Iced over: Check out photos and videos of Louisiana’s rare icy winter event on the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Facebook page. Photos include views of a frozen Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, crews scraping snow and ice in West Baton Rouge Parish, the icy conditions on the Interstate 10 overpass and much more.
Powering down: Entergy Louisiana is asking customers in most of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and a slice of eastern Texas to reduce their power usage this morning, saying electrical demand driven by frigid cold could exceed available capacity. If supply can’t meet demand, local utilities would have to resort to rolling blackouts. Entergy advises people to lower thermostat settings, delay laundry, dishwashing and bathing, and prevent leaks of cold air. Customers who are older or in poor health need not comply. Read more.
Religious liberties: The Trump administration is creating an office aimed at protecting the religious rights of medical providers, including those who oppose abortion. The new enforcement unit will be part of the civil rights office at the Department of Health and Human Services. It will be called the Division on Conscience and Religious Freedom. The administration’s action drew immediate criticism from Democrats like Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, who say it will undermine women’s rights to a legal medical procedure and could open a path for discrimination against transgender people.
