Helping hand: Louisiana is helping Florida get unemployment benefits to Floridians still grappling with the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma. Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity Reemployment Assistance has accepted Louisiana’s offer to help process thousands of disaster-related unemployment claims expected to be filed in coming weeks, a news release says. The arrangement entails Louisiana UI employees fielding requests from Florida residents The state is using 140 volunteers to help support staff handling the extra workload.
Fighting it out: The manager of two safety-net hospitals in north Louisiana dismissed claims his organization is not following the terms of its state contract, saying some of the accusations “suggest a complete lack of understanding” of hospital operations. BRF, the company managing the Shreveport and Monroe hospitals as University Health System, replied to the complaints in an eight-page letter to LSU, which previously ran the state-owned facilities and has accused the hospital operator of breach of contract. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration also says BRF is violating terms of its deal with the state and LSU. Read more.
Below the surface: ExxonMobil has made a fifth oil discovery off the coast of Guyana in a new exploration well that hit 75 feet of oil-soaked rock, FuelFix.com reports. The company drilled more than 18,000 feet before encountering the reservoir on Sept. 29. It plans to drill another exploration well in the region next year. In June, ExxonMobil and its partners—Hess Corp. and a major Chinese oil company—greenlit plans to develop a $4.4 billion project off the coast of the South American country. Read more.
