Sen. Kirk Talbot’s new bill would require FORTIFIED roofs for new builds and replacements, a move supporters say could lower homeowners insurance across Louisiana.

Shintech will invest $3.4 billion to expand its Plaquemine plant, adding ethylene and VCM units and promising more than 800 potential jobs for the Capital Region. The phased build targets lower emissions and a first‑phase finish in 2030.

Rep. Alonzo Knox introduced HB 800 to increase grocery‑pricing transparency and HB 472 to let cities adopt rent‑stabilization as the 2026 legislative session opens.

A federal judge found St. James Parish failed to meet parts of a 2017 desegregation order; one school is now more than 95% Black and the case remains open.

Kenner police say a woman paid $6,020 to someone posing as an immigration attorney; a suspect was arrested in Fort Myers and returned to Jefferson Parish.

State lawmakers filed at least 18 bills to regulate AI, focusing on chatbots, deepfakes and health‑care uses that could affect children and consumers.

NOPD says a dispute on Gentilly Boulevard escalated into an alleged kidnapping; the woman and her vehicle were later abandoned while detectives investigate.

A private firearm sale on Macon Drive ended in an armed robbery and an arrest; police recovered weapons after executing search warrants.

NOPD posted a photo naming a person of interest in a Jan. 24 vehicle-theft in the Fourth District. Officials say the man may have information and tips can be submitted anonymously.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Payne will lead the federal prosecution in the sprawling New Orleans staged‑wrecks case that names local lawyers and dozens of admitted participants.

A 17‑year‑old Dulac resident faces 601 counts after a CyberTip linked him to more than 600 images and videos of minors. He remains jailed on a $50,000 bond as detectives continue the probe.

Kenner police say Luis Renan Bonilla‑Alfaro pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 years at hard labor after an investigation into sexual crimes involving young children.

Two Acadia Parish mothers were booked on cruelty-to-juvenile charges after deputies say they gave meth and other drugs to their children. Investigators and child-welfare workers are involved.