Withstanding storms: A new multi-institution research center will focus on helping the Gulf Coast do better at preparing for and mitigating the damage from hurricanes and other severe storms. At the Hurricane Resilience Research Institute, seven universities—from states bordering the Gulf of Mexico—will share their expertise from flood mitigation and hurricane modeling to public policy. Those participating: LSU, University of Houston, Rice University, the University of Texas at Tyler, Texas Tech University, the University of Miami and the University of Florida. Read more.
Bon Appétit: A new food festival is coming to Baton Rouge in January. The Louisiana Street Food Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13, right after the Louisiana 5K at downtown’s River Plaza, near the USS Kidd. The festival’s lineup features 24 chefs from across the state and features a variety of cuisine from Hawaiian to Jamaican fusion. New Orleans-based My House Social is producing the festival in partnership with the Louisiana Marathon, Red Cake Events, and Three Sixty Eight. Admission is free. Get more information.
No vote: Republican Sen. Marco Rubio says he’s a “no” vote on the sweeping tax package—unless the child tax credit is more generous to low-income families. The bill would expand the child tax credit to $2,000 from $1,000. The Florida lawmaker wants a further expansion, and his opposition undercuts Republican leaders trying to muscle the tax bill through the Senate next week. In a conversation with reporters, Rubio did not specify how high he wants the credit to go. House and Senate leaders have agreed on the bill in principle but are still finalizing the legislation that they plan to unveil Friday. A spokesman says Republican Mike Lee is another senator who is undecided on the bill. Read more.
