Dismissed: On Monday, a Baton Rouge judge dismissed a lawsuit from state lawmakers meant to block the Louisiana Board of Ethics from hiring its new administrator. The decision paves the way for the board to move forward with selecting its new top staff member at its Friday meeting. Read more from Louisiana Illuminator. A looming strike: Almost 100,000 Volkswagen employees participated in warning strikes Monday to protest the German carmaker’s cost-cutting plans, which the company says are needed to regain competitiveness. Those plans include potential factory closures and sweeping cuts to jobs and pay. Read more from The Wall Street Journal. Early education: Kylie Altier, the 2024 Louisiana Teacher of the Year, is looking for 1,000 families to take part in her Reading with Kylie initiative. Participating families will receive free reading kits to support their pre-K through second-grade children in learning how to read. Sign up here.