Money matters: The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is getting an additional $1.1 million in help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the August flood. The Associated Press reports the disaster funding will help with demolition, cleaning, remediation costs of classrooms, offices, bathrooms and storage areas at four facilities. The additional funding, announced Thursday, brings the total amount awarded to the school system to $5 million. Sixteen school campuses flooded throughout the parish. FEMA has awarded about $79 million to schools following the flood.
Moving forward: Braiding hair professionally in Louisiana won’t require a license if state senators agree to proposals that won overwhelming support from House lawmakers. The Associated Press reports Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, says someone who wants to braid under current regulations must have 500 hours of training to obtain a license in “alternative hair design.” She adds no schools offer that curriculum in Louisiana and it makes no sense to go to cosmetology school to open a hair braiding business. Two measures by Emerson, backed by the House on Thursday, would exempt braiding services from regulation by the state cosmetology board and do away with the alternative license.
Deal reached: The United States and China have agreed to take action by mid-July to increase access for U.S. financial firms and expand trade in beef and chicken as part of Washington’s drive to cut its trade deficit with Beijing. Reuters reports the deals are the first results of 100 days of trade talks that began last month, when a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping proved far more friendly than had been expected after last year’s presidential campaign. The immediate impact, however, was unclear. The United States ran a trade deficit of $347 billion with China last year, U.S. Treasury figures show. Read more.
