AM Newscall 04/02/2020

The Louisiana Direct Seafood marketing program is helping fishermen sell their catch at a time when they’ve lost revenue from restaurants. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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Over the next three weeks, the IRS will be dropping money from the $2.2 trillion emergency relief bill into the bank accounts of Americans. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 2 (33) “…Kevin Barnhart ” 

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Governor Edwards warns Louisianans to start mentally preparing for a traumatic month ahead due to COVID-19 . Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 ()  “…I’m Matt Doyle”  

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 The state’s seafood industry is hurting with restaurant business taking a dive because of COVID-19.  Now, they are getting help in offloading their catch direct to consumers with the help of the marketing tool LouisianaDirectSeafood.com.  LSU AgCenter coastal agent Rusty Gaude (GO-TAY) says they’ve set up the website to connect the fishermen with those looking buy the catch.

Cut 4 (11)_ “…with that catch.”

Gaude says the website posts from harvesters detail what they’ve caught, prioritizing the post order by the freshest catch.

Cut 5 (09)  “…messages get buried.”

With the pipeline to restaurants being in a state of uncertainty, Gaude says this is a vital lifeline for the seafood industry.

Cut 6 (06) “…this hard time.”

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The Treasury Department and IRS announce the distribution of the economic impact payments will be sent out in the next three weeks.  Senior tax manager at Hannis T. Borgeois Brad Tate says an income of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples will be the dividing line between getting a full $1,200 rebate or a smaller payment.

Cut 7 (09) “…married filing jointly.”

Tate says the IRS will be using the most recent info on file to get recipients their money.

Cut 8 (11) “…into your bank account.”

Tate says if you believe the IRS has outdated info of where to send your money, be on the lookout for an IRS media blitz.

Cut 9 (12) “…rebate check quicker.″
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is warning folks not to fall for fake news about bans on fishing or other outdoor activities during the coronavirus shutdown.

LDWF spokesperson Renee LeBreton says outside of the seizure of a few state parks for COVID patients, nothing has changed when it comes to what you can do outdoors.

Cut 10 (11) “…fake.”

LeBreton says in fact LDWF is encouraging people to go exploring nature, maybe catch some fish, or go hunting. He says it’s a great way to stay away from other people.

Cut 11 (09) “…offer”

LeBreton says instead of trusting some random person on Facebook, trust the professionals to tell you what is and is not allowed right now.

Cut 12 (08) “…there”

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Governor Edwards paints a grim picture of just how long, and how severe the coronavirus epidemic could get in Louisiana as the nation braces for an estimated 100,000-250,000 COVID deaths.

The state is tentatively set to lift the shelter in place order April 30th, but Edwards says it’s likely that life will not return to normal for quite a long time.

Cut 13 (09) “…vaccine”

And he adds it depends on when we can begin testing people to see if they have anti-coronavirus antibodies that will give them natural immunity.

Edwards warns even if the statewide stay at home order is lifted in the near future, other countries have shown there’s no guarantee it won’t be needed again.

Cut 14 (08) “here”

Current projections have the New Orleans region running out of ventilators by April 6th. Edwards says after that date new patients who need one will be put on non-ICU standard equipment.

Cut 15 (11)“…ventilator”

About a third of all patients who will be admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 are expected to need a ventilator.

Edwards says even in best case projections many Louisianans will die because they can’t get the care they need, because even with the use of non-standard equipment…

Cut 16  (11)  “…need them” 

Louisiana already is home to 4 of the top 6 parishes/counties in per capita COVID deaths.

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The Saints are preparing for the NFL draft at Dixie Brewery in New Orleans east, an establishment owned by Gayle Benson. Teams are forced to find alternative locations for their draft war rooms, because teams are not allowed in their own facilities. Payton says since they are not allowed to bring draft prospects in or go visit them, it will impact their decisions on who they pick…

cut 17  (30) “…looking for” 

Payton says he feels good after testing positive last month from the coronavirus. He says he never had the respiratory issues that many patients suffer from. The coach says they are practicing social distancing in the draft war room and they are using a lot of video teleconferencing

Cut 18  (19) “…six or seven”   

And Payton has clarified his comments he made to ESPN about his quarterback Drew Brees. The coach says he didn’t mean to indicate that 2020 would be his final season, in face he really doesn’t know…

cut 19 (20) mentally”  

5:30 PM Newscast

The reported death toll has risen by 34 from COVID-19 in Louisiana, down from yesterday’s high of 54, but still one of the highest days on record. We’re now over 6,400 confirmed state cases with 1,500 hospitalizations for COVID-19. The state’s total reported fatalities: 273.

The oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and the coronavirus pandemic has brought the state’s oil and gas industry to its knees. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

The New Orleans region is now projected to run out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients on April 6th, and the state is scrambling to try and secure more. When you combine requests to the feds and private companies, Louisiana has requested 14,000 ventilators total, but Edwards says that doesn’t mean 14,000 people are projected to need them.
Cut 11 (11) “…time.”
490 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators in Louisiana as of the noon update.
LSU’s DeepDrug team is using artificial intelligence to analyze anti-viral drugs or drug combinations that could be used to treat COVID-19 patients. LSU Computer Science Professor Supratik Mukhopadhyay (Moo-co-pod-a) says drugs like hydroxychloroquine appear promising, but cardiac patients shouldn’t take the anti-malarial…

Cut 12 (07) “…patients”

4:30 PM Newscast

The New Orleans region is now projected to run out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients on April 6th. The state received 150 ventilators from the feds today, but that number has already been factored into models warning of a shortage this weekend. Governor Edwards says at least…
Cut 10 (09) “…ICU”
490 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators in Louisiana as of the noon update.
LSU’s DeepDrug team is using artificial intelligence to analyze anti-viral drugs, or drug combinations that could be used to treat COVID-19 patients. Once the ten to fifteen possibilities are discovered, LSU Computer Science Professor Supratik Mukhopadhyay (Moo-co-pod-a) says LSU will move to test them in more traditional clinical and lab settings.
Cut 14 (08) “…week”
DeepDrug is a current semifinalist for the IBM Watson AI X-PRIZE.

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is encouraging small businesses to get a jump on filling out applications for the Payroll Protection Act. Small businesses can apply to receive low-interest loans, with money that is used for payroll being forgiven. Graves says the funding is not intended to float the payrolls of small businesses for the rest of the year.

Cut 5 (08)  “…4 month period.”

The program is part of the $2.2 trillion emergency relief legislation.

As oil prices continue to drop the outlook for Louisiana workers in the industry continues to look bleak. Oil is trading in the low twenties and President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says the situation is dire and two weeks ago when he surveyed members the predictions were extreme.

Cut 6 (11) “…90 days.”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

Saints Coach Sean Payton called himself a big dummy today when speaking to reporters on a conference call. Payton said he misspoke when he said on ESPN that Quarterback Drew Brees would be playing in his final season in 2020. The coach says nothing has changed with Brees, and that the 41-year-old is taking it year-by-year.

LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward says nothing has changed with basketball coach Will Wade’s employment. The H-B-O documentary the Scheme aired the FBI wiretap of Wade talking with a federally convicted middleman about the strong offer to get guard Javonte Smart to sign with LSU. Woodward says they are aware of the documentary and they’ll continue to cooperate with all reviews into the matter. A Sports Illustrated report says NCAA investigators watched the documentary and took notes.

You will not be able to watch Wimbledon this year. The big tennis event at the All England Club has been canceled for the first time since 1945.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said previously that he hoped the NBA could re-start its season in mid-May. But Cuban said today on ESPN’s Get Up he has no idea on when teams can return to the court. Cuban says the only thing he knows is that they’ll put safety first and they will not take any chances.

In college sports. the NCAA has extended the recruiting dead period through May 31st. So that means no unofficial or official visits for high school or transfer prospects. So a lot of the players in the transfer portal might have to make a decision on a school without ever physically visiting the school.

And here’s a nice gesture, Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo will give each minor leaguer in the Rangers organization one-thousand dollars during this shutdown. Major League Baseball ahs said that minor-league players will get 400-dollars a week through May 31st.

Also, the London Series, between the Cubs and Cardinals in mid-June has been canceled.

3:30 PM Newscast

The New Orleans region is now projected to run out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients on April 6th. Governor Edwards says they’re scouring the medical community trying to figure out where they might have ventilators that are not in need, even if they aren’t high-powered ICU models.

Cut 9 (10) “…at all.″

490 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators in Louisiana as of the noon update.
LSU’s DeepDrug team is using artificial intelligence to analyze anti-viral drugs, or drug combinations that could be used to treat COVID-19 patients. The FDA has approved about 90 antiviral treatments for general use, and LSU Computer Science Professor Supratik Mukhopadhyay (Moo-co-pod-a) says each will be simulated to see how it would treat COVID patients.

Cut 13 (07) “…them”

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is encouraging small businesses to get a jump on filling out applications for the Payroll Protection Act. Small businesses can apply to receive low-interest loans, with money that is used for payroll being forgiven. Graves says applications will be accepted starting April 3.
Cut 3 (10)  “…applications are accepted.”  
The program is part of the $2.2 trillion emergency relief legislation, but this particular allocation is subject to a funding cap, adding to the urgency of filing quickly.
As oil prices continue to drop the outlook for Louisiana workers in the industry continues to look bleak. Oil is trading in the low twenties and President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says if prices do not recover by June first, storage facilities for oil will reach capacity and that’s when the industry will most definitely see a reduction in workers.
Cut 8 (10) “…everywhere else.”

PM Newscall 04/01/2020

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves urges small businesses to start filling out the application for the Payroll Protection Act.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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The oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and the coronavirus pandemic has brought the state’s oil and gas industy to its knees. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

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Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is encouraging small businesses to get a jump on filling out applications for the Payroll Protection Act. Small businesses can apply to receive low-interest loans, with money that is used for payroll being forgiven. Graves says applications will be accepted starting April 3.

Cut 3 (10)  “…applications are accepted.”  

The program is part of the $2.2 trillion emergency relief legislation, but this particular allocation is subject to a funding cap, adding to the urgency of filing quickly.

Money used to fund other aspects of compensation like benefits such as healthcare and retirement will also be forgivable. Graves says the funds will help keep businesses from making layoffs and firings.

Cut  4 (07)_ “…families above water.”

Graves says the funding is not intended to float the payrolls of small businesses for the rest of the year.

Cut 5 (08)  “…4 month period.”

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As oil prices continue to drop the outlook for Louisiana workers in the industry continues to look bleak. Oil is trading in the low twenties and President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says the situation is dire and two weeks ago when he surveyed members the predictions were extreme.

Cut 6 (11) “…90 days.”

Briggs says local companies are taking a huge hit in profits not only from the virus but also from Saudi Arabia and Russia ramping up production. Briggs says the two factors have resulted in a 90-percent reduction in prices for Louisiana Light Sweet Crude Oil since January.

Cut 7 (07) “…three months.”

Briggs says if prices do not recover by June first, storage facilities for oil will reach capacity and that’s when the industry will most definitely see a reduction in workers.

Cut 8 (10) “…everywhere else.”

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The New Orleans region could run out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients sometime this weekend. Governor Edwards says they’re scouring the medical community trying to figure out where they might have ventilators that are not in need, even if they aren’t high-powered ICU models.

Cut 9 (10) “…at all.″

490 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators in Louisiana as of the noon update.

The state received 150 ventilators from the feds today, but that number has already been factored into models warning of a shortage this weekend. At least…

Cut 10 (09) “…ICU”

When you combine requests to the feds and private companies, Louisiana has requested 14,000 ventilators total, but Edwards says that doesn’t mean 14,000 people are projected to need them.

Cut 11 (11) “…time.”

New Orleans is projected to run out of hospital bed space around Tuesday of next week.

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LSU’s DeepDrug team is using artificial intelligence to analyze anti-viral drugs, or drug combinations that could be used to treat COVID-19 patients.

LSU Computer Science Professor Supratik Mukhopadhyay (Moo-co-pod-a) says drugs like hydroxychloroquine appear promising, but cardiac patients shouldn’t take the anti-malarial…

Cut 12 (07) “…patients”

Before turning its attention to the coronavirus, DeepDrug was used to analyze potential antibiotic and antimicrobial treatments.

The FDA has approved about 90 antiviral treatments for general use, and Mukhopadyay says each will be simulated to see how it would treat COVID patients.

Cut 13 (07) “…them”

Once the ten to fifteen possibilities are discovered, Mukhopadyay says LSU will move to test them in more traditional clinical and lab settings.

Cut 14 (08) “…week”

DeepDrug is a current semifinalist for the IBM Watson AI X-PRIZE.

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230 PM LRN News

34 people died over the last day from COVID-19 in Louisiana, down from yesterday’s high of 54, but still one of the highest days on record. We’re now over 6,400 confirmed state cases with 1,500 hospitalizations for COVID, and 490 patients on ventilators.

And with the economy stalling out, Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves urges small businesses to start filling out the application for the Payroll Protection Act….

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

As oil prices hover in the low 20s the outlook for Louisiana workers in the energy sector is looking increasingly precarious. President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says local companies are taking a huge hit in profits not only from the virus but also from Saudi Arabia and Russia ramping up production. Briggs says the two factors have resulted in a 90-percent reduction in prices for Louisiana Light Sweet Crude Oil since January.

Cut 7 (07) “…three months.”

Briggs also blames the Saudi/Russian price war for industry struggles.

When you combine requests to the feds and private companies, Louisiana has requested 14,000 ventilators ahead of what could be a shortage impacting the state starting this weekend. Governor Edwards says when you see that 14,000 number though, that doesn’t mean that many people will need the devices.

Cut 11 (11) “…time.”

1:30 PM Newscast

The New Orleans region could run out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients sometime this weekend. Governor Edwards says they’re scouring the medical community trying to figure out where they might have ventilators. The state will be receiving about 150 ventilators from the feds today, but that number has already been factored into models warning of a shortage this weekend. At least…
Cut 10 (09) “…ICU”
490 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators in Louisiana as of the noon update.
LSU’s DeepDrug team is using artificial intelligence to analyze anti-viral drugs, or drug combinations that could be used to treat COVID-19 patients. LSU Computer Science Professor Supratik Mukhopadhyay (Moo-co-pod-a) says drugs like hydroxychloroquine appear promising, but cardiac patients shouldn’t take the anti-malarial…
Cut 12 (07) “…patients”

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is encouraging small businesses to get a jump on filling out applications for the Payroll Protection Act. Small businesses can apply to receive low-interest loans, with money that is used for payroll being forgiven. Graves says the funds will help keep businesses from making layoffs and firings.
Cut  4 (07)_ “…families above water.”
The program is part of the $2.2 trillion emergency relief legislation, but this particular allocation is subject to a funding cap, adding to the urgency of filing quickly.

As oil prices continue to drop the outlook for Louisiana workers in the industry continues to look bleak. Oil is trading in the low twenties and President of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association Gifford Briggs says the situation is dire and two weeks ago when he surveyed members the predictions were extreme.
Cut 6 (11) “…90 days.”

12:30 LRN Newscast April 1

The state is reporting 6424 cases of the coronavirus and 273 deaths an increase 1,187 cases, just shy of yesterday’s highest reported increased. The death toll increased by 34 today.  1498 of the reported cases are currently hospitalized.

The oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and the coronavirus pandemic has brought the state’s oil and gas industry to its knees. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

The New Orleans region is facing a potentially life-threatening situation, according to current projections, of running out of ventilators sometime this weekend. Governor Edwards says they’re currently scouring the medical community trying to figure out where they might have ventilators that are not in need, even if they aren’t high-powered ICU models.

Cut 9 (10) “…at all.″

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is encouraging small businesses to get a jump on filling out applications for the Payroll Protection Act. Graves says the funding is not intended to float the payrolls of small businesses for the rest of the year.

Cut 5 (08)  “…4 month period.”

The program is part of the $2.2 trillion emergency relief legislation, but this particular allocation is subject to a funding cap, adding to the urgency of filing quickly.

11:30 LRN Newscast April 1

Tuesday was the deadliest day in Louisiana’s fight against the coronavirus as the state reported 54 new deaths to bring the death toll to 239. Louisiana is also reporting 52-hundred cases as over 12-hundred new cases were reported yesterday. Governor John Bel Edwards…
Cut 8 (09) “…gets.”
Edwards says they know that the stay-at-home order and social distancing works and we’ll eventually see the results.

Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is encouraging businesses to get a jump on filling out applications for the Payroll Protection Act. Small businesses can apply to receive low-interest loans, with money that is used for payroll being forgiven. Graves says applications will be accepted starting April 3.

Cut 3 (10)  “…applications are accepted.”  

Pastor Tony Spell of the Life Tabernacle Church in Central in East Baton Rouge Parish faces six misdemeanor charges for holding large services, which goes against Governor Edwards ban on large gatherings. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore on why six counts…

Cut 11 (11) “…different days.”

More charges could be coming, as Reverend Spell held another large service last night.

Tulane Medical Center Laboratories might have an answer to the widespread frustration over the wait for test results for the coronavirus. Medical Director Dr. Byron Crawford says they already have the recently approved FDA equipment on-site and he’s confident this kind of technology will be widely available to other medical centers, and soon.

Cut 15 (08)“…patients”

The project is a joint venture by Tulane, LSU School of Medicine, Children’s Medical Center, and UMC