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Budget deal preserves flood insurance for Louisiana, other states through hurricane season

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Budget deal preserves flood insurance for Louisiana, other states through hurricane season


Congress’ temporary budget deal to keep the government open for three months also keeps the National Flood Insurance Program from expiring in Louisiana and other states during hurricane season.

President Joe Biden officially signed Congress’ continuing resolution Thursday to avoid a government shutdown until Dec. 20, but sets up another funding battle at the end when both sides know who control the White House.

“Our state is still picking up the pieces that Hurricane Francine left behind, and our communities need all the help they can get,” Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said of the CR. “I’m thankful we’ve delivered Louisianians additional disaster aid and protected their flood insurance so that the program doesn’t expire in the middle of hurricane season.”

Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy also voted for the temporary budget deal that propped up the flood insurance program again before it expired Sept. 30.

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“Nobody wants a shutdown,” Cassidy said. “We must keep the National Flood Insurance Program going, put more money into FEMA’s disaster relief fund, continue to pay our troops and give the Secret Service additional resources to protect (former) President Trump. While I’m disappointed the SAVE Act was not included, this bill gives us the time to find a lasting solution without harming Americans.”

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) would require people to prove they are U.S. citizens before they can vote. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in all federal elections and critics believe it would add barriers for legal voters who can’t easily access their citizenship documents.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Shreveport had proposed a six-month budget extension that would have included the SAVE Act, but it failed to pass, necessitating the final deal.

“The best play under the circumstances was the CR with the SAVE Act,” Johnson said ahead of this week’s final deal. “But we came a little short of the goal line, so we have to go with the last available play.”

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Trump urged House Republicans to let the government shut down if they did not get the voting legislation passed along with a funding extension. But Johnson told his conference that it would be “political malpractice” to do that so close to an election, citing polling indicating voters probably would blame Republicans for a shutdown.

More: Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins’ Haitian tweet draws sharp criticism as racist

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.



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Louisiana pastor Tony Spell ordered to stay 50 yards from alleged assault victim’s home as bodycam appears to shows him using slur

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Louisiana pastor Tony Spell ordered to stay 50 yards from alleged assault victim’s home as bodycam appears to shows him using slur


Louisiana pastor Tony Spell must stay 50 yards from his neighbor’s home unless he’s checking the mail after a protection order was issued against him – as shocking bodycam appears to show him using a homophobic slur to describe his alleged assault victim, just two days after he was arrested.

Spell, 48, is banned from speaking with the neighbor either online and in person, according to the order issued  Friday, which has since been reported by The Advocate. 

“Mr Spell may walk over and check his mailbox; other than checking his mailbox, he is to be 50 yards away from the protected person’s property,” a note on the order says. 

Pastor Tony Spell allegedly assaulted his neighbor’s son after he threatened to kill and rape his wife. WBRZ

Spell, the pastor of Baton Rouge’s Life Tabernacle Church, will appear in court in September after being charged with second degree battery over last month’s assault that unfolded opposite the church.

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He claimed Scott Sherwin’s son had threatened to rape and kill his wife before delivering 35 blows.

But two days after the brawl Scott Sherwin reported Spell for allegedly mowing his lawn at 4 a.m., WBRZ reported.

“He’s doing this to intimidate my victim son,” Sherwin claimed in bodycam video seen by The Post. 

“Do you cut your grass at 4 in the morning?” he asked the responding officer.

“You gotta get him to stop man,” the furious dad said.

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Sherwin claimed his family was unable to sleep – alleging Spell was carrying out “psychological warfare.”

An enraged Sherwin then swore at his neighbor, allegedly flipping him off, according to the bodycam.

Tony Spell kneeling and holding a goat. Tony Spell / Facebook

“I was asleep when this started at four in the morning,” Sherwin stressed, aggressively pointing at his phone.

The cop then went over to Spell, who was sitting on his lawnmower, before asking for his name.

“Everybody in the world knows my name,” Spell brazenly replied to the cop.

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Spell, who faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, then labeled Sherwin’s son a “f—-t” and seemed to take pride in the now-viral beatdown.

“He’s just sore because I beat the crap out of his f—-t boy,” he said.

“And he’s next if he comes over here and harasses these boys,” Spell said, speaking while a group of teens gathered nearby.

He has been embroiled in a rivalry with his neighbor. Tony Spell

Spell then started his lawnmower up and told the boys “get to work,” essentially ordering them to clear off.

Spell strongly defended his actions after being released from jail over the assault.

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“Number one, I’m a husband, number two, I’m a father, and number three, I’m a pastor who shepherds his flock,” he said. “I will not allow a man to murder my children when I’m gone,” he told reporters.

He revealed what Sherwin’s son allegedly said, which prompted the beatdown.

“He said, ‘Tony, I’m going to rape your wife, I’m going to rape all your grandchildren, and the next time you go out of town, I’m going to kill them,’” Spell said.

He addressed the altercation to his congregation and compared it to “domestic terrorism.” He also cited a Bible passage from Mark 16:18, WAFB reported.

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“In my name, they shall lay hands on the sick. And they shall recover,” he said.

“So today, I fulfilled the scripture. I laid hands on the sick. I don’t know how much recovery they’re going to have, but I laid hands on the sick.”

Spell has been in a longstanding feud with Sherwin; the pastor filed a lawsuit during the pandemic in 2020 over surveillance cameras that were installed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spell was ticketed for holding in-person church services, defying Louisiana’s social distancing restrictions.

Spell claimed the cameras were installed to monitor him.

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In April 2020, Spell was accused of attacking a protester outside his church. Police alleged that Spell backed his church bus in the direction of the protester, who was identified as Trey Bennett, according to news station WAFB-TV.

He was arrested for aggravated assault but never formally charged.



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Louisiana-based study: Bariatric surgery holds promise for young patients

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Louisiana-based study: Bariatric surgery holds promise for young patients



A new study from researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and the Metamor Institute found that metabolic and bariatric surgery can be delivered safely and effectively for adolescents and young adults living with severe obesity, leading to significant weight loss and improvements in obesity-related health conditions. 

Published in Obesity Surgery, the study examined outcomes from 76 patients ages 10 to 25 who underwent bariatric surgery through a Louisiana-based program at the Metamor Institute between January 2020 and March 2025. Researchers evaluated safety outcomes as well as longer-term health improvements associated with surgical obesity treatment.

The study found that patients achieved an average total body weight loss of 29%-32% maintained over one to five years. Among patients with available follow-up data, 94% experienced remission of type 2 diabetes, 67% showed improvement in hypertension and dyslipidemia and 64% experienced improvement in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Surgical complications remained low, with only 5% of patients experiencing complications within 30 days of surgery.

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Researchers noted that these outcomes were likely supported by a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care model that included experienced surgeons, nutritional guidance, behavioral support and coordinated medical follow-up. The study population represented a broad cross-section of Louisiana patients, with nearly 75% covered by Medicaid, highlighting the importance of ensuring access to effective obesity treatment options across socioeconomic backgrounds. 

The findings support current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that adolescents age 13 and older with severe obesity and related health risks be evaluated for metabolic and bariatric surgery as part of comprehensive, evidence-based obesity care.





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Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass $250 Billion Price Tag

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Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass 0 Billion Price Tag


Meta Platforms Inc. has committed to spending an additional $40 billion on its sprawling data center campus in Louisiana, pushing its total expected investment beyond $250 billion for the site as it continues to grow its artificial intelligence computing footprint.



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