Louisiana’s honeybee populations are experiencing their worst decline on record this year, with beekeepers reporting a staggering 60-percent loss in colonies. Sean Richardson has more…
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Small businesses in Louisiana and across the country are having trouble filling job openings. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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Whooping cough cases are on the rise in Louisiana. Jeanne (ZHAHN) Burns reports.
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The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles has made significant progress in helping residents prepare for the May 7th REAL ID enforcement date. Acting Deputy Commissioner Matthew Boudreaux says over 1.2 million Louisianans have received a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card through outreach efforts, expanded services, and public engagement.
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Boudreaux says OMV offices will continue issuing REAL IDs after the enforcement date.
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Boudreaux encourages all residents to visit express-lane-dog-org to schedule an appointment and has a REAL ID checklist.
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In 2025, Louisiana’s honeybee populations are experiencing their worst decline on record, with beekeepers reporting a staggering 60-percent loss in colonies. Louisiana Beekeepers Association VP Kevin Langley says this collapse threatens not only local ecosystems but also national food supplies, as bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops.
Langley attributes the decline to pesticide use, habitat loss, and disease—all of which weaken bee immune systems.
Langley says there is hope. Farmers, researchers, and environmentalists are raising awareness and promoting bee-friendly practices such as pollinator gardens, limiting pesticide use during blooms, and preserving green spaces by cutting back on cutting your grass.
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Small businesses are finding it harder to find quality workers to fill their job openings. The National Federation of Independent Business’ April jobs report showed that 34-percent of small businesses reported job openings that they could not fill. State Director Leah Long says this has been an issue that’s been going on for about a year.
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Long says it’s not just skilled workers that small businesses are having trouble finding to fill their openings.
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Long says there are two house bills making their way through the legislature that would address the need for small businesses to find qualified workers, including creating a one-door workforce policy.
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Whooping cough cases continue their upward trend in Louisiana. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says there have been 164 cases of whooping cough so far this year, already eclipsing 2024’s total of 153.
And Sokol says two infants have died from the illness. She says the trend is similar across the country, but it’s especially alarming in Louisiana.
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Sokol says there are vaccines to protect people from whooping cough, and she especially urges certain women to get vaccinated.
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Sokol says to take extra cautions when around newborns, because they cannot get a whooping cough vaccine until they’re two months old.