News

(The Center Square) — In an act of defiance, Democratic senators blocked the House-passed full-year funding bill for the Department of Defense from advancing Thursday.

(The Center Square) — A report from the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission is urging Louisiana leaders to lock in a decade of new earlychildhood funding, warning that child-care shortages are sidelining parents from the labor force and dulling the state’s growth prospects. In a report titled “Building on What Works,” the panel links affordable, high-quality care for infants and toddlers to Louisiana’s ability to fill tens of thousands of anticipated jobs and sustain recent economic momentum. The document also notes that its “findings and recommendations are the Commission’s alone and do not represent the Louisiana Department of Education’s position.'

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — More evacuees from coastal Alaska villages inundated by high surf last weekend are arriving in Anchorage. Officials say one of the “most significant” airlifts in Alaska history is underway following a devastating typhoon. Hundreds of people are being flown to the state's largest city by military transport jet, and they are being put up in an arena at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Officials announced the airlifts Wednesday. Some villages on the state’s southwest coast were inundated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong last weekend.

(AP) — U.S. markets abruptly turned around afterconcernsaboutthe health of regional banks and other financial institutions threatened to extend into a second day. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 0.1% before the bell Friday, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1%. Both had been down more than 1% just hours before markets opened. Nasdaq futures declined 0.2%. A pair of regional banks saw their shares fall significantly Thursday after acknowledging trouble with borrowers, adding to the anxiety that bad loans and fraud in the private lending market could be widespread.

Jennings residents who are unable to attend council meetings but want to stay up to date will have the opportunity to watch them live online starting in November.

The Jeff Davis Parish School Board Child Nutrition Department is considering its options after a state inspection noted food handling violations.

Jeff Davis Parish Economic Development Commission Director Cesilee Oliver recently addressed zonings issues with the JDP Police Jury, asking the group to consider rezoning large acreages of land currently for sale in the parish.