a dominant topic compared to scriptural study, discussions of family, or exhortations to serve the poorest and most disadvantaged members of the community. If I were to critique the church, I’d say we need to discuss the sexual revolution issues a bit more — to equip kids and families to face the cultural onslaught. It’s possible to simultaneously resist a hedonistic culture and give our time and money to serve the poor. In fact, we can’t truly and effectively fight poverty without also resisting the culture of family disintegration that has made life so much more difficult for America’s poorest citizens.” – David French/National Review

“Yesterday, Rubio addressed the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He spoke for 25 minutes, then answered questions posed by Charlie Rose for another 35. Rubio hit hard at the Obama administration’s foreign policy disasters:” – Power Line

“You will be shocked beyond belief, I’m sure, to learn that Obamacare exchanges across the country are instead bleeding money, seeking more taxpayer bailouts, and turning everything they touch to chicken poop.” – Michelle Malkin/National Review

“According to a report released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization that maintains education records, total college enrollment has dropped 1.9 percent compared to last spring. That may not seem like a big number, but it represents a whopping 400,000 students.” – Daily Caller

“Climate scientists have a problem. They’re trying to prove that the ice is melting in Antarctica, but the continent is so iced-over – at record levels – they’re having trouble getting there.” – Downtrend

“Turks came to Germany as ‘guest workers’. They were supposed to provide some ‘necessary cheap labor’ and then leave. But it didn’t work out that way. And the topic has obvious implications for our own Gang of 8′s guest worker plan, which is going to lead to non-workers bankrupting the social welfare system even further.” – Daniel Greenfield/Muslim Statistics

“Again, this was all quintessential Obama then, and it’s quintessential Obama now. All that has changed is that he’s doing the exact same thing to Democrats, and it’s making them sad. Specifically, he’s accused Senator Elizabeth Warren of not having her facts straight. He says she’s just a politician following her partisan self-interest.” – Jonah Goldberg/National Review

“The Department of Veterans Affairs has been spending at least $6 billion a year in violation of federal contracting rules to pay for medical care and supplies, wasting taxpayer money and putting veterans at risk, according to an internal memo written by the agency’s senior official for procurement.” – Washington Post

LOUISIANA

“As Republicans debate how to respond to a Supreme Court ruling on ObamaCare next month, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) promises to have a plan for what happens next.” – The Hill

“Louisiana state government looked under a financial cushion and found about $179 million that will be used to pay a shortfall for the fiscal year that ends in six weeks and to help in efforts to close a massive budget hole for the next fiscal year.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Mike Johnson was in junior high when his teacher, Mrs. Elliot, asked him to meet her by the flagpole. It was there that Johnson — now a freshman Louisiana state representative pushing controversial religious freedom legislation — had his seventh-grade epiphany.” – NOLA.com

“Baton Rouge State Rep. Ted James, a Democrat, said he is considering running for East Baton Rouge Mayor President in 2016.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“With all the talk lately about the future of Interstate 69 and what route the Interstate 49 connector will take through the city, where does that leave Interstate 20? The elder statesmen of the interstate system through Northwest Louisiana is showing its age in some stretches more so than others. Bumps, cracks and uneven blacktop provide a less-than-pleasant driving experience for the tens of thousands of motorists who take the route on a daily basis.” – Shreveport Times

“Robideaux is the head of the House’s Ways and Means Committee, which oversees all tax policy. He had lead efforts to get the House to pass those tax bills last week. He threatened to put an amendment taxing abortion on Whitney’s bill. He said an abortion tax would be similar to the cigarette tax increase — both deter undesirable behavior. Whitney voted against a cigarette tax passed by the House.” – NOLA.com

“Three women were killed in separate shootings and a fourth disappeared over the past two months in East Baton Rouge Parish. But thus far, the only element connecting the incidents is the flummoxing nature of each case. No one has been arrested in the deaths of the three women — Jemina Williams, Brittney Mills and Taylor Latham.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“The House Judiciary Committee agreed Thursday to review ways to have all Louisiana police wear body cameras.” – WWL-TV

“Talks are escalating about the possibility of building a new public high school in Lafayette Parish.” – Lafayette Advertiser

“Whole Foods Market Chairman John Elstrott told LSU’s latest crop of graduates that the keys to living a happy and fulfilled life lie within family and purpose. ‘Find your true purpose in life,’ he told LSU’s largest-ever spring graduating class Thursday night.” – Baton Rouge Advocate