Your Second Cup of Coffee

• Budget Battle Continues - GOP Rejects Dems Offer (The Advocate) - Republican lawmakers on Tuesday rejected Democrats’ offer of an extra $100 million in tax breaks to break the blockade in the House over a spending bill.
• La. High School Grad Rate Low (The Advocate) - About six out of 10 Louisiana public school students graduate from high school on time, a rate below the national average and 44th out of 50 states.
• Brother of Rep. Francis Thompson Indicted (The News-Star) - Mike Thompson of Delhi, former executive director of the Poverty Point Reservoir District, has been indicted by a federal grand jury alleging that he illegally took money from the district while acting as director.
• Bush Lobbies Senate On Immigration, Again (Washington Times) - President Bush visited with Senate Republicans behind closed doors yesterday, promising that he will follow through on border security, pleading with them to give his immigration plans a second look and trying to overcome hard feelings that arose from his recent charge that opponents are guilty of trying to "frighten people."
• Pull Your Pants Up in Delcambre Today (The Advertiser) - "I don't know if it will do any good, but it won't hurt," he said. "It's obvious, and anybody with common sense can see your parts when you wear sagging pants."
• Spurs 75, Cavaliers 72