Drivers are enjoying the Christmas gift of low gas prices. The average price for regular unleaded is $2.50 a gallon. Don Redman with Triple-A Louisiana says one thing keeping prices low is OPEC not adjusting production when the U.S. increased its production of refined gasoline.
Cut 7 (11) “…dollars a barrel.”
Of course, if you win tonight’s Powerball drawing, you’re never going to care about gas prices again. That’s because tonight’s estimated jackpot is a whopping 1.7-billion dollars. Chrislyn Maher (“mayor”) with the Louisiana Lottery says while no one has won the big prize since September 6th, almost 100 people across the country have come agonizingly close but still came away with huge paydays.
Cut 9 (09) “…for two million.”
Just in time for Christmas, flu activity is rampant across the country, especially in Louisiana. Dr. David Janese (juh-NEESE) with Ochsner LSU Health says emergency rooms throughout the state are seeing more and more people sick with the flu.
Cut 10 (07) “…illness criteria.”
Nationwide, the CDC says about 4.6-million people have become sick with the flu, including almost 50-thousand hospitalizations and about two-thousand deaths.
The public service commissioner who spearheaded the new policy streamlining the process for data centers and other large projects to access the energy they need is clearing up some misconceptions. While the Alliance for Affordable Energy says the new policy will cause bills for residential customers to spike, Commissioner J.P. Coussan says there are safeguards in place to keep costs from spiraling out of control.