On the dotted line: Engage Cuba, a coalition of private companies and businesses working to lift the U.S. embargo on Cuba, is praising Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Cuban government for signing on Tuesday a series of memorandums of understanding committing to expand trade and agricultural cooperation between Louisiana and Cuba. The agreements are largely ceremonial, according to published reports. The coalition, however, says Louisiana has an opportunity to become a major exporter to Cuba if Congress lifts trade restrictions on the island nation. Engage Cuba launched in February a bipartisan Louisiana State Council to grow support across the state for lifting U.S. restrictions on trade with and travel to Cuba.
Layoffs coming: Oilfield services company Frank’s International has announced it’s laying off an undisclosed number of workers, including some in Lafayette. The Advertiser reports that the layoffs are due to market changes including a more than 70% decline in oil prices since June 2014. The company says it’s aligning its workforce and production levels with market demand. Frank’s International did not file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the agency says. A WARN notice is required for mass layoffs. Read the full story.
On the road: U.S. traffic fatalities rose by an estimated 10.4% in the first half of this year and continued an upward trend that started in late 2014 as the economic recovery accelerated, federal officials say. As The Associated Press reports, 17,775 people died on the road during the first half of this year compared with 16,100 over the same period a year earlier. The improving economy means people are driving more than ever before. Drivers traveled a record 1.58 trillion miles in the first half of this year, 3.3% more than during the same period in 2015, the Federal Highway Administration has said. The preliminary estimate was released at a conference today where government agencies, the National Safety Council and safety groups announced the goal of eliminating U.S. traffic deaths and injuries within the next 30 years. Read the full story.
