Clean-up will begin today at the U-S Capitol one day after the first attack on the Washington-DC building in two centuries. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy was in the Upper Chamber when an angry mob of President Trump supporters bullied their way past Capitol Police and into the Senate chambers…
cut 12 (09) “…Capitol”
Senators were escorted to a safe location. Congressman Mike Johnson calls it a sad day for the United States….
cut 11 (10) “….peril”
The House and Senate returned to their respective chambers last night and early this morning certified President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory.

On a day when the state reached an all-time high in COVID-19 hospitalizations, a frustrated Governor John Bel Edwards implored residents to do better in their mitigation efforts that include wearing a mask…
cut 9 (12) “…damn onerus”
The governor’s revised Phase two restrictions expire next Wednesday and he will announce early next week what future restrictions may look like.

LSU football has hired Carolina Panthers quarterback coach Jake Peetz as its offensive coordinator and Carolina offensive assistant DJ Mangas as the passing game coordinator. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says both coaches are in their 30s and worked with former LSU assistant Joe Brady…
cut 19 (11) “…be hired”

Louisiana’s Congressional delegation is condemning the attack on the U-S Capitol by a group of angry pro-Donald Trump supporters. Congressman Mike Johnson calls the incident shocking and shameful. He was in the Lower Chamber as the mob smashed through police barricades…
cut 10 (13) “…location”
Congress returned last night to complete the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College Victory. Republican John Kennedy was one of six senators who voted to overturn Biden’s victory in Arizona.

Governor John Bel Edwards addressed the situation at a Wednesday afternoon press conference…
Cut 14 (09) “…calm.”
Pro-Trump supporters gathered at the Louisiana State Capitol as well yesterday, but it was a peaceful event.

At his first COVID briefing of the year, Governor Edwards voiced his frustrations as the state reached an all-time high for the number of COVID patients in the hospital. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Governor Edwards also said he expects the state to receive 56-thousand additional COVID-19 vaccines next week and that each parish will have a provider that can administer vaccines to those 70 and older. There are hundreds of senior citizens who are waiting on a vaccine at one of 107 pharmacies that have received an initial shipment.

Louisiana leaders condemn Wednesday’s assault on Capitol Hill by a pro-Trump mob opposing the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (42) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

During the early morning hours Congress certified Joe Biden’s Electoral College win. Republican John Kennedy was one of six U-S Senators who objected to the results of the presidential vote in Arizona.
While the Capitol was stormed in DC, here in Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards held the first COVID briefing of 2021 addressing the state’s all-time high hospitalization rate. While Edwards didn’t change the current Modified Phase Two restrictions, he did voice frustration with citizens who refuse to prevent the spread of COVID.
Cut 7 (09) “…follow those.”
There are 1,993 COVID patients in the hospital. Ochsner Health System CEO Warner Thomas says they are planning for that number to rise…
cut 5 (10) “…our system”

It’s a contentious day on Capitol Hill as the House and Senate will vote on whether to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins says he’ll vote no, because election laws were changed without legislative approval and he claims there were largescale voting irregularities…
cut 6 (09) “….fraud”
But Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says he will vote to certify the election because there’s no evidence of wide-scale fraud that would have impacted the election results.

State lawmakers have approved Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s plan for expanded mail-in balloting opportunities for elections that will be held in February, March and April. But Ardoin says early voting will not be expanded like it was for the Presidential election…
cut 12 (05) “…as well”

Louisiana usually ranks at the bottom of every healthcare study’s yearly report but one group highlighted a few of the things the state got right in the last decade. Matt Doyle has the story.
Voicer 3 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

The state health department has told hospitals they can use leftover COVID vaccines to vaccinate people 70 years and older. L-D-H reported yesterday that 56-thousand vaccine doses have been administered. Hundreds of people are on waiting lists for the vaccine at 107 selected pharmacies across the state.

Congress will vote today on certifying the results of the November Presidential Election and most of Louisiana’s Republican Congressional delegation will vote against it. Congressman Clay Higgins says he has a constitutional duty to vote against certification because many states changed their election procedures without legislative approval, resulting in illegitimate results.
Cut 4 (12) “…violated.”
Democrat and Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell has strong words for those who refuse to accept President-elect Biden’s victory…
Cut 5 (10) “…right.”
Senator Bill Cassidy is the only Republican in Louisiana’s Congressional delegation who has said he will vote for certification. Cassidy says there might have been isolated incidents of fraud, it’s not enough to change the election results.

The Louisiana Department of Education is launching what they call the Fast Forward Initiative, which Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley says will personalize high school for juniors and seniors to help prepare them for their next step beyond high school graduation. Brumley says the goal is to increase the number of high school grads with an associate’s degree…
Cut 8 (07) “…next day.”
Data from 2019 shows only 159 out of 42-thousand graduates earned both a diploma and an associate’s degree upon graduation from high school.

State lawmakers have agreed once again to allow expanded mail-in opportunities for voters for elections that will be held in February, March and April. Senate Governmental Affairs Chairperson Sharon Hewitt says only a small percentage of absentee voters used COVID as an excuse on why they couldn’t vote in person last year…
cut 13 (07) “…opportunity”

U-S Senator John Kennedy and Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins have said they will vote against certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Kennedy is pushing for the formation of a commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the results in the disputed states. But Democrat and Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell says Congressmen who vote against certifying know what they are doing is wrong…
cut 7 (10) “…Louisiana”
Kennedy is up for re-election next year.

A United Health Foundation report finds that from 2014 to 2019 there was a 16-percent increase in public health funding, 91-dollars per person in Louisiana, which ranks us 26th in the country. United Chief Medical Officer Rhonda Randall…
cut 16 (08) “….go”

Beginning next fall more high school juniors and seniors will have the option to “Fast Forward” their education. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Former Amite High Standout and Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy last night. He’s only the second Louisiana native to win the prestigious award. Springhill native John David Crow won the award in 1957 after a standout season as a halfback for Paul Bear Bryant at Texas A-and-M