Interim president: The Southern University Board of Supervisors on Thursday selected Orlando McMeans, the chancellor of the university’s Ag Center, as Southern’s interim president. He will assume the role Jan. 1. The university’s previous president, Dennis Shields, announced that he would be stepping down after learning the board was seeking a new leadership direction. Shields and the board have entered into a separation agreement that will pay Shields $400,000 over 18 months. Read more from Louisiana First News.
Defense spending: The Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish is set to receive $116 million under the newly passed National Defense Authorization Act. The bill authorizes a record $901 billion in annual military spending. The U.S. Senate approved the bill 77-20 on Wednesday, and it has now been sent to President Donald Trump for signature. Barksdale’s allocation includes funding for the Weapons Generation Facility, a major project designed to support the base’s nuclear operations. Read more from The Center Square.
Cutting ties: UnitedHealthcare, the second-largest provider of Medicaid coverage in Louisiana, won’t stay in the state Medicaid program beyond the end of a 90-day contract extension it agreed to Thursday. The agreement extends its plan for some 330,000 enrollees through March 31, but not after that date. Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration will have to transfer UnitedHealthcare enrollees to one of the five remaining Medicaid providers in the state. Read more from Louisiana Illuminator.
