AM Newscall 03.29.19

President Donald Trump is pivoting back to healthcare and Senator John Kennedy says that means another crack at repealing Obamacare. Kevin Barnhart has the story

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Baton Rouge Businessman and Republican candidate for Governor Eddie Rispone says he’s in the race not as a career politician, but as an outsider.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

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CBD products are going on sale over the count nationwide at stores like CVS and Walgreens, but you won’t find them in Louisiana.  Kevin Barnhart has the story.

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With the Mueller Report in the rear-view mirror, President Trump says he and his Republican colleagues will become the “party of healthcare”.

The party failed to pass an Affordable Care Act repeal in 2017 despite a Congressional majority, but Senator John Kennedy says they won’t be giving up on efforts to undue the nine-year-old Obamacare.

Cut 4 (11) “…start over.”

The President authorized an effort by the Department of Justice to maintain a decision in the New Orleans based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals to dismantle the ACA.

The last effort to undue Obamacare is credited in part by analysts with ushering in the new Democratic House majority. One of the primary concerns was that Republicans had no replacement plan ready to pass Congress if they did undo the law. Kennedy says this time around that must change.

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Real Clear Politics average of polls shows the ACA has 50 percent approval, and 40 percent disapproval.

But the effort will likely face even more challenges now than it did in 2017 with Democrats in control of the House. Kennedy says that may complicate the effort.

Cut 6 (10) “…good faith”

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The Tigers take on Michigan State and their hall of fame coach Tom Izzo tonight at 6:09 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Will Wade saga intensified yesterday with a new Yahoo report, but despite the recruitment scandal, interim coach Tony Benford says the suspended coach still stays in touch with the team.

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The report says an FBI wiretap caught Wade discussing a “strong deal” to a baton rouge basketball influencer, reportedly for Javonte Smart. Wade then says the deal was turned down because they wanted a bigger piece of the “pie”.

But the Will Wade recruitment scandal isnt the only emotional challenge the team faced this year. Wingman Wayde Sims was shot dead reportedly defending a friend in a confrontation in September. Benford says the team has carried Sims memory through the tournament.

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It’s LSU’s best tourney run since 2006 when they made the Final Four, and they’ve managed to do it with a coach who took control of the team just before the final game of the regular season. Benford, who coached North Texas until last year, says he’s ready for his moment.

Cut 9 (11) “…in that″

Benford had a 62-95 record in Denton during his four season run.

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The Republican candidates for Governor made appearances yesterday at an event in Baton Rouge hosted by the Pelican Institute.  Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone was the first GOP contender to announce his campaign.  When asked what makes him stand out from the other candidates, Rispone says he’s a businessman who has been in business a long time, not a politician.

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When asked about his focal points for his campaign, Rispone says his outsider perspective as a businessman will help enhance job growth in the state.

Cut 11 (09) “…to be filled.”

Rispone says for decades the state has been electing career politicians, yet Louisiana is ranked at the bottom by many metrics.  He says in many other areas, electing a businessman has shown improvement in Government.

Cut 12 (12) “…their states around.”

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CVS and Walgreens are beginning to distribute over-the-counter CBD products on the national level, but don’t expect to see it at your local store under the current law that outlaws products containing the marijuana extract.

LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine professor Dr. Benjamin Springgate says CBD has stories that circulate for it being the fix for many medical issues, but only one has been proven so far.

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While CBD products have been sold in Louisiana before, recently citations have been issued to those selling the supplements.  While the 2018 Farm Bill opens the possibility to legally sell CBD products, legislation on the state level must pass first before it is legal in Louisiana.  Springgate says many of the processes of studying CBD have to be approved by the federal government.

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Springgate says until a better balance of regulation, scientific evidence, and technical approaches to guarantee the purity of the product, it makes it substantially challenging to recommend safely to any patient to try CBD for something.

Cut 15 (08) “…to be forthcoming.”

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