With the general election three months from today, the Secretary of State’s office is out with its inactive voter list. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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A Tulane University study made a one-of-a-kind discovery about how bats fight off diseases so effectively. Kace Kieschnick reports.
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The calendar has flipped to August, and that means it’s just about time for back-to-school shopping! Jeanne Burns reports.
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The general election is three months from today, and the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office has put out its inactive voter list. That number is currently at about 447-thousand, accounting for 15-percent of all registered voters. Trey Williams with the Secretary of State’s Office says there are two main reasons voters are moved to the inactive voter list.
One common misconception is that being on the inactive voter list means you can’t vote. That’s not true. And Williams says coming off that inactive voter list is actually very easy, and Secretary Nancy Landry won’t even make you write a three-page essay explaining why you failed to do your civic duty for more than a decade.
You can check to see whether you’re on the inactive voter list on Geaux Vote-dot-com. Williams says when you’re added to the list, the clock starts running towards being removed from the voter roll altogether.
Cut 6 (11) “…registration is cancelled.”
If that happens and you still live in Louisiana, you would simply need to re-register to vote.
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Researchers at Tulane University might have discovered how bats are able to carry so many viral diseases without getting sick themselves. Associate Professor Hannah Frank led the study and says the largest family of bats has special genes to produce antibodies that fight off pathogens.
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She says one gene system develops generally effective antibodies while the other recognizes and targets specific pathogens.
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Frank says understanding how bats coexist with viruses can help scientists understand immune systems in other species as well as viral development. She says numerous advancements could be made, thanks to this discovery.
Cut 9 (13) “…they’re most dangerous.”
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The calendar has flipped to August, and that means attention will soon turn to back-to-school shopping. But the National Retail Federation says for many, back-to-school shopping has already begun. Allison Zeller, the vice president of industry and consumer insights, says this year, 62-percent already got their back-to-school shopping underway, with a record-breaking 32-percent having done so all the way back in early June.
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In all, Americans are expected to spend almost 147-billion dollars in back-to-school shopping this year, from kindergarten all the way through college. NRF Chief Economist Mark Mathews says this comes as families’ budgets are a lot tighter due to zero wage growth caused by inflation and tariffs.
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Mathews says despite that, consumers have shown that they are willing to make sacrifices to spend on things that matter to their loved ones.
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NRF says it expects consumers to spend 40-billion dollars on electronics, 26-billion dollars on clothing, 18-billion dollars on shoes and 14-billion dollars on school supplies.
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***Mandatory credit to NBC’s “Meet The Press” with each air use***
Senator John Kennedy says U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro did the right thing by dropping the charges against former Olympic canoeist Davey Hearn after it was determined that damage to the reflecting pool was caused by botched installation and not vandalism on Hearn’s part. On NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Senator Kennedy said President Trump coming up with his theories as part of his political messaging is one thing; making those claims in a court of law is something else entirely.
On avoiding another government shutdown, Kennedy expressed opposition on “Meet The Press” to a bipartisan deal which would, in part, take away President Trump’s authority to review government grants.
On the ongoing talks with Iran, amid the news that Trump will halt planned attacks to allow talks to continue, Kennedy told “Meet The Press” that President Trump cannot take Iran for its word under any circumstances.
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Saints eighth overall pick Jordyn Tyson says he’s been excited to get involved during training camp. The Arizona State wide receiver has been limited since the draft as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Now good to go, he says he’s loved playing with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough.
The Saints drafted Tyson to create a dynamic pass-catching duo with top receiver Chris Olave. Tyson says Olave is a quiet guy; but every time he speaks, he tries to listen, because he knows it’s the truth.
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Tyson is known for his explosive playmaking after the catch and twitchy route running. He says he’s always had those skills.
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Saints head coach Kellen Moore confirmed defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will be undergoing season-ending ACL surgery. Bresee suffered the knee injury on the first day of training camp. Veteran interior defensive lineman Davon Godchaux says it was a freak accident, but he’s still determined to bring the best out of the unit.
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Godchaux is entering his tenth NFL season and second in New Orleans. The former LSU tackle will lead the way in the middle of the defensive front without Bresee, but he says it’s a group effort.
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Bresee was entering his fourth NFL season after being taken by New Orleans out of Clemson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s under contract through 2027.