Permit dispute: A federal judge heard testimony Thursday that construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in a Louisiana swamp is tearing down irreplaceable, centuries-old trees, destroying animal habitats and jeopardizing fishermen’s livelihoods. Environmental groups have asked U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick to issue a preliminary injunction that would suspend construction of the pipeline through the Atchafalaya Basin. The company building the pipeline insists that governmental regulators issued a permit for the project after thoroughly and properly assessing its ecological risks. A hearing for the environmental groups’ request is scheduled to resume today. Read more.
Open and shut: President Donald Trump has signed a $400 billion budget deal that sharply boosts spending and swells the federal deficit, ending a brief federal government shutdown that happened while most Americans were sleeping and most government offices were closed. The House and Senate approved a bill to keep the government funded through March 23, overcoming opposition from liberal Democrats as well as tea party conservatives to endorse enormous spending increases despite looming trillion-dollar deficits. Read more.
Not so sweet: Talenti gelato lovers are going to great lengths to pry the frozen treat from its clear screw-top plastic jars. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Talenti customers have taken to social media to express their dismay with their inability to open containers containing the popular ice cream. Some have even posted pictures showing how they cut the top and sides of the jar to get to the product. Read more.
