Louisiana State Police Troop D will have additional troopers on patrol this Labor Day holiday.  

U.S. Senator David Vitter today called on Charlie Melancon to apologize to the large number of tea party members and voters in Louisiana for comparing them to the fringe, far-left activist group MoveOn.org.

An oil platform exploded and burned off the Louisiana coast Thursday, the second such disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in less than five months.

The U.S. Department of Education awards a 170-million-dollar grant to a consortium of 26 states, including Louisiana, to develop new common assessments for public school students.

An early morning fire Thursday in the 2200 block of Curtis Street kept Baton Rouge firefighters busy for a while. 

Baton Rouge police report that officers responded to a shooting about 3:30 Thursday morning in the 1500 block of North Marque Ann Drive where they found a black male lying in a parking lot who had been shot. 

The Commerce Department is offering some optimistic news on the nation's struggling economy.  The first quarter Gross Domestic Product report was better than what had been projected.  Analysts had predicted a six-point-one-percent dip, but the new data shows a decline of a five-point-seven-percent annual rate during the first quarter of the year.  The GDP measures total goods and services output for the entire U.S.

A cyber security report is out today that outlines the dangers to the nation's defense and corporate data systems.  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs cited "very serious threats that public and private sector networks face from cyber crime and cyber attacks." 

Mistaken identity and possible racial overtones are being considered in the shooting death of a NYPD Housing Officer last night.  Omar Edwards was off duty and in civilian clothes when he spotted someone breaking into his car late last night.  He called 911 for help, drew his weapon, and began chasing the suspect.  One of the officers who responded fired instead at Edwards, who is black.  The officer who shot Edwards is white.

A Pennsylvania woman who concocted a story of kidnapping with her and her young daughter as the victims has made a court appearance in Orlando, Florida.  Bonnie Sweeten will return soon to face charges of filing a false police report and identity theft in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 

North Korea continues its provocative moves this week with another firing of a short-range missile off its east coast.  Monday the communist nation carried out an underground nuclear weapons test.  It has also made threats of launching an attack on neighboring South Korea. 

Beginning June 1st, American citizens who want to return to the U.S. from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean will need to have documentation to re-enter the country.  A passport, passport card or a so-called "trusted traveler" document used by frequent border crossers will be required.
 

(Undated)  --  Here are the latest stories making news at this hour:  The White House wants a quick decision on President Obama's Supreme Court justice nominee.  A former Bush administration pick for Homeland Security secretary is in legal trouble.  Mike Tyson's daughter has died.  Gas prices continue to rise.  General Motors is one step closer to bankruptcy.  And California's Supreme Court upheld a gay marriage ban today. 

>>White House Expects Timely Decision On Supreme Court Pick

(Washington, DC)  --  The White House wants a swift decision on President Obama's choice of Judge Sonia Sotomayor [[ so-toh-my-YORE ]] to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter.  Sotomayor is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who came to New York City during World War II.  She lived in a housing project in the Bronx and worked her way through the predominantly white spheres of Princeton University, Yale Law School and the Manhattan district attorney's office.  If confirmed, Sotomayor would become the first Latina and only the third woman to serve on the high court.

>>Former NYPD Commissioner Indicted In False Statements Case

(Washington, D.C.)  --  Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of making false statements to White House officials.  Kerik was vying for the position of Homeland Security secretary under the George W. Bush administration at the time.  Prosecutors say he gave false and misleading answers about his relationship with certain contractors in New York City.  Kerik allegedly pushed for the contractors to get certain business.  In exchange, the contractors spent over 255-thousand dollars renovating Kerik's apartment

>>Mike Tyson's Daughter Dies At Phoenix Hospital

(Phoenix, AZ)  --  The daughter of former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson has died at a Phoenix hospital as the result of a household accident.  Four-year-old Exodus Tyson was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. local time.  The little girl was taken to the hospital after she was found hanging from a treadmill by a power cable over Memorial Day weekend.  Tyson was out of town at the time, but rushed to his daughter's side at the hospital.

>>Gas Prices Hit Seven-Month High

(Washington, DC)  --  Gas prices continue to rise.  According to the Department of Energy, the national average for a gallon of gasoline is now two-dollars-and-44-cents; the highest they've been in seven months.  That's up 13 cents from a week ago, but is still a dollar-50 cheaper than what motorists were paying this time last year.  Crude oil prices have shot up sharply in recent weeks, hoisting pump prices along with it. 

>>General Motors On Verge Of Bankruptcy

(Detroit, MI)  --  General Motors has failed to persuade enough bondholders to accept a debt-for-equity trade.  The ailing automaker has until midnight tonight to secure a deal with 90 percent of its bondholders.  Failing to do so will likely push GM, which was already on the verge of bankruptcy, over the edge.  The proposed deal would have given bondholders a ten-percent ownership stake in the revamped company. 

>>California's Supreme Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

(San Francisco, CA)  --  California's Supreme Court upheld a gay marriage ban today.  The court ruled in favor of a voter-approved proposition that defined marriage as between a man and a woman only.  However, the court did say the 18-thousand same-sex marriages that took place between June and November of last year are still valid because the ban is not retroactive.  Gay activists are already vowing to amend the state constitution again to affirm gay marriage on the 2010 ballot. 

>>70-Year-Old Heart Transplant Recipient Sky Dives

(Vandalia, IL)  --  An elderly Illinois woman is young at heart, literally, and she put it to the test over the weekend by jumping from a plane.  Judy Kaufman is 70-years-old and received a heart transplant almost a decade ago from a teenage donor.  Kaufman went skydiving over the weekend at eleven-thousand-feet in a tandem jump.  Since her transplant she's also traveled the world with trips to Asia and Europe.  She says she's grateful for the second chance and is living her life for the 15-year-old who gave her the heart. 
 

>>The Latest

(Undated)  --  Here are the latest stories making news at this hour:  The United Nations Security Council has condemned North Korea's recent nuclear weapons test.  A Minnesota teenager who was under court order to have chemotherapy is back home after he and his mother vanished last week.  President Obama encouraged all Americans to honor the fallen by giving back to the nation.  And Playboy is reportedly looking for new ownership.

>>UN Security Council Condemns North Korean Nuclear Weapons Test

(United Nations)  --  The UN Security Council has voted unanimous approval of a resolution strongly condemning North Korea for setting off a nuclear weapons test.  The Security Council said the rogue communist nation's actions violated an earlier UN resolution barring North Korea from conducting additional nuclear bomb tests, following an initial atomic blast in 2006.  Raising international tensions even further, North Korea test-fired three short-range missiles after the underground nuclear test. 

>>Teen With Cancer & Mother Return To Minnesota

(New Ulm, MN)  --  A Minnesota teenager who was under court order to have chemotherapy is back home along with his mother, after they both vanished last week.  Daniel Hauser and his mother Colleen were safely returned after a warrant was issued for the mother's arrest.  The sheriff in Brown County, Minnesota, told a news conference that warrant has been dropped.  The 13-year-old was ordered to have chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma despite his family's insistence on only natural remedies. 

>>Obama Delivers Message Of Unity, Service On Memorial Day 

(Washington, DC)  --  In his Memorial Day address, President Obama encouraged all Americans to honor the fallen by committing to give something lasting back to the nation.  Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery, he said it's humbling to be Commander-in-Chief of the finest military in the history of the world.  Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the men and women who gave their lives for this country, quote, "have given unto our hands and those of future generations the fullest reach of humanity." 

>>Report: "Playboy" Being Shopped Around For $300-Million

(New York, NY)  --  Playboy is reportedly looking for new ownership.  The "New York Post" reports the venerable gentleman's magazine is being shopped around with a price tag of around 300-million dollars.  According to the "Post," the sellers are looking for far more than the company's market cap in order to maintain the lifestyle of "Playboy" founder Hugh Hefner.  Internet porn sites and video-on-demand services have cut into "Playboy's" business. 

>>Former Wilco Member Bennett Dies

(Urbana, IL)  --  Wilco is mourning the death of former multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett.  Billboard.com reports that Bennett, 45, died Sunday in Urbana, Illinois, in his sleep.  The cause of death has not been determined.  Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy said in a statement, quote, "We will miss Jay as we remember him -- as a unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution."