ICYMI: The new head of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus told the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday that the caucus remains in full support of Gov. John Bel Edwards after an Associated Press report alleged Edwards misled the public about the death of Ronald Greene. Read the full story from Louisiana Illuminator.
Record wagering: A record 31.5 million Americans plan to bet on this year’s Super Bowl, according to estimates released this morning by the gambling industry’s national trade group. The American Gaming Association forecasts that over $7.6 billion will be wagered on pro football’s championship game set for Sunday. Both the amount of people planning to bet (up 35% from last year) and the estimated amount of money being bet (up 78% from last year) are records. Read the full story.
December jump: Continued strong consumer appetite for overseas goods pushed up the U.S. trade deficit in December, sending the full-year import-export gap to a record level in 2021, The Wall Street Journal reports. The December deficit in trade of goods and services grew by 1.8% to a seasonally adjusted $80.7 billion, the Commerce Department said this morning, just less than the record deficit of $80.8 billion in September. Read the full story.
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