| Good Morning, As soon as the Louisiana Legislature returned empty handed from the historic convening of a session to override the vetoes of Gov. John Bel Edwards, the COVID pandemic raised its head again. A dramatic surge of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths – the fourth in the past 18 months – led Edwards to recommend wearing masks indoors. Louisiana again leads the nation in the rate of COVID infections. Obstinance and often politics that has seeped into some religious circles has led to Louisiana having one of the least vaccinated populations in the country. Health officials are blaming the surge on the highly transmittable and often deadly delta variant of COVID-19 that is tearing through Louisiana’s unvaccinated population. Though 95% protected, vaccinated people are also testing positive – physicians say the amount of COVID in air makes that inevitable – but the vaccines are keeping those people from severe symptoms and hospitalizations in all but the rarest of cases. Congressman Clay Higgins, the Lafayette Republican who is among the most critical of President Joe Biden’s efforts to vaccinate Americans, tested positive for COVID. Hospitals are again shutting down elective surgeries. Supplies are running scarce. Education officials are looking at, but still holding firm to, their plans announced in July that allow locals to decide how to reopen public schools. In some districts, students will be returning next week, though for most students, school is a couple/three weeks away. Monday morning quarterbacking and political fallout is still ongoing after the Republican legislative majority insisted on convening a special session – never called before in modern times – to overturn Democratic Gov. Edwards’ rejection of 28 bills from the recently concluded regular session of the Legislature. The Republicans, however, were unable to overturn a single veto – including the one they thought was a sure thing: an instrument that would have banned transgender athletes born as males from participating in female sports. On the insistence of many conservative advocates and politicians, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, is being pressured to punish Democratic representatives who helped him win the speakership. The results of such maneuvering will start to become apparent in coming days. As always, check throughout the day for the latest Louisiana political news at theadvocate.com/politics or NOLA.com/politics and on Twitter at @MarkBallardCNB, @tegbridges, @samkarlin, @blakepater, @WillSentell. Here are a dozen articles, commentaries and editorials that will catch you up for the week to come. One last item: Thank you to our subscribers. Your support means a great deal to us. If you're not yet a subscriber, we’ve got a special offer you can check out here. – Mark Ballard | 