Secretary of State Candidates got a bit testy at a Baton Rouge event yesterday when asked about the scandal surrounding the purchase of new voting machines in Louisiana. Matt Doyle has more.
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A new study shows the divorce rate dropped by 18 percent between 2008 and 2016. Kevin Barnhart tells us why.
Cut 2 (30) ”I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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A Monroe teenager has set a new record as the youngest person to ever fly around the globe. Matt Doyle has more.
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Several Secretary of State Candidates got combative yesterday after they were asked about controversy surrounding the bidding process for the state’s new voting machines. Two of the three bidders for the contract say the process, won by Dominion Voting Systems, was rigged. Candidate, and Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds, says an AP report raised serious questions about the integrity of the bid.
An AP report says The Office of State Procurement has removed Interim Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin from the bid evaluation process for the new voting machines
Opponents of Ardoin for the seat seized on the ballooning price of the voting machine contract as well. Candidate and Kenner Representative Julie Stokes says she’s incredibly concerned about the surprising, new price tag for the machines.
The state received tens of millions in federal funds to assist in the purchase of new voting machines, and the securing of the state’s election infrastructure.
But Ardoin says those concerns are unfounded, and pointed to a 2005 bid that resulted in a lawsuit from one of the losing bidders as evidence that the two companies filing complaints are just trying to play politics with the bid.
Ardoin anticipates the state will negotiate the current 95 million dollar deal to a lower price.
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A new study shows the divorce rate dropped by 18 percent between 2008 and 2016. Researchers say this is likely because millennials are waiting to get married later. Director of Tulane University’s Social Work Program, Parker Sternbergh says the delay in marriage is likely due to growing up in a society where divorce was so prevalent.
Cut 7 (09) “…married so early.”
Sternbergh says a divorce can literally change up someone’s nervous system in the way of human interaction, and now says the science is clearer.
Sternbergh says millennials are approaching marriage differently than previous generations.
Cut 9 (06) “…ready for response.”
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18-year-old Mason Andrews of Monroe is now the youngest person to ever circumnavigate the globe in an airplane. The young man took off from the Bayou State on July 22nd, and returned home over the weekend. Andrews says the flight was a taxing, but incredible experience that gave him a birds-eye-view to some of the most jaw dropping sights on earth.
Andrews flew solo in a single engine aircraft for his adventure.
The trip was supposed to take 40 days, but ended up lasting nearly double that as Andrews ran into two major stoppages that grounded the bird for over two weeks at a time. The Monroe teen even got stranded in India during Monsoon season.
Andrews was even visited by a Taiwanese fighter after he veered to close to their airspace unannounced.
Andrews says the scariest part of his journey was over Saudi Arabia, where he had to be locked in during a dangerous bout of weather for nearly half a day.
Cut 12 (08) “…massive standstorm.”
Andrews made the flight to raise awareness for Louisiana MedCamps, and ended up raising 25,000 dollars for the special needs charity.
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If it seems like those jackpots on the lottery billboards just keep getting bigger, it’s because they area. The Mega Millions game from the Louisiana Lottery is currently up to $470 million, making it the 6th largest jackpot in the history of the game. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kim Chopin says this current jackpot is the second one this year to break the top ten.
Cut 13 (11) “…the game’s history.“
Chopin says the prizes are getting bigger due to several factors, and says with the drawing being a multistate game, the jackpots can grow quite large.
Cut 14 (08) “…jackpots very fast.”
Louisiana also participates in Powerball, and says the sales of both games have gone up through the state.
Cut 15 (09) “…participating in Powerball.”
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The 13th ranked LSU football team is working on correcting the mistakes that resulted in its first loss of the season against Florida. The Tigers turned it over three times, there were dropped passes and quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked five times. Burrow says they can’t sit around feeling sorry for themselves
The game in Gainesville, begins a brutal stretch for the Tigers who are in a stretch of playing ranked teams in four consecutive contests. Burrow says he’s up to the challenge…
Coach Ed Orgeron says they had 11 plays that went for negative yards against Florida. He says they can’t have that and expect to beat second ranked Georgia this Saturday…
Despite the loss to Florida, LSU can still win the West if they can beat Georgia and Alabama at home in the coming games. But Orgeron says they can’t afford to look to far ahead,,,
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Saints Quarterback Drew Brees is the N-F-L’s All-time career passing leader and he did it in grand style, with a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tre’Quan Smith. It was one of three touchdown passes thrown by the 39-year-old Q-B, as New Orleans routed Washington 43-19 to improve to 4-1.
The T-D pass set off a wild celebration inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as Brees went around the field to hug as many people as he could1