Jumping in: A third state lawmaker has entered the race to be Louisiana’s next treasurer. The Associated Press reports Republican Sen. Neil Riser, a funeral home owner from Caldwell Parish, announced today that he is joining two GOP colleagues—Reps. Julie Stokes of Jefferson Parish and John Schroder of St. Tammany Parish—in competing for the seat formerly held by Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy. In a statement, Riser says he’d be a “watchdog” for taxpayers. He says the state’s budget has grown too large and he’ll push to curb waste in state government as treasurer. Riser, in the state Senate since 2008, has been a conservative, anti-tax legislator during his tenure. The treasurer’s election is scheduled for Oct. 14.
Revised plan: In a court filing today, President Donald Trump’s administration says it does not want a larger appellate panel to review a ruling keeping its ban on to seven Muslim-majority nations on hold and will instead replace the ban. The Associated Press reports the administration says it would rather clear the way for “immediately protecting the country” rather than pursuing time-consuming litigation. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit last week refused to block a lower-court decision that suspended the ban, rejecting the administration’s claim of presidential authority and questioning its motives. The administration attacked the decision in today’s filing, saying the three-judge panel misunderstood the scope of the order. Read more.
Up next: A day after the dramatic defeat of one of his Cabinet nominees, President Donald Trump today named former U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta as his next pick for labor secretary. The Washington Post reports Acosta served as an assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division under President George W. Bush and is a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He also previously served on the National Labor Relations Board and is now the dean of the law school at Florida International University. If confirmed, the son of Cuban-American parents would be the first Hispanic member of Trump’s Cabinet. Former nominee Andrew Puzder withdrew his bid Wednesday amid wavering Republican support and intense scrutiny of his personal life. Read more.
