Teens and nicotine: Attorney General Jeff Landry confirmed Wednesday that Louisiana is among the 39 states investigating the marketing and sales practices of e-cigarette maker Juul Labs. The states are looking into claims the company targeted youths with its vaping products and made misleading claims about nicotine content in its devices and the risks and effectiveness of its products as smoking cessation devices. Attorneys general from Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas announced Tuesday they are leading the multistate investigation. Read the full story.
Floodwaters: Louisiana is now three years into the ambitious $48 million plan to move Isle de Jean Charles residents north onto the mainland. The residents of the island have been called the first “climate change refugees.” A new feature from USA Today takes a deep dive into the community’s roots and the challenges they face as the government works to move them. Read the full story.
Q4 update: The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.1% in the final quarter of last year, the Commerce Department said this morning. The overall pace of growth in the October-December quarter was unchanged from its initial estimate a month ago, though the components were slightly altered. A slowdown in business restocking was less severe than first believed. But a cutback in business investment in new equipment was more of a drag on growth than initially estimated. Read the full report.
