Parts of The Mississippi River are so low that barge shipments are being limited just after crops have been harvested. Whitney Thomas has more…
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Whitney Thomas.”
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Can Louisiana ever do away with state income tax? One lawmaker says “yes”, but it will take bold action. More from Kevin Gallagher…:
Cut 2 (32) “….I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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The United Cajun Navy remains active in Florida assisting with recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Low water is limiting the amount of grain that can be shipped via barge along the Mississippi River. Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says 99% of the water in the Mississippi River comes from northern states and after little to no rain its hindering Agriculture shipments.
Strain says barges are vital in getting commodities from one place to another. They are now looking for different shipment options.
Barge rates are expected to increase due to the demand. Strain says this will affect consumers financially for different reasons.
Cut 6 (11) “…chain disruptions.”
Louisiana farmers will also face financial disadvantages as the cost of shipping continues to rise
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More discussion of possibly doing away with Louisiana state income tax. One lawmaker who has proposed that is Mandeville Republican Representative Richard Nelson, who says it will require other sources of revenue to offset those taxes. At Baton Rouge Press Club Monday, Nelson one possible source is lowering the homestead exemption on property taxes, which he says chokes local governments of operating funds…:
Cut 7 (08) “…pays no tax at all.”
Nelson says another revenue offset would be eliminating the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, which incents manufacturers who make a commitment to jobs and payroll in the state. He calls it giving money to people who aren’t going anywhere anyway. He says companies move to Texas because their net tax load is virtually zero compare to ours…:
Cut 8 (08) “…companies and people away.”
Nelson sponsored a bill to end state income tax in 2021, which did not pass muster at the Capitol. He says any plan to do away with state income tax will need to be “revenue neutral” or it will not pass the legislature, so alternate revenue sources need to be decided. He says what state government HAS been doing is no longer working…:
Cut 9 (13) “…the can down the road.”
Repealing state income tax would be a Constitutional Amendment; requiring two-thirds votes in each chamber and the Governor’s signature before it could be sent to voters.
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New hope for Alzheimer’s sufferers. A Japanese drug manufacturer says its experimental Alzheimer’s drug reduced cognitive and functional decline by 27 percent in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s. The drug is called lecanemab (LAH-CAN-EH-MAB). The director for Dementia Research and Prevention at LSU’S Pennington Biomedical Research Institute says this is a potential big breakthrough in treating Alzheimer’s
The study included 1,800 patients and some of them did experience some side effects, including brain swelling and bleeding, but Keller says based on the trial’s data they were rarely symptomatic, which is also good news…
Keller says the FDA usually requires more studies and several years to approve new drug therapies. However, he says since there are no existing drugs that actually slow down Alzheimer’s he is hoping that efforts to fast-track it for patient use will be effective.
In Louisiana, 92,000 individuals age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s.
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The United Cajun Navy continues to aid Floridians in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Spokesperson Brian Trascher says it’s a slow process due to a number of highways and byways still under water, damaged, or blocked by debris.
Cut 13 (08) “…logistics vehicles.”
Trascher says they’d like to have more supplies on the ground, but some areas remain inaccessible.
It’s been quite some time since the western coast of Florida was impacted by a major hurricane and Trascher says that’s allowed for even more construction with less oversite compared to other areas of the state.
Cut 14 (11) “…streamed everywhere.”
The collapse of a portion of the Sanibel Causeway has cut off access to barrier islands. Trascher says they were finally able to make it to Captiva Island and while most residents have evacuated there are some who don’t want to leave their homes.
Cut 15 (10) “…inhabitable again.”
To donate you can visit UnitedCajunNavy.org
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25th-ranked LSU rallied from a 17-0 deficit to beat Auburn on Saturday, but only threw for 85 yards. Coach Brian Kelly says the passing game must improve with the Tigers taking on eighth-ranked Tennessee this Saturday
Kelly says Jayden Daniels will start at quarterback this Saturday after leaving the Auburn game with a knee injury. The coach says it’s great that Daniels has yet to throw an interception this season, but wants to see him more aggressive in order to spark more big plays in the passing game…
LSU fans are not happy about the 11 AM start this Saturday. But Kelly still wants a loud Tiger Stadium…
Cut 18 (17) “…awesome opportunity.”
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The Saints are 1-and-3 and it’s easy to see why. They’ve turned it over an NFL-high 11 times and have committed 34 penalties, second most in the league behind Denver. Coach Dennis Allen says turnovers will be a big emphasis in practice this week as New Orleans has an NFL-worst minus-seven turnover ratio…
Allen says he wants to eliminate the mistakes that have led to a three-game losing streak…
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