Oil Companies Land a Victory in Louisiana Coastal Lawsuit

A federal appeals court on March 3 refused to revive a Louisiana levee board’s lawsuit blaming dozens of oil and gas companies for damage to the state’s fragile coast, a major victory for energy companies and their political supporters who cast the suit as an attack on a vital state industry. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upheld a federal judge’s 2015 decision in favor of energy companies that argued the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East lacked legal standing to bring its damage claims, which could have cost the oil companies billions of dollars.

Our Views: Declaring a La. disaster once again

Harold Baldwin, a disabled veteran, holds his grandson Blake Baldwin, 5 months, while waiting to apply for FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, disaster recovery assistance at the East New Orleans Public Library, 5641 Read Blvd. in New Orleans, La. Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 near the path of Tuesday’s tornado.

Secret money is fueling pro-Betsy DeVos ad campaigns

But that’s not stopping several conservative organizations from launching ad blitzes promoting Trump’s Cabinet picks – most notably Betsy DeVos, Trump’s nominee for secretary of education, who critics have panned as a wealthy partisan hack with no practical experience in public education. Two conservative nonprofit groups in particular, the Club for Growth and America Next , are pushing back hard, producing broadcast television ads supporting confirmation of DeVos, a GOP megadonor and staunch advocate for charter schools and school vouchers.