Free Republic

No one saw the sign that said, “No White People Allowed After Dark.” Maybe because it was dark. Or maybe it did not exist. So when a white family pulled into a Baton Rouge gas station in a black neighborhood 10 p.m. Sunday night after a Mother’s Day celebration, they had no idea they were in danger. But they were. Donald Dickerson, a black man, told them so, right before the assault began that would leave the father with a broken face, the mother unconscious, and the daughter badly bruised. All because they were the wrong color in the wrong...

A Honduran woman with legal immigrant status was sentenced to two years probation Friday in Baton Rouge federal court after admitting that she illegally transported minivan loads of undocumented immigrants from Houston to Miami. Eight months of her probation must be served at a halfway house. Sonia Lisseth Suazo, 39, of Houston, could have been sentenced to as many as 14 months in prison under federal guidelines. But she begged Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson for leniency. “I don’t want to leave my daughters alone by themselves,” Suazo said through a Spanish interpreter. “They need me, as does...

(Newser) – Probably a good sign that Republicans see the IRS controversy as very fertile ground politically: Bobby Jindal—who famously warned the GOP not to be the "stupid party" of unhinged attacks—is going after the scandal hard today, reports Politico. The potential 2016 challenger plans to tell Republicans in Virginia that those responsible for the "un-American" plan of singling out conservative groups for scrutiny should go to prison.   “You cannot take the freedom of law-abiding Americans, whether you disagree with them or not, and keep your own freedom," says the Louisiana governor's prepared remarks. "When you do that, you...

Issuing misdemeanor summonses to two of the three people involved in the “brutal attack on an innocent family” at a gas station in north Baton Rouge Sunday night was an “error in judgment” by the officers who did not book the suspects into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, Provisional Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr., said Friday. “We have counseled the officers involved and I have re-emphasized to all my commanders that I expect offenders who commit misdemeanor crimes of violence will be booked into the prison, not summonsed,” Dabadie said in a statement.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu confirmed Thursday that a second suspect had been arrested in the Mother's Day second line shooting, and New Orleans Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said that four others were arrested for harboring suspects. The second suspect arrested Thursday was identified as Shawn Scott, 24, brother of Akein Scott, 19, who was arrested Wednesday night and charged with 20 counts of attempted second-degree murder. Authorities said Shawn Scott also will face 20 counts of attempted second-degree murder, as well as heroin and other drug charges.Authorities said the Scott brothers are members of the Frenchman and Derbigny gang and that...

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The FBI could step in to help Baton Rouge Police with an alleged fight at a gas station with three black suspects and a white family. It's a story that's grabbed national attention with cries for justice on social networks. The face of the 41-year-old victim from Sunday night's argument shows a broken nose, a broken eye socket and cuts to the face. It happened at the Chevron Gas Station on Scenic Highway off Plank Road. The family does not want their names or identity released just yet, but he did tell WAFB's Kiran Chawla...

A new poll taken for a gun rights group confirms that Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is in for a tough re-election in 2014.

If this happened to a black family it would be national news. A white couple and his wife were knocked unconscious for buying gas in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time.

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A man who has never run for office is throwing his name in the hat for next year's US Senate race. Rob Maness, a retired Air Force colonel from Madisonville, said he plans to run against incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu because of her support of President Barack Obama's policies. Landrieu, who is in her third term, will also be facing Congressman Bill Cassidy in the November 2014 election.

Stubbs said a man wearing a pink shirt was in line trying to pay for gas when Donald Dickerson, 41, started making fun of him, leading to an argument. "The defendant (Dickerson) approached the white male victim," the police report stated. It went on to read, "the defendant told him he was in the wrong neighborhood and he was not going to make it out." The victim said that's when he "was punched and knocked to the ground." At this time, his wife got out of the car and ran to help her husband. The victim said, "he continued to...

New Orleans police and federal authorities were searching early Tuesday for a young man who is suspected of opening fire at a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans, wounding 19. Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas identified the suspect late Monday as Akein Scott, 19, of New Orleans. Referring to blurry surveillance camera images of the mass shooting, Serpas said police have "multiple identifications of Akein Scott as the shooter" seen in the film. Serpas said officers would be searching all night and into Tuesday for Scott, whom he called "no stranger to the criminal justice system." He urged the teen, who...

New Orleans (CNN) -- A suspect has been identified in a New Orleans parade shooting that left 19 people injured. Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said that authorities are looking for 19-year-old Akein Scott. Serpas said New Orleans police are familiar with Scott, who was arrested in March and may be out on bond. "I would recommend strongly that Mr. Scott contact anybody who he is comfortable with to turn himself in," Serpas said. When asked if Scott was the lone shooter, Serpas said it was still early in the investigation. The superintendent credited several people calling a Crimestoppers tip line...

The New Orleans Police Department released a surveillance video of one of the suspects in the Mother's Day shooting that left 19 wounded, according to the NOPD. Gunfire erupted in the Seventh Ward neighborhood Sunday afternoon, police said.

A Mother's Day second-line shooting on Frenchmen Street in the 7th Ward, on Sunday about 1:45 p.m., left 19 people injured, according to the latest NOPD numbers. Earlier Sunday afternoon, NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas said that about 12 people had been injured, but the toll later grew to 19, with the NOPD explaining that some victims initially hadn't reported being injured and more people continue to come forward. Police said 10 adult men, seven adult women, a 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were struck by bullets. Both of the 10-year-old victims had graze wounds to the body and were...

New Orleans police are searching for three suspects Sunday after at least 19 people were shot during a Mother’s Day parade. Police spokeswoman Remi Braden said in an email that many of the victims were grazed and most of the wounds weren't life-threatening. No deaths were reported. The FBI said that the shooting appeared to be "street violence" and wasn't linked to terrorism. The victims included 10 men, seven women, a boy and a girl. The children, both 10 years old, were grazed and in good condition. Police said at least two people were in surgery Sunday night. Mary Beth...

DEVELOPING: New Orleans police are searching for three suspects Sunday after at least 12 people were shot during a Mother’s Day parade. Chief Serpas announced in a press conference that the youngest victim is believed to be a 10-year-old girl. Police say she suffered a graze wound, WVUE Fox 8 reported. Police say about 300 were attending the traditional jazz band parade when shots were fired. Serpas said that the procession had been accompanied by officers, who saw two or three suspects run from the scene in the city's 7th Ward. Nobody has been arrested. It's unclear what sparked the...

14 inmates seen on a shocking video shot in Orleans Parish Prison have been arrested [sic] on contraband and weapons charges, according to the Orleans District Attorney's office. [snip] The shocking videos shown in federal court showed a loaded handgun, drugs, and alcohol inside a locked cell at Orleans Parish Prison. The video was shown turning [sic]testimony during a lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center over conditions at the troubled jail facility. In the video, inmates can be seen pulling cans of beer from a cooler in the cell, and another inmate displays an apparently loaded Glock handgun....

Shortly after Barack Obama won reelection in November, New Jersey governor Chris Christie pointed out that Republicans’ cloudy political prospects had a bright silver lining. “One of the reasons you have 30 Republican governors in America, and why we’re the only organization to add Republican strength,” Christie said, “is because people see us getting things done.” Christie’s stance countered most of the elite postelection commentary, which gleefully pronounced the Republican Party’s political irrelevance. But the governor was right. Since Obama first took office in 2008, Republicans have picked up a net nine governorships, bringing their total to 30 states,...

Four gun bills, including one that purposely flouts federal law, are a step closer to becoming law after passing a Senate committee Tuesday. The bills now head to the Senate floor for further debate. House Bill 5, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Morris, R-Oil City, is one of the most closely watched gun bills of the session. The bill seeks to block any possible federal gun control legislation from restricting the ownership of semi-automatic weapons in Louisiana. The bill narrowly passed in the House Criminal Justice committee, and received sizable opposition on the House floor. But it received little opposition...

Louisiana’s highest court ruled Tuesday that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s hallmark school voucher plan violates the state’s constitution. The state Supreme Court found that the school voucher plan is illegal because it diverts tax dollars to private schools from Louisiana’s “minimum foundation program,” which was created under the state constitution to pay for public schools.

In the second article of this series, we examined the second of the top three promising U.S. LNG (liquefied natural gas) exporters, Dominion Resources (D), that could benefit from the rising demand for LNG. Today, I will discuss about the top LNG exporter making business with natural gas (UNG) that could very much profit from the vast potential offered by the natural gas boom in the U.S. To see my article on this opportunity, click here... Cheniere Energy (LNG)

Dude Disarms Guy Pointing Shotgun at his Face ****************************************************************************** ..For those who call fake.. http://www.wwltv.com/news/crime ****************************************************************************** NEW ORLEANS POLICE) – Detectives are asking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect wanted for an attempted armed robbery which occurred this past Saturday, around 5:05AM, 1900 block of Burgundy Street. On Saturday, 4/27/13 at or about 5:05AM, the victim was walking in the 1900 block of Burgundy when he was approached by an unknown black male. The subject pointed a shotgun at the victim’s face and stated give me your money. The victim disarmed the gunman and then chased him. Moments later...

A shotgun wielding robber was thoroughly humiliated Saturday when his intended victim promptly disarmed him and gave chase. The would-be robber approached his mark in the early morning hours along a deserted street in New Orleans, Louisiana. The suspect quickly shoved a shotgun into the victim’s face and demanded cash, police said. But in a daring maneuver, the victim disarmed the gunman and pursued him as he fled the scene. Moments later, the victim was approached by a sedan — whose driver audaciously asked for his gun back. Instead, the victim smashed out the vehicle’s rear windshield — causing the...

A man being robbed at gunpoint at 5 a.m. Saturday morning in New Orleans turned the tables on his attacker when he managed to grab the shotgun, causing the attacker to flee. The confrontation was captured by surveillance footage from a nearby security camera. According to WWL.com, the victim-turned-vigilante wasn't done yet.

A man thwarted an armed robbery early Saturday morning when he disarmed his assailant of a shotgun, then broke the windshield of his assailant's car, according to New Orleans police.About 5:05 a.m., the man was walking in the 1900 block of Burgundy Street when he was approached from behind by a man wielding a shotgun. The gunman pointed the weapon at the man's face and ordered him to turn over his money. Video released by police shows the man pausing for a moment, then quickly disarming the gunman and chasing him down the street.Moments later, the man was approached by...

A 35-year-old single mother came home from her evening criminal justice classes Wednesday about 7:15 p.m. and was startled to see a stranger wearing a hoodie inside her walk-in closet, according to statements she later told police and her family members. Panicked, the woman reportedly grabbed a knife from under her pillow, and stabbed the man several times. The man died within the hour at a local hospital. The Orleans Parish coroner's office on Thursday identified him as Tyrone Scott, 17. The family believes Scott hid in the closet at the house in the 3900 block of Gibson Street in...

Two gun bills -- one of which likely violates the U.S. Constitution -- were approved by the state House of Representatives on Tuesday. Over the coming weeks, lawmakers will take up the seven other gun bills approved by committee last week, all of which aim to further enshrine the rights of Louisiana gun owners.House Bill 5 passed by a vote of 67-25 even as its sponsor, state Rep. Jim Morris, R-Oil City, reiterated his belief that the legislation is unconstitutional. The bill seeks to block enforcement in Louisiana of any federal laws restricting possession and ownership of semi-automatic weapons."Although I...

People would be able to carry concealed weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol under legislation approved by the Louisiana House on Thursday. The House voted 62-24 for the measure, sponsored by state Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton, amid protests that gun rights proponents are going too far. State Rep. Terry Landry, D-New Iberia, a former State Police commander, said legislators should stop allowing outside forces from “using Louisiana as a testing ground,” an apparent reference to the National Rifle Association. He said the state is becoming “a laughingstock.” Landry said the state has a high national rating when it comes to...

Despite the many differences I had with former President George W. Bush on a range of public policy issues, or as he called them, "decision points," I found common ground with him in one area, simply because we decided to put aside partisanship and do something good. Hurricane Katrina's devastation and the bungled rescue efforts are seared in the national memory. Bush's "heckuva job" remark turned into a byword for government incompetence and public distrust. The shallowness of it coming at such a terrible and low point left deep wounds that are still healing. That was what it was. But...

Second Amendment rights advocates in Louisiana claimed another victory Wednesday, when the lower house of the Legislature approved a bill to allow for lifetime concealed-carry permits. House Bill 265, which passed with a vote of 65-19, was the first lawmaking foray by Central Republican Barry Ivey, who beat Metro Councilman Scott Wilson in a special election in early March. Currently, concealed-carry permits cost $125 and last for five years. Ivey's bill would allow Louisianans to choose between the five-year permit or one that would last for life. The lifetime permit would cost $500 and would require the permit holder to...

(CNN) -- Despite the many differences I had with former President George W. Bush on a range of public policy issues, or as he called them, "decision points," I found common ground with him in one area, simply because we decided to put aside partisanship and do something good. Hurricane Katrina's devastation and the bungled rescue efforts are seared in the national memory. Bush's "heckuva job" remark turned into a byword for government incompetence and public distrust. The shallowness of it coming at such a terrible and low point left deep wounds that are still healing. That was what it...

Thomas R. Dooley Jr., 28, stole a .22 caliber handgun and used it to rob a business. Police responded and stopped Dooley’s vehicle, but Dooley then sped away leading authorities on a high’speed chase. During the chase, Dooley fired his weapon at a pursuing officer, attempted to ram a Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office vehicle, and caused another vehicle to crash. After turning down a dead–end road, Dooley lost control of his truck and his vehicle ran into a tree. Then, he fled on foot. The handgun was found in his truck with all nine rounds fired. Dooley entered a guilty...

Two men were shot, including the suspect, during a botched robbery attempt of a Marrero sandwich shop Saturday night, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said. Officers responded to a reported shooting at 11:24 p.m. Saturday at Chateau Orleans Po-Boys, at 2324 Barataria Blvd. They believe that 18-year-old Robert McClure, who lives in the 6700 block Mather Drive in Marrero, entered the shop through a backdoor, armed with a shotgun. He allegedly pointed the weapon at a shop worker who was cleaning up, and ordered him to the front of the store, authorities said.

Over the weekend, the Louisiana restaurant, Chicken Express, stood up for Second Amendment rights in a way that’s gaining popularity with both businesses and consumers around the country: free food and service for concealed carry permit holders. Chicken Express of Bossier City, just outside of Shreveport, gave away a #1 combo meal on Saturday, April 13 for customers who could produce a legal concealed handgun permit. Restaurant owner Randal Neel stated that it wasn’t just about business, it was about having the opportunity to take a stand for Constitutional rights. Neel told KLTV 7, “It feels really good to be...

LAFAYETTE — A state trooper, who saw a naked man struggling with a St. Landry Parish deputy in the deputy’s squad car on Interstate 49, fired his handgun and then stunned the alleged attacker with a stun gun, State Police Troop I said Thursday. State Police said Byron Simon, 22, of Ville Platte, ran naked to the deputy’s squad car, jumped inside and began struggling with the deputy, who was responding to a report about a two-vehicle wreck at about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday. State trooper Travis Gallow, who also was responding to the accident, drove up to the deputy, who...

Reading the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg, and pretty much every other news outlet, one would think that Governor Bobby Jindal has given up on his efforts to eliminate the Louisiana income tax. But in fact, pretty much every reporter who has written on this has the story wrong. In his State of the State address on the first day of the 2013 session of the Louisiana legislature this week, Jindal announced that he was “parking” the tax-reform proposal that he unveiled last month, in response to opposition from the public and members of the legislature. While his...

Monday’s article on the nation’s least popular governors did not include Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, because he is not up for re-election in 2014. (Louisiana’s next gubernatorial election will be in 2015, and Mr. Jindal will not be eligible, having served two consecutive terms.) But recent surveys suggest that Mr. Jindal has become very unpopular in his home state amid a series of battles on fiscal policy. A March poll from Southern Media & Opinion Research put Mr. Jindal’s approval rating at just 38 percent, against 60 percent disapproval. His numbers had been similarly poor in a February survey...

According to the Wall Street Journal, U. S. Senator from Louisiana Mary Landrieu will vote to move forward gun control legislation now pending in the U. S. Senate. Reid Sets Gun-Bill Vote for Thursday Two conservative Democrats who are up for re-election in 2014 held back from immediately joining the GOP effort to stop the Senate from voting on the gun-control bill. “This is an issue that we should debate,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D., La.). The Louisiana Democrat said she plans to wait until she sees the final language of any bipartisan deal on background checks before deciding whether...

Earlier this year, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal promised to undertake the major task of simplifying the state's tax code in the interests of promoting economic competition, business friendliness, and job growth; and last month, he unveiled his plan to get rid of income and corporate taxes in favor of a sales tax increase from 4 to 5.88 percent. There was quite a lot of grumbling about the specifics of his plan, however, and in a surprise move on Monday, he opened the 2013 legislative session with the announcement that he’s going to at least temporarily shelve his proposal in favor...

The 18-year-old suspect shot during the botched robbery of a Marrero sandwich shop was a former employee, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report. Robert McClure, of Marrero, was still in critical condition Monday after he was shot multiple times while allegedly trying to hold up Chateau Orleans Po Boy Shop at 2324 Barataria Blvd. on Saturday night. An unidentified 38-year-old employee was also wounded by gunfire during the robbery. He was shot in the arms and expected to recover.Sheriff's Office investigators said McClure donned a mask and dark-colored clothing, armed himself with a 20-gauge shotgun and entered...

RUSH: Melissa Harris-Perry is a professor. I believe she's at Tulane. It's a major university, wherever she teaches. She's an African-American professor at Tulane. That's right. She also has a show on PMSNBC. Of course they've got this slogan over there called "Lean Forward" or some such thing. Hosts of their shows are cutting promos that they run on the network, and last week they began airing a new Lean Forward promo for her show, which airs on the weekends. This is that promo. HARRIS-PERRY: We have never invested as much in public education as we should have because we've...

(Reuters) - Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, one of the nation's most prominent Republicans and a possible 2016 presidential candidate, has fallen out of favor with local voters, and his bold plan to scrap the state income tax is running into trouble. Jindal was re-elected to a second term with two-thirds of the vote in 2011. But his Louisiana approval rating was down to 38 percent in a recent poll, worse than Democratic President Barack Obama in one of the most conservative states. The poll suggested voters think he is spending more time traveling outside the state and burnishing his credentials...

Senate votes on climate change and the Keystone XL oil pipeline laid bare divisions among Democrats — and underscored why the White House, not Congress, will be where the critical climate decisions reside in President Obama’s second term.Several votes during the freewheeling debate over a nonbinding budget plan provided a political barometer of where the chamber, including vulnerable Democrats, stand on the topics. Advocates of the proposed pipeline scored a symbolic victory Friday when 62 lawmakers voted for an amendment backing the project to bring oil from Canadian tar sands projects to Gulf Coast refineries. Seventeen Democrats supported Sen....

Washington - Indian-American Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal has said it is too early to think about the 2016 presidential run as people of the country are not in a mood to have another four years of campaign. "It's way too early for folks to be thinking about that. We just lost a presidential election. I don't think the people want another four-year presidential campaign," Jindal said at a Republican Party fundraiser in Jackson, Mississippi. Jindal is considered to be a key Republican presidential aspirant, but so far has publicly denied. "I know there's a lot of speculation about who...

A Belle Chasse dad is behind bars for coercing his 16-year-old daughter to have sexual intercourse with him for the past year, according to the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office. Police say last Friday, officers responded to an incest complaint at the home of the victim. Investigators learned that the 37 year-old father had been having sex with his 16-year-old daughter for the past year.

A recent high school graduate from the Midwest who moved to New Orleans in hopes of making a difference in the lives of others, was gunned down on a New Orleans street corner Monday night. Joseph Massenburg, 18, had been eager to embark on his first project in New Orleans as an AmeriCorps member, friends and family said.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Videos showing inmates at the New Orleans jail apparently using drugs, drinking beer, gambling with cash and possessing at least one large handgun were shown Tuesday during a hearing in U.S. District Court, accompanied by another video purportedly showing one of the inmates walking Bourbon Street. The recordings, believed to be shot by inmates, were aired during the second day of hearings on a proposed agreement between the Justice Department and Sheriff Marlin Gusman to improve conditions at the Orleans Parish Prison. It was unclear when they were recorded.

Where did all the money go? “Your guess is as good as mine,” David Montoya, the inspector general of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, says of $700 million in missing taxpayer money that Louisiana homeowners were given in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to elevate and protect their homes from future storms. A new report released from the inspector general’s office shows that more than 24,000 homeowners who received grants of up to $30,000 to elevate their homes either misspent or pocketed the money. “The fact of the matter is that the money they received was for a...

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany — The sprawling chemical plant in this city along the Rhine River has been a jewel of Germany’s manufacturing-led economy for more than a century. But the plunging price of natural gas in the United States has European companies setting sail across the Atlantic to stay competitive. German chemicals giant BASF, which operates the plant here, has announced plans for wide-ranging expansion in the United States, where natural gas prices have fallen to a quarter of those in Europe, largely because of American innovations in unlocking shale gas. Among those most affected are energy-intensive industries such as steel...

A Mississippi man was arrested Sunday morning after brutally beating a man outside a Bourbon Street strip club while trying to prove himself to a drug dealer and get money to buy drugs, police said. According to police reports, 22-year-old William Busker robbed a man in the 300 block of Bourbon Street and then beat him until he was bloodied and unconscious, court records show. According to records filed in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, Busker told officers that he had been trying to buy cocaine inside of a strip club on Bourbon Street shortly before 6 a.m. on Sunday...