Doctors in Louisiana are sounding the alarm over potential funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

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State Treasurer John Fleming says the K-12 School Transparency Project has identified questionable spending by some public and charter schools. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Governor Landry is expected to announce next Tuesday that SpaceX will build a multi-billion-dollar spaceport in coastal Vermilion Parish that will be used to launch rockets into orbit. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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Louisiana doctors are sounding the alarm over a proposed massive funding cut to the National Institutes of Health. For the 2027 fiscal year, President Trump is proposing slashing five-billion dollars from NIH funding, representing 12-percent of its operating budget. Dr. Chancellor Donald, the interim chief of the division of hematology and medical oncology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, says if Congress doesn’t restore that funding by September 30th, the impact will be devastating.

Cut 4 (10) “…in their toolbox.”

Dr. Donald says the clinical trials that lead to breakthrough treatments for debilitating diseases are all funded by money Congress allocates to the National Institutes of Health.

Cut 5 (10) “…here in Louisiana.”

Donald says if NIH funding is cut, that would greatly slow down the progress in finding cures for life-threatening diseases like cancer.

Cut 6 (11) “…tomorrow’s blockbuster cures.”

Donald says NIH funding has paid huge dividends over the years. He notes that the five-year survival for breast cancer has jumped from 75-percent to more than 91-percent, metastatic melanoma survival has jumped from less than 10-percent to more than 50-percent, and childhood leukemia survival has soared from 10-percent to 90-percent.

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State Treasurer John Fleming says the K-12 School Transparency Project has identified questionable spending by Louisiana public and charter schools. The online portal which launched last year allows citizens to see how public and charter schools spend taxpayer dollars, and Fleming says it has uncovered potential misuse of public funds.

Cut 7 (09) “…stores and restaurants.”

Fleming says the portal also shows how school systems have spent thousands of dollars on balloons and fireworks, and there’s also a case where a political donation was made. The state treasurer says nearly everyone wants to see teachers make more money, and it’s possible that could happen if state dollars were spent appropriately.

Cut 8 (10) “…misdirecting these funds.”

Fleming says the financial data that the K-12 School Transparency Project provides to the public led to a complaint investigated by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.

Cut 9 (13)  “…a private institution.”

Fleming urges the Legislative Auditor and the Attorney General’s office to investigate any questionable use of public funds.

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We have our first poll in the U.S. Senate general election matchup between Republican Julia Letlow and Democrat Jamie Davis. The poll conducted by Public Policy Polling shows Letlow leading Davis by four points, 41 to 37-percent, with 22-percent undecided. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says it’s important to note that this is the only poll out thus far.

Cut 10 (13) “…in this state.”

One finding of the poll of 518 registered voters is that more than half had neither a favorable nor an unfavorable opinion of Davis, compared to just over one-fourth for Letlow. Hogan says it underscores the gap in name recognition.

Cut 11 (10) “…the Republican nomination.”

Hogan says over the next two-plus months, those 22-percent of respondents who are currently undecided will eventually make up their minds, and he says Letlow has the advantage.

Cut 12 (09) “…towards her side.”

Among the 518 respondents, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by 14 points. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four-percent.

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Governor Jeff Landry will reportedly announce next Tuesday that Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to build a multi-billion-dollar spaceport in Vermilion Parish. The Advocate reports the spaceport would be built on 130 acres of coastal marshland near Pecan Island, about 45 miles southwest of Lafayette, and would launch rockets into orbit. Advocate reporter Stephanie Riegel says the project could potentially bring thousands of jobs to Louisiana.

Cut 13 (11)  “..in Richland Parish.”

As part of the deal, a decade-long coastal damages lawsuit filed by Vermilion Parish and the state against ExxonMobil has been dismissed. Riegel says more details will be announced Tuesday at 11 a-m in Abbeville.

Cut 14 (08) “…puts in place.”

SpaceX and Landry have not commented. Musk says the company needs more launch sites to support its goal of deploying up to a million Starlink satellites.

There have been whispers about the proposed project for weeks, and Riegel says there are many in Vermilion Parish concerned about what this will mean for their way of life.

Cut 15 (11) “…Pecan Island community.”

The area is popular for recreational hunting and fishing.

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UL-Lafayette football coach Michael Desormeaux says redshirt junior wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr. is progressing in his rehab but is still sidelined during practice. Sampson was the Cajuns’ leading receiver with 32 catches for 537 yards and six touchdowns last season. Desormeaux says he has been out longer than expected.

Cut 16 (14) “…the conditioning part.”

The Cajuns are relying on dynamic redshirt junior quarterback Lunch Winfield to make the next step after leading the team to a 4-and-4 record as the starter last season. Desormeaux says he has done a better job of taking what the defense gives him and has been more accurate through fall camp. He tries to complete 70-percent of his passes every day.

Cut 17 (14) “…are four yards.”

Three weeks into fall camp, Desormeaux has been very impressed with freshman linebacker Harrison Kidder.

Cut 18 (16) “…good football player.”

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The Saints will participate in their final joint practice of the preseason against the Rams today. Los Angeles is coming off a 12-and-5 season behind MVP Matthew Stafford, so Saints linebacker Danny Stutsman says they will be a great test for the defense.

Cut 19 (17) “…Orleans Saints football.”

More than 10 fights broke out during the Saints and Cowboys joint practice on Tuesday. Stutsman says those scuffles can take away from the work being put in on the field, but they do help bring the team together.

Cut 20 (15) “…have everyone’s back.”

State Treasurer John Fleming says the K-12 School Transparency Project has identified questionable spending by Louisiana public and charter schools. The online portal which launched last year allows citizens to see how public and charter schools spend taxpayer dollars, and Fleming says it has uncovered potential misuse of public funds.

Cut 7 (09) “…stores and restaurants.”

The Louisiana Department of Health says youth vaping remains a critical public health crisis in the state, and it’s urging parents and teachers to talk to kids about the dangers of vaping. Taylor Reine (“renn”) with LDH says if your kid is trying to quit vaping, there are resources available.

Cut 14 (09) “…counseling quit support.” 

Teens can enroll in Live Vape Free by texting “VAPEFREE” to 873373.

Now more than ever, be on the lookout for stalled vehicles on the shoulder of the roadway. That’s because the state’s long-standing “move over” law has now expanded. State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace says whereas the old law applied to emergency vehicles, the new law now includes all types of vehicles.

Cut 6 (10) “…broken down, stranded.”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will miss the start of the regular season with an MCL Sprain suffered during a joint practice with the Cowboys yesterday. The 31-year-old took a pay cut to stay in New Orleans alongside free agent back Travis Etienne this offseason. Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says his availability was one of the reasons he took that cut.

Cut 9 (11)  “…state level.”

Burn bans are now in effect in around two dozen parishes across Louisiana. Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says conditions outside are not conducive to burning anything.

Cut 3 (09) “…firefighters to control.”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will miss the start of the regular season with an MCL sprain. Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says with Kamara out for the next month and an injury to running back Audric Estime in the first preseason game, there will be more opportunities for others in the room. He says 2023 third-round pick Kendre Miller and 2025 sixth-rounder Devin Neal both returned from injury yesterday.

Cut 10 (12) “…stay on the field.”

Saints head coach Kellen Moore said cornerback Quincy Riley could also miss a couple of weeks with a groin injury.

The Louisiana Department of Health is urging parents and teachers to talk to kids about the dangers of vaping. Jeff Palermo reports.

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The Louisiana Department of Health reported that a Claiborne Parish resident has been infected by a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in Lake Claiborne. The amoeba is found in freshwater throughout the U.S. and can cause a deadly brain infection when water it is in  rushes up the nose and reaches the brain.

The U-S Fifth Circuit of Court of Appeals has rejected an Angola death row inmate’s attempt to avoid execution for killing two people at a Baton Rouge restaurant in 1995. Todd Wessinger is arguing that his court-appointed attorneys did not provide him effective counsel during his trial. But cicruit court judge Don Willett described Wessinger’s argument as a clever attempt, moving him closer to a possible execution date. 

Burn bans are now in effect in 22 parishes throughout the state. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The Louisiana Department of Health says teen vaping continues to be a crisis. According to the 2023 Louisiana Youth Tobacco Survey, 30-percent of high school students and 18-percent of middle school students vape. Taylor Reine with LDH says two factors which contribute to those high numbers are the marketing of vape products to teens and their ease of availability.

Cut 13 (08) “…and retail stores.”

The state has expanded its long-standing “move over” law. Previously, you only had to change lanes when approaching an emergency vehicle on the shoulder. Now, that applies to ANY vehicle. State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace says there is an allowance if that’s impossible given traffic conditions.

Cut 7 (15) “…with extreme caution.”

The Louisiana Department of Health is urging parents and teachers to talk to kids about the dangers of vaping. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office detained a Ferriday man who made threats against the Departments of Child and Family Services. Reginald McCoy was arrested after calling DCFS and telling them he had shot multiple employees and planned to shoot more in different parishes. No employees were actually harmed.

Nineteen parishes throughout Louisiana have burn bans in effect, mostly in North Louisiana. Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says more bans could be on the way, and if you live in a parish where there’s not currently a burn ban in effect, still use extreme caution, and never leave a fire unattended.

Cut 5 (13) “…that it causes.”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will be sidelined for at least a month with an MCL sprain. Cornerback Quincy Riley also left yesterday’s practice early with a groin injury, the severity of which is unknown. Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says it could be a big loss for the Saints if the second-year starter is unable to return.

Cut 11 (09) “…for New Orleans.”

The Saints hold their final joint practice of the preseason against the Rams tomorrow.

The Louisiana Department of Health has reported a brain-eating amoeba infection in a resident. The department says the resident likely became infected while swimming in Lake Claiborne in Cameron Parish. LDH says the infection may result when freshwater containing the amoeba rushes up one’s nose and reaches the brain. It says while the infection is extremely rare, it’s almost always fatal.

Staying with LDH, it says youth vaping remains a critical public health crisis in the state, and it’s urging parents and teachers to talk to kids about the dangers of vaping. Taylor Reine (“renn”), who oversees the division of chronic disease prevention at LDH, says kids need to know that vaping is no safer than smoking cigarettes.

Cut 12 (13) “…for lifelong addiction.” 

Reine says there are resources available for teens who want to quit vaping, including free text-based counseling support.

Amid hot, dry conditions, burn bans are now in effect in 19 parishes – mainly in north Louisiana, with five parishes being in south Louisiana. Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says more burn bans could be forthcoming, and they’re always issued at the local level.

Cut 4 (13) “…a burn ban.”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will miss the start of the regular season with an MCL Sprain suffered during a joint practice with the Cowboys yesterday. The 31-year-old took a pay cut to stay in New Orleans alongside free agent back Travis Etienne this offseason. Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says his availability was one of the reasons he took that cut.

Cut 9 (11)  “…state level.”

The Louisiana Department of Health says a Claiborne Parish resident has been infected with a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in Lake Claiborne. The brain eating amoeba lives in warm lakes and it can cause a deadly brain infection when water containing amoeba rushes up the nose and reaches the brain. State health officials urge the public that if you go swimming in  warm freshwater, limit the amount of water that goes up your nose.

Burn bans are now in effect in 19 parishes…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Louisiana Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association President Tommy Faucheux is hailing the latest offshore lease sale a success as 12 companies submitted 69 bids totaling almost 100-million dollars….

Cut 9 (13) “….to see return”

Faucheux says they will continue advocating for federal policies that encourage increased domestic energy production and capital investment in the Gulf of America.

Louisiana’s long-standing “Move Over Law” has been expanded. The Move Over Law requires motorists to merge into the left lane on four-lane roads when there is an emergency vehicle stopped on the shoulder. The law has been expanded to include all types of vehicles, including passenger vehicles. State Police Master Trooper Casey Wallace….

Cut 8 (10) “…out there”