RSV cases in children are on the rise again, for the second summer in a row. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
______________________________________
A second special session on redistricting began today as Republican lawmakers push back on a court order that the Legislature must redraw a Congressional map with two majority-minority districts. Jeff Palermo has the story…
Cut 2 (37) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
______________________________________
For the second summer in a row, Louisiana is seeing an increase in RSV, the respiratory virus that usually causes wintertime colds in children. Dr. Mark Klein, physician in chief at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans believes the wearing of masks during the first year of the pandemic curbed cases of RSV and most respiratory viruses in general.
Klein says the RSV surge has also been responsible for placing some children in intensive care. He says severe cases of RSV are usually limited to infants in their first year of life.
For children who are particularly vulnerable to RSV, Klein says they do have a monoclonal antibody treatment that can be used to prevent severe disease or even death.
For adults and older children, Klein says RSV presents as a severe cold. He says however RSV is a concern for infants who are more susceptible to the virus.
Klein says the positivity rate for RSV in Louisiana was around one percent in the winter and now it’s risen to twelve percent.
___________________________________________________
There’s a potential sign gas prices are peaking as Louisiana did not set a new record today for a statewide average gasoline price. It’s at $4.55 for a gallon of regular gasoline, the same price as yesterday. But Associate Director of the Tulane Energy Institute Eric Smith says don’t expect any real relief until the fourth quarter of this year…
Cut 6 (10) “…development activity.”
Smith says the flow of gasoline around the world has also been disrupted because the United States and European Union have bans on Russian oil. Smith says even if the ban ended tomorrow, it would take a while for gas prices to moderate…
Gas prices are nearly two dollars higher than a year ago. Smith says the Biden Administration’s efforts to suppress oil and gas production is the biggest contributor to the higher prices, but the price at the pump would be high today even under the Trump Administration’s energy policies
________________________________________________
Governor John Bel Edwards has signed into law legislation that would make property owners more aware of their hurricane, named storm, wind, and hail deductibles. Eric Holl, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Real Reform Louisiana, says many policyholders don’t even know they exist
Cut 9 (12) “…insurance useless.”
Holl says House Bill 317, which was signed into law on Tuesday, adds a greater level of transparency that should better protect policyholders from those surprise costs.
Cut 10 (12) ” …deductible is.”
Though Holl says some of the protections presented in the bill were defeated due to opposition from the insurance industry, he believes this legislation is a major step forward for policyholders and provides added protection for those facing the aftermath of a storm.
Cut 11 (12) “…in that process.”
_________________________________________________________________
State lawmakers began a special session today called to redraw a Congressional map with two Black majority districts. Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder believes the Congressional district map they approved in February with one majority district is fair and constitutional, but they will begin hearings on Friday to debate other proposals…
The Black Legislative Caucus is supporting identical map proposals from Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields and New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis that create two majority-minority districts. Duplessis says a federal judge has ordered the Legislature to do this…
Cut 13 (08) “…2nd Amendment rights.”
The House and Governmental Affairs Committee could hear Duplessis’ Congressional map proposal with two majority-black districts on Friday. H-G-A Chairman Representative John Stefanski doesn’t think there’s enough time to pass Duplessis’ proposal
Stefanski also believes a federal appeals court could still rule that the map Congressional map approved by lawmakers in February with one Black majority district is legal. But Duplessis says, for now, the courts have said draw a new map….