Taking the stage: More than two dozen bands will take the stage at the 23rd annual Baton Rouge Blues Festival taking place in downtown Baton Rouge from April 8-9. The festival will feature new and old acts such as Henry Gray, Mz. Pat, Jonathon “Boogie” Long, The Widowers, Marc Broussard, Ms. Silky Sol and many others. The festival is still free, but this year organizers are offering the All-Weekend Experience Pass, which grants access to a private viewing area adjacent to the two main stages, gourmet food and snacks, unlimited cocktails, beer and bottled water and private restrooms for pass holders, among other perks. The pass costs $200. Get more information.
Bucking the trend: Democratic U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond says he will be in attendance when President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Friday, even though at least 66 of his fellow House Democrats are boycotting the inauguration. In a statement released today, Richmond, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, says he decided to attend the ceremony to mark a peaceful transfer of power between current President Barack Obama and Trump. “My attendance is in no way an endorsement of the president-elect or the destructive, divisive rhetoric that has defined him throughout his campaign and transition,” he says. Richmond defeated former Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden to retain his congressional seat in November.
Out of pocket: Costco Wholesale Corp. has agreed to pay nearly $12 million to settle Justice Department allegations of lax pharmacy controls over a four-year period. The Associated Press reports the Issaquah, Washington-based company acknowledges in the settlement announced today that some of its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions, kept poor records or failed to adequately track inventory between the start of 2012 and the end of 2015. The case grew out of separate investigations conducted by federal authorities in Washington, Michigan and California. Costco, which opened in Baton Rouge in 2014, has invested in a new, $127 million pharmacy management system and adopted new audit protocols. Read the full story.
