LRN PM Newscall December 15

U.S. Senator John Kennedy is featured in a viral video that shows him stumping one of President Trump’s judgeship nominees. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 1 (31) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Flu cases in the Deep South are on the rise with the highest numbers in Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (30) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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Today is the deadline to sign up for health care through the Affordable Care Act.  If persons do not have health insurance for 2018, they have until 10:59pm tonight or pay a penalty.  The State Director of Navigators for a Healthy Louisiana Brian Burton says premiums have increased, but the government subsides are also up…

Cut 3 (07) “buying power.”

Burton says 144-thousand Louisianans have purchased a health care plan at health care dot gov, which is about a 20-percent increase of persons from 2017.  Burton says there are some 66-thousand in the state who qualify but don’t use it…

Cut 4  (09) “the assistance.” 

Burton says if you haven’t secured health insurance yet and plan on using health care dot gov, get ready to wait a while…

Cut 5  (11)  “the phone.”

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U.S. Senator John Kennedy is making headlines for his questioning of a President Donald Trump judgeship nominee. In the viral video, Matthew Spencer Peterson struggles to answer Kennedy’s legal questions while before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here’s a snippet…

Cut 6 (09)  “okay”

Kennedy proceeds to ask Peterson about his experience with certain laws that would be necessary to understand if granted the position of federal judge.

Cut 7 (11)  “my disposal”

Kennedy says it was never his intention to bring this kind of attention to the situation but it’s his job to ask tough questions of those who could serve as a federal judge. He says the FBI vets all nominees but they don’t vet them on their knowledge of the laws.

Cut 8 (12) “in court.”

Kennedy says Trump’s advisers were wrong by allowing him to nominate Peterson. He says if Peterson became a federal district court judge…..

Cut 9 (12)  “the toughest”

A vote has not been taken yet on Peterson’s confirmation.

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Questions remain surrounding the death of two people found in a St. Landry Parish lake this week.  Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the initial autopsy finds that 21-year-old Lia Ali Kazan of Shreveport and 30-year-old Anthony Michael Murray of Rapides Parish drowned.  Guidroz says they know that Murray kidnapped Kazan in a parking lot of an Alexandria motel and her vehicle ended up in the lake…

Kazan was reported missing while visiting friends in Alexandria.  Her body was found by dive teams after a fisherman pulled up her purse from the lake.  Guidroz says the investigation continues and they are waiting for the toxicology reports…

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The flu season is ramping up in the Deep South with the highest number of cases in Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. State Health Department Flu Bug Expert Dr. Frank Welch says it’s rare to see this many flu cases in December.

Cut 12 (09) “high number”

Welch says Louisiana has already hit the CDCs highest criteria of widespread for flu activity. He says the Influenza A strain is very strong making people extremely sick and can even be fatal as we’ve seen in previous flu seasons in the Bayou State.

Cut 13 (08)  “taken lightly”

Welch says the active flu season can be blamed on the Influenza A strain and the flu vaccine is only 30% effective against it. But he still strongly suggests getting the flu shot because it helps protect against four different strains of the virus.

Cut 14 (11) “gather together”

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Former Governor Kathleen Blanco spoke at the 2017 commencement of her alma mater, UL-Lafayette, Friday morning. Earlier this week, Blanco announced a rare form of eye cancer she faced six years ago had returned and spread to her liver. She addressed her diagnoses as she spoke to UL-Lafayette grads.:

Cut 15 (08) “but I’m hoping not”

Blanco, who served as governor during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, urged graduates to persevere in the face of adversity. She says even though there are no known treatments to cure the type of melanoma she has, her hope remains alive…:

Cut 16  (09)  “in God’s hands”