Texas: Pair of Texans on Sec. of Homeland Security shortlist. U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul are both rumored to be on the shortlist to become Secretary of Homeland Security, a spot which opened up when former head John Kelly vacated the position to become White House Chief of Staff. Kentucky: Paul refuses to quit on healthcare. Even after a crushing defeat last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul refuses to give up on repealing and replacing Obamacare, telling reporters that he plans on continuing the fight until the issue is resolved. “From my point of view, I don’t think it’s over until we fix health care,” said Paul. “I’m talking with some people who voted no to see if they could get to yes.” Louisiana: State suffers from loss of film industry. The state of Louisiana thought it was saving money by drastically cutting tax breaks for the film industry, but it may be having the opposite effect. Money spent directly by the industry has dropped 2/3, and dozens of restaurants have closed pointing to the slow down in business from the industry. Meanwhile Georgia with its own tax credits has been the beneficiary of Louisiana’s bowing out, bringing in billions for their local economy.
