Thousands of health care workers have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Health officials say the vaccination does produce brief side effects. Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Doctor David Lewis says in addition to soreness at the site of injection, recipients could experience joint aches and pains, exhaustion, headache, and low-grade fever…
cut 6 (05) “….small risk”
Lewis anticipates the general public will begin receiving vaccinations next spring.

Both the House and Senate Insurance Committees meet at the State Capitol today to discuss insurance issues that have developed in the wake of an active hurricane season. Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot says members of the public are invited to the 10 AM meeting in Baton Rouge to speak about their issues…
cut 15 (07) “….will be”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser accuses New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell of having Lafayette Christian pop star Lauren Daigle booted from an ABC New Year’s Eve special, but a report by NOLA.com says Daigle was never in contention for the show. Nungesser told LRN Tuesday that Cantrell opposed the thought of including Daigle in the ABC program.
Cut 7 (11) “…controversy.”
But that report, citing ABC and sources close to Daigle, says Daigle was not scheduled to play the event.

Cantrell reportedly sent a letter to the organizers of “New Year’s Rockin Eve” celebration last week saying that Daigle should not be rewarded with national media exposure after she performed during an unpermitted worship rally in Jackson Square last month.

The man who has filed a lawsuit against State Police alleging a Trooper beat him with a Flashlight spoke publicly for the first time yesterday about the incident that occurred outside of his Monroe home in May of 2019. Aaron Bowman says he feared for his life…
cut 5 (09) “…flashlight”
Trooper Jacob Brown was arrested last week, but Bowman’s attorneys are asking for the body cam video to be released.

Senator Bill Cassidy says a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers have reached an agreement on COVID relief legislation. One of the bills would boost federal unemployment benefits and Cassidy says there’s also a 160-billion dollar bill that would provide state and local governments with financial aid…
cut 9 (08) “…funding”
It remains to be seen if there’s enough support to pass both bills.

Imagine being able to perform a COVID self-test at home and finding out the results within minutes. Researchers at Tulane University have created just that, a test that uses your own smartphone to give you results. Dr. Tony Hu, Chair of Biotechnology Innovation at Tulane says the saliva-based test has a 97-percent accuracy rate.
cut 13 (08) “…or negative.”
The test must receive FDA approval first.

LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is hoping to begin recruitment in February or March for a groundbreaking study into why some people benefit from exercise more than others. Director of Biomedical Imaging Dr. Owen Carmichael says many who exercise do not see results. The study hopes to figure out the genetics behind that.
Cut 10 (10) “…out with.”
The study is a national effort that will take place at five sites across the country, Baton Rouge being one of them.

Governor John Bel Edwards says the state will receive 39-thousand COVID-19 vaccines this week and another 40-thousand shots will arrive next week. Frontline healthcare workers in Jefferson Parish, Shreveport, and Alexandria received the vaccination yesterday.

Aaron Bowman, a Black man from Monroe, and his attorneys are calling for justice and transparency in what they say is police brutality. Brooke Thorington explains
Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Tulane says its researchers have developed a rapid COVID-19 saliva test that can be read by a smartphone app. Chair of Biotechnology Innovation at Tulane, Doctor Tony Hu, says the test must still receive F-D-A approval, but he says once approved…
cut 14 (07) “…everyone has”
Hu and his associated developed a test platform where small amounts of the SARS Covid virus RNA can be detected in saliva.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge has received a grant to participate in a study on why exercise makes some people healthier than others. Director of Biomedical Imaging at Pennington, Doctor Owen Carmichael, says at the end of the study they hope to tailor exercise programs to individuals…
cut 11 (10) “….versa”
Carmichael hopes to recruit participants in February or March.

The first round of the coronavirus Pfizer vaccine is being distributed throughout the state. Frontline health care workers at Ochsner Health’s Jefferson Highway main campus, Shreveport’s Willis-Knighton Medical Center, and CHRISTUS St. Frances Hospital in Alexandria were the first to receive the vaccinations.

A 748 billion dollar COVID relief bill has taken shape in D.C. after extensive negotiations involving a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

Aaron Bowman and his attorneys gathered on the state Capitol steps to demand justice and transparency after state trooper Jacob Brown was arrested last week for excessive force during Bowman’s arrest in May of 2019. Baton Rouge Attorney Ronald Haley says Bowman, a black man, was beaten in the head with a police-grade flashlight outside of his Monroe home.
Cut 4 (11) “…spectators.”
Brown was arrested last week for battery and malfeasance in office.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge hopes to begin recruiting in February or March for a study to look at why exercise benefits some people more than others. Director of Biomedical Imaging Doctor Owen Carmichael says they’re looking for participants from all age groups with folks of varying levels of physical fitness…
cut 12 (09) “…things”
The research is the result of a grant from the National Institute of Health.

Senator Bill Cassidy is pushing Congress to approve a 748-billion dollar coronavirus aid package that would restart 300-dollar federally boosted unemployment checks, another round of P-P-P, and more. Cassidy says this bill reflects weeks of good-faith negotiations from Republicans and Democrats…
cut 7 (07) “….caucus”
The legislation does not include another stimulus check for Americans. It remains unclear if the bill can be approved this year.

The attorneys for Aaron Bowman spoke on the steps of the state capitol yesterday seeking justice for Bowman who was allegedly beaten with a flashlight in the head by a State Police trooper outside of his him in Monroe. Last week State Police announced the arrest of trooper Jacob Brown, but Bowman’s personal attorney Donecia Banks-Miley says there were other officers involved…
cut 6 (12) “….did nothing”

Pennington Biomedical Research Center wants to get to the bottom of why exercise helps some people a lot more than others. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”