A team from LSU is creating personal protective equipment for healthcare workers from the basic everyday items. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (32) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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Religious congregations face an unprecedented dilemma approaching one of the holiest times of the year for different faiths. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Starting Monday Louisiana will start paying an additional 600 dollars a week in unemployment insurance benefits to those who qualify. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”
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A team from LSU is creating personal protective equipment for healthcare workers including much needed masks and gowns. LSU Biomedical Engineering senior Meagan Moore says they’ve been hammering out ways to do field expedient work with base-level materials including cardboard, hot glue, and trashbags.
Cut 4 (12)_ “…protection for physicians.”
Moore says they even got a call from Lamar Advertising, who is donating old billboards to make gowns.
Cut 5 (12) “…out of it.”
Moore says they have set up a website, onelouisiananow.org, where the public can connect with the team if they believe they’ve got materials to contribute.
Cut 6 (12) “… can help additionally.”
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The COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in an unprecedented dilemma for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations during one of the holiest times of the year. LSU Associate Professor of Religious Studies and History Michael Pasquier (pass-cay) says some religious communities are more prepared than others for the challenge of conducting services for an audience at home.
Cut 7 (12) “…celebration of Easter.”
Pasquier says a message from religious leaders to congregation members can go a long way in letting them know they are doing the right thing by their faith by staying home.
Cut 8 (10) “…a religious obligation.”
Despite the insistence of scientists, medical professionals, and elected leaders that churches stop congregating to help mitigate the spread of the virus, some are still pushing forward. Pasquier says the mindset of those that are still going to church is usually set by the pastor.
Cut 9 (08) “…go, it’s church.″
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Governor Edwards announces the state has received the federal funding necessary to pay enhanced unemployment benefits to the tune of an extra 600 dollars a week on top of the state’s 247 dollars.
Edwards says the expanded benefits begin Monday and will also include workers who did not previously qualify.
Cut 10 (11) “…yesterday”
The Governor implored people to apply for unemployment at Louisianaworks.net and if possible between the hours of 10 PM and 4 AM to avoid peak traffic.
The cash influx will be a big boon for the hundreds of thousands who’ve filed in the last month. Edwards says between March 1st and April 4th there were 277,000 claims filed.
Cut 11 (06) “…thousand.”
Edwards says the Louisiana Workforce Commission Trust Fund is being put to work, paying out 25.5 million dollars in benefits last week, and the federal funds will greatly increase that number.
Cut 12 (09) “…million dollars.”
The enhanced benefits will be available until August.
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Senator John Kennedy anticipates Congress will authorize additional funding for a Small Business Administration loan program designed to prop up companies during the coronavirus shutdown. The 349-billion dollar Paycheck Protection Program is so popular that Kennedy says more dollars are needed…
Cut 13 (09) “…relief”
Companies that qualify the loan can have it partially, or fully forgiven if it is used mostly to maintain payroll.
The Senate isn’t scheduled to meet again for several weeks, but Kennedy says this legislation could get passed by “unanimous consent” so that Congress could abide by social distancing guidelines.
Cut 14 (07) “job.”
Kennedy says it’s a lot of money to throw around but it’s vital it be done so that the economy can be saved. He says COVID-19 kills, but so does poverty.
Cut 15 (07)“…shut down.”
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The question is being asked more and more, will there be a college football season in the fall. College football insider Brett McMurphy at the Stadium Network has surveyed the 130 F-B-S athletic directors and he believes the best option is a football season starting in the spring
Cut 16 (20) “…the fall”
McMurphy says if they don’t play football until the spring, it could result in some of the top players in the game not playing…
cut 17 (20) “…NFL draft”
McMurphy says an option will be to play games in the fall without fans, but he believes A-D’s would prefer to wait until the spring so they can sell tickets
Cut 18 (25) “…do it”