The National Federation for Independent Business says small business optimism is through the roof since last month’s election. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Even during this time of year, the Zika virus is still a threat. Don Molino has more…
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Former-Texas Governor Rick Perry is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Energy Secretary. Halen Doughty has more on what that means for Louisiana’s oil and gas industry…
Cut 3 (26) “I’m Halen Doughty”
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Small business optimism has skyrocketed since the election of Donald Trump, according the National Federation of Independent Business’ monthly Index of Small Business Optimism. NFIB state director Dawn Starns says business owners said they are now excited about the future.
The survey finds small businesses job creation plans have increased from 9-percent to 23-percent since October. Starns says business owners felt bogged down recently by government regulations.
Cut 5 (07) “businesses growing”
Starns says many business owners now have a renewed since of hope that they can grow their companies. She says optimism is soaring in many categories.
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Louisiana is home to three of the most sinful cities in the country, according to WalletHub. Baton Rouge came in at number 8 on the list, New Orleans is number 10, and Shreveport cracked the top 20. Jill Gonzales with WalletHub says they looked at a variety of metrics to determine which cities were the most sinful.
The report found that New Orleans came in second for excessive drinking, while Baton Rouge came in 12. Shreveport ranked 12th for violent crimes per capita, and Baton Rouge landed at number 14 on the list. Gonzales says these Louisiana cities didn’t fare well in many categories.
According to the report, Baton Rouge is the laziest city in the US, Shreveport came in third, and New Orleans was number 7. Gonzales says several factors went in to determining which cities are the laziest.
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The Zika virus is still a threat even this time of year. LSU Health New Orleans Professor and Program Director of Environmental/Occupational Health Sciences Dr. James Diaz says in Louisiana the temperatures fluctuate during the winter and the eggs of the mosquitoes carrying Zika can survive even when it’s cold outside.
Diaz says the best way to prevent getting bitten is to wear proper clothing like long sleeves and pants. He says using mosquito repellent with DEET is always a good idea when spending time outside.
Diaz says it’s important to stay vigilant about Zika because there have been cases of local transmission in the surrounding states. He says while most cases are travel related, local transmission is the biggest scare.
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President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former-Texas Governor Rick Perry as the Secretary for the Department of Energy. So what does that mean for Louisiana’s oil and gas industry? Acting president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, Gifford Briggs, says this nomination adds to the narrative of hope.
Briggs says Trump’s other cabinet selections, including Scott Pruitt to run the EPA and Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as future Secretary of State, give them hope for what the industry could be. He says at this point they are cautiously optimistic.
Briggs says what they would like to see is a reduction in the number of regulations on the industry. He says every regulation comes a cost, which makes it harder for oil and gas companies to do business.
Cut 15 (11) “break even point”
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