LRN AM Newscall August 29

The first U-S Gulf offshore wind auction to fuel the gulf coast region’s green hydrogen push takes place today. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (32)  “….I’m Teiko Foxx.”

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In June, the State Office of Motor Vehicle informed residents of a data breach that put everyone in their system at risk.  Brooke Thorington has more from an expert on what you should do.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Today is the 18th anniversary of when Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana. Brooke Thorington has a look at the recovery

Cut 3 (32) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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The first auction of offshore leases for wind power development in the Gulf of Mexico takes place today. Interim LSU Center for Energy Studies Director Greg Upton says a proposed sale for offshore acreage off of Lake Charles and two areas near Galveston will be leased.

Cut 4 (09) “…power grid.”

The tracts of water in the Gulf of Mexico up for auction have the potential to generate 3.7 gigawatts, that’s enough power for nearly 1.3 million homes. Upton says the economics of solar power may be more cost-competitive than offshore wind.

Cut 5 (12) “…economics closely.”

While the Biden administration has set a goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, Upton says companies like Entergy are embracing wind energy projects and reducing their carbon footprint.

Cut 6 (12) “…nuclear power.”

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The second Amendment Weekend Sales tax holiday returns to Louisiana this Labor Day weekend. In the past legislative session, the state Legislature reinstated the sales tax holiday, which had been suspended since 2018. L-D-R Secretary Kevin Richard (Ree-shard) says this is a great opportunity for hunters looking to stock up for the upcoming hunting season …

Cut 7 (09) “…in Louisiana.”

Purchases not eligible for the sales tax exemption include hunting dogs, animal feed, off-road vehicles and airboats.

Richard says from Friday to Sunday, you can purchase firearms, ammunition, specified hunting supplies, hunting appear and certain types of knives and not have to pay the state’s 4.45 sales tax…

Cut 8 (10) “…our citizens”

The 2nd amendment sales tax holiday was suspended in 2018 when the state was facing a severe budget shortfall. Richard says a back to school sales tax holiday and a Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax holiday were also suspended….

Cut 9 (09)  “…second amendment holiday”

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It was just over two months ago when the State Office of Motor Vehicles alerted residents that their personal data was compromised in a cyber security breach. James Lee with the Identify Theft Resource Center says it was the MOVEit File Transfer System that OMV used and others affected individuals across the globe.

Cut 10 (12) “…40-million people.”

Lee says they are still finding more and more organizations have been impacted and he expects those numbers to grow. He says there are other states like Louisiana that had an entire database of information stolen.

And while some might think if nothing’s happened by now, they are in the clear, Lee says otherwise. He says criminals are using the information to impersonate people…

Cut 11 (13) “…down the road.”

Lee says there are things that people need to do to protect their information and things you can do to make it less useful when their information is stolen. OMV is offering free credit monitoring service for those with a Louisiana driver’s license or state-issued ID and he says you should take advantage of that. But the most important thing you should do is to freeze your credit.

Cut 12 (07) “…your credit.”

He says you can do that online with credit bureaus and when you need to apply for credit, you unfreeze it, and then when you’ve finished applying you freeze your credit again.

ITRC is a 24-year-old non-profit organization that assists individuals who are victims of identity crimes.

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On this 18th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s powerful landfall in southeast Louisiana, some would argue parts of New Orleans improved while other parts of the city continue to struggle. President of Greater New Orleans, Inc. Michael Hecht says it’s certainly a mixed bag comparing the city before and after.

Cut 13 (13) “…the hurricane.”

As for areas that grew post-Katrina, Hecht says they include the Northshore, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Parishes. As for a comeback story, Hecht says his favorite is the Arabi Chalmette area of St. Bernard Parish.

Cut 14 (08) “…the country.” 

Among the misconceptions about Katrina is that only the area of the city that flooded was the Lower Ninth Ward.  Hecht says several areas were inundated with water, but areas that had better resources were able to rebuild.

On the flip side, Hecht, unfortunately, says the Lower Ninth Ward area of the Crescent City is one that has not recovered.  He says often people forget just how vibrant that area of New Orleans once was.

Hecht says residents in the Lower Ninth Ward didn’t have the means to rebuild compared to wealthier parts of the city who did. He says there were unintended consequences on how rebuilding programs were based on the home’s value.

As for where the city is headed, Hecht says there’s enormous opportunity across the economic spectrum and tourism is thriving as well. On the other hand,

Cut 15  (12) “….of the state.”

Today is also the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida. Lengthy power restoration was a widespread issue of the Category Four storm.

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We are five days away from 5th-ranked LSU kicking off the season against eighth-ranked Florida State in Orlando. The Seminoles held on for a 24-23 victory last year in the Superdome. Tigers Coach Brian Kelly says he has a better team this year…

Cut 16 (10) “…and execute.”

The Tigers are counting on a big season from quarterback Jayden Daniels. The fifth-year senior QB will be starting his second year with the Tigers, and Kelly says they’ve encouraged Daniels to be more aggressive in the passing game….

Cut 17 (16) “and ten.”

This game features two of the best defensive players in college football, LSU linebacker Harold Perkins and Florida State defensive end Jared Verse. Perkins had 7.5 sacks last season, while Verse had nine. Kelly says they plan to line Perkins up in different spots on the field…

Cut 18 (30) “…as well”

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The Ragin Cajuns kick off the season on Saturday when they host Northwestern State. Michael Desormeaux is entering his second year as the team’s head coach and says what he is most confident in this year.

Cut 19 (20) “…beat yourself.”

Desormeaux believes he has a good team on his hands, but you never really know until you play another opponent…

Cut 20 (20) “…as a team.”