Amid all the talk of going to the moon, self-deporting and candidates named Romney and Gingrich, coverage of the Republican presidential campaign has been bereft of Buddy. But amid all his complaints that he can't get a space on the debate stage, Roemer will be happy to note that he got a lengthy Internet profile full of requisite snark in GQ today. Writer Marin Cogan catches up with the former La. gov before the Florida primary, and calls Roemer "Pro-Life, Anti-Big Money, Pro-Awesome." Read it here.

Citing conversations with local clergy as his pivot point, NOPD Chief Ronal Serpas said the Department would stop releasing the arrest records of murder victims in press releases. Going forward, NOPD will provide a once-a-month list of victims' arrest records without naming names. The frequently discussed issue became a lightning rod last week after the NOPD did not immediately release the rap sheet of Harry "Mike" Ainsworth, an Algiers resident who frequently volunteered around the NOPD 8th District station.

In yet more proof of how brazen New Orleans criminals are, a man not only robbed a cab driver this morning, but made off with the taxi as well. Just after 2 a.m., the man flagged down a taxi in the 900 block of N. Rampart St. Once in the cab, the man brandished a gun and demanded the driver's money, according to police. The man, described as stocky, 6 ft. tall with a low haircut and clean shaven, then ordered the driver out of the car near Columbus and N. Derbigny, and drove away. Police later recovered the cab in the 1100 block of St. Philip St., but have not captured the cabjacker. If United would get a confession cam, this would never be an issue.

The Detroit Lions fan who tried to stop a Saints' scoring binge by calling bomb threats into the Superdome felt the roar of justice today. Shawn Payton (no relation) was arrested by the FBI in his hometown of Jackson, Mich., on charges of making threatening phone calls, and later appeared in court. According to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office, the 34-year-old called a reception desk at the Superdome at 9:15 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. during the Saints-Lions wild card playoff game on Jan. 7. 

The Saturday night murder of a 25-year-old man near the corner of S. Broad St. and Washingtion Ave. in the Broadmoor-Central City area brought New Orleans' death toll to 7 over a period of 96 hours that began with the tragic Wednesday morning murder of 'Good Samaritan' Harry "Mike" Ainsworth as he intervened in a carjacking in Algiers Point. The killings have spanned the city, from Treme and the 7th Ward to New Orleans East to Hollygrove. Underlying the latest murder wave is a debate about NOPD's policy of releasing vicitims' arrest records, and whether it is applied fairly. Clifton over at Cliff's Crib warns not to get distracted by that issue. So far this year, 24 murders have been recorded by New Orleans police.

NoDef's drama scribes discuss the state of New Orleans theatre, the rapidly evolving scene's prospects for further national recognition and consider the purpose of the form in this town.

by Shay Sokol

On the day of yet another murder in a New Orleans neighborhood that is usually deemed safe, Mayor Mitch stepped back up to the podium this afternoon, saying the incident "broke his heart" and calling on judges to put the squeeze on arrested for having illegal weapons. The city's latest initiative mirrors a St. Louis tactic that increases bonds and institutes electronic monitoring for people arrested for carrying illegal guns. 

In case you missed it, Barack Obama's State of the Union address did include the reference to the BP oil disaster that Gulf Coast Congresspeople were hoping for. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't exactly what they were hoping for. The reference came at the nexus of the speech's "Spilled Milk" and Tom Petty-influenced "Won't Back Down" sections. Click through to read the whole thing again, like it was the first time!

The State of the Union may last more than an hour, but in terms of politics, every line is precious. As the nation gears up for tonight's speech, Louisiana is watching to see if President Barack Obama will utter even a single phrase about that little oil puddle we had right down over here last year. So what do our reps think? Well let's take a look see and find out, shall we?

After the Superdome went luxury, it only seemed a matter of time that workers would start batting around naming rights at the Hive. But the current idea for sponsorship will please shrimp boat captains more than captains of industry. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board is in talks to partner with the Hornets and rename New Orleans Arena the Louisiana Seafood Arena. The money for the deal, would come from the large BP influx the Board received to promote the La. seafood that passed the smell test after the Big Oozy. That only leaves one question: How long will it take for BP to try to get their name on this one, too? Details here and here.