Believe it or not, it’s time to head to the polls once again. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Local school superintendents are not on board with Governor Landry’s plan to use 168-million dollars in funding for public schools to pay a two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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The World Cup officially began with two games in Mexico yesterday, and the first match on American soil is tonight between the U.S. and Paraguay. Kace Kieshnick reports.
Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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Early voting for the U.S. Senate runoff elections begins today, with these races determining once and for all who will advance to the November general election. ULM political science professor Pearson Cross says while there was great anticipation leading up to the May 16th primaries, there seems to be a sense of apathy leading up to the runoffs – at least on the Republican side.
Cut 4 (09) “…a great deal.”
Cross says another thing driving down interest is that the outcome of the GOP runoff does not appear to be in doubt.
Cut 5 (11) “…points she needs.”
It’s the same story on the Democratic side, with Jamie Davis coming within just a couple points of outright victory; so he will have a huge advantage over Gary Crockett. Cross says the lack of drama in the runoff will likely carry over into the general election.
Cut 6 (13) “…Fleming are funded.”
The reason early voting starts today instead of tomorrow is that there will be no early voting next Friday because it’s Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday. Early voting ends June 20th; election day is June 27th.
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Local school superintendents are not on board with the governor’s plan to take 168-million dollars in funding for public schools and use that money instead to keep paying a two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers. Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Jeff Powell says the loss of that funding will have real consequences.
Cut 7 (15) “…naive at best.”
Powell also serves as the president of the Louisiana Association of Superintendents.
The governor’s teacher pay plan needs two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate, who have until June 23rd to submit their mail-in ballots. Powell says school leaders are talking to their local senators and representatives.
Cut 8 (11) “…many school systems”
During a press conference last week, Landry described how his plan is doable because there is public school funding that goes unaccounted for every year. He’s directed local school systems to use non-instructional dollars to pay the two-thousand-dollar stipend for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support workers. But Powell says non-instructional dollars covers a lot of the operating costs.
Cut 9 (04) “…they cost now.”
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The FIFA World Cup kicked off in Mexico yesterday, and the first games in Canada and the U.S. are today. It’s been 32 years since America hosted the Cup in 1994. Paul Boron (bore-AHN), a reporter for the Louisiana Soccer Association, says from sold-out SEC stadiums for warm-up matches to life-changing Waffle House trips, the excitement is palpable for both local and international fans.
Cut 10 (07) “…great as well.”
The U.S. Men’s National Team has its first game of the group stage tonight against Paraguay. The Stars and Stripes will also have group matches against Australia and Turkey. Boron says this year’s team could be one of the nation’s best. They can certainly score, but he has questions of the defense.
Cut 11 (07) “…is a possibility.”
The top two teams from each group and the top eight teams to finish third advance to the 32-team knockout round. USA’s matchup with Paraguay is set for 8 p.m. in Los Angeles.
Over the next five weeks, 104 matches will be played across the three countries. The cheapest tickets to get into even low-demand games are upwards of 200 dollars. Tickets to the final range from eight-thousand to more than 50-thousand dollars. Boron says FIFA’s pricing could backfire.
Cut 12 (12) “…to get in.”
The nearest host sites to Louisiana are Houston, Dallas and Atlanta.
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An already below-average hurricane season is now forecast to be even more so. Researchers from Colorado State University have revised their original prediction down to 11 named storms, including five hurricanes, two of which to be major hurricanes. CSU Researcher Nick Mesa says those are down from 13, six and two, respectively.
Cut 13 (07) “…of hurricane season.”
Mesa says as El Nino conditions increase, the threat of hurricane activity decreases, particularly at the peak of hurricane season.
Cut 14 (07) “…August and September.”
Mesa says despite the reduction in the number of hurricanes in the forecast, that does not mean you’re free to let your guard down this year or any year.
Cut 15 (11) “…ready to go.”
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The Men’s College World Series begins today. Of the eight teams in this year’s field, only North Carolina has made it to Omaha in the last two years. Third-ranked Georgia is the top remaining seed, and former LSU star and ESPN baseball analyst Todd Walker says the Bulldogs have the pitching and power to make history.
Cut 16 (14) “…win in Omaha.”
Georgia is part of an all-SEC half of the bracket that also features Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma. Walker says one of the things he looked forward to as a player in the tournament was facing different teams than the ones you had in the regular season.
Cut 17 (17) “…get after it.”
Troy and West Virginia are making their Omaha debuts against one another, and they’re on a crash course with UNC and Ole Miss. Walker says the College World Series is always unpredictable, but this year’s bracket is as open as ever.
Cut 18 (18) “…about 85-percent.”