PM LRN Newscall Mar 11

State lawmakers hear testimony on how the university helped cover up sex crimes committed by former running back Derrius Guice. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (35) “ …I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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If you feel your social media account was banned or limited due to your politics new legislation would allow you to sue the company responsible. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (30) …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

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The woman who has accused former running back Derius Guice of raping her while she was an LSU student told state lawmakers her story on how the school failed to follow up on her claim. Former LSU tennis player Abby Owens said her Dad told tennis coach Julia Sell what happened, but Owens said Sell called her a liar

Cut 3 (09)  “…be believed.”  

Owens says she felt unvalued and unprotected and left LSU. She also says she battled drugs and alcohol and depression after the assault. Owens says she has learned that Coach Sell reported the accusation to senior Associate A-D Miriam Seger, but the case was never fully investigated…

Cut 4 (10) “…came after.” 

Guice’s football career ended last year when he was arrested on domestic violence charges in Virginia. He has denied doing anything wrong while at LSU.

Samantha Brennan also testified before legislators and told her story of Guice allegedly taking a nude photo of her and distributing it to other members of the football team. She was asked by LSU officials if she wanted to report it officially or unofficially, which she felt was a lot of pressure on a 19-year-old…

Cut 5  (09)  “…someone’s life” 

Brennan says she left LSU after Guice became a more prominent member of the football team…

Cut 6 (11) “…behind me”

Two LSU athletic officials have been suspended for mishandling sexual assault cases, but several lawmakers believe harsher punishments should be handed out.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is issuing an alert to aquarium owners that moss ball products could be contaminated and if not disposed of properly could cause havoc on pipes and the ecosystem. LDWF”s Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Rob Bourgeois on how you might accidentally have them.

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Zebra mussels can clog pipes, damage boats, and even damage the ecosystem.

Bourgeois says not only can zebra mussels can destroy the filtration system in your aquarium but if released…

Cut 8 (04) “…fisheries.”

Be sure to check your aquarium for potential zebra mussel contamination. Bourgeois says you can visit the LDWF website for photos and guidance on how to dispose of them safely.

Cut 9 (12) “…rid of it”

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Legislation is filed that would allow you to take social media companies to court if they ban or restrict your account in a biased manner.

Alexandria Representative Lance Harris says he’s had tons of constituents voice concerns to him that social media companies are discriminating against them based on their ideology.

Cut 10 (11) “…beliefs.” 

The bill provides for civil liability in the event a service restricts user’s accounts based on their race, gender, political ideology, or religious beliefs.

Under the bill, if you feel your social media account was unfairly targeted you could take the company to court and potentially win 50,000 dollars in damages per violation.

Cut 11 (09) “…mine.

The legislation would also allow you to recoup court costs, fees, and attorney’s fees.

Opponents of the legislation say social media companies have a right to dictate what content their platforms host, but Harris says there’s already precedent for this type of regulation.

Cut 12 (11) “ …of that” 

The bill will be heard in the regular session that begins April 12.

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AARP’s latest dashboard indicates COVID infections and deaths are declining in nursing homes in Louisiana based on the case and fatality numbers from mid-January to mid-February. However, AARP State Director Denise Bottcher says we are not out of the woods yet.

Cut 13 (08)“…of 2020.”

New COVID infections among residents dropped from the previous 4-week period to 1,521 to 643 and deaths dropped from 347 to 183.

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COVID cases among staff dropped from 1,391 to 584.

Bottcher says they expect to continue to see case numbers and COVID deaths decline in nursing homes in the next dashboard and that the vaccines have been performed in all facilities to those who wished to be vaccinated.

Even as case numbers begin to decline, Bottcher says facilities must be diligent about testing.

Cut 15 (12) “…variant.” 

Bottcher says the pandemic has made staffing issues even worse at nursing homes. Currently, 32-percent of facilities report a shortage of staff.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a policy today allowing nursing home residents who have been vaccinated the ability to receive hugs from others who have completed their vaccines but should remain masked and use hand sanitizer to counterbalance the risk.

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