PoliticsLA -- The Latest News and Views on Politics in Louisiana

Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Consolidated BP Oil Spill Lawsuits Will Be Adjudicated in New Orleans

BP will face hundreds of lawsuits over the Deepwater Horizon disaster in federal court in New Orleans, a panel of judges ordered, a victory for plaintiffs seeking billions of dollars in damages for the largest oil spill in U.S. history. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier will preside over more than 300 suits, including wrongful-death claims by families of workers killed in the April explosion. Claims also cover revenue lost by Gulf Coast businesses and environmental damage. BP investors’ suits over losses tied to the spill will go to federal court in Houston.

Friday, 30 July 2010

X Prize Foundation Launches $1.4 Million Gulf Oil Cleanup Competition

The X Prize Foundation, the California-based non-profit that has held competitions seeking innovative ideas in the areas of private spaceflight and ultra-fuel efficient vehicles, today announced its latest effort -- a $1.4 million competition focused on oil cleanup in the Gulf. The Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X Challenge aims to inspire entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists to develop groundbreaking new ways to capture crude oil from the ocean surface. Teams will be able to register for the competition through April, with an expert panel of judges evaluating proposals.

Friday, 04 June 2010

Oil Hits Gulf Shores Beaches -- Resorts Cut Rates to Attract Visitors

Oil hit the beaches in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with tourists reporting gobs of oil washing up in the surf and the smell of oil heavy in the air. As resorts cut rates to attract tourists, some reported that restaurants and resorts were not hiring and were operating on their winter staff rates because tourists were afraid to visit. Cleanup crews were nowhere to be seen.

Wednesday, 02 June 2010

White House approves Louisiana berm plan

U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen told BP to pay for the five berms approved by the White House, in addition to one he and the Army Corps of Engineers approved last week. The British energy company later said it supported the six projects and would pay the estimated $360 million cost to build them.

Monday, 31 May 2010

Anger Rises Over Latest BP Failure -- Hundreds Take to Streets of New Orleans in Protest

Anger and despair intensified on Sunday as the White House announced the latest effort by BP to stop the oil from gushing into the Gulf had failed. The next effort BP will attempt -- to cut off the broken riser pipe at the top of the well and cap the new opening -- could potentially increase the oil flow by 20 percent. BP officials painted a different picture on morning talk shows, saying they were careful not to do anything that would make the situation worse. Meanwhile, protestors in New Orleans showed how angry the public has become over BP's lack of candor and a plan for dealing with the disaster.

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

House Majority Leader criticizes Bobby Jindal for 'hand-wringing'

House Majority leader Steny Hoyer criticized Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) for being part of the “drill, baby, drill crowd,” then turning on the federal government in the wake of the gigantic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Hoyer (D-Md.) said Jindal shouldn’t be “wringing his hands” over the federal response in Louisiana.

Monday, 24 May 2010

Website Offers Betting on Spill-Related Extinctions of Gulf Species

A gambling website has placed odds today on what species would be first to become extinct as a result of crude belching from BP PLC's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico. In a statement announcing the extinction pool, the Irish bookmaker said it hoped the betting would "highlight the environmental catastrophe" and the "sure bet" that it would lead to the loss of some marine species.

Monday, 24 May 2010

Attorney General Puts Corps on Notice -- Feds Don't Have Authority to Prevent LA from Dredging to Save Coast

Attorney General Buddy Caldwell fired off a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sunday night in what he called an effort to avoid "an unnecessary and divisive constitutional confrontation between the federal government and the State of Louisiana." Caldwell wrote in response to news that the Corps was inclined to deny permits to dredge and fill in an effort to rebuild barrier islands to protect the state's fragile wetlands from oil leaking from the BP oil leak. Caldwell asked the Corps to consider emergency permits to allow the state to dredge a protective barrier for the coast, but stated that the state's position is that the federal government does not have the legal authority to deny a state the right to conduct emergency response actions.

Friday, 21 May 2010

Thick, Heavy Oil Reaches Grand Isle 24 Hours After BP Said It May Never Reach Town

"They said it may never hit us, and 24 hours later, it's here." Those were the words of Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle as thick, heavy oil and tar balls covered a four-mile stretch of beach. Oil has traveled about 110 miles from the site of a massive oil leak that resulted from a well explosion one month ago. The photo shows workers building a dam to try to keep the oil from entering the wetlands on Elmer Island in Grand Isle. According to Governor Bobby Jindal, oil also reached Thunder Bayou and Fourchon Beach on Thursday.

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Landrieu Calls for Oil Revenue Sharing Sooner -- Under Current Law State Won't See Funds Until 2017

Testifying before the Senate Energy Committee on Tuesday, Senator Mary Landrieu called on the federal government to begin sharing oil revenue with Gulf Coast states sooner so they can prepare for the environmental impact of the oil spill that resulted from a rig explosion. Landrieu told the group she will introduce legislation to direct almost 40 percent of revenue from offshore leases to coastal states. She said the spill happened 50 miles off the shore of Louisiana and will have a devastating effect on her state, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

The Pelican Republic debuts as a compilation of diverse viewpoints from different places and ideologies. You may find that The Boiling Frog frets over societal values while The Purple Veil delves into personalities; Politique Deux Centimes digs around Acadiana while Anonymous Rex keeps Louisiana in the DC picture and The Lively Pelican weighs in with more blabber from the Crescent City region.

For those aspiring scribes out there with something to say, send your guest blog to pelicanrepublic@politicsla.com.

Pass along the site to your friends and foes alike and help keep the dialogue lively and current at PoliticsLA.com.

BIO Written by The Boiling Frog
"NOBODY HAS EVER DENIED THAT NEW ORLEANS IS A VIOLENT TOWN. IT IS. THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT IT." Mayor Mitch Landrieu

Come on Man! The New Orleans Times Picayune called it tough talk from the Mayor but is sounds like suspended reality for everyone who finds…

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BIO Written by The Boiling Frog
WAR, UHH, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I read a really disappointing USA TODAY front page story, "A Decade of War," that missed the point that we have been at war for…

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BIO Written by The Boiling Frog
BANDITS OF A BAD ECONOMY

As we share compassion for our fellow man being mugged in a bad economy, save your tears for one profession cashing in at the bank…

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BIO Written by Man on the Street
Is the Debt Limit the Real Issue?

In observing the fight over the national debt limit (which I am not convinced is such a big deal), my feelings about the political process…

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BIO Written by Politique Deux Centimes
The Killer Bill - Making It Legal

THE KILLER BILL....MAKING IT LEGAL In which Louisiana parish were the lives of two innocent, bright siblings with brilliant futures destroyed in an accident…

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BIO Written by Man on the Street
Family Forum: Bad for Louisiana

I believe the biggest danger of organized religion is that it can be used as a tool of hatred. Radical Muslim ideology uses the Koran…

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BIO Written by The Purple Veil
Who Killed the LA Democratic Party?

The Louisiana Democratic Party is dead. Let’s don’t waste time arguing that point. Let’s just admit it and talk about the mystery of how it happened. After all,…

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BIO Written by Politique Deux Centimes
A Real Race

Well isn’t this just becoming a rare event: A Louisiana State Senate race between only one well-educated Democrat and only one well-educated Republican…

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BIO Written by The Boiling Frog
DEMOCRACY’S DEMOLITION DERBY

From film's celluloid closet, the often spoofed scene where windows are thrown open and common folk scream, "I'm mad as he'll and I'm not gonna…

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BIO Written by The Lively Pelican
Finally Some Good News for New Orleans

New Orleanians are very happy with their new mayor and city council. Very happy.For a while, Mayor Mitch Landrieu looked a little star-crossed. First, his…

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Consolidated BP Oil Spill Lawsuits Will Be Adjudicated in New Orleans

X Prize Foundation Launches $1.4 Million Gulf Oil Cleanup Competition

Oil Hits Gulf Shores Beaches -- Resorts Cut Rates to Attract Visitors

White House approves Louisiana berm plan

Anger Rises Over Latest BP Failure -- Hundreds Take to Streets of New Orleans in Protest

House Majority Leader criticizes Bobby Jindal for 'hand-wringing'

Website Offers Betting on Spill-Related Extinctions of Gulf Species

Attorney General Puts Corps on Notice -- Feds Don't Have Authority to Prevent LA from Dredging to Save Coast

Thick, Heavy Oil Reaches Grand Isle 24 Hours After BP Said It May Never Reach Town

Landrieu Calls for Oil Revenue Sharing Sooner -- Under Current Law State Won't See Funds Until 2017

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