Health care: Louisiana Secretary of Health Dr. Rebekah Gee yesterday touted the increase in state residents with greater access to health care since Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Medicaid expansion in an opinion piece for the USA Today Network of newspapers. Gee also wrote that she “detests” fraud and promoted her efforts to reduce Medicaid fraud. Read Gee’s letter here.
Up and up: The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline surged 13 cents a gallon over the past two weeks, to $2.91, though Baton Rouge still has the lowest average prices at $2.45 per gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey says one reason for the spike is an increase in crude oil costs, adding prices at the pump have jumped 25 cents over the past month and 60 cents over the past 14 weeks. The highest average price in the nation is $4.04 a gallon in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read the full story.
Spillway effects: Officials are investigating a rash of deaths among dolphins and sea turtles on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. WLOX-TV reports nearly 40 dead dolphins and sea turtles have been found in recent weeks, and scientists believe the cause could be the recent opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway to reduce flooding. Read the full story.
