AM NEWSCALL
The employment situation is continuing to improve in Louisiana since the beginning of COVID-19 and post-Hurricane Ida. More from Dave Brannen.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Dave Brannen.”
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A Louisiana businessman’s legal fight to stop the White House COVID vaccine mandate for employers is going to the U.S. Supreme Court. More from Kevin Gallagher…:
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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Governor Edwards renews calls for indoor masking at state agencies and state health officials are calling on residents to mask up as what appears to be the 5th surge of COVID begins. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 3 (32) “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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There’s improvement to report in Louisiana’s job market. So says Ava Cates, Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, who notes some of the improvement that’s taken place since Hurricane Ida struck, and despite COVID-19.
Cates says the November jobless report shows a slight decline from October, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate now at five-point-one-percent.
Cates says the job gains are being seen in a broad range of industries.
Cut 5 (08) “…mining and logging.”
Secretary Cates says the seasonally-adjusted total nonfarm gain of 85-hundred jobs last month to one-million-365-thousand-300 jobs is the highest since March 2020, the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and she says there are still more people to put back to work.
Cut 6 (09) “..work-life balance.”
The unemployment rate has dropped for eight consecutive months with an over-the-year employment gain.
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A Louisiana businessman asks the U.S. Supreme Court to end the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for private businesses. Sarah Harbison, an attorney with the Pelican Institute, is representing Brandon Trosclair in the suit. She says a 5th Circuit federal appeals court agreed to suspend the mandate, but the 6th Circuit Appeals court tossed that out; allowing the White House mandate to continue…:
Cut 7 (09) “…evaluate the case.”
Under President Biden’s orders, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will oversee the mandate that all companies with 100 or more employees have them all vaccinated or face stiff penalties. Justice Kavanaugh has asked the High Court to respond no later than December 30th. Harbison says her client hopes the justices will agree the OSHA mandate is a government overreach…:
Cut 8 (16) “…their personal physicians.”
If the court upholds the president’s orders, employers will have to create or sub-contract a whole new level of bureaucracy to monitor workers’ health and enforce the mandate. Harbison’s client runs two grocery store chains; employing about 500. She says the expense of the mandate is unrealistic for many…:
Cut 9 (10) “…set up to do that.”
A January 10th deadline with OSHA to comply is looming.
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Louisiana faces several challenges in its efforts to address domestic violence, according to a Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s report. In 2017 Louisiana had the second-highest number of female homicides with more than half killed by an intimate partner. Performance Auditor Kristen Jacobs says adequate shelter for victims is a major issue.
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Mariah Wineski says while there are numerous challenges in the state, she says the report highlights the dire
The report found while there is a domestic violence training requirement for law enforcement officers there’s not a requirement for judges and district attorneys.
Jacobs says while the state has added a number of very strong domestic abuse laws, knowledge of the laws and oversight is an issue.
To view the full report, you can visit lla.LA.gov or at LRN.com
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Governor Edwards extends the state’s public health emergency order requiring face masks to be worn inside state agencies due to the increase in Omicron cases. State epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says the CDC recommends indoor masking for everyone regardless of vaccination status in areas with high or substantial community transmission.
Cut 13 (10) “…of transmission.”
State Health Officials say the significant uptick in COVID hospitalizations and cases are indicative of the beginning of a fifth surge. Sokol says going into the holidays there are fears it will only make things worse and we need to return to masking to reduce transmission.
Cut 14 (11) “…indoor public setting.”
Sokol says if you are attending a private indoor gathering with people outside of your immediate household you should mask to reduce transmission, especially for those who are more susceptible to the virus.
Cut 15 (09) “…individuals as well.”
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The 16th ranked LSU basketball team hosts Lipscomb tonight in the Tigers final game before a short Christmas break. The Tigers are one of six teams in Division one that’s still unbeaten after rallying back from a first-half double-digit deficit to beat Louisiana Tech on Saturday. LSU Coach Will Wade would rather not have to rally from big deficits to win…
Lipscomb is six and seven, while LSU is 11-and-0. It’s the first time the Tigers have started the season with 11 straight victories since the 1999-2000 season. Wade says putting together a double-digit winning streak is very difficult…
Cut 17 (18) “ different challenge”
LSU has three players averaging in double figures. Tari Eason, who comes off the bench and averages a team-high 16 points a game. Darius Days is averaging 15 points and nine rebounds a game and Xavier Pinson has transferred in from Missouri to average 10 points and five assists a game. Wade says Pinson has been a great addition out of the transfer portal