Authorities in Iberia Parish and LA State Police are looking for Paul Stanley Collins Jr. who is accused of shooting to death his estranged wife - the mother of his two children.

The government is doling out $20-million to farmers in eight states, including Louisiana, to create habitats for migratory birds whose usual Gulf wintering spots may be fouled by the massive BP oil spill.

Louisiana is entering the grip of a summer heat wave for the weekend and into next week.

The wife of a  Keithville man found murdered in his home Sunday has been arrested for hiring someone to kill her husband.

State Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham reopens part of the Mississippi River delta in Plaquemines Parish to recreational fishing.

First Lady Supriya Jindal was in Shreveport and Alexandria today to rally support for an effort to assist those affected by the Gulf oil spill crisis.

President Bush is not happy after the House shot down his proposed 700-billion-dollar bailout legislation.  A tentative deal lawmakers struck over the weekend fell apart in Monday's vote, leading both parties to pass the blame across the aisle.  The President is expected to speak to the nation this morning at 8:45 Eastern time.

Voters in the battleground state of Ohio start casting their early ballots today.  This is the first time people will be allowed to simultaneously register and vote in a presidential election.  Supporters of both candidates have mobilized to get Ohio voters to cast their absentee ballots.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be hampering the Army's ability to adequately train troops.  Army Secretary Pete Geren says soldiers are not spending enough time at home between deployments to practice the skills they need for conventional warfare.  About 140-thousand Army soldiers are currently deployed in combat zones overseas.

A woman is behind bars after Maryland police found the bodies of two dead girls in her freezer.  The "Washington Post" reports officers found the bodies in Renee Bowman's home while investigating whether her seven-year-old adoptive daughter was being abused.  Bowman reportedly told police the bodies belong to her two other adoptive daughters, who would be eleven and nine years old.

More than eleven-hundred fugitives have been arrested in California following a three-week illegal immigration sweep.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they face charges ranging from sexual assault and drug violations to manslaughter and terrorist threats.  The "San Diego Union-Tribune" reports officers found 300 criminals in the two counties closest to the Mexican border.

Janet Jackson was reportedly rushed to a Canadian hospital yesterday.  W&W Public Relations told E! Online the singer suddenly fell ill during a sound check before a concert she had scheduled in Montreal as part of her Rock Witchu tour.  No further information has been released about her condition.

It'll be a meeting of the minds today when presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain go to the White House for talks on the financial crisis.  They'll discuss the proposed bailout of crippled financial institutions with President Bush and congressional leaders. 

U.S. stock index futures cut their gains on Thursday after General Electric slashed its third-quarter profit outlook.  That move by the diversified manufacturer and a Dow Jones component, added to worries about the faltering economy.  GE's warning comes one day after President Bush said the U.S. was in a serious financial crisis.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is calling on Congress to cooperate to swiftly pass the financial bailout plan.  On the CBS "Evening News" last night, the Alaskan governor said without action there is a risk of a financial emergency.  Palin said lawmakers from both parties need to put politics aside and work together on a solution.

Army bio-weapons researcher Bruce Ivins sent himself an email exclaiming he'd solved the anthrax mailing case even as investigators closed in on him.  The "Los Angeles Times" is reporting that a federal judge has unsealed investigative records including Ivins' emails.  Ivins committed suicide in July before prosecutors could charge him.

California motorists will no longer be able to mix driving and texting come January.  Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law banning motorists from text-messaging and e-mailing while operating a vehicle.  As of the first of the year, drivers caught will face a 20-dollar fine the first time and a 50-dollar ticket for each subsequent offense. 

Employers are passing more of the rising cost of health insurance on to workers.  "USA Today" reports deductibles have jumped an average of 29-percent reaching more than 13-hundred dollars a year for those with family coverage.  The Kaiser Family Foundation's Drew Altman says it's the tip of the iceberg with a move toward "less comprehensive, skimpier coverage."
 

The White House plans to hard-sell Congress on its bank bailout this week.  Key Congressional leaders have promised quick bipartisan action on a plan that could cost taxpayers 700-billion dollars.  But they're expressing reluctance to hand the Treasury a blank check without any oversight. 

Six children are in protective custody in Arkansas following a raid on a religious compound.  More than 100 federal and state lawmen raided the Fouke, Arkansas compound of Christian evangelist Tony Alamo [[ uh-LAH-moh ]], whom officials say runs a cult.  Prosecutors say he's involved in tax evasion, polygamy and child pornography.

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens goes on trial in Washington, DC today on charges he failed to disclose about 250-grand in gifts from an oil services company.  The "Washington Post" reports prosecutors will argue the former chairman of the Senate Appropriations and Commerce panels used his political clout to arrange favors for the company.  He could face prison time and an end to his 40-year political career if convicted.

A helicopter crashed into a Wisconsin home yesterday morning, killing a pilot and his passenger but sparing all five residents inside.  Alan Sapko and his fiancee Joan Anzalone, of Racine, died when their chopper crashed through the roof of the home, came out the other side and landed in the street.  Authorities don't know why Sapko was out in low visibility. 

A panel of top college admissions deans say SAT and ACT scores aren't a measure of a student's true worth.  The "New York Times" reports the blue-ribbon panel found the two achievement tests can't predict college success as well as good high school grades or high scores on individual subject tests. 

NASCAR drivers, pit crews and even race officials will face some of the harshest drug testing in any sport starting next race season.  Racing officials say they'll reserve the right to test for any drug ranging from cough syrup to cocaine at any time.  The "Washington Post" reports the policy stops short of spelling out penalties for a failed test.