BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Scientists say extremely warm waters drove Hurricane Beryl, helping make it the earliest Category 5 storm on record before it wrecked parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. The storm reached major hurricane strength only 42 hours after forming, the earliest that had happened in recent hurricane history. The storm is now forecast to have top winds of 90 mph, at the top of Category 1, before making landfall on the Texas coast. Read more about the science behind Beryl's power. The state has been mostly unsuccessful in defending itself against litigation from civil rights groups that say lawmakers violated the Voting Rights Act by failing to add a majority-Black district to Louisiana's congressional map. Officials have fought the lawsuits at almost every step, but those battles have come at a cost, with the price tag rising into the millions. Read about the status of those litigation efforts. At the Knock Knock Children's Museum in Baton Rouge, Saturdays this month will become a whole lot fluffier, as guests can interact with visiting therapy dogs. Visitors can learn dog responsibility, empathy for animals, and how to approach dogs and assess their body language. Read more about the "Dog Days of Summer" program. | 