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-elect Barack Obama is expected to make more appointments to his administration team today.  The "Chicago Tribune" reports Obama will name Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag as his director of the Office of Management and Budget. 

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is expected to unveil a program today to boost the availability of auto and student loans and credit cards.  The "Wall Street Journal" reports the idea is to make it easier for consumers to borrow money.  The program will be operated by the Federal Reserve with an initial focus on consumer loans. 

A California man wanted in connection with Sunday's deadly shooting at a New Jersey church has been caught.  U.S. marshals reportedly took Joseph Pallipurath into custody late yesterday in Georgia where he apparently has relatives.  The 27-year-old is the lone suspect in the triple-shooting that killed two people and left another in critical condition. 

Several models of Audis and Hondas are among the safest cars on the highway.  That's according to the latest information from the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety.  Among the best rated of the 2008 models are the Audi RL and A6 models, the Cadillac CTS, and Ford's Taurus.  Honda Acura models hold down two spots among midsize cars.

It's been a "Long and Winding Road" for Beatles fans hoping to get the Fab Four's tunes on iTunes.  Paul McCartney says negotiations that could have ended with the entire Beatles' catalog being available online have stalled with Apple's iTunes online music store.  The ex-Beatle says he's all for the deal. 

Several hundred guests will need special glasses to watch an upcoming NFL game.  Next week's contest between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders will be broadcast in 3-D to theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston.  The NFL calls it a glimpse at, quote, "what the future holds."

It may be up to president-elect Barack Obama and the new Congress to deal with the proposed auto bailout.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday pulled the bill to lend the Big Three 25-billion-dollars after the measure didn't get enough support from Republicans.  The issue is likely dead for the rest of the year. 

The Federal Reserve is cutting its growth forecast through 2009 and some officials say even deeper interest rate cuts may be needed if growth slows any more.  The lowered forecast from the central bank suggests the economy could shrink by zero-point-two percent in 2009. 

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Osama bin Laden's second-in-command is calling President-elect Barack Obama a, quote, "house Negro."  In a new audio recording, Ayman al Zawahri [[ EYE-mun ahl-zuh-WAHR-ee ]] says, quote, "You represent the direct opposite of honorable black Americans like Malcolm X." 

Three of the nation's busiest airports get major upgrades today.  Chicago's O'Hare, Seattle-Tacoma and Washington Dulles International airports are opening new runways.  FAA acting chief Bobby Sturgell says the new runway at O'Hare, the second busiest airport in the nation, will help smooth air traffic flow nationwide. 

Lack of oversight is being blamed for the crash of a Brazilian airliner that left 199 people dead last year.  The BBC says the official report on the incident blames government agencies for their failure to provide a safe runway and the TAM airline, for lack of pilot training. 

Pop superstar Michael Jackson will defend himself in court next week after all.  The singer originally had his lawyer insist he was too sick to travel to a British court where he's being sued by a Bahrain prince.  The 50-year-old King of Pop is being sued over allegedly reneging on a contract to record a new album and write an autobiography. 

The federal bailout is the focus of two separate hearings today on Capitol Hill.  Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will be testifying about how the federal Wall Street bailout is working.  Meanwhile, the Senate Banking Committee is holding a hearing on the troubled U.S. auto industry. 

Gas prices are at their lowest level since March of 2005.  The Energy Department says the average price fell another 15 cents this past week.  The average price nationwide is two-dollars-seven-cents a gallon, a drop of more than a dollar from prices this time last year.  Triple-A says there are now 17 states with average prices under two-dollars a gallon. 

Joe Lieberman apparently won't be kicked out of the Senate Democratic caucus, despite campaigning for Republican presidential nominee John McCain.  Lieberman will also reportedly keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, but may be asked to step down as head of one subcommittee. 

Minnesota launches a state-mandated recount today in one of the nation's most closely-watched election races.  Republican Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman has seen his lead over Democratic challenger Al Franken shrink to just 206 votes since the November 4th election. 

California's Tea Fire is now fully contained.  The blaze burned more than 19-hundred acres and destroyed 210 homes on just over three square miles of some of the most expensive property in America.  Some residents in Montecito are still under an evacuation order while others are being allowed to return home. 

Japan's newest baseball sensation is five-feet tall, 114 pounds and a female.  MLB.com reports 16-year-old Eri Yoshida is bidding to become the first female pro baseball player in Japan.  The right-handed knuckleballer was drafted on Sunday by a pro team in the country's new independent Japanese League.