Back to normal: The Baton Rouge Zoo reopened at 9:30 this morning and is resuming normal operating hours after a storm Tuesday took down tree limbs and caused power outages that forced the facility to close through Wednesday. Tree branches blocked walkways and a downed power line crossed the entrance of the facility, but no animals or guests were harmed.
Clean slate: Mick Mulvaney, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, fired all members the agency’s 25-member Consumer Advisory Board on Wednesday. Along with consumer groups and academics, the board was made up of representatives from big financial companies like Citigroup, Mastercard and Pennsylvania-based bank PNC. Bureau officials say the board will be reconstituted in the fall and none of the current members will be eligible to apply. Now fired, some board members say they are considering possible legal options against the bureau and Mulvaney. Read the full story.
On the ascent: Jet fuel prices have surged more than 50% over the past year, pushing carriers to raise fares and cut profit expectations, The Wall Street Journal reports. Average domestic airline fares have fallen in each of the past four years, according to trade group Airlines for America, as carriers handed most of the fall in fuel prices back to passengers. Now, higher fuel costs are forcing carriers to decide how much can be passed on to domestic fliers through higher fares or surcharges on international flights, without deterring too many travelers. Read the full story.
