NEW ORLEANS, LA. – Former State Representative and New Orleans City Councilmember Cynthia Willard-Lewis announced today her decision to run for State Senate District 2.

NEW ORLEANS – Southeasterly winds and heavy rainfall associated with the low pressure system over the area have increased water in both the Company and Harvey canals, prompting the New Orleans District, in coordination with Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – West and Jefferson Parish, to close the gates at each canal.

With just days remaining until qualifying opens for the fall elections, rumors abound about possible surprise candidates, both in the party primaries and general elections, that could throw the carefully planned schemes of the front-runners aft astray--as was well demonstrated on Monday morning when Councilman At-Large Thomas Capella decided to abandon the Parish President's race and run for Assessor.

Is BP allowing its employees and contractors to be  more accessible to the media?  For weeks one of the biggest complaints within the media and others was the lack of media availability to those who on on the ground or in the waters helping with  the Oil Spill  efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.  In fact, officials from the Coast  Guard have told  media in Louisiana that the  BP contractors had signed  a confidentiality agreement preventing the contractors from talking with the media.

It is said "oil and water do not mix".
Add some a dose of politics and you'll really find chaos.
That is what we are facing as the BP oil spill settles into our wetlands, our beaches and then soaks into our fears and our belief systems.
Chaos.

The man that Governor Bobby Jindal recently appointed as the incoming Commissioner of Administration, Paul Rainwater, announced today that Mark Brady will serve as Deputy Commissioner of Administration, following the retirement of Barbara Goodson, who is retiring after 36 years of state service.  Goodson’s retirement is effective July 25.

Rep. Edward J.  Markey (E-Mass) once again ripped BP’s spill response apart by noting it did not mention hurricanes or tropical storms.   In doing so, the Congressman  raises the question  whether any of  the major oil  companies are prepared for a oil spill  and  a major storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

In a press release, Markey states that “Hurricane Alex moves through the Gulf of Mexico today, disrupting spill response operations, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) revealed that BP makes zero mentions of the words “hurricane” or “ tropical storm” in its response plan to a Gulf spill. Following this latest revelation highlighting BP’s unpreparedness for disasters, Rep. Markey asked BP to explain their storm contingency plans in full.

What did Governor Bobby Jindal discuss with Joe Biden during the  Vice President’s visit to Louisiana on June 29?

Certainly one of the issues was the gulf deep drilling moratorium that is high on the agenda of BP oil spill related issues.

Here are just  some of  the comments Jindal gave to the media during the press conference held following his visit with Biden.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal discussed his visit with Vice President Joseph Biden who travelled to Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast.

Jindal said the two discussed a number of issues and heard from the commercial fishermen who have been gravely impacted by the BP oil spill and the gulf deep water drilling moratorium imposed by President Barack Obaman after the Deep Horizon rig exploded.

Vice President Biden is visiting the Gulf Goast today under a storm of anger and a natural one in the western part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Across the that region, members of the seafood industry are upset and concerned about the growing desperate plight of their families and businesses.   
As each day goes by, another seafood industry icon closes while the industry  leaders assert that there is plenty of shrimps and fish safe to eat and available to go to market.  
And, as June now makes way for July, and as days of this crises mount, local  government officials are getting more frantic, disillusioned  and upset at what they see as BP and the federal government’s slow, inadequate and sometimes feeble response.