Latest news: July 9, 2012

Obama signs transportation bill heralded as ‘triple win’ for Louisiana
By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). July 6, 2012.
“President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a transportation bill that is expected to funnel billions of dollars in fines from the 2010 BP oil spill to Louisiana and four other Gulf states. The bill is the most significant for Louisiana adopted by the current Congress, which has been best known for bitter partisan battles…” (Read more)

Obama signs RESTORE Act; billions headed to Gulf states
By Jordan Blum, The Advocate. July 8, 2012.
“WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law late Friday afternoon that will direct billions of dollars in BP oil leak fine funds to Louisiana’s coast…” (Read more)

Senator Landrieu Visting Coastal Communities to Mark Restore Act
By Eileen Fleming, WWNO (New Orleans). July 9, 2012.
“Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is visiting coastal areas today to mark passage of the Restore Act. Exactly how much money the state can expect from BP fines is still being worked out…” (Read more)

States prepare to spend billions from BP fine money
By Deborah Barfield Berry and Ledyard King, Gannet News. July 7, 2012.
“WASHINGTON — It took Gulf Coast lawmakers more than two years of prodding and negotiating to persuade a divided Congress their communities deserve most of the billions of dollars BP will pay in fines for its role in the 2010 oil spill…” (Read more)

Brown shrimp season will be a winner, NOAA predicts
By Benjamin Alexander-Block, The Times-Picayune. July 8, 2012.
“An above-average 2012-13 brown shrimp season in the western Gulf of Mexico has been predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service. The harvest from July through June 2013 is expected to be 59.2 million pounds of headless weight, which is above the historical 50-year average of 56.5 million pounds, according to NOAA’s annual forecast released on Thursday…” (Read more)