AM LRN Newscall July 30

Local business owners in Hammond have collaborated with the North Oak Foundation by offering individuals 100 dollars when they get both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Erik Piccoli has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Erik Piccoli.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy along with other Republicans strike an agreement with Democrats and the White House on the Infrastructure Bill. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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With the federal moratorium on evictions ending on Saturday Louisiana renters behind on their payments could find themselves without a home while Covid cases continue to ravage the state. Erik Piccoli has the story…

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Erik Piccoli.” 

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More than 500 residents in the Hammond area will get vaccinated Saturday as part of a program offering them 100 dollars for rolling up their sleeves. Executive Director of the North Oaks Foundation Staci Arceneaux says the initiative was proposed by a local businessman fearing cases would return to peak pandemic levels…

Cut 4 (05) “…what happens.”

The initial 10,000 dollars raised allowed for 100 appointments and 24 hours after the initiative was launched all appointments were booked. Arceneaux says Tangipahoa Parish has the lowest vaccination rate in Louisiana and many more business owners decided to increase those numbers by funding the project…

Cut 5 (11) “…since then.”

Since the Pfizer vaccine requires two shots, participants in the program will receive $50 increments and must get both doses in order to receive the full $100. Arceneaux says since the project was launched the walk-in clinics have seen an uptick in patients…

Cut 6 (12) “…safe and healthy.”

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The one trillion-dollar infrastructure bill in Congress achieved a major hurdle in the Senate this week with Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy assisting with negotiations on the bipartisan bill. In addition to supplemental spending, the infrastructure bill would fund more than $6 billion for Louisiana’s roads and highways.

Cut 7 (10) “…demand.”

Cassidy says the state has more than 16-hundred bridges and over 34-hundred miles of highway in poor condition. The bill will authorize $6 billion in highway funding for Louisiana over five years.

Cut 8 (10) “…in Lafayette.” 

And there’s also funds to assist with deteriorating water and sewer systems in the state.

Cut 9 (09) “…water systems.”

If enacted Cassidy says this would be the largest investment in roads, bridges, broadband, and our coastline in the history of our state.

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With the federal moratorium on evictions set to expire tomorrow, Louisiana residents behind on their rent could be forced out of their apartments. Executive Director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center Cashauna Hill says Governor John Bel Edwards would need to step in to extend the moratorium since without it COVID cases could increase…

Cut 10 (10) “…homeless shelters.”

Nearly 100-thousand families in Louisiana are currently behind on their rent payments with the majority being African Americans. Hill says the same neighborhoods that had high eviction rates before the pandemic are the same ones that have low vaccination rates…

Cut 11 (12) “…Delta variant.”

The combination of debts owed to landlords, many renters receiving only minimum wage, and short supply of jobs has made rental assistance necessary to help those in need. Hill says she anticipates Judges will carry out evictions if the moratorium isn’t extended…

Cut 12 (08) “…going to have.” 

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300 dollar federally enhanced unemployment benefits expire this weekend, cutting off the benefit for the first time since the CARES Act was passed in March of 2020.

LSU Economist Loren Scott says he expects this will result in an uptick in employment next month because state plus federal benefits have been averaging out to about 13.60 an hour if you worked a full 40-hour workweek.

Cut 13 (09) “…comute.”

Currently, the max state benefit one can receive is 247 dollars.

Scott says there are plenty of job openings available for workers who will be transitioning off of benefits. He says he’s made over 200 calls with Louisiana business owners…

Cut 14 (07) “..right now.”

Louisiana’s June unemployment rate sat at 6.9 percent.

Scott says workers will be returning to a labor market that is a little more lucrative than it was before the pandemic began.

Cut 15 (09)“…nationally.”

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Drew Brees has been leading the Saints since 2006, so who takes his place? Running back Alvin Kamara is one guy who will take  on a bigger leadership role…

Cut 16 (19) “…next leader.”

With Brees gone, Alvin Kamara becomes more of the focal point of the offense. A-K is not concerned about more defenders heading his way…

Cut 17 (20) …get at you.” 

Saints linebacker DeMario Davis has been a leader on defense and expects more leaders will emerge as the season goes along…

Cut  18 (26)”…stand point.”