The Louisiana Health Equity Task Force has worked on educating minorities about COVID, soon they will focus on the importance of being vaccinated. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy says we are on track in Louisiana to begin the first wave of COVID vaccinations mid-month. Matt Doyle has the story…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

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Today the US Supreme Court hears a case involving a Louisiana man that could result in retrials for all Louisiana prisoners who were convicted on non-unanimous verdicts. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (33)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

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The CDC says COVID vaccines should be widely available to the public by mid-2021, however members of the Louisiana Health Equity Task Force worry that both blacks and Latinos will forgo being vaccinated. Dr. Corey Hebert who serves on the task force says it’s due to mistrust of the medical community.

Cut 4 (11) “…for things.”

Herbert says another hurdle with the vaccines for minorities is the double dose factor and the health disparity issue for minorities such as lack of transportation to obtain medical help in their community.

Cut 5 (11) “…real challenge.”

Early in the pandemic around 70-percent of fatalities from COVID in the state were among blacks now it’s approximately 44-percent. Herbert credits the task force’s outreach with changing that number.

Cut 6 (10) “…many myths.”

Hebert says the task force will also launch a media campaign aimed at minorities about the benefits of the COVID vaccination.

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Senator Bill Cassidy says Pfizer has started shipping its COVID vaccine to Louisiana and other pre-positioned sites across the country. Cassidy says a distribution plan for Louisiana is in place and local companies have been enlisted to safely transport the vaccine.

Cut 7 (10)  “…role.”

Three pharmaceutical companies say they have developed a highly effective COVID vaccine and Pfizer could receive approval from the U-S Food and Drug Administration next week.

Pfizer’s vaccine looks like it will be the first administered, but Cassidy says it must be stored at very low temperatures, and only some staging sites in Louisiana have that capability.

Cut 8 (09) “…distribution.”

Moderna and AstraZeneca are also set to apply for emergency approval for vaccine distribution.

Cassidy is confident that the first wave of vaccinations, those for healthcare workers and nursing home residents, will begin mid-month in Louisiana.

Cut 9 (04) “…take it.

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The US Supreme Court will hear a case today that could deem all past non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana unconstitutional, potentially resulting in thousands of retrials.

The case was brought on behalf of Thedrick Edwards, a Louisiana man who is serving time on non-unanimous convictions. His lawyer Andre Belanger says his client must be given a retrial.

Cut 10 (10) “…war.”

The case would decide whether or not Ramos vs. Louisiana, a ruling that deemed non-unanimous convictions unconstitutional, would be retroactive to settled cases. A constitutional amendment deeming all future non-unanimous convictions unconstitutional was passed by Louisiana voters in 2018 but was not retroactive to cases that had already been decided.

Belanger says all past non-unanimous convictions deserve a second look.

Cut 11 (09) “…juries.”

Edwards is serving a life sentence on rape, kidnapping, and armed robbery convictions related to a 2006 Baton Rouge crime spree. Edwards’ primary charge, rape, was decided 11-1 with the court’s lone Black juror voting to acquit.

The Louisiana Attorney General opposes the case on the grounds it could upend thousands of violent crime convictions like Edwards’, but Belanger says it’s about righting a historic wrong.

Cut 12 (11) “…them.”

Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill will represent the state by phone today. She released a statement saying “If Ramos were to be applied retroactively thousands of long-final convictions, whose crimes each have victims, would be unsettled.”

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Senator John Kennedy was a guest on the Moon Griffon show Tuesday and asked about President Trump’s election challenge. The state’s senior Senator, also a Republican, Bill Cassidy has already called for the transition to begin for President-Elect Biden. Kennedy however says Trump has the right to express his opinion about the election.

Cut 13 (12) “…to court.”

Kennedy says the election is not final until all the court cases are concluded.

Cut 14 (10) “…like confetti.” 

Kennedy says he would never deny anyone the right to vote and the amount of mail-in ballots this election, created problems. In the meantime,  Kennedy says he’s waiting on the courts.

Cut 15 (09)“…until then.” 

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Training camp is underway for the Pelicans and veteran Eric Bledsoe is one of the new faces. He was acquired from Milwaukee in a four-team trade that sent fan favorite Jrue Holiday to the Bucks. Bledsoe is entering his eleventh season after averaging 15 points a game last season and he looks forward to taking on a leadership role in New Orleans…

Cut 16 (11) “…I’m up for it.”

As far as Bledsoe’s role on the court, he says he’ll do whatever he can to help the team win.

cut 17 (14) “…to help.”

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LSU’s offensive line is trying to fix the issues that led to pass protection problems in the loss to Texas A&M last Saturday. Tigers offensive guard Ed Ingram says they are spending a lot of time this week watching the film of the Crimson Tide’s defense…

cut 18 (16) “…myself.”

LSU will face number one ranked Alabama without its best receiver as Terrace Marshall has decided to opt-out and get ready for the NFL draft. Ingram says he supports Marshall’s decision…

cut 19 (12) “…for him.”

It’s unclear who will start at quarterback for LSU on Saturday after TJ Finley struggled in the loss to the Aggies. Linebacker Jabril Cox says the veterans on the team are doing what they can to support Finley and Max Johnson…

cut 20 (17) “…always are.”

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley thanks Governor Edwards for allowing schools to stay in Phase Three even as the state moves back into a modified Phase Two. Brumley says the biggest challenge they face is the quarantine protocol. He says one positive case can lead to over 50 students needing to be quarantined.

Cut 7 (05) “..the virus.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers that includes Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy unveiled a 908-billion-dollar coronavirus aid bill today. Cassidy says the bill is not a long-term solution but would hold the country over until vaccines are widely available.

Cut 11 (08) “…compromise.”

It’s unknown whether the proposed relief package has majority support in either chamber.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services says between October 2019 and September 2020, 756 children were adopted from foster care. DCFS Adoption Program Manager Cheryl Tirado says that’s the fourth-highest number of adoptions from foster care in a single year…

Cut 12 (12) “…our children.” 

The record is 912 set in 2018.

There’s an $11,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person who fatally shot a black bear in St. Mary Parish. State Wildlife and Fisheries spokesperson Adam Einck says the bear was found on November 9^th near Centerville and they believe the bear was shot by a rifle a few days before.

Cut 3 (09)  “…shot at it”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers comes to an agreement on a 908 billion-dollar Congressional COVID relief bill. Senator Bill Cassidy signed on to the effort. He says it would help support unemployed workers and struggling businesses.

Cut 9 (11) “…venues.”

The Department of Children and Family Services celebrated the ending of National Adoption Month last night with a virtual event highlighting 549 families who adopted a record number of 756 children from foster care in the past year.  DCFS Adoption Program Manager Cheryl Tirado says uniting families is always rewarding.

Cut 12 (12) “…our children.” 

There’s an $11,000 reward for the arrest and conviction related to the death of a black bear that was illegally killed last month in St. Mary Parish. LDWF spokesperson Adam Einck says the bear was found on November 9^th off Log Bayou Road. Einck says this is the second black bear found shot in St. Mary Parish this year.

Cut 4 (09)   “…found.”  

Call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline if you have any information.

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley thanks Governor Edwards for allowing schools to stay in Phase Three even as the state moves back into a modified Phase Two. Brumley says the biggest challenge they face is the quarantine protocol. He says one positive case can lead to over 50 students needing to be quarantined.

Cut 7 (05) “..the virus.”

There’s an $11,000 reward for the arrest and conviction related to the death of a black bear that was illegally killed last month in St. Mary Parish. LDWF spokesperson Adam Einck says the bear was found on November 9^th off Log Bayou Road and believes it was shot a few days before.

Cut 3 (09)  “…shot at it”

If you’ve recently applied for unemployment in Louisiana, you might notice a delay in payments, that’s because the Louisiana Workforce Commission is reviewing approximately 32-thousand claims they believe to be fraudulent. LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie says the timing could not be worse.

Cut 10 (12) “…unfortunate.”

State officials are growing increasingly confident that schools are not COVID super spreading hotbeds.

Cut 1 (30) “  I’m Matt Doyle”  

The state is reporting 5,300 additional COVID-19 cases today. The also note the number is larger due to a processing error of cases that should have been reported on Sunday.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is investigating more than 32-thousand claims for fraud and thus causing a delay in payments. LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie says not accounts will see a delay in unemployment payments, those more likely to see a hold up are new claims and accounts that have their payments sent to a debit card or a bank account not linked to their name.

Cut 12 (10) “…their name.”

Food banks across the country are being inundated with requests for aid and are seeking your help on this Giving Tuesday. Louisiana Second Harvest Food Bank spokesperson Jay Vise says the lines are growing for those in need.

Cut 8 (10) “..heartbreaking.”

A large part of the state woke up to freezing temperatures and things won’t warm back up for the Bayou State in some time. State climatologist Barry Keim says most of the state won’t see highs over 60 degrees today and will be enduring brutal lows in the 30s and 40s. Quite a change from last week.

Cut 14 (10) “…direction.” 

LSU plays number one ranked Alabama Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. The game was originally set for November 14^th but and postponed due to COVID-related issues with the Tigers. Head Coach Ed Orgeron on the big game.

cut 20 (19) “…explosive play.”

Foodbanks are in need of aid as we begin moving into the Holidays. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

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 The Louisiana Workforce Commission is reviewing unemployment claims they believe to be fraudulent. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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Most of Louisiana is enduring its first hard freeze of the winter this morning. Matt Doyle has the story.

Cut 3 (30)  “…I’m Matt Doyle.”  

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After close to three years Entergy Louisiana has now completed its purchase of the Washington Parish Energy Center, near Bogalusa. Entergy spokesperson Brandon Scardigli says the 361-megawatt natural gas-powered facility will deliver a cost-effective and low-carbon source of power to the company’s grid.

Cut 4 (09) “…those goals.”

The facility, constructed by the Calpine Corporation, was purchased for $261 million. Entergy signed an agreement to purchase the plant in April of 2017 and it was unanimously approved by the PSC.

Scardigli says customers will see a slight increase in their bill for the next year to finance the acquisition.

Cut 5 (10) “…the country.”

Entergy’s newest purchase in Washington Parish is a modern and low-carbon facility and Scardigli says it will add to the company’s clean energy portfolio.

Cut 6 (08) “…our customers.”

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Food banks across the country are being inundated with requests for aid and are seeking your help on this Giving Tuesday.

Second Harvest Food Bank spokesperson Jay Vise says families are struggling with federal benefits dried up and unemployment running out.

Cut 7 (09)  “…across Louisiana.”

Over the past few weeks, there have been a growing number of pictures from foodbanks in other states showing cars lined up as far as the eye can see. Vise says they’re seeing that here as well.

Cut 8 (10) “..heartbreaking.”

Vise says they’d love for the public to make any donations they can afford at this time but even more critically they could use some extra hands. He says they’ve worked hard to make it a COVID safe space.

Cut 9 (12) “…volunteers.

To contribute go to Second Harvest’s website and click donate now. A volunteer option is also available.

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If you’ve recently applied for unemployment in Louisiana, you might notice a delay in payments, that’s because the Louisiana Workforce Commission is reviewing approximately 32-thousand claims they believe to be fraudulent. LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie says the timing could not be worse.

Cut 10 (12) “…unfortunate.”

Dejoie says the suspicious claims are being rigorously reviewed and unfortunately this is happening all over the country.

Cut 11 (11) “…situation.”

Dejoie says not all accounts will see a delay in payments, those more likely to see a hold up are ones filing for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance without a previous claim, and accounts that have their payments sent to a debit card or a bank account not linked to their name.

Cut 12 (10) “…their name.”

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Most of the state is experiencing its first hard freeze of the winter this morning.

After a fairly warm November State Climatologist Barry Keim says this season’s first freeze is running a little behind schedule.

Cut 13 (11) “…Baton Rouge.”

The only areas not experiencing a freeze warning are the New Orleans Metro and southeastern coastal parishes. New Orleans generally does not experience its first freeze until December 13^th.

Keim says most of the state won’t see highs over 60 degrees today and will be enduring brutal lows in the 30s and 40s. That’s a big change from last week where we had highs in the mid-70s.

Cut 14 (10) “…direction.” 

Keim says this cold, cold weather won’t be going away any time soon. Expect it to linger through the weekend.

Cut 15 (06)“…days.” 

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Pelicans All-Star Forward Brandon Ingram has officially re-signed a five-year contract extension worth a reported 158-million dollars. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin says at 23-years-old Ingram is just scratching the surface as a basketball player

Cut 16 (19) “..spoke to us.”

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After giving up 112 yards of offense to Denver on Sunday, the Saints now rank number one in the NFL in total defense. According to the NFL it’s the first time, the Saints have ranked number one in total defense since week 8 of the 2020 season. Coach Sean Payton on the improvement of the defense since the start of this year

cut 17 (16) “…red zone.”

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One season after winning the national title, the LSU football program looking at its worst season in over 20 years. Coach Ed Orgeron says no one wants to go through a season like this, but it will help build grit and character and will pay off later on…

cut 18 (26) “…young foundation.”

LSU’s best receiver Terrace Marshall has decided to opt-out for the rest of the season as he’ll get ready for the NFL draft. Orgeron expects freshman tight end Arik Gilbert to become a bigger part of the passing game

cut 19 (22) “…good receivers.”

LSU’s defense had its best game of the season in College Station. Orgeron says an even bigger test comes Saturday when they take on number one ranked Alabama…

cut 20 (19) “…explosive play.”

Southwest Louisiana breathes a sigh of relief as the 2020 Hurricane Season comes to an end. Matt Doyle spoke with Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter about the historic struggles his city faces…

Cut 1 (30) “  I’m Matt Doyle”  

Most of the state will see freezing temperatures overnight with the exception of the Southeastern Coastal Parishes and highs tomorrow reaching into only into the 50s. Forecasters say the chilly temps will continue for the next week or a bit longer so don’t put that coat up just yet and pull out a few extra blankets for the week.

Police are seeking two suspects in the execution of a 30-year-old gas station clerk in Kenner. Kenner PD Lt. Michael Cunningham says the clerk was killed after cooperating with two gunmen during the robbery. Video shows them holding him at gunpoint while he handed over the cash, only to be shot after being told to get on his knees while his hands were raised…

Cut 11 (07) “…the street.”

You’re asked to call Kenner PD or Crimestoppers if you have any information.

Today is Cyber Monday and Carmen Million with the Better Business Bureau of South-Central Louisiana warns you to keep an eye out for scams and shop safe. Million says there are a few things you should do to make sure your online purchases are safe, for example, avoid popup windows and check for secure sites.

Cut 13 (12) “… it’s activated.”

In Kenner, a 30-year old gas station clerk was brutally murdered early this morning after cooperating with two men that robbed the store. Kenner PD Lt. Michael Cunningham says the clerk was killed after he handed over money to men who held him at gunpoint. Cunningham says they are asking for help with the investigation.

Cut 10 (10) “…call us.”

There are photos of the suspects on the Kenner PD Facebook page.

It’s Cyber Monday and Carmen Million with the Better Business Bureau of South-Central Louisiana before you buy compare prices and also check shipping dates so it will arrive on time. But most importantly Million says to use a credit card as opposed to a debit card, where the money comes directly out of your account.

Cut 14 (11) “…misrepresented” 

We will see the coldest temperatures of the season tomorrow morning with lows dipping into the upper 20s. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says it’s a good time to check on your smoke detector batteries and purchase a carbon monoxide detector if you don’t have one. If you have a chimney that can burn wood, she says to make sure it’s clean before starting a fire…

Cut 5  (10) “… too late” 

Southwest Louisiana says good riddance to the worst hurricane season in recent memory. Lake Charles and surrounding areas were hammered by Hurricane Laura in late August and then Hurricane Delta six weeks later. Mayor Nic Hunter says residents are still fighting to recover.

Cut 6 (09) “..pieces.”

Laura was tied for the most powerful storm to make landfall in Louisiana in recorded history.

Southwest Louisiana breathes a sigh of relief as the 2020 Hurricane Season comes to an end. Matt Doyle spoke with Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter about the historic struggles his city faces…

Cut 1 (30) “  I’m Matt Doyle”  

The department of health reports only 171 new COVID-19 cases today, as many testing sites were closed over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Hospitalizations are at 1,241 and vent usage is up to 125. The state also reports 13 additional fatalities.

Today is Cyber Monday, one of the largest online shopping days of the year. Carmen Million with the Better Business Bureau of South-Central Louisiana says according to an Accenture Holiday Shopping Survey more people are shopping online this year than before.

Cut 12 (12) “…COVID disease.” 

Million advises you to use a credit card as opposed to a debit card, where the money comes directly out of your account in case that deal turns out not to be legitimate.

We will see the coldest temperatures of the season tomorrow morning with lows dipping into the upper 20s. State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says if you use a space heater, make sure it’s at least three feet away from combustible objects and check to make sure you have a working smoke detector…

Cut 4 (11)   “…our website”