 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Mike Johnson was reelected speaker of the U.S. House on the first ballot Friday, receiving the needed 218 votes on the number. The last Congress dragged out the process for days, but things went more quickly this time, although some possible last-minute arm-twisting may have been required. This means Louisiana will continue to hold the top two leadership spots in the chamber. Republican members of the House elected House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Jefferson to the second-ranking leadership post in November. Read about the behind-the-scenes happenings.
Police say 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar went on a rampage early on New Year's Day, barreling down Bourbon Street in New Orleans in a white pickup, eventually killing 14 people and injuring dozens more. The attack lasted just two and a half blocks, but it has produced widespread anguish. For those left behind, recovery is just beginning. Read more about the survivors and the victims' families as they try to grasp the tragedy. Also: How the deadly attack is reshaping plans for Mardi Gras
After a bout of severe weather Sunday, the Baton Rouge area will feel the effects of a cold front that will usher in an Arctic air mass, pushing Monday morning's low down to 33 degrees, forecasters say. And the chilly weather will hang around for a bit. Ready more about the coming cold. | 
