Gov Edwards Stops Federal Pandemic Unemployment Payments Early

 LA UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS— Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has agreed to turn off federal pandemic unemployment payments at the end of July in exchange for a long-term, modest boost to the state’s jobless benefits.   The governor's office announced Wednesday that Edwards signed the bill. Republican state lawmakers agreed to support a $28 increase in Louisiana’s maximum weekly unemployment benefits starting in January.   That would increase the payment to a maximum of $275 a week.  But they added a provision into the legislation that only allowed the benefit hike to take effect if the Democratic governor ended the $300 supplemental federal pandemic unemployment benefit by July 31, earlier than the Sept. 6 expiration.