Louisiana
Louisiana’s SNAP program gives up soda and candy for Lent as new restrictions take effect
Louisiana SNAP recipients may find themselves involuntarily giving up soda and candy for Lent this year, as new restrictions on what the food assistance can be used to purchase take effect on Ash Wednesday.
In announcing the changes, state health officials said the timing immediately after Mardi Gras was intentional. The waiver allowing Louisiana to place the restrictions on the federal program commonly known as food stamps was approved last year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was set to begin Jan. 1, but the state received approval for the delay.
People browse the candy aisle at the Pearlington Rockets Express convenience store on U.S. 90 in this 2025 file photo. (Staff photo by David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune)
“You can still buy soda, you can still buy candy, but you cannot use your SNAP card to do it beginning February 18,” said Camille Conaway, the executive director for economic independence at the Louisiana Department of Health. “So we are going to enjoy our candy and our soda and our energy drinks all the way from Mardi Gras, and then we’re collectively going on a really great diet.”
What qualifies as a soft drink or candy?
Roughly 25,000 products will no longer be eligible for purchase with SNAP funds, according to a product list commissioned by the state and compiled by NielsenIQ, a consumer research company.
Under Louisiana’s waiver, “soft drinks” are defined as any carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage containing high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, such as regular or diet sodas. Flavored carbonated waters, such as LaCroix, remain eligible, as do beverages containing milk or milk substitutes like soy or almond milk, and drinks made up of at least 50% fruit or vegetable juice.
Energy drinks containing added stimulants — including fortified caffeine, taurine, guarana or glucuronolactone — are also no longer allowed. That category includes popular brands such as Red Bull and Monster. Coffee and tea remain eligible, as do caffeinated beverages that do not include added stimulants.
Candy is defined as a sugar- or sweetener-based product combined with ingredients such as chocolate, fruit or nuts and sold in bars, drops or pieces. Chocolate bars, gummies and hard candies are excluded, while protein bars and baking ingredients such as chocolate chips or toffee bits are still allowed.
A wide-reaching program
Louisiana is one of about a dozen states that have requested waivers from the USDA to restrict certain SNAP purchases, part of a growing movement and a cornerstone of the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement put forth by federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Each state has slightly different rules for what is no longer allowed. For instance, West Virginia restricts sugary beverages but not candy. Texas defines sweetened drinks as having five grams or more of added sugar or any artificial sweetener. Missouri added “prepared desserts” to its list of ineligible foods.
Nearly 750,000 people in Louisiana — about one in five households — use SNAP, which provides monthly benefits loaded onto a debit-style card that can be used at most grocery retailers. Benefit amounts vary based on household size, income and expenses such as housing.
The average monthly benefit in Louisiana is $377, totaling roughly $1.78 billion per year. The program is entirely federally funded, though the state covers half of the $337 million in administrative costs. That state share is expected to increase to 75% next year under the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” championed by President Donald Trump.
Health goals, but no rotisserie chicken
State officials said the changes are part of a broader effort to promote healthier eating. When the restrictions were first announced, Gov. Jeff Landry said the state would seek approval to allow SNAP recipients to purchase rotisserie chicken — a prepared food item typically excluded from the program but touted by the state as healthy, cheap and good for feeding a large family.
That request has not yet been approved by the USDA, according to Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein.
The USDA doesn’t have a specific timeline for approval or denial, according to a spokesperson. States can make a new request with additional information if a request is denied.
LDH is also expanding a pilot called the Louisiana Carrot Program, which offers SNAP users 30 cents back for every dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables. More than 71,000 people are currently enrolled in 11 parishes, and the program is expected to expand to New Orleans and Baton Rouge later this year.
‘Some confusion’
SNAP is an anti-hunger program at its core, and nearly 830,000 people in Louisiana are food insecure, meaning they don’t have access to enough or adequately healthy food. SNAP’s effectiveness has long been tied to the freedom it gives families and the discreet way benefits are used at the checkout counter, and it’s unclear how changing that might affect shopping habits.
“What does this look like at the register when people are coming up with products, thinking they’re covered, and they’re not?” said Megan Knapp, a public health professor and researcher focused on food policy at Xavier University. “I think there’s going to be some confusion.”
Knapp, who is developing a research proposal to study whether SNAP purchase restrictions actually reduce consumption of sugary beverages, said some retailers have also raised concerns. Smaller stores, in particular, may find it burdensome to manage constantly changing eligibility rules and could opt out of the program altogether.
Marcus Coleman, a public health researcher at Tulane University, said federal cuts to SNAP education funding in September undercut efforts to help families actually eat healthier.
“We’re telling people to buy healthier foods, but what if they don’t necessarily have the knowledge about how to prepare certain things?” Coleman said.
In rural areas, sometimes candy or a soft drink is what’s available, said Coleman, who grew up in Tensas Parish.
“My town has a Dollar General. My grandmother has to travel 13 miles to the next grocery store,” Coleman said. “You need things in between to get by.”
Greenstein said that SNAP has always come with limits.
“It’s a big change, but today you can’t buy a six-pack of beer, you can’t buy paper towels,” he said. “There are things the program has never paid for.”
The waiver banning soda, candy and energy drinks is approved for two years. During that time, the state is required to collect data and regularly report on whether the changes lead to measurable shifts in purchasing behavior and health outcomes.
Louisiana
Pervy mayor’s kids told cops that they caught her romping with teen boy at boozy pool party
The children of a disgraced Louisiana mayor told cops that they both caught their mom fooling around with a 16-year-old boy at a boozy pool party, according to video played at her rape trial.
Misty Roberts, the 43-year-old former head of DeRidder, Louisiana — population 9,8000 — faces a charge of third-degree rape over the 2024 incident.
Roberts’ son told investigators in an interview played for jurors that he saw his mom having sex with his pal through a crack in a window.
But, when asked about his recollection, he demurred — telling the court he wasn’t exactly sure what he saw that night, according to KPLC.
The jury also reviewed pictures from the party, which showed kids holding drinks as well as a photograph of Roberts and the victim that prosecutors described as “lewd.”
That picture showed Roberts at the party in her bikini, with the teen victim looking up at her smiling.
Roberts’ son texted his mom that night, incredulous about what was happening, and told her that his sister was crying, according to messages presented by prosecutors.
“He is seventeen,” the son texted Roberts.
The boy was later confirmed to be 16 years old, according to KPLC.
Roberts’ daughter also took the stand while prosecutors played her interview with detectives, in which she said she saw her mom and the boy “on top of each other” that night.
The former mayor’s nephew also admitted he tried to sneak a peek — using his phone to try and get a peek at what was going on in the room. He testified that he wasn’t sure if he hit “record” — but if he did said he never sent it to anybody.
None of the three witnesses who testified said they saw the “private parts” of Roberts and the victim. The teen boy, they noted though, was shirtless.
After the alleged tryst, the victim’s mother texted Roberts to ensure that she was not pregnant, to which she replied she was on birth control. Roberts shared a screenshot of that message to a group chat with her friends, who urged her to take Plan B.
A DoorDash driver testified that he delivered an emergency contraceptive to Roberts’ house, which he recognized from trick-or-treating with his children there.
In other texts shown in court, Roberts asked her son what kind of alcohol her son and other kids wanted for the party.
Days after police launched their investigation into the alleged crime, Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a city of just under 10,000 people about 20 miles east of the Texas border.
Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Feb. 28, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 28 drawing
06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing
8-3-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing
5-4-7-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing
9-9-1-3-0
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Easy 5 numbers from Feb. 28 drawing
04-17-21-27-33
Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from Feb. 28 drawing
08-10-15-21-22-33
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded a congressional briefing from President Trump’s administration Saturday (Feb. 28), hours after the U.S. military joined Israel in launching airstrikes against Iran.
“When I talked to Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next,” Schumer said in a statement. “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon, but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.
“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat. Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.
“The administration must brief Congress — including an immediate all-senators classified briefing — and in public testimony to answer these vital questions. The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act. My prayers are with our brave American servicemembers.”
Meanwhile, reaction to the attack from Louisiana’s congressional delegation appeared to break predictably among party lines.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) posted to X that the attack “is yet another move by President Trump to protect the United States and sends a message to the world: Never doubt America’s resolve or capacity to defend its interests.”
For years, the Iranian Regime has chanted “Death to America,” targeted our troops, weaponized their terrorist proxies, and killed tens of thousands of innocent people, including Americans. Today, President Trump made it clear: their reign of terror is over.
The President has…
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 28, 2026
Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) of New Orleans, however, said he was “deeply concerned” about the attack and said, “The American people deserve to understand the objectives, the risks and the path forward.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote, “The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war.”
The President’s decision to attack Iran presumably was based upon a clear and present danger to the United States, and a planned execution that does not put the United States in a forever war. We pray for the safety and success of our servicemen and servicewomen.
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) February 28, 2026
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), who is mounting a primary challenge for Cassidy’s U.S. Senate seat, also endorsed Trump’s decision to attack Tehran.
Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and actively plots to kill Americans. President Trump’s decisive strikes send a message that America will not tolerate Iran’s threats to our national security. May God bless our troops and keep them safe as we confront radical… https://t.co/P5IVxiBi2p
— Congresswoman Julia Letlow (@RepJuliaLetlow) February 28, 2026
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) also backed Trump’s military action, writing that Iran was “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.”
Today, Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions. President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism, and the murder… https://t.co/G5XPELtAmX
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 28, 2026
Democratic Rep. Cleo Field expressed reservations that Trump had not made a case for the attack to Congress or the American people.
This morning, the United States, in coordination with Israel, launched strikes against Iran — a significant military action with serious consequences for our national security.
While I understand the gravity of the threat, the process here cannot be ignored. The War Powers Act…
— Congressman Cleo Fields (@RepFields) February 28, 2026
Republican Sen. John Kennedy had not yet posted reactions to the Iran attack — dubbed by the Pentagon as “Operation Epic Fury” — on social media or sent statements to the news media.
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