Governor Edwards has signed the bill that will put an end to the extra 300-dollars a week unemployed workers receive from the federal government. The 300-dollar federal enhancement was set to expire on September sixth, it will now go away at the end of July. N-F-I-B state director Dawn McVea says it is disappointing that it took this long to cut off the federal benefits…
cut 11 (11) “…anyway”

This morning, the governor met with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. Edwards says still no word on when southwest Louisiana will receive hurricane disaster recovery dollars from the federal government. The governor says their request is for three billion dollars…
cut 14 (11) “…get us started”
Edwards was able to announce today that parishes impacted by Hurricanes Laura and Delta will receive 136-million dollars in hazard mitigation funding.

When you finish a platter of oysters have you ever wondered what happens to the shells? Brooke Thorington has more on why a local environmental group wants to know.
Cut 1 (31) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.”

State offices will only be open in the morning tomorrow as state workers are getting the afternoon off in honor of Juneteenth. Governor Edwards has signed a bill to make Juneteenth a legal state holiday. On June 19th, 1865, the last group of black slaves in America learned they were free as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Governor Edwards has signed the bill that will put an end to the extra 300-dollars a week unemployed workers receive from the federal government. The 300-dollar federal enhancement was set to expire on September sixth, it will now go away at the end of July. Also, starting next year, unemployed workers will receive an additional 28-dollars a week from the state.

The governor has also signed a bill that sets the framework for businesses to use drones to make local deliveries. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Biden administration has begun to explore whether the Gulf of Mexico can be a source for wind energy development. LSU Center for Energy Studies Executive Director David Dismukes says it’s possible, but there are a lot of challenges and it could take a couple of decades for it to become a reality…
cut 15 (09) “…challenge”
The President has set the goal for the United States to produce 30-thousand megawatts of wind capacity by 2030.

A state tax credit worth up to 25-hundred dollars to an individual who purchases an electric car or an alternative fuel vehicle is set to expire on July 1st. Louisiana Clean Fuels co-Coordinator Tyler Hermann says if you are buying specifically to take advantage of the tax credit, be advised it is a nonrefundable income tax credit so you have to have $2,500 of tax liability left over for the 2021 tax year.
Cut 6 (09) “…of it.”

Governor Edwards will announce COVID-19 vaccine incentives at a 2:30 press conference in an attempt to increase the state’s vaccinated population which currently sits at 33-percent. Eric Picolli has the story…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Eric Picolli.”

That tropical disturbance we’ve been watching in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to move towards Louisiana today and possibly develop into a tropical depression tonight or early tomorrow morning. Forecasters are expecting heavy rainfall starting on Friday and continuing into Saturday.

The Biden administration is looking at whether the Gulf of Mexico could be a source of offshore wind energy. LSU Center for Energy Studies Executive Director David Dismukes says turbines in the Gulf can likely generate electricity, but there’s a number of questions that must be answered from hurricane resiliency to…
cut 14 (07) “….hours”
Governor Edwards is a supporter of offshore wind energy development in the Gulf.

The governor has signed a bill that establishes a framework for businesses that plan to use drones to make local deliveries. Port Allen Senator Rick Ward says the devices will have to travel at a speed no higher than 12 miles per hour in pedestrian areas, can’t be used around airports and local governments can also set up their own regulations…
cut 9 (09) “….to me”
Several other states have passed similar laws.

The Biden Administration is asking energy companies if they’d be interested in setting up offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Mexico. LSU Center for Energy Studies Director David Dismukes says it’s the beginning of a long road towards the potential development of renewable energy in the Gulf.
Cut 13 (11) “…wind.”
Dismukes says northeastern states began the process to set up offshore wind turbines about 15 years ago and are just now starting to implement the program.

Governor Edwards has signed legislation that establishes the rules that businesses will be required to follow if they implement drone delivery services. Port Allen Senator Rick Ward says he envisions businesses using these devices to make short-distance deliveries…
cut 8 (11) “….the service”
Under the bill, self-driving robots can not go faster than 12 miles per hour in pedestrian areas.

Governor John Bel Edwards will hold a press conference at 2:30 today to announce COVID-19 vaccine incentives. Edwards has been pushing individuals to get the vaccine….
cut 12 (11) “….is your choice”
About a third of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, with 47-percent of those 18 and older getting their doses and 80-percent of those 65 and older having started the process.

A tax credit that’s worth up to 25-hundred dollars for individuals who purchase an electric car or an alternative fuel vehicle is set to expire on July 1st. Legislation changed the sunset date for the tax credit from January 1st to July 1st so Louisiana Clean Fuels Co-Coordinator Tyler Hermann says this could impact businesses or state agencies who are buying these types of vehicles…
cut 5 (09) “….to get”

The Biden Administration is interested in potentially having companies set up wind turbines in the shallow waters off the Gulf of Mexico coast….
Cut 3 (27) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

LSU has reinstated Doctor G-E Ghali as the chancellor of the university’s medical school in Shreveport. He was suspended for two months after four women accused Ghali of sexual misconduct. Ghali said in a statement that an outside investigation cleared him of wrongdoing. An attorney representing the four who women filed the complaints said something is truly rotten in Louisiana and at LSU.

Today at 2:30, Governor Edwards will announce COVID-19 vaccine incentives in an effort to increase the number of people vaccinated against the virus. Edwards teased the announcement during his monthly radio show Ask the Governor.
Cut 10 (08) “…to promote vaccinations.”
One-point-five million people are fully vaccinated in Louisiana, which represents 33-percent of the population, one of the lowest percentages in the country.

If you’re planning on buying an electric vehicle in hopes of receiving a tax credit you better make that purchase in the next two weeks. Louisiana Clean Fuels Co-Coordinator Tyler Hermann says the legislature passed a bill that accelerates the sunset date of a $2,500 tax credit for the purchase of an alternative fuel vehicle.
Cut 4 (06) “…from now.”
The original date was January 1, 2022.

A federal judge in Lafayette has blocked President Biden’s moratorium on new oil and gas lease sales on federal land and water. U-S District Judge Terry Doughty stated he could not find any rationale for the moratorium. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who filed the suit, says he could not agree more…
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The President issued the moratorium in January in an effort to combat climate change.

Forecasters say there’s a high chance a disturbance over the Bay of Campeche will develop into at least a tropical depression. Marti Calhoun with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles says the broad low-pressure area will likely develop into a tropical depression late tomorrow or early Friday. She says once that occurs, they can provide a better forecast on rainfall potential…
Cut 4 (10) “…from there”
No flood watches are posted yet, but there’s a strong likelihood for heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday.

The CDC has issued a warning to states in the South that they are seeing an increase in R-S-V, which is a common respiratory virus, but it can be fatal especially for children who have compromised immune systems. L-D-H Capital Region Medical Director and pediatrician, Doctor Dawn Marcelle, says children are not the only ones at risk…
cut 12 (07) “….group settings’
The CDC is asking doctors to test for RSV, especially if a patient tests negative for COVID.

Stan Van Gundy is out after one season as head coach of the Pelicans. Van Gundy failed to lead Zion Williamson and the Pels to the playoffs this past season and sources say there were tensions behind the scenes involving Van Gundy. Locked on Pelicans podcast host Jake Madison says a former Louisiana Tech women’s basketball star is a potential candidate to replace Van Gundy…
cut 8 (12) “….Vaneterpool”
If Weatherspoon gets the job, she’ll become the first woman head coach in a major American sport.