LRN PM Newscall May 26

The tort reform legislation that supporters say will lower your auto insurance rates is closer to final legislative passage as it passes out of a House committee. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”  

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A COVID-19 treatment could be ready by fall according to one famed Louisiana politico. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m matt Doyle” 

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Eight teenagers were injured when shots were fired early Monday morning during an unsupervised graduation party involving about 200 people at a business in Lake Charles on Highway 90. Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s office says chaos ensued when bullets started firing.

Cut 3 (11)  “…trampled on.”  

Guillory says they one of the gunmen, 17-year-old Devin Levier, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Cut 4 (11)_ “…the weapon.”

When Levier is released from the hospital, he will be charged booked into jail on numerous charges. Guillory says they continue to search for two more suspects.

He says it’s shocking that so many teens were out celebrating at that hour and he’s surprised that more were not injured.

Cut 5 (09)  “…amazing to me.”

23-year-old Mary Brignac was also arrested she is charged with possession of a stolen firearm.

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A Senate-backed tort reform bill that supporters say will lower auto insurance premiums is heading to the House floor after getting approval from the House Civil Law Committee. Democrats are skeptical, but River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot says  his legislation that requires insurance companies to reduce rates by 10-percent

Cut 6 (08) “ …not one”

Talbot says auto insurance companies will be able to reduce rates because the legislation makes several changes to the state’s civil justice system. Talbot says one of the provisions would lower the jury threshold from 50-thousand to five-thousand dollars…

Cut 7 (06) “…than us”

Talbot says lowering the jury trial threshold will help settle cases for a more reasonable amount. Democrats would rather see laws passed that would prevent a person’s credit score, gender, or marital status from determining a person’s auto insurance rates. But Talbot argues that will not lower premiums…

Cut 8 (09) “…gets higher.”

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Former south Louisiana Congressman and international pharma lobby head Billy Tauzin believes there will be an effective, non-vaccine treatment for COVID-19 by September.

Tauzin says over 100 different treatments are being tested that could do everything from reducing the severity of COVID-19 to giving recipients temporary immunity.

Cut 9 (10) “…work”

Tauzin says those treatments are focused on three categories: plasma infusions from COVID survivors, “decoy” proteins, and lab-created antibodies…

Cut 10 (04) “…a shot”

Tauzin notes current plasma treatments appear to be effective for about 50 percent of patients.

Experts note a vaccine may not be ready until 2021, and Tauzin says these treatments could help us weather what could be a severe second wave of the virus later this year.

Cut 11 (09) “…vaccine”

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The Manning Passing Academy scheduled for next month in Thibodaux has been canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. College and pro football analyst Mike Detillier says it was a difficult call for the Manning family, but it was the right decision

Cut 12 (10) “…coming down”

The Manning Passing Academy attracts over 12-hundred campers and over 200 coaches, trainers, and support staff. Detillier says the Louisiana Line Camp held at Nicholls State has also been canceled for this year

Cut 13 (11) “ big loss”  

This year’s Manning Passing Camp scheduled for the last weekend in June was set to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Manning family says they will be back next year. Detillier says most of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL have attended as a camper or a counselor and the camp is not just for quarterbacks

Cut 14 (10) “…been here”