The detail-oriented, high-octane chief of staff to Louisiana’s past two governors ended his tenure Monday as executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, after more than two years of lobbying Washington for sufficient recovery resources and of engineering a never-ending string of complex decisions about how to distribute the money when it did come. Read More and Discuss

Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal said Wednesday that he will work quickly to replace Louisiana Recovery Authority Executive Director Andy Kopplin. Read More and Discuss

Outgoing Gov. Kathleen Blanco bid a fond farewell Tuesday to the Louisiana Recovery Authority that she created in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but her former chief of staff who has led the LRA since its inception stole some of her thunder by announcing his departure. Read More and Discuss

NEW ORLEANS — Merci beaucoup! That’s what Mayor Ray Nagin wants to say to New Orleanians for their commitment to rebuilding their homes and the city following Hurricane Katrina. Read More and Discuss

Speaking to a national audience for the first time as the Louisiana governor-elect, U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal downplayed the historical significance of his primary victory and instead emphasized the state’s continued needs for federal aid to bolster hurricane recovery and coastal restoration. Read More and Discuss

A new report by two independent policy research groups backs up Louisiana’s long-held contention that the state got shortchanged on federal recovery money in comparison with Mississippi, which suffered far less damage. Read More and Discuss

LAKE CHARLES — There was talk after Hurricane Rita that government offices in Cameron Parish might be safer a bit farther north from the old parish seat on the coast. Read More and Discuss

Gov. Kathleen Blanco will go to Washington in October to ask for an additional $4 billion to $5 billion to help Louisiana residents rebuild their homes damaged or destroyed by hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Read More and Discuss

The nation’s focus this week has been on New Orleans. On Wednesday, the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s onslaught, high-ranking public officials visited the Crescent City. Among them were President Bush and candidates who hope to occupy the Oval Office after the upcoming election. They came bearing promises that they will make New Orleans whole again. The national news media… Read More and Discuss