Birds of a feather: While introducing Willie Robertson, star of reality TV show Duck Dynasty, to a Good Friday prayer breakfast event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gov. Bobby Jindal called Robertson “an icon, a cultural figure and a hero to many.” And as The Des Moines Register reports, Jindal also joked about Robertson’s viability as a running mate, should he choose to enter the race. “As a running mate? Sure, but as vice president—I assume that’s what you’re asking—not the other way around,” Jindal told reporters with a grin, later adding: “He’s a great guy. I think he’d be a great running mate. It’d be a huge pay cut for him, so I’m not sure he’d be willing to do it.”
Help wanted: Initial unemployment insurance claims filed in Louisiana for the week ending March 28 decreased to 2,622 from the previous week’s total of 2,723, and were above the comparable figure of 1,985 for the previous week ending March 29 last year. According to the latest figures from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, released today, the four-week moving average of initial claims increased to 2,662 from the previous week’s average of 2,646. Continued unemployment insurance weeks claimed for the week increased to 21,513 from the previous week’s total of 21,193. Continued weeks claimed were above the comparable figure of 19,599 for the same week last year. LWC has more details.
Serving it up: U.S. service firms expanded at a slightly slower yet still healthy pace in March, an encouraging sign after multiple reports last week pointed to a slowing economy. The Institute for Supply Management says its services index slipped to 56.5 last month, from 56.9 in February. Any reading over 50 indicates expansion. A measure of sales fell last month and dragged down the overall index. But gauges of hiring and orders rose, indicating that services firms may see solid growth in the coming months. That suggests that recent signs of a weakening economy could prove temporary. The Associated Press has the full story.
