A federal judge in New Orleans says BP’s reckless conduct is what caused millions of gallons of oil to gush into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Associate Director of the Tulane Energy Institute, Eric Smith, says this ruling means the bill BP would have to pay quadruples under the Clean Water Act…

cut 6 (05) “that is authorized”

The judge says BP is 67-percent to blame for the spill, while rig owner Transocean takes 30-percent and cement contractor Halliburton takes 3 percent. Smith says BP will most certainly appeal the ruling.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office says a man, who set up a scholarship fund to honor a Slidell woman who died in a car crash, is accused of stealing money from the account. 19-year-old UNO student Hayley Howard was missing for four days in March before her car was found in the water near Lake Ponchartrain. Captain George Bonnett…

cut 3 (09) “was missing”

Bonnett says an investigation revealed 29-year-old Jonathan Holcomb was writing checks to himself out of the account. He is charged with felony theft.

The Department of Health and Hospitals says Louisiana Medicaid and Blue Cross will no longer pay for early elective medically unnecessary deliveries of newborns before 39 weeks of gestation. DHH Secretary Kathy Kleibert says these early elctive deliveries are called “convenience births”…

cut 7 (07) “this day and time”

Any births deemed medically necessary before 39 weeks will still be covered.

Republican Dr. Ralph Abraham has taken the lead in the 5th District Congressional race, according to a new poll by the Glascock Group. Abraham comes in with 22-percent of the vote, followed by incumbent Vance McAllister at 20-percent and Democratic Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo with 15-percent. Pollster Darrell Glascock says Abraham’s support seems to be district wide…

cut 10 (06) “candidates are”

He says this will be an advantage for Abraham as he is not relying solely on votes from the Monroe area.