Coming down: A federal judge has cleared the way for New Orleans officials to remove a fourth Confederate-era monument, The Associated Press reports. The Liberty Monument, honoring whites who rebelled against a Reconstruction government, is among four the City Council voted to remove in December 2015. The vote led to litigation by opponents of the removal. On Monday, a federal appeals court said three statues dedicated to Confederate leaders could be removed. Late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ruled that the Liberty Monument could go. The Liberty Monument case was tied up in additional, longer-standing litigation. Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who backs the removals, said the Liberty Monument was “the most offensive of the four” and said it was erected to “revere white supremacy.” He said Barbier’s decision affirms the city’s right to control its property.
A part of history: A military museum is planning to record oral histories of military personnel who trained at central Louisiana airfields and camps during World War II. As The Associated Press reports, the Louisiana National Guard says the recordings will be made today and on March 15 by the Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum at Camp Beauregard in Pineville. The guard is encouraging veterans who were stationed in the area to schedule an appointment to share their stories. Civilians who had interactions with soldiers at the installations also are being asked to make an appointment. Appointments can be made with the museum curator, Richard Moran, at 318-641-5733.
At the last minute: More than halfway through the 2017 filing season, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service says it has received 5.7 million fewer individual returns than at a comparable point last year—a drop of 8.5%. Bloomberg says tax professionals place the blame on procrastination, political rhetoric, delayed refunds and confusion. “Customers waiting longer to file their returns is a trend we have observed for the last four years, although it’s more pronounced this year,” says Sanjay Baskaran, president of online tax preparer TaxAct. More and more people who used to file in January and February are waiting until the last minute. Last year, IRS data on April 15—the traditional tax deadline—showed individual filings running 5.8% behind the previous year. But the deadline was April 18 in 2016, which gave taxpayers an additional three days to file. Read more.
