8:30 LRN Newscast August 19

The Biden Administration says they will pull federal funding among nursing homes that do not have staff fully vaccinated for COVID. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The state health department reports that over two thousand children reported to their school between August ninth and Sunday that they contracted the coronavirus. The previous high was 17-hundred in the first week of January. The data also indicates 32-percent of 12 to 17 year-olds have received at least one shot.

COVID has caused yet another event to be canceled in the Sportsman’s Paradise. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is canceling National Hunting and Fishing Day events that were scheduled across the state for September 25th. LDWF spokesperson Ed Pratt says it was a tough decision to make.
Cut 7 (08) “….we’re in.”
And the state department of corrections has announced the prison rodeo at Angola in West Feliciana Parish has been canceled for a second consecutive year.

There’s less than a month to go before LSU football’s home opener. Governor Edwards’s mask mandate is only for indoor places, but he recommends wearing a mask at Tiger Stadium…
cut 12 (10) “….be done”
Masks will be required to be worn in the Rose Bowl when LSU faces UCLA for the season opener.

7:30 LRN Newscast August 19

With COVID hospitalizations surpassing three-thousand this week, Governor Edwards says there are now ten times as many people in the hospital with COVID than there were at the start of July. L-D-H says 91-percent are unvaccinated. Edwards says there are some waiting for full authorization from the FDA to take a vaccine. But he warns if you get hospitalized with COVID you’ll be treated by therapeutics under emergency use authorization…
Cut 10 (10) “…go there.”

President Biden says nursing homes could lose federal funding if they do not make it mandatory for staff to be vaccinated against COVID. Louisiana AARP director Denise Bottcher applauds the decision…
Cut 14 (09) “…lives.”

Healthcare experts say the drug Ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID because it’s ineffective against the disease. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was set to discuss masks in schools yesterday, but the meeting ended early when a group of anti-maskers refused to wear a mask inside a state building…
cut 30 (no more masks, no more masks”
This means the governor’s indoor mask mandate is in effect for schools.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Based on observations from Saints training camp, defensive end Marcus Davenport is having an excellent camp. New Orleans offensive tackle Terron Armstead believes Davenport is headed for a breakout season…
cut 18 (18) “…him go”
Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill both threw interceptions during team drills yesterday.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry believes the state should withhold state funding for the Saints because of their ticket policy. The NFL franchise is not offering refunds or opt-outs to season ticket holders who do not want to attend games this season. The Saints are requiring fans to be vaccinated in order to attend home games or they need a negative COVID test 72 hours prior to kickoff.

LSU sophomore wide receiver Kayshon Boutte had a strong finish to the 2020 season, including a record-setting performance in the regular-season finale against Ole Miss. Tigers coach Ed Orgeron says Boutte has picked up where he left off last year and he’s leading a deep wide receiving corp that features several freshmen…
cut 29 (29) “…prove themselves”
Orgeron also expects Quarterback Myles Brennan will return from a broken arm this season, but it might not happen until the middle of the season. Coach O is also concerned about the number of injuries along the offensive line and he says Derek Stingley is doing fine, but the All-American cornerback will likely not return to practice until game week.

6:30 LRN Newscast August 19

The Biden Administration says they will pull federal funding from nursing homes that do not have fully immunized staff. AARP State Executive Director Denise Bottcher applauds the president’s decision to protect residents and other staff members from COVID exposures from unvaccinated employees.
Cut 13 (10) “…nursing home”
According to AARP’s most recent dashboard, since July 28th the state has recorded 30 more deaths from COVID among nursing home residents. There were only three nursing home deaths from June 2nd to July 21st.

Health officials are alerting the public that Ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID. LSU Health New Orleans Chief of Community Medicine Doctor Ben Springgate says Ivermectin is effective when treating parasitic worms, not COVID. He says Ivermectin also has some nasty side effects…
cut 5 (10) “…death”

Governor Edwards says it is frustrating to hear that some people are not taking the vaccine because it is still under emergency use authorization. Matt Doyle has more.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

AM LRN Newscall Aug 19

Healthcare experts say the drug Ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID because it’s ineffective against the disease. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

___________________________________

Governor Edwards says it’s frustrating to hear that some people aren’t taking the vaccine because it is still under emergency use authorization. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

_________________________________________

The Biden Administration says they will pull federal funding among nursing homes that do not have staff fully vaccinated for COVID. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

_______________________________

Healthcare experts say Ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID as it is wholly ineffective against the disease.

LSU Health New Orleans Chief of Community Medicine Dr. Ben Springgate says don’t take it unless you got parasitic worms.

Cut 4 (09) “…humans.”

Springgate says taking Ivermectin can give people a false sense that they are treating their COVID when they aren’t, and it can come with some nasty side effects.

Cut 5 (10) “…death.”

The treatment gained some popularity in recent weeks due to social media misinformation. Springgate says don’t believe everything you see online…

Cut 6 (10) “…see that.”

_____________________

COVID has caused yet another event to be canceled in the Sportsman Paradise.  The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is canceling National Hunting and Fishing Day events that were scheduled across the state for September 25th. LDWF spokesperson Ed Pratt says it was a tough decision to make.

Cut 7 (08) “….we’re in.”

NHFD is an annual event that takes place across the country on the fourth Saturday in September. Pratt says LWDF’s decision to not participate this year was to protect the health of participants and staff.

Cut 8 (12) “…workers.” 

Pratt says it’s an event that LDWF looks forward to each year they will especially miss the opportunity to watch families and young people learning about hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities.  Pratt hopes that next year we will be in a much better situation and able to hold the event.

Cut 9 (08) “…good time.”

________________________________________

Governor Edwards says there are now ten times as many people in the hospital with COVID than there were at the start of July.

Edwards says those who are waiting for full authorization from the FDA to take a vaccine are making a serious mistake. If you get hospitalized with COVID you’ll be treated by therapeutics under emergency use authorization…

Cut 10 (10) “…go there.” 

Full authorization for Pfizer is expected early next month.

Edwards says there are now ten times as many people in the hospital with COVID today than there were to start July. The over 3,000 hospitalized is about the size of his hometown of Amite.

Cut 11 (07) “…for me.”

The just under 12,000 total statewide COVID deaths would be enough to all but wipe out cities like Mandeville, Crowley, Bogalusa, Minden, or Morgan City.

LSU is set to host McNeese at Tiger Stadium in less than a month. Despite this surge in cases, Edwards is confident that if people mask up when moving in and out of the facility it should be safe.

Cut 12 (10) “…be done.”  

Saints fans will have to show proof of vaccine or negative COVID test to gain entry to the Superdome for the preseason opener against Jacksonville Monday.

_____________________________

The Biden Administration says they will pull federal funding from nursing homes that don’t have fully immunized staff. AARP State Executive Director Denise Bottcher applauds the president’s decision in an effort to protect residents and other staff members from COVID exposures from unvaccinated employees.

Cut 13 (10) “…nursing home”

Bottcher says the decision to withdraw Medicare and Medicaid funding from nursing homes that do not have fully vaccinated staff is direly needed as infection rates among employees are rising and will eventually affect residents.

Cut 14 (11) “…lives.”

According to AARP’s most recent dashboard since July 28th the state has recorded 30 more deaths from COVID among nursing home residents. From June 2nd to July 21st only three COVID deaths were reported in nursing homes.

Staff vaccination rates in Louisiana have increased but only by one percent to 49-percent. Bottcher said the nursing home staff vaccination rate in Louisiana mirrors the state vaccination towards the bottom compared to other states.

Cut 15 (09)“…be in.”

The Louisiana Nursing Home Association released a statement saying that once CMS releases the guidance, facilities will comply, as doing so is required to continue caring for residents who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid. Our focus remains on protecting Louisiana’s most vulnerable during this pandemic.

5:30 LRN Newscast Aug 18

BESE voted to adjourn today’s meeting where members were expected to vote on allowing school districts to set their own masking policy. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 1 (38) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.” 

The state reported 3,022 COVID-19 hospitalizations today, in which 91-percent are unvaccinated and 66-hundred new COVID cases were also reported

39-percent of the state’s population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s up from 33-percent a month ago. On his monthly Ask the Governor’s show, Governor Edwards says the state is making progress in getting more people vaccinated…

Cut 14 (11) “..go.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is trying to correct misinformation that went out on social media with their logo, claiming you have to show proof of vaccination to obtain a hunting license. LDWF Spokesperson Ed Pratt says there are lots of emotions around mask and vaccine mandates at this time and having the agency placed in the midst of the ongoing debate is not fair.

Cut 10 (12) “…in the state.”

 

4:45 LRN Sportscast August 18

A strength for LSU this season should be along its defensive line. There are edge rushers, Ali Gaye, B-J Ojulari and Andre Anthony. Neil Farrell and Jospeh Evans are potential starters at defensive tackle. There are also younger players pushing for playing time as well, Jaquelin Roy and Maason Smith. Anthony believes the defensive line will set the tone for the entire defense…
cut 18 (19) “….a whole”

The Saints have signed former first-round pick Kevin White. The wide receiver out of West Virginia has caught just 25 passes since he was selected by the Bears with the seventh overall pick in 2015. A bad leg injury has derailed his NFL career.

Louisiana Tech has nine offensive linemen returning from a year ago, they’ve also added nine new faces. Abraham Delfin and Joshua Mote are the returning starters. Bulldogs Coach Skip Holtz on what’s seeing from his O-Line….
cut 30 (30) “…a lot of work”
Tech opens the season at Mississippi State.

The Southland Conference announced today that games canceled due to COVID-19 will not be rescheduled. A team that is unable to participate because of coronavirus issues will be subject to forfeit.

430 PM LRN News

Anti-mask protestors shut down a BESE meeting today where members were set to vote on whether schools should be allowed to reject the Governor’s mask mandate. The room was chaotic, and ultimately the meeting was called off after a motion by BESE member Holly Boffy…

Cut 6 (15) “…*incoherent screaming*”

The vote was 8-2.

On his monthly talk show Governor Edwards slammed those who shut down the meeting, calling their behavior unsafe.

Cut 13 (08) “…numbers”

The state reported 66-hundred new coronavirus cases today and state officials say 28-percent of all new COVID cases are children.

Republicans are slamming President Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years. Senator John Kennedy says Biden’s hasty withdrawal was an attempt for Biden to win some political points…

Cut 4 (10) “…way” 

President Biden stood by his decision, saying the Taliban’s rapid advance across Afghanistan and the nearly non-existent resistance to that advance is evidence that the people of that country were not willing to fight to maintain the current government, and so American troops should not be expected to do so themselves.

A fake social media post claiming you won’t be able to obtain a hunting license if you can’t show proof of vaccination is making the rounds. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Spokesperson Ed Pratt says it’s not true, and don’t fall for the misinformation…

Cut 10 (12) “…in the state.”

3:30 LRN Newscast Aug 18

During his monthly call-in radio show, Governor John Bel Edwards defended his public health order that requires masks in schools. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (32)…I’m Jeff Palermo.”  

At a BESE meeting this morning board members were going to vote on giving individual school systems the right to decide on masks this morning but

Had to adjourn the meeting due to frequent interruptions from audience members…

Cut 8 (08) “…*shushing*”

Senator John Kennedy slams the Biden Administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. President Biden defended the decision, saying while the collapse of the government was faster than anticipated it was clear the people weren’t willing to fight to defend that government. Kennedy says the withdrawal empowers global jihadists…

Cut 3 (09) “…all saw.” 

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is alerting residents of a fake social media post with their logo claiming you won’t be able to obtain a hunting license if you can’t show proof of vaccination. LDWF Spokesperson Ed Pratt says it’s not true and the misinformation that’s being spread is most unfortunate.

Cut 9 (09) “…like this.”

Pratt says your vaccination status has no bearing on your ability to obtain a hunting license.

 

LRN PM Newscall August 18

BESE voted to adjourn today’s meeting where members were expected to vote on allowing school districts to set their own masking policy. Matt Doyle has more on the raucous occasion…

Cut 1 (38) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.” 

____________________________________

During his monthly call-in radio show, Governor John Bel Edwards defended his public health order that requires masks in schools. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (32)…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

______________________________________

Senator John Kennedy slams the Biden Administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

President Biden defended the decision, saying while the collapse of the government was faster than anticipated it was clear the people weren’t willing to fight to defend that government. Kennedy says the withdrawal empowers global jihadists…

Cut 3 (09) “…all saw.” 

Kennedy says Biden’s hasty withdrawal was an attempt for Biden to win some political points…

Cut 4 (10) “…way” 

Biden disagrees, saying in his experience there is no good time to withdraw but that there was clearly no longer a national security interest in staying in the country

Kennedy accuses the Biden Administration of not having a proper exit strategy and leaving thousands of American allies behind Taliban lines.

Cut 5 (10) “…refugees.”

__________________________

Anti-mask protestors shut down this morning’s BESE meeting where members were expected to vote on whether or not to allow individual school boards to accept or reject the Governor’s mask mandate.

The meeting began in chaos and after it became clear many attendees refused to put on a mask BESE member Holly Boffy moved to adjourn…

Cut 6 (15) “…*incoherent screaming*”

The vote was 8-2, and as of now the Governor’s statewide mask mandate still applies to all K-12 schools.

BESE member Ronnie Morris asked the unruly crowd to please cooperate and put on a mask so that the meeting could continue…

Cut 7 (10) “…time” 

That request provoked outrage from the audience.

Before the meeting was adjourned there were frequent interruptions from audience members repeating misinformation about standard masks not being effective against COVID transmission.

Cut 8 (11) “…*shushing*”

Central Pastor Tony Spell, who was once arrested for refusing to cease his services during the pandemic, was also in attendance and briefly seized control of the room at one point. He led the crowd in anti-mask chants.

_______________________

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is alerting residents of a fake social media post with their logo claiming you won’t be able to obtain a hunting license if you can’t show proof of vaccination. LDWF Spokesperson Ed Pratt says it’s not true and the misinformation that’s being spread is most unfortunate.

Cut 9 (09) “…like this.”

Pratt says there are lots of emotions around mask and vaccine mandates at this time and having the agency placed in the midst of the ongoing debate is not fair.

Cut 10 (12) “…in the state.”

LDWF learned of the post with their logo this week after someone in Mississippi called and notified agents. Pratt says they want to nip the misinformation in the bud and remind the public that your vaccination status is not linked to the purchase or renewal of your hunting license.

Cut  11 (09) “…seen that.”  

________________________________________

On his monthly Ask the Governor’s show, Governor Edwards defended the need for masks inside schools

Cut 12 (10) “…understand that” 

The state reported 66-hundred new coronavirus cases today and state officials say 28-percent of all new COVID cases are children. But those numbers didn’t stop a crowd of anti-maskers from allowing a debate to occur at a BESE meeting over masks in schools. Edwards says there are some who are not listening to the information from the state department of health…

Cut 13 (08) “…numbers”

39-percent of the state’s population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s up from 33-percent a month ago. Edwards says the state is making progress in getting more people vaccinated…

Cut 14 (11) “..go.”