Blanco- - On Road Home Raises

T-P:


"It was my understanding and belief that any contract change would be publicly noticed,"

"I encourage Steve Theriot, the legislative auditor, whose office was consulted during negotiations, to continue to audit ICF and to hold them accountable for every dollar of their contract."

New Harris County DA Chosen

Gov. Rick Perry plans to name Kenneth Magidson, an assistant U.S. attorney in Houston, as the new Harris County district attorney, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday.
Magidson is awaiting assurance from the Justice Department that he won't lose his job as a federal prosecutor once a district attorney is elected in November, the newspaper said.

He would replace Chuck Rosenthal, who resigned last month after pornographic, racist and political material from his county e-mail account surfaced, until his term expires in January. The e-mails also included love notes from the married prosecutor to his secretary.

Kanye West, Chris Rock to Play at 2008 Essence Festival

Organizers of the annual Essence Music Festival have announced some of the acts that will take part in the 2008 festival, July 4-6.

The acts will include Kanye West, Chris Rock, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Morris Day and The Time, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

Essence is billed as "the nation's largest annual African-American event celebrating black music and culture." An estimated 200,000 people attended the festival last year when it returned to New Orleans.

Officers Indicted For Fake Katrina Camp

Another Hurricane Katrina Scam Here In Houston:

A grand jury indicted two Houston police officers Tuesday on charges alleging they billed the Red Cross $160,000 to operate a two-week basketball camp for Hurricane Katrina evacuees that only lasted two days.

Patrol officer Tracie Denise Bell and Kirshondra Richardson, a probationary officer in her first year with the department, allegedly claimed the June camp had 310 attendees when only 10 actually participated.

Both are charged with theft of more than $100,000, a second-degree felony with punishment ranging from probation to 20 years in prison if convicted.

This is just another example of corrupt individuals using a painful experience for their own person gain.

Will New Orleans Receive The Help?

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and all seven City Council members will lead a delegation to the nation's capital Wednesday and Thursday to lobby federal officials for more help with the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Nagin and the council members will be joined by officials from the Regional Transit Authority, Sewerage & Water Board, Chamber of Commerce and other groups.

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Let's hope everything works out.

Energy Group To Launch McDermott's Houston Office

McDermott Will & Emery will be opening its newest office in Houston, Texas. The office will be spear-headed by three leading Houston energy lawyers. Effective immediately, Robert Stephens, David W. Locascio and Jose Luis Vittor, all formerly with Bracewell & Giuliani, will join the Firm as partners, launching the Firm's Houston office and expanding McDermott's leading international energy practice.

The group of lawyers joining McDermott are leading practitioners in the Houston energy market. They have extensive experience successfully representing clients in energy and project transactions, acquisitions and financings in U.S. and international markets. The addition of a Houston office, staffed by tremendously talented lawyers, significantly adds to the Firm's existing international energy practice, and also lays the foundation for the growth of other important McDermott practice areas such as corporate/M&A and intellectual property.

Election Results - Gilda Reed Wins

U.S. House - District 1 - Dem Special Primary
Louisiana - 505 of 505 Precincts Reporting - 100%
Max Runoff Cands=2
Name Party Votes Vote %
Reed , Gilda Dem 11,721 70%
Mendoza , M. V. Dem 5,083 30%