WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Couple sought after armed robbery at LSU

  May 21, 2013 4:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU Police released surveillance photos today of a couple sought in connection with an armed robbery at the LSU campus. Investigators said the couple were using a card reported stolen in an armed robbery on April 27. Police said three juveniles were arrested in connection with... more »

• Bill to reduce film tax credits pulled

  May 6, 2013 12:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The author of a bill which sought to cut lucrative tax credits for film companies in half pulled the bill today before it could be discussed at a legislative committee. Rep. Ted James (D-Baton Rouge) deferred the bill without testimony, saying he wanted to discuss the... more »

• Man sought in stolen credit card case

  April 30, 2013 3:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Sheriff's deputies released the image of a man sought in connection with a stolen credit card used at an East Baton Rouge Walmart. Detectives said the stolen card was used to purchase a touch screen computer at the store on April 2 around 3 p.m. Surveillance... more »

• EBRSO: Three sought in identity thefts

  April 30, 2013 12:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Detectives in East Baton Rouge Parish released photos of three men sought in connection with a stolen identities case. Deputies said on Feb. 26 the three men used two victims' credit card information at the Walmart on North Mall Drive to buy gift cards worth $1,200.... more »

• Deputies looking for women using stolen credit card

  April 4, 2013 1:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Deputies released pictures of two women they said used a stolen credit card recently, and offered a reward for help identifying them. Investigators said the women used the card at a Family Dollar store on Plank Road the afternoon of Feb. 28. They said the card... more »

• Worker arrested in theft from charity

  March 29, 2013 9:08 AM

  MONROE- Monroe police have arrested a 32-year-old woman after she allegedly misused credit cards issued to the local Salvation Army to accumulate more than $30,000 in charges. The News-Star reports police arrested Dana Hill, of West Monroe, Wednesday on a charge of felony theft. Salvation Army spokesman Mark Jones said... more »

• Feds investigate leak of first lady's credit info

  March 12, 2013 12:42 PM

  LOS ANGELES - First lady Michelle Obama is the latest public figure to have her Social Security number and credit report leaked online by a website posting private data on celebrities and government officials. The FBI and the Secret Service are investigating the site, which has credit info on stars... more »

• College credit recommended for free online courses

  February 7, 2013 2:40 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO - Students may soon be able to receive college credit for the free online classes that are reshaping higher education. The American Council on Education says it's recommending degree credit for five courses offered by Coursera, a company based in Palo Alto, Calif., that offers so-called massive open... more »

• New reality series to focus on Trina and Edwin Edwards Play Video

  January 4, 2013 11:14 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Former governor Edwin Edwards and his new wife are the focus of the latest reality TV series to come out of Louisiana. Production on "The Governor's Wife" has already finished, and it is scheduled to air on A&E Feb. 27. According to reports, the show... more »

• Tweaks considered for 'enterprise zone' tax break

  December 11, 2012 10:28 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret says he'll propose changes to a tax credit program that was designed to spur development in depressed communities. The program has instead often benefited big companies investing in affluent areas. Moret told a legislative committee Monday that Louisiana granted $91 million in... more »

• Sisters sentenced in federal identity theft, fraud case

  November 16, 2012 3:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A U. S. District judge sentenced two Baton Rouge sisters to four years in federal prison apiece for running a three-year, six-figure credit card scheme. U. S. Attorney Don Cazayoux Jr. said Trachell Brown was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for bank fraud and... more »

• Women sought in credit card theft

  November 14, 2012 3:21 PM

  GONZALES - Gonzales Police asked for the public's help today tracking down two women they said used a stolen credit card. Police said the card was taken back on Sept. 4 from an St. Elizabeth Hospital employee's purse, and later used at the Gonzales K-Mart. Investigators said the... more »

• Revenue dept. issues proposed rule for tax break

  September 26, 2012 11:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state Department of Revenue is proposing new regulations governing Louisiana's alternative fuel vehicle tax credit to limit estimated program costs to $10 million a year. That's far higher than initial estimates of the tax break's price tag. But the move to eliminate "flex-fuel vehicles" - which... more »

• Kennedy: Tax credit cost La. millions more Play Video

  September 25, 2012 5:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A controversial alternative fuel tax credit could cost Louisiana about $24 million dollars, according to State Treasurer John Kennedy. Earlier estimates from the 2,500 filed claims put the cost at around $7.5 million, but Kennedy says it could wind up being much higher. Former revenue secretary... more »

• Price tag for tax break expansion could top $7M

  September 24, 2012 4:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana paid as much as $7 million for a two-month expansion of a tax credit designed to encourage the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. The Department of Revenue issued a little-noticed rule in April governing the state's alternative fuel tax credit, which enlarged the list of qualifying... more »

• Feds order Discover to refund $200M to cardholders

  September 24, 2012 10:42 AM

  WASHINGTON - Discover Bank is paying $214 million to settle charges that it pressured credit card customers to buy costly add-on services like payment protection and credit monitoring. Federal regulators said Monday that Discover call-center workers enrolled customers in the programs without their consent, misled them about the benefits and... more »

• Jindal budget office refuses to provide records

  July 17, 2012 12:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget office won't provide most of its records tied to the state's alternative fuel vehicle tax credit program and a controversial ruling about qualifying vehicles that was rescinded by the governor. A lawyer for the Division of Administration said records requested by The Associated... more »

• Moody's takes note of La. Medicaid cut

  July 17, 2012 10:46 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Moody's Investors Service says Louisiana's loss of as much as $859 million in Medicaid financing is a "credit negative" for the state. The notation from the bond-rating agency does not yet affect the state government bond rating - currently high investment grade and stable - but denotes... more »

• Visa, MasterCard in $7.3B credit card settlement

  July 13, 2012 4:54 PM

  NEW YORK - Visa, MasterCard and major banks have agreed to pay $7.3 billion to millions of merchants to end a dispute over card fees. The dispute involved payments called interchange fees that merchants paid in credit card transactions. The law firm representing the merchants said in a statement... more »

• Fitch Ratings keeps US at top 'AAA' credit rating

  July 10, 2012 4:56 PM

  WASHINGTON - Fitch Ratings has retained the U.S. at its top 'AAA' credit rating but also left the outlook negative, citing the failure of Congress and the Obama administration to forge an agreement on reducing the budget deficit. Fitch says that uncertainty over federal tax and spending policies related to... more »

• Jindal adviser told about credit rule

  July 6, 2012 2:10 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A top official in Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration was notified shortly after the Louisiana revenue department issued a controversial ruling that expanded an alternative fuel vehicle tax credit. A Jindal spokesman has said the governor didn't know of the ruling until mid-June. But a review of Department... more »

• Moody's cuts credit ratings on 15 major banks

  June 21, 2012 4:48 PM

  NEW YORK - Moody's Investors Service has lowered the ratings of some of the world's largest banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. The ratings agency said late Thursday that the banks were downgraded because their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking. The ratings... more »

• Survey: Businesses more upbeat about bank loans

  June 21, 2012 2:48 PM

  NEW YORK - Many small businesses expect to seek a bank loan this year although signs still point to a weak lending climate. In a survey of nearly 6,000 businesses by Pepperdine University and Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. during the first quarter, nearly a third of the participants said... more »

• Revenue secretary resigns after tax credit controversy Play Video

  June 15, 2012 6:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Jindal announced that the Secretary of Revenue, Cynthia Bridges, resigned abruptly today. This comes after Jindal announced he was putting the brakes on the expansion of a controversial tax credit for alternate fuel vehicles. In April, the Department of Revenue issued an emergency ruling... more »

• Woman using stolen credit card sought by police

  June 14, 2012 12:46 PM

  ZACHARY - Police in Zachary released photos of a woman seen using credit cards stolen from vehicles outside a local gym. A Zachary Police spokesperson said on April 17, two vehicles outside the Spectrum Fitness were broken into and purses were taken. Investigators later found out the woman... more »

• Legislation could require photo ID for card users Play Video

  April 3, 2012 5:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - You could be required to show a photo ID every time you use your debit or credit card if new legislation passes at the State Capitol. Rep. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, sponsored the bill to protect people in Louisiana from fraud. Right now, merchants are only... more »

• New bill could require ID for purchases

  April 3, 2012 9:57 AM

  BATON ROUGE-- A bill could require merchants to request a form of photo identification before a purchase when making a buy with a debit or credit card. The bill, sponsored by Representative Regina Barrow (D) is in the House Committee on Commerce Tuesday morning. News 2's Stephanie Ryan will... more »

• $295M tax credit plan to aid low-income areas

  February 24, 2012 4:50 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Low-income communities in Louisiana are expected to benefit soon from $295 million in tax credits. Five Louisiana entities that finance business and economic development will take part in the "New Market Tax Credit" program awards announced Thursday by Sen. Mary Landrieu and Rep. Cedric Richmond. The... more »

• Man wanted for credit card theft in Baton Rouge

  February 9, 2012 2:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge detectives sent out a press release today asking the public to to identify a suspect wanted for theft and then using a stolen credit card. On Jan. 22, a suspect reached through a woman's car window and as she was sitting in the parking... more »

• BR tax preparer sentenced for fraud

  September 15, 2011 3:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A judge sentenced a Baton Rouge tax preparer today after she pleaded guilty to filing for more than $120,000 in bogus tax refunds. U. S. District Court Judge Brian Jackson gave Melissa Edwards 30 months in prison and ordered her to pay more than $56,000 in... more »

• Moody's says US should retain top credit rating

  July 29, 2011 5:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - Moody's Investors Service says the United States should be able to keep its triple-A credit rating as long as Washington works out a deal that lets it continue to pay bondholders. The credit rating agency said late Friday that it thinks that even if the debt limit... more »

• Consumers borrowed more in February to buy cars

  April 7, 2011 2:09 PM

  WASHINGTON - Consumers borrowed more money in February to buy new cars but cut back on pulling out their credit cards to make purchases. The Federal Reserve says consumers increased their borrowing by $7.6 billion in February. It was the fifth consecutive monthly gain. All of the strength... more »

• Fed members raise specter of higher interests rates

  April 5, 2011 1:13 PM

  WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve officials raised concerns last month that a big jump in energy prices could weaken the economy and unleash inflation, prompting some to suggest the possibility of tightening credit this year. That usually involves boosting interest rates. The minutes of the Fed's closed-door meeting released... more »

• Insurance license fees rejected

  January 28, 2011 4:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers have rejected plans for the Louisiana Department of Insurance to allow credit card payments for licenses, because they objected to the sliding scale of fees tacked onto card payments. The department had proposed the use of credit and debit cards for insurance agents, claims adjusters and... more »

• ID thief sought by EBR authorities

  January 18, 2011 2:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE – A woman who used a stolen identity to apply for a store’s credit card is being sought by authorities in Baton Rouge. Casey Hicks with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office said on Dec. 13 the woman went into the Pep Boys on Airline Highway with... more »

• La. ranks low in passing college-level exams

  November 12, 2010 6:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A new study finds Louisiana ranks next to last in the South and nationally when it comes to public high school seniors earning early college credit. The study by the Southern Regional Education Board says just over 4 percent of Louisiana students passed at least one Advanced... more »

• Police: Woman arrested after using stolen credit card at ATMs

  November 5, 2010 4:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge woman was arrested Thursday after police said she used a stolen credit card at two ATMs in the area and withdrew $504. Authorities said they arrested 32-year-old Sakita McCray, a Louisiana Department of Revenue employee, following a month-long investigation into the incident. The investigation... more »

• Small business owners seek opportunities at summit

  October 28, 2010 1:06 PM

  Small business owners filled the Baton Rouge River Center today to find out how they could take advantage of new tax cuts and other measures that were recently signed into law. Speakers at the Baton Rouge Small Business Summit included Senator Mary Landrieu, the chair of the Senate Small Business... more »

• APSO looking for women using stolen credit cards, checkbook

  October 27, 2010 4:04 PM

  Authorities are looking for several women who they said stole credit cards and a checkbook then racked up more than $6,000 in purchases at various stores in Ascension Parish. Deputies said the women allegedly stole someone’s wallet from the Gonzales Wal-Mart then used stolen credit cards and a checkbook to... more »

• Two wanted for access device fraud, theft

  October 18, 2010 2:22 PM

  Police are looking for two people in connection with using a lost and stolen debit/credit card on Aug. 11. Authorities said a man and woman allegedly used the card in the Baton Rouge and Gonzales areas and made around 15 purchases totaling almost $2,000. Detectives also got a hold of... more »

• Justice Department sues three major credit card companies

  October 4, 2010 2:33 PM

  The Justice Department is suing credit card companies American Express, Visa and MasterCard for anticompetitive practices. The lawsuit says the card companies are impeding merchants from promoting the use of competing credit or charge cards with lower acceptance fees. In papers filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the department and... more »

• Credit, small business bill sent to President's desk

  September 23, 2010 2:15 PM

  Democrats controlling Congress are sending President Barack Obama a long-delayed bill to help struggling small businesses with easier credit and give them other incentives to expand and to hire new workers. The legislation passed by a 237-187 vote that split along party lines. It establishes a $30 billion government fund... more »

• Two women wanted in connection with vehicle burglaries

  September 21, 2010 4:05 PM

  Detectives are trying to identify two women wanted for questioning in connection with several vehicle burglaries since July. Authorities said at least three vehicles have been broken into in the Brogden Lane/Stumberg Lane area. Detectives said they believe the women stole credit cards from inside the cars and later used... more »

• Many federal Katrina loans won't have to be repaid

  August 19, 2010 2:22 PM

  About 61 percent of the $822 million in federal funds borrowed by storm-wrecked communities after hurricanes Katrina and Rita won't have to be repaid. But that leaves more than $296 million owed to the federal government. Financially struggling sheriffs, school boards, parish councils and other local government agencies received federal... more »

• Man pleads guilty to ID theft

  August 18, 2010 6:47 AM

  A man alleged to have stolen $150,000 while using the credit information of at least 30 current or retired Baton Rouge police officers has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Alton K. Davis, of Baton Rouge, admitted to crimes that would limit his prison term to seven years or less.... more »

• Credit agency drops ratings for BP

  June 3, 2010 8:35 AM

  The credit ratings agency Fitch became the first to downgrade BP, noting the extreme financial risks tied to the ongoing Gulf oil spill. "The company has so far repeatedly failed to stop the resultant oil leak and has instead reverted to containment methods that are yet to be fully implemented... more »

• Treasury says it will begin selling Citi shares

  March 29, 2010 8:53 AM

  The Treasury Department says it will sell its entire stake in Citigroup acquired during bailout. The government received 7.7 billion shares of Citigroup Inc. in exchange for $25 billion it gave the bank during the 2008 credit crisis. It will sell the shares over the course of this year, depending... more »

• Woman wanted for using stolen credit card

  January 4, 2010 2:38 PM

  East Baton Rouge Sheriff detectives are on the lookout for a woman that was seen using a stolen credit card. She was caught using it at the Wal-Mart on O'Neal Lane. Deputies say she used the card to buy several items and gift cards totaling a little more... more »

• Citigroup to repay $20 billion in bailout money

  December 14, 2009 6:03 AM

  Citigroup is repaying $20 billion in bailout money it received from the Treasury Department, in an effort to reduce government influence. The New York-based bank was among the hardest hit by the credit crisis and rising loan defaults. It received $45 billion in government support as part of the Troubled... more »

• Abuse threatens popular tax credit program

  October 22, 2009 11:13 AM

  Congress is looking into possible fraud among those taking advantage of the first-time home buyer tax credit. An IRS watchdog told a House panel that more than 19,000 people filed 2008 tax returns or amended returns claiming the credit for homes they had not yet purchased. Those claims amounted to... more »