By the numbers: Louisiana Republican Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy have approval rating of 49% and 46%, respectively, according to new Morning Consult Senator Approval Rankings. The survey of 250,000 registered voters was conducted between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, and looks at the most popular and most vulnerable U.S. senators. Kennedy and Cassidy are in the middle of the pack, neither ranking among the most popular nor the most vulnerable. Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has the highest approval rating of 68%. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is the least popular with an approval rating of 32%. See the full survey results.
It’s closing time: Toys R Us is closing 182 stores in cities around the U.S., but Baton Rouge has been spared. The retail chain on late Tuesday filed court documents outlining plans to shutter stores as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, USA Today reports. The only Louisiana store on the closure list is on Northshore Boulevard in Slidell. Toys R Us noted some closings may be avoided if it is able to negotiate more favorable lease terms, but most of the stores listed are expected to close as the chain reinvents itself. Read more.
Here’s the deal: Louisiana is ending its preparations for cuts to a health insurance program for low-income children after Congress renewed the program for six years. Before the latest congressional action, Louisiana expected to run out of money sometime around March for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP. The program was renewed through the short-term budget deal that ended the federal government shutdown. About 120,000 Louisiana children along with 3,000 pregnant women receive insurance coverage through the Medicaid-based program. Read more.
