Alabama Republican Congressman Mo Brooks is taking heat for a campaign commercial that uses audio from the Congressional baseball shooting. Michelle Southern reports…:
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Michelle Southern”
______________________________________
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand announced today he will retire to become a radio talk show host. Halen Doughty has more…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”
______________________________________
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game brought nearly $45 million to the state, according to a new LSU study. Co-author of the report Dr. Stephen Barnes says visitors spent a total of $24 million in the region over the weekend. He says people who attended the game spent an average of $1,400 per person, while visitors who did not attend the game spent around $800 each.
Barnes says the weekend event in mid-February brought hundreds of visitors, including international tourists. Those visitors tended to be more affluent and stayed for several days, which contributed to the increased spending. He says that’s what makes an event like this a real money maker.
Cut 4 (11) “amount of spending”
Barnes says the NBA spent over $18 million on the event, with media promotions adding another $1.4 million. Sponsors contributed almost $4 million. He says that combined with secondary impacts is nearly $83 million in total spending, which generated over $2 million in new sales and excise taxes.
________________________________________________Alabama Republican Congressman Mo Brooks is making waves with a campaign commercial in which he uses audio from the shooting at the GOP baseball game that injured House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. The ad notes Brooks came to the aid of those wounded in the attack at a Virginia baseball park. Political analyst Dr. Silas Lee gives his take…:
A staffer for Scalise had said some people have different ideas about what’s appropriate. Lee says advocates for gun rights may not be offended by the spot, but he feels most candidates would not use the audio from the shooting…:
Cut 7 (10) “if that happened to him”
The ad touts Brooks’ support of the Second Amendment, and criticizes the media for asking questions about gun control after the shooting. Lee says the problem with a commercial like this is that there typically isn’t a grey area when it comes to gun advocacy, but it’s the middle of the road voters you have to think about…:
________________________________________________
Both of Louisiana’s US Senators have voted in favor of debate on a healthcare bill. Senior Senator Bill Cassidy has authored amendments to the GOP replacement bill, but they haven’t gained much support. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says Cassidy’s proposals run against the most conservative elements in the Republican Party.
Kennedy has proudly stated he will vote to repeal Obamacare even without a replacement. Cross says this is what got Kennedy elected to the position.
The Edwards administration has raised concerns about repealing the current federal healthcare law. They say over 400-thousand Louisiana residents are insured because of the expansion of Medicaid. Cross says Cassidy, who has worked as a doctor in the state’s charity hospital system, understands the risks of taking away health insurance to thousands.
__________________________________________________________
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand announced his retirement today, as the most vocal sheriff in the state will soon take to the airwaves. After spending 10 years at the helm of JPSO, Normand says a good leader knows when it’s time to leave. He adds good leaders evaluate opportunities.
Mid-morning host Garland Robinette announced his retirement from WWL earlier this month. The sheriff joked that he’d be stepping across the line to the dark side and joining the media. But he’s excited to lead in a different way. He says that’s what intrigued him most about this opportunity.
Normand will retire on August 31 and Chief Deputy and former state representative Joe Lopinto will be sworn in as the next sheriff of Jefferson Parish. Normand began his career in law enforcement in 1977 in Orleans Parish. He says although rewarding, it’s not an easy job.
__________________________________________________________
A seven-year-old boy is dead after he was electrocuted by the neighbor’s fence in Winnsboro. Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb says the boy was playing with his little sister and attempted to retrieve a ball that went over the fence…
Cobb says there was an electrical current along the fence line, because the neighbor was trying to prevent his dog from digging underneath the fence. He says the child was found unresponsive next to the fence…