On April 17, a local Florida newspaper columnist predicted that the Florida coast would be flooded by the following August 5. Relying on this article, Johnson quit his job and sold his property at a loss so as not to be financially ruined. When the flooding did not occur, Johnson sued the columnist in a Florida court for damages. The court dismissed the case for failure to state a cause of action under applicable state law. On appeal, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the lower court. Three months after this ruling, the Louisiana Supreme Court heard an appeal in which a lower court had ruled that a reader could sue a columnist for falsely predicting flooding. Answer each of the following questions, including an explanation for your answer.

1. Must the Louisiana Supreme Court follow the ruling of the Florida Supreme Court as a matter of stare decisis?
2. Should the Louisiana lower court have followed the ruling of the Florida Supreme Court until the Louisiana Supreme Court issued a ruling on the issue?
3. Once the Florida Supreme Court issued its ruling, could the U.S. Supreme Court overrule the Florida Supreme Court?
4. If the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court rule in exactly opposite ways, must the U.S. Supreme Court resolve the conflict between the two courts?