Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana remains in critical condition after being shot by a now-deceased man in the hip while preparing for a charity baseball game. It’s been learned James Hodgkinson was an outspoken critic of President Trump and the GOP. Republican Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says he has never seen it so divisive…:
Cut 11 (09) “right now”
Scalise is expected to need additional surgeries.

Legislation has been signed into law that limits the amount of pain pills a doctor can prescribe for acute conditions. St. Tammany Coroner Charles Preston is not sure how helpful that will be when it comes to curbing the opioid epidemic. He says the best solution is addiction treatment…
cut 9 (10) “…disease process”

State legislators are moving closer to passing the budget as the House has approved a spending plan that has the support of Governor John Bel Edwards. But many House Republicans, like Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala argue it would be wise not to spend at least 100-million dollars, so midyear cuts are not needed if there is a revenue shortfall…
cut 14 (11) “….some back”
The state senate could pass the House approved budget tomorrow.

Tulane researchers have found Louisiana is sinking at a rate of just over one third of an inch per year, which is 50-percent faster than what was estimated two years ago. Professor Tor Tornqvist, says they collected data from nearly 300 monitoring stations that measured wetland surface changes and sediment accumulation….
cut 5 (11) “….feet”