1:30 LRN Newscast April 20

Louisiana reports a slight increase in the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations today for the first time since April 13th, and 32 more Louisianans are also reported to have died from COVID-19. To date 24,523 cases have been reported and 1,328 fatalities. 56 percent of the fatalities are African American.

Crude oil trading hits the lowest price in history. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

A Main Street America survey shows nearly 60-percent of small businesses in the state are in danger of closing permanently due to COVID-19 in the next six months. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is co-chair of the Resilient Louisiana Commission tasked with reopening businesses across the state.

Cut 12 (11) “…shops, etc”

Nungesser says the commission is looking at options of phases of reopening businesses.

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict, a decision likely to result in dozens of retrials in Louisiana. There are likely hundreds of people incarcerated in Louisiana due to non-unanimous verdicts whose cases are decided and whose appeals are done.  Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says for them…

Cut 10 (05) “…day.”