10:30 LRN Newscast Mar 10

Louisiana’s congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim that the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the congressional map that the legislature passed last month during the redistricting session. African American lawmakers say the map does not allow for a second majority-minority district, but Republicans say doing so would dilute the Black vote.

In the week since Talk Louisiana host, Jim Engster spoke with former LSU basketball player Roman Rubchenko (roob-CHENK-oh) and Ukraine native says he’s now back at his country home outside of the capital of, Kyiv, after traveling with other men to help women and children in their families evacuate safely.

Cut 3 (11) “…can help.”

U-S Congressman Troy Carter announced that his office has secured 17 and a half million dollars to fund seven projects in the Second District. He says three million will be used to renovate Woldenberg Park, which runs along the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. The park will receive upgrades to make it more accessible and modernize the venue that hosts a number of local festivals each year.

Cut 12 (8) “…all combined.”

 

9:30 LRN Newscast Mar 10

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature because it does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley expects the GOP led Legislature to attempt to override the veto…

Cut 8 (06)  “…Governor Edwards.”

African-American lawmakers say since 33-percent of the state’s population is Black, two of the state’s six Congressional districts should be majority-minority

 

U-S Congressman Troy Carter says his office has secured 17 and a half million dollars to fund seven projects in the Second District. Carter says the money, which is part of the 2022 Appropriations Bill, will help fund projects aimed at boosting the local economy and improving the quality of life for people in southeast Louisiana.

Cut 10 (11) “…and excited about.”

Louisiana congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Psaki made the comment at Monday’s press conference; saying there are 9000 oil & gas leases offshore that oil companies are choosing NOT to explore. Congressman Garret Graves says it shows her ignorance of how exploration and leases work.

Cut 4 (10)  “…has blocked pipelines.”

With gas prices setting record highs on an almost daily basis, many drivers may consider making the switch to hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels, says the answer isn’t that simple.

Cut 13 (11) “…catches up.”

Herrmann says a major advantage of electric cars is “filling up the tank” takes place at home but your typical daily drive is limited.

8:30 LRN Newscast March 10

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed Congressional district map approved by the state Legislature because it does not have two majority-minority districts. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

It looks like Louisiana will not receive any additional dollars for hurricane recovery from hurricanes Laura and Delta. A federal spending plan unveiled yesterday does not include any more disaster relief. Congress appropriated 600-million dollars last year, but Governor Edwards says the state needed at least another 400-million dollars for southwest Louisiana.

The White House says the Biden Administration is not doing anything to hold down production of oil and gas in the United States and point the nine-thousand leases that are not in operation. But Senator Bill Cassidy says energy production is more than just drilling a well and the President has policies in place that make it difficult to ramp up production…
cut 6 (13) “….not being honest” (2x)

Congressman Troy Carter says the federal government is appropriating three million dollars to build a new athletic stadium in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Carter says the project would create a first-of-its-kind facility that would primarily serve public schools in eastern New Orleans..
Cut 11 (12) “…brand new stadium.”
Carter says there’s also another three million dollars to renovate Woldenberg Park.

7:30 LRN Newscast March 10

Gas prices rose another ten cents from yesterday setting a new record high of $4.13 a gallon for regular gasoline today. According to Triple-A, the price at the pump has jumped 90-cents in the last month.

Members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the Congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. Edwards says the map should include a second majority African American district because Black voters make up nearly a third of the state’s population. But the governor is allowing the new House and Senate district maps to become law without his approval. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley…
cut 9 (05) “….to challenge”

With gas prices over four dollars a gallon and rising, there are some considering whether they should buy an electric vehicle the next time they are in the market to buy a car. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels, says one of the major advantages of electric cars is that filling up the tank takes place at home…
cut 14 (11) “….isn’t quite as important”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The LSU men’s basketball team will face Missouri this afternoon in the SEC Tournament. Coach Will Wade’s team is looking to build momentum heading into next week’s NCAA Tournament and he believes the SEC has them battled-tested…
cut 17 (16) “…at the top”
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has LSU as a five seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Louisiana Tech advanced in the Conference USA Tournament last night with a 77-67 victory over Marshall. Tech shot 62-percent from the field in the second half and Kenneth Lofton had a team-high 21 points and nine boards. The Bulldogs will face Western Kentucky tonight.

McNeese beat Northwestern State 80-67 in the Southland Tournament and the Cowboys will play UNO tonight at 6:30.

The LSU baseball team improved to 10-and-3 last night with a six to three win over McNeese. Gavin Dugas and Jacob Berry homered. Right-hander Will Hellmers got the win as he fired three shutout innings.

Louisiana Tech trounced Southeastern Louisiana 13 to 1. Wade Elliot drove in three runs and on the mound Jackson Lancaster tossed three shutout innings and struck out five.

ULM ended a nine-game losing streak with a six to two win over Northwestern State. Sophomore Landon Cato crushed a three-run homer.

Elsewhere, Nicholls shut out St. Thomas 10 to nothing, Grambling swept a doubleheader from Wiley and Houston topped Southern seven to four.

In the NBA, Brandon Ingram didn’t play again last night and the Pelicans lost again as Orlando dribbled past New Orleans 108 to 102. The Pels are 2 and 14 when Ingram doesn’t play and he’s out at least a week with a hamstring injury.

Today…Southern faces Grambling at 2 PM in the SWAC Tournament.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. The map does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Edwards spoke with voting rights experts and came to this conclusion…
Cut 7 (10) “…state of Louisiana.”
Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt says she’s disappointed with the governor’s veto and looks forward to the debate on a veto override.

The White House says energy companies could do more to increase production of oil and gas and point to the nine-thousand oil and gas leases that oil companies are choosing not to explore. But Senator Bill Cassidy says the Biden administration’s policies are not resulting in more domestic production…
cut 5 (11) “….otherwise be refined”

With record-high gas prices, should more Louisianans consider electric vehicles? David Grubb has the story…
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m David Grubb.”

###Updated LRN Am Newscall### Swapped out a story Now includes the governor’s veto of congressional map

Louisiana congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim that the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

_____________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed Congressional district map because it does not have two majority-minority districts. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Michelle Southern.” 

_____________________________________

With record high gas prices, should more Louisianans consider electric vehicles? David Grubb has the story…

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m David Grubb.” 

____________________________________

Louisiana congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim that the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Psaki made the comment during a Monday press conference; saying there are 9000 oil & gas leases offshore that oil companies are choosing NOT to explore. Congressman Garret Graves says Psaki shows her ignorance of how exploration and leases work..:

Cut 4 (10)  “…has blocked pipelines.”

Psaki told Fox news reporter Peter Doocy he should “ask the oil companies” why they’re not drilling. Senator Bill Cassidy says that remark made him laugh out loud. He says this administration has been very unfriendly to domestic oil & gas, and he cites the president’s early official act of cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline as a sign of what was to come…:

Cut 5 (11) “…otherwise be refined.”

Cassidy says Psaki’s comments were playing with words. He says the federal government has been dragging its feet on drilling permits ever since Mr. Biden took office…:

Cut 6 (13)  “…not being honest.” (2x)

Cassidy says the Biden White House has nominated a person to head the Federal Reserve who wants banks to stop lending for oil & gas exploration, and the administration has cancelled lease sales in the outer Continental Shelf.

_______________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. The map does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Edwards spoke with voting rights experts and came to this conclusion…

Cut 7 (10) “…state of Louisiana.”

African-American lawmakers say since 33-percent of the state’s population is Black, two of the state’s six Congressional districts should be majority-minority. But Republicans say two majority minority districts would dilute the black vote in those two districts, not producing the desired results. Stockley expects the GOP led Legislature to attempt to override the veto…

Cut 8 (06)  “…Governor Edwards.”

Edwards has announced he signed the new maps for Public Service Commission and BESE, but he’s allowing re-drawn House and Senate district maps to become law without his signature. Stockley says the governor believes the Legislature should focus on the issues in the upcoming session and not be concerned about what their own districts will look like in 2023 elections…

Cut 9 (05)  “…to challenge”

____________________________________________

U-S Congressman Troy Carter announced that his office has secured 17 and a half million dollars to fund seven projects in the Second District. Carter says that the money, part of the 2022 Appropriations Bill, will fund projects to boost the local economy and improve the quality of life for people in southeast Louisiana.

Cut 10 (11) “…and excited about.”

Three million dollars will go towards the construction of a new athletic stadium in the historic Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Carter says the project would create a first-of-its-kind facility that would primarily serve public schools in eastern New Orleans and act as an economic catalyst for the community.

Cut  11 (12)  “…brand new stadium.”  

An additional three million will be used to renovate Woldenberg Park, which runs along the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. The park will receive upgrades to make it more accessible to people with disabilities, rejuvenate its green spaces, and replace benches to modernize the venue that hosts a number of local festivals each year.

Cut 12 (8) “…all combined.”

____________________________________________

With gas prices setting record highs on an almost daily basis, many drivers may consider making the switch to hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels, says the answer isn’t that simple.

Cut 13 (11) “…catches up.”

Herrmann says that one of the major advantages of electric cars is that “filling up the tank” takes place at home, and your typical daily drive should be well within the vehicle’s limits.

Cut 14 (11)  “…isn’t quite as important.”

The market is getting better for drivers of electric vehicles, with more than 16 million now on the road worldwide and sales in the U-S have doubled in the past year. Herrmann says Louisiana is ramping up the installation of charging stations around the state, which should spur even more converts to charge up rather than gas up.

Cut 15 (12)  “…really quickly”

_____________________________________________

Will Wade leads the fifth-seeded LSU Tigers to the SEC men’s tournament in Tampa looking to find some momentum after going 9-9 in conference play. The Tigers won two of three to close the regular season, and have some of the top individual talents in the league. Wade thinks his team is playing more like the team that started the season 15-1, rather than the one that scuffled through the SEC.

Cut 16 (13)  “…we’re in Tampa.”

The Tigers are still one of the darlings of the Net Rankings that the NCAA selection committee uses to place teams in the tournament, and the SEC has six teams among the top 30 meaning the conference should be well represented come this Sunday when seedings are announced. Wade says that’s a testament to just how strong the conference has become.

Cut 17 (16) “ …at the top.” 

LRN 4:45 Sportscast March 9

March Madness is in full effect as we build towards Selection Sunday. Louisiana Tech, the third seed in Conference USA after posting a 12-6 league record, faces seventh-seeded Marshall tonight in its opener. The Bulldogs are chasing their first NCAA bid since 1991 when they were members of the now-defunct American South.

It isn’t the Bayou Classic, but Grambling and Southern will play each other in the quarterfinals of the SWAC tournament on Thursday. Grambling won both regular-season meetings with the Jaguars.

And Northwestern State faces McNeese in the opening round of the Southland tourney, with the winner facing UNO on Thursday.

LSU opens play in the SEC tournament Thursday afternoon against the winner of tonight’s matchup between Missouri and Mississippi. The Tigers arrived in Tampa today, and Coach Will Wade says his team will be working hard prepping for either opponent. LSU lost by 4 to Ole Miss and beat Mizzou by 20 in their only meetings this year.

Cut 21 (16) “…both teams.”

LSU’s initial response to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations regarding the men’s basketball program didn’t shed much light on the situation. A statement released by the athletic department reads as follows…

“Per NCAA rules and procedures, LSU is unable to comment on any aspect of the ongoing case. We will continue to cooperate fully with the IARP as we work together toward a resolution.”

The Tigers have been caught in the NCAA’s crosshairs since a federal investigation into corruption in college basketball produced voice recordings of head coach Will Wade discussing alleged payments made to then-recruit Javonte Smart in 2017.

LSU could face stiff penalties if there are major violations contained in the NOA.

Tigers women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey has been named Coach of the Year by The Athletic after spearheading the largest turnaround by a first-year coach in SEC history. LSU, now 25-4 on the year, and ranked ninth in the latest AP poll, will likely host first and second-round games of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers have already recorded the most wins in a season since 2007-08 when they went to the Final Four under Van Chancellor.

On the diamond, Northwestern State is at UL-Monroe, Tulane visits Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech welcomes Southeastern, and LSU hosts McNeese.

5:30 LRN Newscast March 9

The average price for a gallon of gas in Louisiana finally exceeds $4 and sets a new record high of $4.04. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Despite pleas from Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, there is no further Louisiana disaster recovery funding in a government funding bill that the U-S House is set to approve today. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says it’s disappointing.

Cut 3 (12) “…other countries.”

Two years after Louisiana’s first reported case, COVID is here to stay in one form or another, says State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter. But he believes as the science advances and more people are vaccinated, it can become less disruptive, more treatable, and most importantly, more preventable.

Cut 11 (10) “…die from COVID.”

Overall there have been more than 1.2 million reported cases of COVID-19 in Louisiana, including 16,832 deaths due to the virus.

With gas prices at all-time highs, many are calling for an increase in oil production. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Mike Moncla says the U-S would need oil from both Mexico and Canada in order to become energy independent as a continent. But he says President Biden would need to make it happen.

Cut 12 (10) “…using now.”

4:30 LRN Newscast March 9

Despite pleas from Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, there is no further Louisiana disaster recovery money in the government funding bill that the U.S. House is set to approve today. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says it’s disappointing…:

CUT 03(12)      “…other countries.”

Louisiana has already received 600-million federal dollars for the hurricanes that hit in 2020 and 2021. It’s estimated that as much as $300-million more may be needed.

An outage left approximately 10-thousand in New Orleans without power this morning, and Entergy says a bird was the cause. The animal apparently caused a massive short circuit at a power neighborhood power substation. Power was restored by early afternoon. The bird? Didn’t make it.

 

Today marks two years since Louisiana reported its first positive COVID case. March 9, 2020 was the start of the pandemic here. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says there have been tremendous challenges and losses over the past 24 months….:

CUT 09(11)      “…people nationwide.”

Overall there have been more than 1.2 million reported cases of COVID-19 in Louisiana. The statewide death toll related to the virus is just over 16,800.

Here’s another side effect of the huge run-up in gasoline prices; a developing shortage of delivery and ride share drivers. A number of drivers for Uber, Lyft, Door Dash and others report they simply don’t make enough money to pay for car insurance, wear & tear on their ride AND $50 to fill up the gas tank.