 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer The Louisiana House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to lift a spending limit at the heart of a major political rift in the Legislature, overcoming a series of failed votes. Raising the cap will allow spending on Gov. John Bel Edwards’ and legislative leaders’ infrastructure priorities that a small number of House conservatives sought to stymie. Lawmakers were working against the clock Wednesday to finalize major budget bills and a range of other legislation as the session's scheduled adjournment on Thursday evening drew closer.
The state NAACP chapter has warned that Black and LGBTQ+ people should exercise "extreme caution" when visiting Louisiana, citing what it described as a dangerous environment created by legislation moving through the State Capitol. "Recent actions under the influence of Republican legislators have fostered an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, marked by a blatant, relentless and systemic attack on democracy and civil rights," the statement reads. In a letter released Wednesday, the NAACP's Louisiana State Conference named a list of bills dealing with civil rights and LGBTQ+ issues it said have made residents and visitors unsafe.
The sneaker industry has become a $75 billion-plus behemoth with die-hard fans scattered throughout the world. Known colloquially as sneakerheads, these devotees are hooked on collecting the latest styles and rare versions and often have collections reaching into the hundreds. "I wish I had more feet so I could wear more shoes," said sneakerhead Jonathan Pellegrin, who has just under 100 pairs of shoes that he has collected over the years. "They keep coming out with so many good shoes. It's like Pokémon: You gotta collect them all." | 
