Boycott: The regional Nation of Islam is calling for another boycott of major Baton Rouge retailers and restaurants in response to the July 5 killing of Alton Sterling by police. WBRZ-TV reports the regional group held the “Justice or Else Coalition” town hall meeting on Saturday, at which it encouraged black residents to spend their dollars at black-owned businesses. The group also described U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s roundtable discussion on Friday with Baton Rouge law enforcement and other stakeholders as “not enough.” Read the full story.
Accused: A Shreveport businessman has been accused of defrauding a Texas-based bank and a handful of investors out of $29 million in a “Ponzi-like” scheme in which investors were promised big returns, KTBS-TV reports. According to a July 13 civil suit filed in a Dallas court, 54-year-old David deBerardinis headed a company that acted as a middleman in the lucrative business of buying and re-selling fossil fuels. He has been sued by a Dallas bank and three investors from Shreveport who guaranteed a $29 million loan for that operation and now allege the money has been diverted to his personal use. Read the full story.
A different path: The son of LSU coach Les Miles says he’s going to Nebraska to play college football in 2017. The Associated Press reports that Ben Miles, one of the top-rated fullbacks in the nation, announced his pledge on Twitter on Sunday. Miles, who will be a senior this fall at Catholic High, picked Nebraska over offers from LSU, Michigan State and Boston College, among others. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Miles attended Nebraska’s spring game in April. Coach Mike Riley says the fullback would have a more extensive role as his offense evolves at Nebraska.
