16:45 LRN Sportscast March 30th

LSU and Texas A&M meet in Alex Box Stadium tonight for the start of a three-game SEC series. The Tigers are 4-2 in league play and in third place in the SEC West, behind Arkansas and Auburn, who are both 5-1. Shortstop Kramer Robertson says even though LSU has lost three of its last four, he still sees better days for this Tigers baseball team…
cut 30 (17) “…last year”
Alex Lange starts on the hill tonight for LSU . The Aggies will counter with junior right-hander Brigham Hill, who is 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA. First pitch is at 6 PM.

Also in the SEC tonight…Mississippi State is at Ole Miss. Both teams are 3-3 in league play.

Southeastern Louisiana won two games over the Ragin Cajuns last night, five to 14 in 14 innings in the completion of a suspended game and then 15-3 was the final in the regularly scheduled game. Tomorrow, UL Lafayette hosts South Alabama, while the Lions begin a three-game series against McNeese State.

Former LSU quarterback Brandon Harris told the Baton Rouge Advocate he spoke with Les Miles about changing up the offense, running more spread and throwing the ball more, but the ex-head coach never followed through with a promise to open up the offense.

In the NFL, the Saints have signed safety and special team standout Rafael Bush. Bush was with Detroit last seaosn, prior to that, he played for four seasons in New Orleans. Bush played in all 16 games for the Lions last season and recorded two interceptions.

Tomorrow in the Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans will host the Sacramento Kings. It’s the first time that DeMarcus Cousins will face his old team since the blockbuster trade. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

16:30 LRN Newscast March 30th

According to the 2017 Louisiana Survey, optimism in the future of the state is on the rise. Emelie Gunn has more…
Voicer 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

Authorities say a 15-year-old high school student who posted threats on social media that led to the closure of Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans has been arrested. Police say the teen posted a photo on Snapchat that said “Don’t come to school tomorrow and there were several weapons in the picture.

Three death row inmates have filed a federal class-action lawsuit seeking to end an Angola prison policy that automatically sends prisoners serving death sentences into solitary confinement for the length of their incarceration. Attorney Betsy Ginsberg represents the men and says there has to be a limit to what the system can do to inmates…
cut 5 (11) “…they are”
The Department of Corrections says they do not comment on pending litigation.

Legislation has been filed that would require TOPS recipients who leave Louisiana after graduating to pay 50-percent of their scholarship back to the state over time. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau hopes this encourages students to stay and work in Louisiana, but the bill also saves the state money if graduates choose to leave…:
Cut 11 (07) “four years”

15:30 Newscast March 30,2017

Optimism in the future of the state is on the rise in Louisiana for the first time since 2012, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. But Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab Michael Henderson says despite a better sense of optimism, Louisiana residents still have many concerns and the top one is the state’s budget problems.
Cut 7 (10) “of those”

A measure for the upcoming legislative session has been filed that would require recipients of TOPS to pay 50-percent of their scholarship back if they move states after graduating. Author of the bill, Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau says students would be required to follow through with a contractual agreement.
Cut 10 (09) “of documents”

Luneau says this would be much like paying back an interest free student loan.

 

Three death row inmates at Angola have filed a lawsuit after being held in solitary confinement for decades. I’m Jeff Palermo…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Authorities in Rapides Parish have reported a second break-in at Tioga High School and Tioga Junior High. Both schools received extensive damage, as glass cases, mirrors and equipment were destroyed. The Sheriff’s office has released photos of two suspects via social media and are offering a reward of 85-hundred dollars for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible.

14:30 Newscast, March 30th, 2017

Three Angola death row inmates have filed a suit regarding the decades they have spent in solitary. Plaintiffs Marcus Hamilton, Winthrop Eaton, and Michael Perry have all spent more than 25 years in solitary confinement. Attorney Betsy Ginsberg says living in isolation for this long takes a serious toll on the inmates’ physical and mental health..:
Cut 4 (08) “they experience”
The Department of Corrections has not issued a comment on the suit.

TOPS students who graduate and leave Louisiana would have to pay half the scholarship money back under a bill by Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau.
Cut 9 (10) “citizens”
Luneau says this would be much like paying back an interest free student loan.

A recent report says Louisianians are not very good with their money. WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez says they found the average FICO score in the state is a paltry 654. She says there is also irresponsible credit card behavior taking place among many here…:
cUT 13 (09) “sooner”
Gonzales says Louisiana has the highest unbanked rate in the country, meaning 15 percent of residents do not have a bank account at all.

For the first time since 2012, more people in Louisiana are optimistic about the future of the state, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab Michael Henderson says 40-percent of the respondents say they are confident state government can effectively address the state’s important problems, which is not usual
CUT 8 (10) “increase”
She says 46-percent of residents believe the state is headed in the right direction.

 

LRN PM Newscall March 30th

Three death row inmates at Angola have filed a lawsuit after being held in solitary confinement for decades. I’m Jeff Palermo…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

______________________________________

According to the 2017 Louisiana Survey, optimism in the future of the state is on the rise. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

______________________________________

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of three death row inmates who have spent decades in solitary confinement at Angola. All of Louisiana’s death row inmates are housed in solitary, where they spend 23 hours a day in a windowless cell without air conditioning. Attorney Betsy Ginsberg says this amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Cut 3 (10) “solitary confinement”

Ginsberg notes the inmates are in solitary by virtue of their sentence alone, not disciplinary problems. Plaintiffs Marcus Hamilton, Winthrop Eaton, and Michael Perry have all spent more than 25 years in solitary confinement. She says living in isolation for this long takes a serious toll on the inmates’ physical and mental health.

Cut 4  (08) “they experience”

Ginsberg says the United Nations has said that anything more than 15 days in solitary constitutes a form of torture.  She understands that offenders lose certain rights when they commit violent crimes, but there has to be a limit as to what the system can do to inmates.

Cut 5  (11)  “they are”

The Department of Corrections has not issued a comment on the suit.

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For the first time since 2012, more people in Louisiana are optimistic about the future of the state, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab Michael Henderson says 46-percent of residents believe the state is headed in the right direction. Henderson credits this to the evolving political landscape.

Cut 6 (08) “this year”

Henderson says despite a better sense of optimism in the state, Louisiana residents still have a lot of concerns and the number one concern is the state’s budget problems.

Cut 7 (10)  “of those”

But 40-percent of the respondents say they are confident state government can effectively address the state’s important problems. That’s a six percent increase from the year before. Henderson says usually residents are more pessimistic about the ability of our elected officials.

Cut 8 (10) “increase”

_______________________________________________________

Legislation has been filed that would require TOPS recipients who leave Louisiana after graduating to pay 50-percent of their scholarship back to the state over time. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau says the goal of his bill is to keep the best and brightest in the Bayou State.

Cut 9 (10)  “citizens”

Luneau says this would be much like paying back an interest free student loan. He says students would be required to follow through with a contractual agreement, ensuring they will pay back the money if they leave the state.

Cut 10 (09) “of documents”

The bill does include circumstances where if a recipient does leave the state for special reasons, they will not be required to pay the 50-percent back, like if they enter into the military. Luneau hopes this encourages students to stay and work in Louisiana but also saves the state money if they decide to move to another state.

Cut 11 (07) “four years”

_________________________________________________________

Louisiana has the worst financial literacy in the nation, according to the personal finance website WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says the median credit score in the state is 654, which is verging on bad credit. She says only 28 percent of residents are setting aside money for their children’s education, and less half have a rainy day fund.

Cut 12 (11) “emergency funds”

Gonzales says Louisiana has the highest unbanked rate in the country, meaning 15 percent of residents do not have a bank account at all. She says that means people aren’t earning interest on any cash they may be putting back, and they’re borrowing from nonbank lenders like payday loans. She adds Louisianans are not being responsible with credit cards either.

Cut 13 (09) “sooner”

Gonzales says this can stretch your interest out for years to come. The report finds only 2 percent of households attended a financial literacy class or counseling session in the past year. She says Louisiana residents also have a bad habit of spending more money than they make.

Cut 14 (10) “the minimum”

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13:30 Newscast, March 30th, 2017

According to the 2017 Louisiana Survey, optimism on the future of the state is on the rise. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The George Rodrigue Blue Dog “I Voted” sticker is considered a collectors item according to a survey by eBay. The auction site said the prize voters got for casting a ballot last year in Louisiana is on sale for about $5 to $50. Secretary of State Tom Schedler said the Blue Dog stickers were so popular that people from all over the country were calling his office asking if they could get one. But he says they only went to folks around the state who took part in elections.

Louisiana has the worst financial literacy in the nation, according to the personal finance website WalletHub. Analyst Jill Gonzales says the median credit score in the state is 654, which is on the verge of bad. She says only 28 percent of residents are setting aside money for their children’s education, and less half have a rainy day fund…:
Cut 12 (11) “emergency funds”
She says Louisiana residents also have a bad habit of spending more money than they make.

Legislation has been filed that would require TOPS recipients who leave Louisiana after graduating to pay 50-percent of their scholarship back to the state over time. Alexandria Senator Jay Luneau hopes this encourages students to stay and work in Louisiana, but the bill also saves the state money if graduates choose to leave…:
Cut 11 (07) “four years”

 

12:30 Newscast, March 30th, 2017

Three death row inmates at Angola have filed a lawsuit after being held in solitary confinement for decades…:
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Louisianians are feeling great about the future for the first time since 2012, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. But Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, Michael Henderson, says folks here are still concerned about the state’s budget problems…:
CUT 7 (10) “of those”
He says 46-percent of residents believe the state is headed in the right direction.

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Lafayette Consolidated Government after one of their police officers allegedly confiscated a woman’s phone and deleted a picture. Louisiana ACLU executive director Marjorie Esman says the lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting Lafayette P-D from interfering with the rights of individuals to photograph police activities in public…..
cut 13 (07) “…that right”
Lafayette PD has no comment on the suit.

The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office reports there’s been another burglary at Tioga High and the junior high school where extensive damage occurred to the interior of the schools. Authorities are offering a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

11:40 LRN Sportscast March 30th

After a tough loss to Tulane on Tuesday night, LSU baseball returns to the box tonight to start an SEC series against Texas A&M. The Bayou Bengals have lost three of their last four, but senior shortstop Kramer Robertson says no one on the team is pushing the panic button….
cut 30 (14) “…long run”
Tonight’s game is at 6 PM on the SEC Network.

Southeastern Louisiana’s bats were just fine last night as the Lions won two games over the Ragin Cajuns. S-L-U won a suspended contest from a game on February 20th that was resumed yesterday by the final score of 5-to-4 in 14 innings and then won the regularly scheduled game 15-3. Nicholls State beat Alcorn State seven to six with an RBI base hit in the ninth inning.

Former LSU Quarterback Brandon Harris told the Advocate’s Ross Dellenger his two biggest regrets during his time in Baton Rouge is an interception he threw against Alabama in 2015 and that he didn’t redshirt as a freshman. Harris also admits he went into Les Miles office asking him to run a spread and throw the ball more. Harris recently announced he’ll play at North Carolina this fall after he graduates from LSU in the summer.

In recruiting news…West Monroe all-purpose back Slade Bolden has received a scholarship offer from LSU. Bolden helped the Rebels reach the state championship game alst season. He’s considered a three-star prospect and has offers from several SEC schools.

McNeese State has released its 2017 schedule and the Cowboys will play five home games. The five games in Lake Charles are Florida Tech, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State.

Both Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins played last night and the Pelicans beat the Mavericks 121 to 118. That’s fifth win in the last seven games in which Davis and Cousins both played in. But it might be too little too late for the Pels to make the playoffs this season. They host Sacramento tomorrow.

1130 Newscast March 30

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of three death row inmates who have spent decades in solitary confinement at Angola. All of Louisiana’s death row inmates are housed in solitary, where they spend 23 hours a day in a windowless cell without air conditioning. Attorney Betsy Ginsberg says this violates their right to due process and their 8th amendment protection from cruel and unusual punishment.

Cut 3 (10) “solitary confinement”

Ginsberg notes the inmates are in solitary by virtue of their sentence alone, not disciplinary problems.

For the first time since 2012, more Louisianans are optimistic about the future of the state, according to the 2017 Louisiana Survey. Director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab Michael Henderson says 46 percent of residents believe the state is headed in the right direction.

Cut 6 (08) “this year”

Governor John Bel Edwards is calling on businesses to pay their fair share of taxes through the proposed Commercial Activity Tax, which would levy a gross receipts tax on businesses with at least 1.5 million dollars in annual sales. Edwards says most businesses paid no state taxes in 2015. President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Stephen Waguespack says this will put an additional strain on businesses.

The ACLU of Louisiana has filed a lawsuit to protect people’s right to film police. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says everyone has the right to take cell phone video of police activity, as long as they don’t interfere, and cell phones are also private by law.

Cut 12 (08) “without a warrant”

The suit comes on behalf of a Lafayette mother who says a cop deleted a picture from her phone without her permission.

10:30 LRN Newscast March 30th

Governor John Bel Edwards’ proposed Commercial Activity Tax is raising concern with business groups…
Cut 2 (30) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Power is expected to return to Ruston this hour after a massive power outage that led Lousiaina Tech to cancel classes and operations on their campus this morning.

The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s office reports there’s been another burglary at Tioga High and the junior high school where extensive damage occurred to the interior of the schools. Authorities are offering a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of a Lafayette mother who allegedly had a photo deleted from her phone by a police officer. Louisiana ACLU executive director Marjorie Esman says the photo was of her minor son sitting in the back of a police car, but the woman had every right to take and keep that photo…
Cut 11 (08) “this lawsuit”
The Lafayette Police Department has no comment on the lawsuit.

Louisiana is the 5th worst state to retire in the country, according to a report from the finance website Bankrate.com. Analyst Claes Bell says the Pelican State scored near or at the bottom in several areas.
Cut 4 (09) “not great”
Louisiana has the third worst crime rate in the study.