WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families issued the following news release: * * * 15 Jurisdictions Commit to ACF Effort to Close Foster Home Gap - A Home for Every Child The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced that 14 states and the District of Columbia have joined A Home for Every Child, a bipartisan initiative to increase the number of licen  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- A coalition of 365 former attorneys who served at the U.S. Department of Justice has submitted a public comment letter expressing strong opposition to a proposed rulemaking concerning the review of state bar complaints and allegations against DOJ attorneys, aiming to give the Attorney General discretionary authority to review and potentially delay or displace state bar disciplinary investigations into DOJ lawyers. The former DOJ attorneys argue that this proposal is both   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on April 17, 2026: * * * AFPI Celebrates Supreme Court Victory Affecting American Energy Producers & National Security The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) applauds the Supreme Court's decision today in Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, a case that addresses whether state and local governments can weaponize lawsuits against private companies to hold them liable for past activities which were indispensa  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The American Tort Reform Association issued the following statement on April 17, 2026, by Lauren Sheets Jarrell, vice president and counsel for civil justice policy: * * * Reactions to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish "We're pleased to learn that today, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that more than 40 Louisiana coastal lawsuits belong in federal courts -- not state courts. Louisiana's coastal litigation is ranked the fourth-worst Judicial H  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, April 17 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news: * * * Attorney General Alan Wilson fights against the rise of the administrative state * (COLUMBIA, S.C.) - Attorney General Alan Wilson is joining a 21-state friend-of-the-court brief pushing back against burdensome regulations on national markets and the rise of the administrative state. The brief was filed in support of a challenge to a 2020 federal statute requiring the U.S. Envi  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: * * * Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Close Loopholes Allowing Taxpayer-Funded Abortion * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and 17 of their Senate colleagues introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to ban federal Title X family-plan  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news: * * * Chairman Cassidy, Blackburn Lead Legislation Closing Loopholes Allowing Taxpayer-Funded Abortion U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and 17 Republican colleagues introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense released the following testimony by Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, from an April 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget requests: * * * Chairman Calvert, Ranking Member McCollum, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege to testify on behalf of the United States Air Force Reserve (AFR). The AFR is a combat-ready force committed to defending the Nation, deterring aggre  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense released the following testimony by Army Lt. Gen. Robert D. Harter, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, from an April 17, 2026, hearing on budget requests: * * * Since the first shots were fired at Lexington Common, the Army Reserve has served a single purpose - to deliver combat-ready soldiers and formations in support of the Army and the Nation. While our mission remains unchanged, the way the Army Rese  more

NORFOLK, Virginia, April 18 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Crown Bioscience Urged to Probe Studies Using Monkeys From Filthy Lab After PETA Expose In a letter sent yesterday, PETA urges Crown Bioscience to review all experiments on monkeys it commissioned at the University of Louisiana's New Iberia Research Center (NIRC), the nation's largest primate laboratory with 12,000 monkeys. Last month, PETA released a whistleb  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 17 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release: * * * Governor Ron DeSantis Reappoints Three to the Council for Early Grade Success * TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the reappointment of Maria Alba-Quesada, Lindsey Brown, and Meghan Collins to the Council for Early Grade Success. Maria Alba-Quesada Alba-Quesada is the Academic Director of Curriculum and Instruction for South Prep Scholars Academy. Previously, s  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release: * * * In WLF Victory, Supreme Court Rejects Narrow Reading of Federal-Officer Removal Statute * "Today's 8-0 ruling honors Congress's intent to provide federal contractors with a federal forum for disputes over federal projects." -Cory L. Andrews, WLF General Counsel & Vice President of Litigation (Washington, DC)-Today the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a decision by the U.S. Court  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * In One Week, National Fraud Enforcement Division Announces More Arrests, Convictions and Sentences Representing Over $340 Million In Taxpayer Fraud Five Arrested Yesterday in Three States for $1.6 Million COVID-19 Scheme * The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions from across the country to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 [Category: Environment] -- The League of Conservation Voters posted the following news wrapup, This Week in Climate Action - April 17, 2026: * * * Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we're covering Trump and Republicans' attacks on clean air and public lands, and state advancements in energy affordability and climate action. Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation (LFBF) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) opposing the proposed delay of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems final rule. The rule's implementation date is set for July 1, 2026, but the USDA has proposed postponing it until December 31, 2027. The federation represents poultry growers across Louisiana and argues that delaying the   more

NEW YORK, April 17 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., posted the following news release: * * * Pro-Voter Groups Move to Join Louisiana's Lawsuit Seeking Additional and Illegal Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in Federal Elections * MONROE, LA. - Today a coalition of pro-voter organizations filed a motion to intervene as d  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 [Category: Political] -- The Campaign Legal Center posted the following news release: * * * Pro-Voter Groups Move to Join Louisiana's Lawsuit Seeking Additional and Illegal Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in Federal Elections * MONROE, La. - Today a coalition of pro-voter organizations filed a motion to intervene as defendants in Louisiana v. EAC. On Tuesday, Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Election Assistance Commission because the agency denied the   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 [Category: Political] -- The League of Women Voters posted the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Pro-Voter Groups Move to Join Louisiana's Lawsuit Seeking Additional and Illegal Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in Federal Elections MONROE, LA - Today a coalition of pro-voter organizations filed a motion to intervene as defendants in Louisiana v. EAC. On Tuesday, Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the US Election Assistance Commission because the agenc  more

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, April 17 [Category: Environment] -- The Union of Concerned Scientists posted the following news release: * * * Rep. Hageman Introduces Bill to Grant Big Oil Sweeping Legal Immunity * WASHINGTON (April 17, 2026)-U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) introduced a bill today seeking to grant sweeping immunity to the fossil fuel industry against legal and financial accountability for climate change damages. The congressional bill mirrors legislation recently passed  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news: * * * Rep. Pressley Says Goodbye to Constituent Rumeysa Ozturk * Pressley, Markey, McGovern Conducted Check In with Ozturk at Louisiana ICE Facility in April 2025, Welcomed Her Home Following Release from ICE Detention Pressley Has Stood in Vigorous Defense of Immigrant Communities in MA 7 th and Nationwide, Fighting to Bring Detained Neighbors Home Rep. Pressley's Social Media Post WASHINGTON - T  more

MONTGOMERY, Alabama, April 17 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Southern Poverty Law Center posted the following news: * * * SPLC Joins Pro-Voter Groups on Motion to Intervene in Louisiana's Lawsuit Against the Federal Elections Commission * Louisiana seeks to add unlawful and burdensome proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal form for voter registration Monroe, La. -Today, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and a coalition of pro-voter organizations filed a motion to intervene as   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 (TNSLrpt) -- Data Center Threats in Louisiana: Protecting Communities from Big Tech's Costly Impacts - A report from Union of Concerned Scientists - April 2026 (23 pages) * * * The Union of Concerned Scientists issued a report examining the rapid growth of data centers in Louisiana and its implications for electricity costs, public health, and environmental outcomes. The report analyzes projected energy demand from large-scale data infrastructure, its impact on the state's  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Working Families, Business Owners, and Their Employees All Benefit from Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts * WASHINGTON -Throughout this tax season, industry groups and advocacy organizations across the spectrum have highlighted in their own words what the Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts means for working families, small and large business owners, children, workers, and seniors. These   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Rep.) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Working Families, Business Owners, and Their Employees All Benefit from Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts * WASHINGTON -Throughout this tax season, industry groups and advocacy organizations across the spectrum have highlighted in their own words what the Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts means for working families, small and large business owners, children, workers, and  more