AM Newscall 11.01.19

32 percent of high schoolers and 15 percent of middle schoolers in Louisiana say they’ve used E-cigarettes on multiple occasions. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “I”m Matt Doyle”

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Following a national disappearance, last summer’s wildly popular Popeye’s chicken sandwich makes its return this Sunday.  Kevin Barnhart has the story behind the sandwich’s massive popularity.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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Online program enrollment is up 20% over the year, outpacing the national growth rate of 4%. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart”

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The House votes 232 to 196 to authorize public Impeachment hearings, the first step in what ultimately may be a formal impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Northwest Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson voted against the resolution. He called it an affront to the Founding Father’s vision for America.

Cut 4 (13) “fears”

All House Republicans and two Democrats voted against the resolution.

Johnson raised concerns about how Democrats have handled the Ukraine Scandal investigation. He says the majority party in the lower chamber is besmirching the reputation of the House.

Cut 5 (09) “…itself”

Five of Louisiana’s six Congressmen voted against the resolution, the sole supporter being New Orleans Representative and Democrat Cedric Richmond.

The Congressman says it’s clear Democrats were plotting to try to undo the results of the 2016 election from the moment the final vote was counted. He says this is just another partisan assault.

Cut 6 (11) “achieve”

Richmond disagrees, saying the vote was a “necessary moment in history. Democrats have remained fair and professional, and all members of Congress have an obligation to reveal the truth to the American people.”

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Middle and high school vaping rates have doubled since 2017 in Louisiana according to data from the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living.

In 2019 an estimated 32 percent of high schoolers and 15 percent of middle schoolers reported using vape products more than once. Tobacco-Free Living Director Tonia Moore says it’s a growing trend.

Cut 7 (08) “…2015.” 

55 percent of those who reported vaping say they used a JUUL product, the most popular form of vape.

Smoking rates in the state continue to decline among youth at the same time that vaping rates have exploded. Moore says that appears to be because kids aren’t even aware the product is dangerous.

Cut 8 (09) “…or not”

Moore says the state has seen 26 vaping related cases of illness and hospitalization.

Moore says the increase in vaping use among youths is largely a result of a calculated marketing campaign to get kids addicted to the product by clever marketing and design.

Cut 9 (13)  “them.”

Moore says vapers and smokers inhale roughly the same amount of nicotine.

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The Popeye’s chicken sandwich that captured the attention of the world this summer returns to the restaurant’s menu this Sunday.  How did the sandwich make its way into the spotlight?  Marketing faculty at UNO Lisa Palumbo says much of the hype can be traced to Popeye’s use of social media.

Cut 10 (11) “…especially their Twitter.”

The sandwich’s return on a Sunday seems to be a direct shot to the bow of Chick-fila, whose chicken sandwich has been used by many as the high water mark in the world of chicken sandwiches.  Palumbo says good-natured jabs are trendy in marketing.

Cut 11 (11) “…over really well.”

Palumbo says the item’s national disappearance due to running out of sandwiches ultimately adds to marketing buzz around the restaurant, despite the loss of sales.

Cut  12 (11) “…the Popeye’s sandwich.” 

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LSU online programs enrollment grows 20% over last year. 1,200 students are now enrolled online, with the goal to boost that to 30,000 over the next decade. Vice provost of digital and continuing education Sasha Thackaberry says LSU’s growth outpaces the national rate of 4% for the same time frame.

Cut 13 (07) “…world class education.”

Currently the university offers 15 online programs, but Thackaberry says the goal is to grow that to 50 by the fall of 2021.

Cut 14 (11) “…programs every term.” 

Thackaberry says the online courses are created with a collaboration between the faculty and learning experience design team so it is a rich and involved online experience.

Cut 15 (12) “…some amazing stuff.”

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LSU basketball will travel to Ruston for an exhibition game versus Louisiana Tech on Saturday at four o’ clock. The Tigers are defending SEC champs, but they’ll miss Naz Reid and Tremont Waters who are playing professional basketball. Javonte Smart is the new point guard and Coach Will Wade expects the sophomore will do a good job, it just won’t be as pretty as it was with Waters running the offense

Cut 16  (22)          to put it  

LSU’s leading returning scorer is senior guard Skylar Mays, who averaged 13 points a game last season. Smart averaged 11 points a contest. Wade hopes both guys can rebound better

cut 17  (15) “there and bark” 

Wade says this year’s team is good, but the margin of error is smaller than it was last year….

cut  18 (22)  “our strenghts”