On This Week in Louisiana Politics, the United States Department of Justice released a bombshell report stating that the Louisiana State Police have used excessive force in their encounters with the public.

The newly reported H5N9 strain was found Monday at a duck farm in Merced County, California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. The Paris-based organization that studies animal diseases said it's the first verified U.S. case of H5N9 in poultry. The organization said the more common strain H5N1 was also found.

Nearly 40 cats affected by near-record snowfall in Louisiana are arriving at the MSPCA at Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem on Saturday as part of an urgent rescue mission.

Louisiana Forestry Association Executive Director Buck Vandersteen said the state is nearing a forest level that will be hard to manage against disease and wildfires.

WASHINGTON – Southern California’s ongoing wildfires — which so far have killed 27 and burned down at least 10,000 homes — are expected to need billions of dollars in disaster

The rain that is expected to hit the scorched Los Angeles landscape this weekend may bring relief to the fire fights, but it could also bring flash floods and mudslides. Although forecasts show that the risk is relatively low, local officials are taking the warnings seriously.

In an interview aired Wednesday night, Trump said he may withhold aid to California until the state adjusts how it manages its scarce water resources. He falsely claimed that California’s fish conservation efforts in the northern part of the state are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas.

President Trump named voter identification laws as a requirement for California before he would release disaster relief to the state amid ongoing wildfires.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has maintained that any relief aid for California and Los Angeles is likely to require policy review first.

Much of Northern California will experience temperatures near freezing in the morning Tuesday ahead of another dry day.

The FireAid benefit was fueled by some of music’s best performers to raise money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts.

SMOOTHER OPERATOR — Ada Briceño worked to elect Democrats as a hotel union boss and chair of the Orange County party. Now, she’s deploying decades of campaign experience toward a candidacy of her own — for state Legislature in 2026.