Fast food restaurant, Wendy’s, announced they’ll start using self-serving kiosks at over 6-thousand locations. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Scientists are in the Gulf to study the effects of the recent 88-thousand gallon Shell oil spill that’s about 90 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has more…
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A bill has been approved by the Senate and the House Transportation that would raise the fine for texting or using social media while driving from $175 to $500 for a first offense. Halen Doughty has more…
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The fast food chain, Wendy’s, will offer self-serving kiosks at over 6-thousand locations across the country by the end of this year. Tulane Business Professor Mark Rosa says this is what we can expect for the future and many European fast food restaurants are using kiosks to take orders. He says other fast food restaurants are the U.S. could move in this direction because of higher minimum wages.
In California, the state minimum wage will soon increase to 15-dollars and the city of New York also has a minimum wage of 15-bucks. Rosa says minimum wage earners in these areas could be making more than those who have recently achieved a degree from college. He says those pushing for a higher minimum wage should be cautious, because this could lead to a loss of entry level jobs.
Rosa says Wendy’s will likely start using the kiosks where the minimum wage is the highest, like in California and New York. He says we live in a do it yourself economy and most people won’t mind the self-serve kiosk.
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Scientists are in the Gulf of Mexico studying the effects of the 88-thousand gallon oil spill from a Shell oil field. Florida State University Oceanographer, Dr. Ian MacDonald, says they want to find out what will happen as the oil starts to decompose and the impacts on marine life. He says the leak is contained, but oil remains on the surface.
The leak occurred on Thursday about 90 miles off of Louisiana’s coast, near Timbalier Island. MacDonald says porpoise and fish are swimming through the thick oil. He says scientists were funded to study oil spills after the massive BP spill in 2010 and will collect water samples to look at how the bacteria is responding with this most recent oil spill.
MacDonald says it’ll be a few weeks before data is back, but they should get some good results from cameras that go under the floating oil to see how it falls to the sea floor. He says even though this is considered a minor spill, the cleanup efforts are not enough.
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Medical marijuana legislation is heading to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. The bill by Parks Senator Fred Mills expands the list of conditions medical marijuana can be used once it becomes available. Mills says those with cancer, epilepsy or HIV/AIDS will benefit from this measure.
The ag centers at LSU and Southern have first right of refusal to grow the state’s medical marijuana, but they have not yet agreed to do it. Under this bill, they would have to make a decision by September. Mills says he thinks this bill could get them to agree to grow the cannabis.
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Opponents to the bill say it will open the door for the legalization of recreational marijuana. But Mills says that’s not the case. He says this measure is just about getting medication to the people who need it.
Governor Edwards is expected to sign the bill, but Mills says it will probably be another year or two before the public has access to medical marijuana.
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Senate approved legislation to increase the fines for texting or using social media while driving unanimously passed out of the House Transportation Committee. Baton Rouge Senator Yvonne Colomb says using a cell phone while driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do behind the wheel.
The bill seeks to raise the fine from $175 to $500 for a first offense. Colomb says texting while driving is a serious problem because so many people are doing it, and she says it’s costing people their lives.
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No one spoke out in opposition to the bill. Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle supports the proposal and hopes higher fines will get people to stop this dangerous habit.
The measure now heads to the House floor for final legislative passage.
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The LSU baseball team hosts Northwestern State in a non-conference match-up tonight. After the game against the Demons, LSU will have three more games left with number one ranked Florida. The Tigers are currently tied with Ole Miss for third place in the SEC West, but Coach Paul Mainieri says the team still has the chance to move up in the league standings…
LSU enters the final week of the regular season with a 17-9 conference record. Mainieri says that’s not a bad record…
The Tigers bring an eight-game winning streak into the final week of the regular season. Mainieri says they need to keep winning to improve their seeding in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Tonight’s starting pitcher, John Valek, says they know what needs to be done…