A 2014 Louisiana law requiring abortion clinics to have admitting privileges will be heard at the US Supreme Court today…
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Louisiana ranks as the least happy state in the nation. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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Coronavirus vaccine development is underway by LSU School of Veterinary Medicine researchers. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Today the US Supreme Court will take up a 2014 Louisiana law requiring abortion clinics to have admitting privileges to operate, a law opponents say would close all but one Bayou State clinic.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry will defend the law in court. AG spokespersons Deanna Wallace says it’s not an undue burden on clinics.
But Center for Reproductive Rights Senior Counsel TJ Tu says all leading national medical groups, including the AMA, say that’s false. He says most doctors don’t need or have admitting privileges.
TJ is also one of two lead counsels on the case today.
Wallace says the law is not designed to discriminate against abortion providers and says one provider in the state has proven they aren’t impossible to get.
Tu counters saying privileges are only given to doctors who routinely send patients to a hospital, and abortion is so safe it’s almost never needed. He says if upheld, it’s an assault on women’s rights.
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According to the career resource website Zippia, Louisiana ranks as the least happy state in the nation. Among the metrics considered, the ranking looked at depression rates, employment factors, and marriage rates. Zippia spokesperson Kathy Morris says married people often report being happier than single people.
Cut 8 (12) “…lower marriage rate.”
Rhode Island has the lowest marriage rate at 44%.
Morris says the state’s unemployment rate is also contributing to the rating.
Louisiana’s average household income only exceeds that of Mississippi, West Virginia, New Mexico and Arkansas. Morris says Louisiana workers spend about 39.7 hours a week at work, throwing off a work/life balance.
Cut 10 (12) “…an unhappy life balance.”
Other southern states that made the top five least happy states were Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama.
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The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is now involved in the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus.
Pathological Sciences Department Head Dr. Gus Kousoulas says developing and testing the vaccine will be a team effort in tandem with Tulane.
The SVM Department of Biotech and Molecular Medicine, in particular, has a history of working with coronaviruses, particularly bovine coronavirus, or coronaviruses in cows.
Kousoulas says dozens of institutions both public and private will be working on vaccine development, but the relationship with Tulane makes LSU SVM a prime candidate for development.
The Tulane National Primate Research Center has been cleared by the CDC for coronavirus testing.
Most vaccines take years to develop, but Kousoulas says due to the pressing nature of the novel coronavirus outbreak, they may get authorization to speed up the process.
SVM’s work on the vaccine is part of the LSU-Tulane Center for Experimental Infectious Disease Research.
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A stationary front is currently draped across central Louisiana which will bring rain on and off throughout the day. Thunderstorms will be particularly problematic this afternoon. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the Storm Prediction Center has the state in the slight risk category for severe weather.
Cut 14 (08) “…very very careful.”
Keim says this same frontal system was responsible for the tornado outbreak in Tennessee.
Cut 15 (10) “…across Nashville, Tennessee.”
Keim warns with saturated soils in some sections of the state, flooding could also become an issue.
Cut 16 (08) …weather service information.”
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LSU basketball enters the final week of the regular season tied for second place with Auburn in the SEC standings. The Bayou Bengals are at Arkansas tonight. A couple of weeks ago, Coach Will Wade was not happy with his team, but he feels much better about them now
A week ago, LSU suffered one of its worst losses of the year, a 15-point defeat at Florida. But the Tigers rebounded with a 14-point win over Texas A-and-M on Saturday. Wade expects his guys will give a good effort tonight in Fayetteville…
Wade says they need to build on last Saturday’s win against the Aggies…