BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer Lasting legacy: J. Bennett Johnston, a pro-business Democrat who during 24 years in the U.S. Senate steadfastly defended Louisiana’s oil and gas interests and worked in a bipartisan fashion to win congressional funding for infrastructure projects throughout the state, died Tuesday. He was 92. Reflecting a sharp difference from today’s partisan politics, Johnston developed close relationships with three Republican presidents, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, while he locked horns with President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat. Read the full story about Johnston from politics writer Tyler Bridges. Student aid: The number of Louisiana students who have submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, this school year is down 12% compared with the same period last year, according to federal data compiled by the National College Attainment Network, or NCAN. By contrast, applications are up 14% nationwide, and every state except Louisiana has seen a year-over-year increase. Read more. Federal fraud indictment: A New Orleans-based barbecue chef, who made headlines in 2023 when he briefly disappeared and was believed to be dead, has been indicted for fraud along with a former consultant for Louisiana's education department. The paid allegedly conspired to steal funds from a program that subsidized daycare for low-income families. Read the full story about the case. | 