Louisiana has seen 14 months straight of year to year jobs gains. Jeff Palermo has more.
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An 18-year-old man is dead after a shooting involving two LSU football players in the Scotlandville area of Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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the Trump Administration is seeking to limit state’s abilities to claim economic hardship waivers for food stamp work requirements. Matt Doyle has more.
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The Edwards Administration is celebrating 14 straight months of year to year job gains for the month of November. New Orleans led all cities at 12,500 jobs added over the year, followed by Baton Rouge at 6,300 jobs, but Workforce Commission Chief Economist Ali Bustamante says he was particularly impressed by big gains in two areas.
Hammond is currently at an all-time high for employment.
Bustamante gives a lot of the credit to increased education spending, and the Medicaid expansion.
But the state did see plummeting personal income growth in the third quarter. At 2.3 percent, it’s down more than four percent from the first quarter. Governor Edwards put much of the blame for the drop on tariffs, and Bustamante says the numbers back that up.
Agriculture earnings dropped 101 million dollars last quarter.
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An 18-year-old man is dead after a shooting involving two LSU football players in the Scotlandville area of Baton Rouge. The incident happened just after noon on Saturday as the two players went to meet with 18-year-old Kobe Johnson to sell him an electronic item posted for sale online. Baton Rouge Police Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says it appears one of the athletes shot Johnson out of self-defense.
Cut 7 (07) “…of their belongings.”
The two student athletes,RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and LB Jared Small, were detained, but not arrested, and were released upon a deeper investigation of the incident. McKneely says that anyone who finds themselves in a position to conduction transactions in person of items listed on the internet, try to meet with people at safe transaction zones at police precincts parking lots.
Cut 8 (09) “…that something’s wrong.″
Ultimately, McKneely says the loss of life is a tragedy that certainly has shaken all parties involved.
Cut 9 (06) “…because of this.”
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The Trump Administration is proposing a food stamp rule change that would limit state’s abilities to claim economic hardship waivers that allow recipients to stay on the program even if they don’t meet the 20 hour a week work requirements. Anti-Hunger Advocate Danny Mintz most of those who qualify for the waiver are stuck in a rough job situation.
Mintz, who works with the Louisiana Budget Project, says over 70 percent of those who get the waiver find work within a year.
The waiver applies to childless adults between the age of 18 and 49, and early estimates say the proposed changes could impact 750,000 adults nationwide. Mintz says many of those who receive the waiver likely work jobs that don’t have the substantial paper-trial necessary to get federal benefits.
The rule changes will have to wait at least 60 days while the USDA take public comments.
Proponents claim that change would push more people into the workforce, but Mintz says revoking the waiver would target vulnerable populations like the homeless. He says taking food out of their mouths is unlikely to improve their ability to find and keep a job.
Louisiana has qualified for the waiver since 98’.
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The Saints 31-28 Sunday win over the Steelers now locks the black and gold into the number one seed in the playoffs, securing a playoff bye week and home field advantage. It was a nail biter for fans in the final minutes of the contest that is likely leaving Pittsburgh fans using their terrible towels to dry the tears that come with a loss. Saints QB Drew Brees, says much of the credit goes to the defense in working magic in the fourth quarter.
Brees says while the team does have a bye week in the playoffs, he’s hesitant to call it a week-off.
Cut 14 (20) “…games takes place.”
The victory marked the 117th win of the coach-QB duo of Coach Sean Payton & Drew Brees, making them the second most winning combo in the league’s history, only to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
When asked if the team is going to try and go into the playoffs with the same strategy as the 2009 Super Bowl season, Brees says the coach will be making the calls on how to handle that as the playoff schedule becomes more clear.
Cut 15 (15) “…place as well.”