$25M for passenger rail?

with Jennifer Wadsworth | Assistant metro editor

Good morning. Here are some of the top stories in Baton Rouge today.

Rail talk 

Gov. Edwards asked state lawmakers to set aside $25 million in American Rescue Plan money to link Baton Rouge and New Orleans by passenger train. Sure, it's only a fraction of the estimated $260 million it would take to make high-speed rail between the two cities a reality, but at least for now, it could pave the way for temporary passage from Ascension Parish into Baton Rouge. Blake Paterson has the story.

False alarm

An LSU student was arrested for falsely warning about a campus shooting on an anonymous discussion app. The fake threat prompted the university to issue an emergency alert, as Catherine Zeilman reports. 

Jail drug smuggling

Authorities say they busted a plot between an inmate and a couple local residents to smuggle meth, benzos and heroin into the Ascension Parish jail. David Mitchell has the details. 

Check back later for more news.