Oil is back over 70 dollars a barrel but industry experts are not optimistic this will result in increased investment in the state’s oil and gas sector. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Another highly effective COVID-19 vaccine is getting closer to FDA authorization but there’s a chance it won’t be made available to Americans. Matt Doyle has more.
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Carjackings in Louisiana are on the rise and in New Orleans, they are up 120-percent so far this year compared to 2020. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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It’s Tax Day for most the state, and that includes both state and federal taxes that are due for 2020. But Senior Tax Manager at Hannis T. Bourgeois in Baton Rouge, Brad Tate says there are a few parishes that received yet another extension.
The entire state, along with Texas and Oklahoma, already received an extension from May 17th until June 15th due to winter storms in February.
For taxpayers who do have to file today, Tate says be sure you have accurately recorded what you received from your employer, investments, etc., and if your salary decreased in 2020 compared to 2019…
Tate says stimulus funds that taxpayers did receive in 2020 is not counted as income for the year so you don’t have to claim it.
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The price of a barrel of oil is up over 70 dollars a barrel with experts saying that price is likely to continue to rise due to a number of factors.
LSU Center for Energy Studies Director David Dismukes says excess supply is getting burned off while demand has begun to rise as the economy reopens making experts bullish on the price…
Last year during the pandemic’s trough futures prices hit negative numbers as demand cratered amid oversupply from OPEC and Russia.
But Dismukes says don’t expect this surge in prices to result in some new influx of investment or jobs for the Louisiana oil economy due to climate policies like net neutrality by 2050.
Dismukes says as we move through the summer he expects we will be seeing higher and higher prices at the pump as a result.
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A study of Maryland-based Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine shows the two-dose offering is 90 percent effective, clearing the way for it to potentially be approved by late summer, early fall.
Tulane School of Medicine Professor Susan Hassig says it is possible this vaccine won’t be available to Americans but instead shipped out to the rest of the world through the COVAX program…
Hassig says there’s already a glut of vaccines available for Americans from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson, making this offering potentially superfluous.
Hassig says this vaccine could be particularly useful in developing nations that need to get vaccinated in order to prevent even more dangerous variants from mutating…
In trials, the vaccine was reported to be 100 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19.
The vaccine appears to have fewer side effects than those from Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson but Hassig says in general none of those shots have side effects that really stand out.
Given the release schedule of past vaccines, it is likely Novavax won’t get FDA emergency use authorization until at least late August.
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Carjackings on the rise in Louisiana at an alarming rate and they are happening at all hours of the day. State Attorney General Deputy Press Secretary Emmie Fuson says New Orleans has seen the largest increase in carjackings, up 120-percent in the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2020.
As for why there’s been a staggering increase in carjackings Fuson says it’s safe to assume it’s happening because more people are back on the road and returning to normal life, but most of all carjacking is a crime of opportunity.
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Fuson urges drivers to pay attention to their surroundings, have their keys and phone in hand when approaching their vehicle, park in a well-lit area, and trust their instincts. Fuson says if you find yourself a victim of carjacking remember a car can be replaced you however cannot.
Also, familiarize yourself with the truck of your vehicle and the escape latch in case you do find yourself trapped and always report the crime to authorities as soon as possible.
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Now that the LSU baseball season is officially over, LSU can now begin the search for a new baseball coach with the retirement of Paul Mainieri. There’s has been a lot of names mentioned for the job but college baseball analyst Ronnie Rantz believes athletic director Scott Woodward will try to make a big splash with this hire.
Corbin would certainly be a great hire but Rantz says convincing him to come to Baton Rouge won’t be easy.
When it comes to former LSU coach Skip Bertman, Rantz says the hall of famer has a preference of who he’d like to see lead the purple and gold.