Governor John Bel Edwards and Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Doctor Rebekah Gee will hold a press conference early this afternoon to discuss the roll out of Medicaid expansion. The program will be called “Healthy Louisiana” as the state seeks to improve health outcomes for the poor and uninsured.

The LSU AgCenter has deveoped an eye-drop to prevent and treat cataracts. Professor Cristina Sabliov says lutein is currently prescribed as an oral treatment for cataracts and eye diseases, but she says LSU AgCenter researchers have developed a solution to drop it directly into your eyes….
cut 11 (09) “…the eye”
The AgCenter is working to patent the drop.

The state department of education says the state’s high school graduation rate for the class of 2015 hit an all-time high of 78-percent, nearly a three-percent gain over the previous year.

ULM students, alumni and faculty have organized a mass emailing campaign that will take place around noon today to let state legislators know they are not happy about potential cuts to TOPS and higher education. ULM Online Program Coordinator Katherine Odom says one email from one person may not make much of a difference, but they hope hundreds of emails will….
cut 8 (10) “…an impact”
The full house is set to vote on a Senate-approved bill this afternoon that would lock the value of the TOPS scholarship at its current price and it would not go up automatically, even if tuition rises. Which means TOPS students would be forced to pay a portion of their tuition.

The southern half of the state is under a flash flood watch until seven o’ clock tonight. Much of the region is already water logged.