On the books: Louisiana would remove its little-known ban on switchblade knives from the books if the Senate agrees to a bill that won overwhelming support in the House. Lawmakers voted 83-0 today for the proposal by Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington. Current law prohibits the ownership, possession or use of a switchblade or a similar spring-loaded knife, except for law enforcement officers. Louisiana is one of only a handful of states that has such a 1950s-era ban on switchblades still in law, Wright says. The bill heads next to the Senate for debate. Read more.
When did they know it: ExxonMobil must hand over documents related to a state investigation into whether the company misled investors and consumers about what it knew about the link between fossil fuels and climate change, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled today. The Supreme Judicial Court rejected ExxonMobil’s attempt to stymie Attorney General Maura Healey’s probe into whether it concealed information about the impact of climate change from the public. The ruling is the second blow to the oil and gas giant in the past month. Read more.
One more try: Isaac Larian’s bid to rescue Toys R Us from bankruptcy seems to be coming up short. The billionaire toy executive launched a long-shot crowdfunding campaign to save parts of the retail operation, joining with other investors to put up $200 million in seed money. But 22 days and 1,995 donors later, according to The Washington Post, the rescue mission raised about $59,000—leaving the GoFundMe campaign nearly $800,000,000 short. Larian, CEO and founder of the toy giant MGA Entertainment, is undeterred, today saying he plans to submit a formal bid in U.S. bankruptcy court of $675 million to buy 274 Toys R Us stores and use the brand name. Much of that money will come from Larian himself. Read more.
