Former state Senator and state Democrat party chair Karen Carter Peterson is charged with wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s office says she allegedly used money from her campaign fund and from the party for personal uses; including gambling. Peterson, of New Orleans, resigned her senate seat in April and said she needs to focus on her recovery from a gambling addiction. The fraud charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years, but legal analyst Tim Meche says in recent years judges have taken into account that a gambling addiction is a disease…:

CUT 07(10)      “…those situations.”

Peterson is expected to plead guilty, due to her illness.

Here’s one to hopefully make you smile. Chimps at Keithville’s Chimp Haven sanctuary got to beat the summer heat Wednesday with some icy, refreshing popsicles. Supporter dollars were used to buy the sweet treats for about 300 resident primates, which they clearly enjoyed.

Like the rest of American, Louisiana has a shortage of professional truck drivers, and women are encouraged to take up a career on the road. Louisiana Motor Transport Association executive director Renee Amar says females make up a little over half the U.S. workforce, yet they are under-represented in trucking…:

CUT 09(10)      being female drivers

Amar says, of course, men are most welcome to get the training and become truckers. But she’d also like to see a statewide and even national campaign encouraging women to sign up as well.

As inflation hits a 40-year high, a top Louisiana economist says a breaking point is coming. Dr. Jim Richardson of LSU says wages aren’t rising to match prices, and that’ll force people to curtail their spending in time. He feels that will affect demand and force consumer prices down…:

CUT 05(08)      buy less, right there.

As for when this could happen, he say it’s anyone’s guess.