AM LRN Newscall March 3

As the Senate takes up the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill passed by the house, Senator Bill Cassidy says this relief bill is not a bipartisan effort. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…Brooke Thorington.”

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Governor John Bel Edwards asks Louisiana Catholics to take the Johnson and Johnson vaccine if offered despite a request from the New Orleans Archdiocese not to do so. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Starting today bands can begin playing indoor venues again statewide, but only under strict guidelines. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

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Senator Bill Cassidy says he will not support the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill as it passed the House Saturday because it’s packed with a “wish list from the left.”

Cut 4 (09)“…this now.”

Cassidy pointed out in the bill that there’s over a hundred million allocated for the subway system in San Francisco.  That along with funds earmarked for the Seaway International Bridge in upstate New York has also been struck from the bill.

Cassidy said there are things he could support, including direct payments to taxpayers. Instead of $1,400 payments that are currently allocated, Republicans pushed for $1,000 payments.

Cassidy feels this COVID Relief bill feels could force the country into a state of inflation and do more harm than good.

Cut 5 (10)“…like that.”

Cassidy and other Republicans also oppose the $130 billion allocated to help reopen schools and colleges. Cassidy says the CDC says it’s safe to reopen schools now and the funds wouldn’t arrive in time anyway.

Cut 6 (12) “…be solved.”

Congressional leaders want to send President Biden the legislation combating the pandemic and bolstering the economy by March 14, the date emergency jobless benefits that lawmakers approved in December expire

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The New Orleans Archdiocese has asked Louisiana Catholics not to take the Johnson and Johnson vaccine if they can help it due to its use of abortion-derived cells in the manufacturing process.

Governor John Bel Edwards, a practicing Catholic, disagrees saying Louisianans should take whatever vaccine they are first offered.

Cut 7 (10)  “…vaccines.”

Edwards says he looked at documents from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Vatican sources before coming to the conclusion that Catholics should take the J&J vaccine.

Edwards says Archbishop Gregory Aymond’s guidelines suggest the decision should be made on a personal level in consultation with your healthcare provider.

Cut 8 (08) “…Johnson.”

The Governor also notes there is some disagreement on the issue from the neighboring Baton Rouge Archdiocese.

Edwards says for the foreseeable future healthcare providers will not be able to offer patients a choice between different vaccines.

Cut 9 (10) “…locations.”

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Business advocates are hopeful as the state transitions to Phase Three health restrictions today.  Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack says he feels this is the light at the end of a very dark tunnel after so many businesses have struggled the last year.

Cut 10 (09) “…enough.”

Waguespack says so many of the businesses have taken the brunt of the pandemic and he’s extremely proud of the adjustments they’ve made to stay afloat, but the closures have been hard on so many.

Cut 11 (09) “…impact.”

He’s also optimistic that neighboring states will also begin to ease restrictions so the tourism industry in Louisiana can rebound.

As case numbers decrease and more people become eligible to be vaccinated Waguespack believes it will give those who have been vaccinated the confidence to go back out into the community safely and revitalize the economy.

Cut 12 (07) “…community. ”

Waguespack is optimistic the state will transition out of Phase Three in the near future and be able to fully reopen.

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Indoor live music is allowed again in Louisiana bars and music venues under the Phase Three guidelines that went into effect today.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning says to do so venues will have to meet criteria like a 20-foot separation between stage and audience, strong HVAC, and one of four additional requirements…

Cut 13 (10) “…Plexiglas.”

The fourth option is that band members remain masked and blown instruments remain covered at all times. If Plexiglas is utilized the band may be ten feet from the crowd instead of twenty. All of these requirements can be seen at opensafely.la.gov.

Browning says it is likely the HVAC requirement will disqualify some smaller bars. He says all venues must have six air exchanges per hour to qualify.

Cut 14 (09) “…difficult.” 

Restaurants are now allowed to operate at 75 percent capacity while bars can run at 25 percent capacity.

Browning says to be clear the experience still won’t be what it was pre-pandemic.

Cut 15 (06)“…congregate.”

Patrons will still be required to mask up.

5:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

COVID restrictions will be loosened Wednesday as Louisiana moves into Phase Three, which means most businesses will be able to increase to 75-percent capacity. Edwards says our positivity rate and hospitalization numbers are a third of what they were at our worst ever peak on January 8th, and while we’ve made good progress…

Cut 14 (07) “…direction.” 

The mask mandates remains in place.

The New Orleans Roman Catholic Archdiocese calls the Johnson and Johnson vaccine into question over its use of “morally compromised” abortion-derived cell lines. LSU Religious Studies Professor Michael Pasquier (pass-kay) says there will be many Catholics who, given the circumstances, will not follow the Archdiocese’s guidance. But…

Cut 10 (12) “…vaccines.” 

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says while the demand for gas has yet to increase the price increase is being driven by higher crude oil prices.

Cut 6 (10) “…barrel.”

Regular gas has increased by 26-cents a gallon in the last month in Louisiana.

Nurseries were pummeled by the February winter storms and Ag Commission Mike Strain is pushing to get them USDA assistance. Yesterday Strain toured Forest Hill in Rapides Parish and told growers to keep good records, photograph everything, and contact their farming services as soon as they can.

Cut 4 (09) “…losses.” 

 

4:30 LRN Newcast Mar 2

The state will move to Phase Three COVID restrictions Wednesday, Governor Edwards says most businesses including restaurants can operate at 75 percent capacity. Bars in all parishes can open at 25 percent capacity and bars in parishes with a positivity rate under five percent can operate at 50 percent capacity.  The mask mandate will stay in place.

Cut 13 (11)“…transmission..”

The New Orleans Archdiocese calls the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine “morally compromised” due to its use of abortion-derived cell material. LSU Religious Studies Professor Michael Pasquier (Pass-kay) says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines only used abortion-derived cells in research, while J&J used them in manufacturing.

Cut 9 (12) “…Moderna”

Nurseries were pummeled by the February winter storms and Ag Commission Mike Strain is pushing to get them USDA assistance. Yesterday Strain toured Forest Hill in Rapides Parish, a place called the heart of the state’s nursery industry.

Cut 3 (09)  “…plants”  

Strain told growers to keep good records, photograph everything, and contact their farming services as soon as they can.

The average price a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesman Don Redman says it’s a result of an increase in crude oil prices, not a demand in use. He says while an increase in price hurts the average consumer, higher crude oil prices help the state economy.

Cut 8 (12) “…layoffs.”

Regular gas is up 26-cents in Louisiana from a month ago.

2:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

Governor Edwards announces that COVID restrictions will be loosened, that means the majority of businesses including restaurants can operate at 75 percent capacity but…

Cut 12 (10) “ …vaccines now.” 

The New Orleans Archdiocese asks Catholics to take Pfizer or Moderna’s COVID vaccines instead of Johnson and Johnson’s “morally compromised” vaccine

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says while the demand for gas has yet to increase the price increase is being driven by higher crude oil prices.

Cut 6 (10) “…barrel.”

Regular gas has increased by 26-cents a gallon in the last month in Louisiana.

Nurseries were pummeled by the February winter storms and Ag Commission Mike Strain is pushing to get them USDA assistance. Strain says homeowners who also lost plants in the freeze can also help

their local struggling nurseries, but before you go in…

Cut 5  (12)  “…to you” 

Strain encouraged nursery owners to document their losses.

LRN Newscast Mar 2

The New Orleans Archdiocese asks Catholics to take Pfizer or Moderna’s COVID vaccines instead of Johnson and Johnson’s “morally compromised” vaccine. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 1 (30) “ …I’m Matt Doyle.”  

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Louisiana will loosen COVID restrictions Wednesday. Brooke Thorington has more on our move into Phase Three…

Cut 2 (34) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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Nurseries were pummeled by the February winter storms and Ag Commission Mike Strain is pushing to get them USDA assistance.

Yesterday Strain toured Forest Hill in Rapides Parish, a place called the heart of the state’s nursery industry.

Cut 3 (09)  “…plants”  

Strain told growers to keep good records, photograph everything, and contact their farming services as soon as they can.

Cut 4 (09) “…losses.” 

Strain says homeowners who lost plants in the freeze can also help out their local struggling nurseries, but before you go in…

Cut 5  (12)  “…to you.” 

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The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesman Don Redman says while the demand for gas has yet to increase the price increase is being driven by higher crude oil prices.

Cut 6 (10) “…barrel.”

A gallon of regular gas has increased in price by 26-cents in the last month in Louisiana.

Today the national average for a gallon of regular gas is $2.73.

Redman says the winter storms closed several refineries thus delaying production and with anticipation for a demand in gasoline the industry could soon be will be playing catch up.

Cut 7 (11) “…demand.”

While an increase in gas prices hurt the average consumer, Redman says however higher crude oil prices help the state economy.

Cut 8 (12) “…layoffs.”

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The New Orleans Roman Catholic Archdiocese calls the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine into question over its use of “morally compromised” abortion-derived cell lines.

LSU Religious Studies Professor Michael Pasquier (pass-kay) says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines only used abortion-derived cells in research, while J&J used them in manufacturing.

Cut 9 (12) “…Moderna”

The Vatican has not ruled on the morality of the J&J vaccine and Pasquier says there will be many Catholics who, given the circumstances, will not follow the Archdiocese’s guidance. But…

Cut 10 (11) “…vaccines.” 

The Baton Rouge Archdiocese has issued a similar guideline calling Pfizer and Moderna “morally acceptable” but that parishioners may take J&J if no other options are available.

Pasquier says the New Orleans Archdiocese has no way to enforce the guidelines on Catholics who chose to take the J&J vaccine.

Cut 11 (09) “…conscience.

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Pandemic public health restrictions will be loosened Wednesday as Louisiana moves into Phase Three.

Governor Edwards says that means the majority of businesses including restaurants can operate at 75 percent capacity and houses of worship will have no limitations on capacity, but…

Cut 12 (10) “ …settings.” 

Bars in all parishes can now operate at 25 percent capacity and bars in parishes with a positivity rate under five percent can operate at 50 percent capacity. Live music will be allowed indoors under an extensive set of guidelines.

The mask mandate will stay in place.

Cut 13 (11)“…transmission..”

Gatherings at event centers will be capped at 50 percent capacity and limited to 250 people.

Edwards says our positivity rate and hospitalization numbers are a third of what they were at our worst ever peak on January 8th, and while we’ve made good progress…

Cut 14 (07) “…direction.” 

The new order will expire on March 31st.

1:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

Governor John Bel Edwards says beginning tomorrow the state will move to phase three of coronavirus restrictions, similar to phase three we were in last fall. The mask mandate will remain in effect however capacity limits will be increased to 75-percent for most businesses and depending on positivity rates by parish bars can reopen with limited live music.

The New Orleans Roman Catholic Archdiocese calls the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine into question over its use of “morally compromised” abortion-derived cell lines. LSU Religious Studies Professor Michael Pasquier (pass-kay) says the Vatican has not ruled on the morality of the J&J vaccine and says there will be many Catholics who, given the circumstances, will not follow the Archdiocese’s guidance. But…

Cut 10 (12) “…vaccines.” 

The average price a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesman Don Redman says it’s a result of an increase in crude oil prices, not a demand in use. He says while an increase in price hurts the average consumer, higher crude oil prices help the state economy.

Cut 8 (12) “…layoffs.”

Regular gas is up 26-cents in Louisiana from a month ago.

Nurseries were pummeled by the February winter storms and Ag Commission Mike Strain is pushing to get them USDA assistance. Yesterday Strain toured Forest Hill in Rapides Parish and told growers to keep good records, photograph everything, and contact their farming services as soon as they can.

Cut 4 (09) “…losses.” 

12:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

The New Orleans Archdiocese calls the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine “morally compromised” due to its use of abortion-derived cell material. LSU Religious Studies Professor Michael Pasquier (Pass-kay) says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines only used abortion-derived cells in research, while J&J used them in manufacturing.

Cut 9 (12) “…Moderna”

The Vatican has not stated its position on the J&J vaccine.

The average price a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesman Don Redman says the winter storms closed several refineries thus delaying production and with anticipation for a demand in gasoline the industry could soon be will be playing catch up.

Cut 7 (10) “…demand.”

He says an increase in crude oil prices is responsible for paying more at the pump right now.

Nurseries were pummeled by the February winter storms and Ag Commission Mike Strain is pushing to get them USDA assistance. Yesterday Strain toured Forest Hill in Rapides Parish, a place called the heart of the state’s nursery industry.

Cut 3 (09)  “…plants”  

Strain told growers to keep good records, photograph everything, and contact their farming services as soon as they can.

 

 

And Governor will speak at 1 o’clock today it’s anticipated he will roll back current coronavirus restrictions.

11:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

Governor Edwards will announce whether or not the state will reduce COVID public health restrictions today at 1 PM. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (29)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge is reporting a State Police Trooper received a 50-hour suspension for turning off his body camera, kicking a handcuffed black male and dragging him by his shackles. That man is Ronald Greene, who died as a result of the encounter he had with State Police in the Monroe area in 2019. Greene’s family says the Trooper should be fired.

The average price a gallon of regular gas in Louisiana jumped ten cents in the last week to $2.43. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says while the demand for gas has yet to increase the price increase is being driven by higher crude oil prices.

Cut 6 (10) “…barrel.”

Coronavirus vaccines are proven to significantly reduce COVID severity, and while it hasn’t been proven many doctors believe vaccination reduces transmissibility as well. Ochsner System Medical Director of Hospital Quality Dr. Sandra Kemmerly says if you are vaccinated then your body will immediately start fighting any virus you come into contact with…

Cut 7 (11)  “…asymptomatically.”

 

10:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

Governor John Bel Edwards could ease COVID public health restrictions this afternoon as the modified Phase 2 order expires tomorrow. Public Affairs Research Council Policy Director Dr. Steven Procopio, who says not only are new positive cases are down and so is the percent positivity of tests, and COVID hospitalizations.
Cut 13 (08) “..improve”
The governor is holding a one PM press conference.

Coronavirus vaccines are proven to significantly reduce COVID severity, and many doctors also believe vaccination reduces transmissibility. Ochsner System Medical Director of Hospital Quality Dr. Sandra Kemmerly says once vaccinated then your body will immediately start fighting any virus you come into contact with…

Cut 7 (11) “…asymptomatically.”

An LSU study comparing traffic in ten states before and various stages during the pandemic, found that overall traffic volume decreased by 48 percent. LSU Civil Engineering Professor Brian Wolshon (Wool-shon) says at the beginning as the virus spread across the country, traffic trends mirrored each other based on closures in each of the states.

Cut 10 (09) “…like that.”
Wolshon says you can make the argument that government actions lowered traffic and the decreased traffic led to a decrease in the spread of the virus.

Today is not a good day for a crawfish boil but the weather looks good this weekend. Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Jean Kelly reminds residents never pour shells or boil water into a ditch or waterway and never put shells down the sink or garbage disposal….

cut 5 (07) “….critters”

9:30 LRN Newscast Mar 2

Governor Edwards will announce whether the state will loosen COVID public health restrictions this afternoon, and the data appears to support potentially moving into Phase Three. Last week Edwards said our trajectory looked promising and Public Affairs Research Council Policy Director Dr. Steven Procopio says the data indicates a cautious loosening of restrictions is justified right now.

Cut 15 (09)“..transmutability.”

While coronavirus vaccines are proven to reduce COVID severity, and it hasn’t been proven to reduce transmissibility. Ochsner System Medical Director of Hospital Quality Dr. Sandra Kemmerly says the reason why they can’t confirm because transmissibility it hard to measure in clinical trials.

Cut 9 (11) “…vaccinated.”

An LSU study comparing traffic in ten states before and various stages during the pandemic, found that overall traffic volume decreased by at 48 percent.  LSU Civil Engineering Professor Brian Wolshon (Wool-shon) says later in the study an increase or decrease in traffic did not follow respectively an increase or decrease in case numbers but did indicate to researchers how the virus was spread.

Cut 12 (09) “…contact. ”

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is reminding crawfish connoisseurs to clean up properly after your boil to preserve other sea life. DEQ spokesperson Jean Kelly says never place shells or boil water into a ditch or waterway because it can seriously harm or even kill fish. Kelly says proper disposal is vital to preserving our favorite pastime.

Cut 6 (08) “…every year.”