Through the roof: Orleans Parish has the most expensive housing market in Louisiana, according to a new analysis by 24/7 Wall Street. The median home price is in the parish is $234,627 and the median mortgage payment is $948 per month. Roughly 2.6% of homes are valued at $1 million or more. To determine the most expensive housing markets in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median home values of 3,119 counties and county equivalents as of the second quarter of 2017 from the National Association of Realtors. Read more.
On the descent: Allegiant Airline stock tumbled 5.1% to $143.30 following a 60 Minutes segment detailing a high number of what the program called “midair breakdowns” at the budget carrier, Bloomberg reports. The segment included interviews with shaken passengers and prominently featured a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board, John Goglia, who said he discourages family and friends from flying the New Orleans carrier. Almost 30% of Allegiant’s planes are “antiquated” McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 aircraft, according to the report. Read more.
On the docket: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a case on Tuesday about whether out-of-state sellers should collect state sales taxes on online purchases. Large retailers generally collect sales tax for online purchases, but other sellers like Wayfair can often sidestep charging the tax. More than 40 states are asking the Supreme Court to reconsider that rule in the case. They say they’re losing out on “billions of dollars in tax revenue each year, requiring cuts to critical government programs” and that their losses compound as online shopping grows. But small businesses that sell online say the complexity and expense of collecting taxes nationwide could drive them out of business. Read more.
