A shortage of cancer drugs used in chemotherapy is forcing physicians to ration or seek alternative medications. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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Dubbed the “Stay Back” bill, House-passed legislation granting cops the right to tell you to back off for your own safety clears a Senate committee hurdle. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
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LSU’s first opponent in the Baton Rouge Regional, Tulane, defied the odds to get in the NCAA Tournament. Kace Kieschnick has the story…
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Now that a deal has been reached between the U.S. House GOP majority and the White House to raise the federal debt ceiling and avoid a government default, the deal must be sold to House and Senate members. Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy says the deal has some drawbacks, but he basically approves in principle…:
Cassidy says the deal reached between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (and his team) and the Biden Administration defunds the 87-thousand new IRS agents funded by the previous Congress and makes other bold spending cuts…:
Cut 5 (09) “…epidemic is over.”
Cassidy says it is important to take steps to avoid a government default, but not without placing limits on how quickly the country can incur new debt to reach the new ceiling. He says the deal – in its current form – does that…:
The deal must be approved by majority votes in both House and Senate.
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A nationwide shortage of cancer drugs is forcing some physicians to either ration the chemotherapy drugs or try other medications. Dr. Amelia Jernigan with LSU Health New Orleans Gynecologic Oncology says they’ve noticed the shortage and they are substituting other meds when possible.
Among the medications are carboplatin and cisplatin which are used as a first-line chemo treatment for a variety of cancers. Jernigan says they are tried-and-true drugs that are generic and cost less than newer medications and that’s part of the problem.
Physicians and their staff are forced to file for Prior Authorizations with insurance carriers when they have to choose a non-generic alternative. Jernigan says it’s a lot of paperwork and the process can be lengthy. She has a suggestion if you or a family member are impacted by the shortages.
Jernigan says some treatment centers are having to choose between patients who can be cured with chemotherapy versus those who are on chemo for palliative care.
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A House-passed bill giving police the power to tell you to “stay back” while they’re engaged in their job passes out of a Senate Judiciary committee and will go to a Senate floor vote. In committee, bill sponsor and Pineville Republican Rep. Mike Johnson tells members the bill is about diffusing potentially volatile situations and is not an overreach by government…:
Cut 10 (09) “…his right…for space.”
The bill states that if a cop in commission of his job tells you to stay back, you must keep at least 25-feet distance. Johnson says it will help avoid misunderstandings that can become violent. New Orleans Democrat Senator Gary Carter doesn’t like the bill and tells Johnson so…:
Also opposed, is Megan Gentry, with the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, who feels the 25-foot rule in the bill is unconstitutionally vague. She says when the bill was in House Criminal Justice Committee, the distance confused them too…:
Despite the objections, and one failed attempt to defer the bill…the committee voted 4-2 to send HB 85 to the Senate floor for what could be final passage.
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Legislation to add the suicide crisis 9-8-8 number to state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs advances in House Transportation. Natchitoches Senator Louie Bernard says a group of students at Northwestern State who lost friends to suicide inspired the legislation.
Cut 13 (10) “…number to call.”
Bernard says until a mental health crisis impacts you or someone you care for we tend to put ideas on the back burner.
Cut 14 (09) “…driver’s license.”
The Office of Motor Vehicles says they will incur the cost of adding the crisis phone number 988 to the identification cards and driver’s licenses.
One death by suicide occurs every 11 minutes and in 2021 Louisiana had more than 680 suicides. One in five adults live with a mental health condition. Karen Stubbs with the Office of Behavioral Health with the Louisiana Department of Health oversees 9-8-8.
Senate Bill 34 heads to the House floor for final passage.
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Tulane will face 5-th seeded LSU in the first game of the Baton Rouge regional Friday. The Green Wave’s 19 wins are the worst of any tournament team but with a shocking performance in the American Athletic Conference tournament and win over now 15th-ranked East Carolina earned an automatic bid to the postseason. First-year coach Jay Uhlman said his squad left it all on the field…
Cut 16 (18) “.., and intentful.”
The Tigers defeated the Green Wave 11-5 in a midweek matchup in New Orleans earlier this year and are the heavy favorites to win the rematch and the regional. LSU boasts one of the most potent offenses in baseball, but Tulane pitcher Dylan Carmouche says they’re not invincible…
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LSU will host their first regional since 2019 with a chance to host a super regional. The Tigers lost in the Hattiesburg regional last year and fell to Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional in 2021. Coach Jay Johnson hopes playing at home will give the Tigers the advantage they’ve been missing…
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UL-Lafayette defied the odds to earn one of the final spots in the NCAA postseason. After finishing 4th in the Sun Belt, the Cajuns rallied to win two win-or-go-home games over Coastal Carolina in the conference tournament semifinals. Although they didn’t come away with the Sun Belt Championship, pitcher Jackson Nezuh says the experience will be crucial to their success in the postseason…
Cut 19 (18) “…know we can do it.”
The Cajuns will face Texas in the Coral Gables regional hosted by 8th-ranked Miami Friday. UL-L fought with their backs against the wall to earn the opportunity to keep playing, but Nezuh says with the records reset, the Cajuns have no plans of stopping now…