New state senators: Voters in Baton Rouge and Lafayette chose new members of the Louisiana Senate in special elections Saturday, elevating current members of the state House of Representatives to both open seats. Rep. Larry Selders of Baton Rouge won outright in the race to fill the vacancy in Senate District 14 created when Cleo Fields won November’s election for the 6th Congressional District. Read more from Louisiana Illuminator.Â
Surging: Initial unemployment claims have surged in Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump’s administration moves to shrink the federal government. Jobless filings surged to 1,780 for the week ending Feb. 8, a 36% increase from the prior week. Altogether, some 4,000 workers in the city have filed for unemployment since Trump has taken office. Read more from CNBC.Â
Guest speaker: Mary Stein, assistant director for the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system, will be the guest speaker at the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday. Stein will discuss how the libraries are funded and the role they play in improving the parish’s quality of life. The Press Club meets on Mondays in the ballroom at Drusilla Place Catering, with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. and the program beginning at 12:15 p.m. Learn more about the event.Â
