Head of Louisiana OMV resigns, Gov. Landry announces Friday
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Gov. Jeff Landry announced Friday morning that Louisiana OMV Commissioner Dan Casey has resigned as the state office continues to have outage issues.
The resignation comes as the OMV system has been experiencing frequent outages due to its aging mainframe applications. In a March 21 statement, the Office of Technology Services (OTS) and Unisys have been actively investigating outages but haven't found the issue.
'I want to sincerely thank Dan Casey for stepping up to serve as the Commissioner of Office of Motor Vehicles at a time when most people would shy away from the position. Dan faced nearly impossible circumstances, including a system that was designed in the 1970s, with the demands of the 21st century. I am thankful for his leadership and wish him the best,' Landry said Friday.
The governor said work to find a permanent fix for system issues continues. An executive order signed by Landry on March 20 declared a state of emergency and suspended late fees for Class E driver's licenses up to 30 days past the expiration date. Residents will still need a valid, unexpired ID to travel outside of Louisiana since the Transportation Security Administration and law enforcement in other states will not recognize the extension.
Landry said he will name an interim secretary in the near future.
Landry merges homeland security agency with Louisiana National Guard
Rain and storms expected for Baton Rouge area this weekend
Head of Louisiana OMV resigns, Gov. Landry announces Friday
'Disappointed but not surprised': Measles cases explode in 19 states, new outbreak confirmed
National Kidney Foundation hosts free screenings, walk in Baton Rouge
McConnell: US headed for 'Russia wins, America loses' headline on Ukraine deal
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr fires entire US vaccine committee
Robert F Kennedy Jr has dismissed all current members of a key federal vaccine advisory panel, accusing them of conflicts of interest. The removal of all 17 experts of the advisory committee on immunisation practices was revealed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed and an official press release. Mr Kennedy, the US health secretary, who has spent two decades amplifying vaccine misinformation, cast the move as essential to restoring public trust, claiming the committee had been compromised by financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. 'Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro or anti-vaccine agenda,' he said in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. 'The public must know that unbiased science – evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest – guides the recommendations of our health agencies.' In his op-ed, Mr Kennedy claimed the panel was 'plagued with persistent conflicts of interest' and had become 'little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine'. He added that new members were being considered to replace those ousted, all of whom were appointed under Joe Biden, the former president. Committee members are chosen for their recognised expertise and are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest. 'RFK Jr and the Trump administration are taking a wrecking ball to the programs that keep Americans safe and healthy,' Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said in response. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor who expressed concern about Mr Kennedy's track record during his Senate nomination but ultimately voted in his favour, wrote on X: 'Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion. 'I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case.' The decision drew sharp criticism from Paul Offit, a paediatrician and leading expert on virology and immunology, who served on the panel from 1998 to 2003. 'He believes that anybody who speaks well of vaccines, or recommends vaccines, must be deeply in the pocket of industry,' Mr Offit told AFP. 'He's fixing a problem that doesn't exist.' 'We are witnessing an escalating effort by the administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in life-saving vaccines,' added Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Paediatrics, in a statement. Once a celebrated environmental lawyer, Kennedy pivoted to public health from the mid-2000s, chairing a non-profit that discouraged routine childhood immunisations and amplified false claims, including the long-debunked theory that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism. Since taking office, he has curtailed access to Covid shots and continued to raise fears around the MMR vaccine even as the US faces its worst measles outbreak in years, with three reported deaths and more than 1,100 confirmed cases. Experts have warned that the true case count is likely to be far higher. 'How can this country have confidence that the people RFK Jr. wants on the advisory committee on immunisation practices are people we can trust?' asked Mr Offit. He recalled that during Donald Trump's first term as US president, several states formed independent vaccine advisory panels after the administration pressured federal health agencies to prematurely approve Covid vaccines ahead of the 2020 election. He warned that kind of fragmentation could happen again. The advisory committee on immunisation practices is scheduled to hold its next meeting at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta from June 25 to June 27. Vaccines for anthrax, Covid, human papillomavirus, influenza, Lyme disease, respiratory syncytial virus, and more are on the agenda. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Damaged North Korean warship taken for repairs on Russian border
A new North Korean warship that partially capsized during a botched launching ceremony has been moved to a port near Russia for repair. Analysts say Moscow may intend to help repair the stricken 5,000-ton destroyer, after satellite pictures showed it at a dry dock in a port which borders Russia's Far East. The Rajin Ship Repair Factory is not a major shipbuilding facility, unlike the shipyard in the north-eastern city of Chongjin where the launching accident occurred. It has only modest facilities for repairs and maintenance, Yu Jihoon, director of external co-operation and an associate research fellow at Korea Institute for Defence Analyses told CNN. But its border location makes it important for deepening North Korea and Russia's military ties, analysts say. The unnamed Choe Hyun-class destroyer suffered a failed launch on May 21 and was left lying on its side with its hull crushed. Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, attended the bungled launching ceremony and declared it a 'criminal act caused by absolute carelessness'. Several officials have been detained since the embarrassing accident and Kim ordered the ship be repaired by late June, calling it a matter of national honour. The Rajin shipyard is part of North Korea's Rason special economic zone, which abuts both China and Russia and is the isolated nation's only designated area to promote foreign investment and trade. According to US and South Korean intelligence, the port is a major hub for transferring arms shipments to Russia to be used against Ukraine. It has also produced many of North Korea's larger warships for decades, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said. 'Once any critical repairs or restoration work are completed, the vessel will likely be transferred to the shipyard's fitting out dock, where its weapons and other systems will be installed and subsequently commissioned,' the think tank said in a report on the most recent satellite images of the port. In another embarrassing turn for Kim, North Korea appeared to lack the heavy machinery needed to move the partially submerged warship. According to analysis of satellite imagery, dozens of blimp-sized balloons and the brute force of hundreds of workers were instead used to lift it out of the water. The Choe Hyun destroyers are North Korea's largest warships yet, part of Kim's push to upgrade its naval power with vessels capable of carrying and launching dozens of missiles. The movement of the warship comes amid expanding military co-operation between North Korea and Russia, after the signing of a mutual defence treaty last June. Kim reaffirmed his 'unconditional support' for Moscow's war against Ukraine last week, news sources reported. Since the full-scale invasion, Pyongyang has sent around 14,000 soldiers to Russia to help expel Kyiv's troops from its Kursk border region. It has also sent 20,000 containers of munitions, according to a report by a UN monitoring team in May. The shipments, according to estimates, include nine million rounds of artillery, more than 100 ballistic missiles and 200 heavy artillery munitions, as well as anti-tank guided missiles and rockets. In return, the UN said, Moscow has given Pyongyang valuable weapons technologies, including air defence and electronic warfare systems and helped its ally improve its missile performance, in a major violation of international sanctions. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.


Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
The Future of Mercedes-AMG Is Maybach-less
Michael Schiebe is running two divisions of Mercedes-Benz that have unique buyer sets, Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach. AMG is the performance arm of the company and Maybach has super luxury vehicle buyers. Though they have one brand boss, they won't ever combine. "We will never, ever put those brands together, because they are different brands, and they are very special, and they are unique," Schiebe told Newsweek. The publication named Schiebe its World's Greatest Auto Disruptors Visionary Disruptor of the Year this year. Maybach and AMG are on similar paths, tasked with redefining themselves in customers' eyes as the brands find themselves part of the larger Mercedes-Benz technology and sustainability stories. While AMG is tasked with pushing the performance limits of the possible, Maybach is redefining what limits are for the company's most exclusive client set. Making a car an AMG or a Maybach isn't just about slapping upgraded finishes or parts on an existing Mercedes-Benz model. "Just to give you an example, when we turn an SL into a Maybach... We have different components in the car, different software, different suspension. We define certain criteria that a Maybach needs to fulfill to be a real Maybach, and if it doesn't fulfill this requirement, it does not qualify. We will never, ever sacrifice our high ambition for the requirements we have," Schiebe explained. Big Pilot's Watch and the Mercedes-AMG G 63. Big Pilot's Watch and the Mercedes-AMG G 63. Mercedes-AMG As the next generation of Mercedes-Benz cars comes to market, fresh platforms and power approaches will allow Maybachs to take on new levels of luxury. "I would say they should stay tuned when it comes to technology, because all the next generations of our existing portfolios and new cars, our job is to make it a Maybach. It doesn't matter whether it's an S-Class or it's a GLS, or whatever future portfolio position. They will become more comfortable than they are today," Schiebe said. "If you buy Maybach, you don't want to have the mainstream car. You want to differentiate yourself. This is why Maybach cars will never be like high-volume cars. It's a very, I would say, unique customer group. They want to show that they differ or differentiate themselves from mainstream customers. This is why, of course, the Maybach is also in a different price league than just our mainstream cars." Customers should not expect Maybach to be anything other than true to itself while pushing forward. "Talking about the future, I would say it's part of our job to constantly review the portfolio," Schiebe said. "I would say we can go further down with our [special] editions. We have been very successful with the Virgil Ablow edition... I see there is further room for, let's say, very special, low volume, very specific editions," Schiebe divulged. The Limited Edition Maybach by Virgil Abloh debuted in 2022 and was based on the S-Class sedan. The Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series parked in Ibiza. The Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series parked in Ibiza. Mercedes-Maybach Schiebe also hinted at a "small volume, special series" that is in the works, but refused to say which of the five Maybachs currently for sale (EQS Sedan, EQS SUV, S-Class, GLS-Class and SL-Class) would be part of the project. "[Special editions] fulfill different roles," Head of Mercedes-Maybach Daniel Lescow, told Newsweek. "Certainly, they help to draw attention to the brand, especially if we do it in a combination with the collaboration. It is a part of the brand building that is a building block." "Fortunately, we have seen the brand awareness rising over the past years. That's a very, very positive development. These editions certainly have a play in that... Customers who really want to go for that very, very, very special offer, and they find this in the editions," Lescow continued. Mercedes-Maybach will enhance the luxury of its in-person experience, a process that has been underway for the last decade. "We started with the atelier in Shanghai, which is a dedicated brand space. It's important to have people there, sales personnel, that can fully indulge into the Maybach world and are able to explain not only the car, but also the brand philosophy and the brand history. And this space in particular is the essence of the brand aesthetic. If you enter that space... you immediately get an understanding what the brand stands for," Lesow said. Much of the atelier experience comes down to appealing to a customer's senses — whether it's the smell of one of the brand's signature scents, the taste of a made-to-order espresso, the feel of supple leather options for the interior of a bespoke model or show cars that serve as inspiration. Maybach has their sights set on a level of service you'd find at a high-end hotel or restaurant. "You come in, we know you as our customers, and we treat you like in a five-star restaurant. We know what you want before you come to us and then we're going show it to you," Schiebe explained. Bottles from the Mercedes-Maybach Haute Parfumerie collection. Bottles from the Mercedes-Maybach Haute Parfumerie collection. Mercedes-Maybach Brand centers are designed to go further. The company is opening its first in Seoul, "A space in the middle of the very busy Gangnam area, a very stylish area in the middle of the top shopping [district]. This will be a very, very important expression of the brand," Lescow said. With its upgraded client services offerings, the Maybach brand is looking to raise the bar on super luxury car buying, besting those long considered the leads in the business, like Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Bentley.