LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is recruiting babies who are not breastfed to be part of the CONNECT research study. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

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Tax season is upon us and today is the first day you can file your 2019 taxes. Jeff Palermo spoke with a CPA for some tips.

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Americans United for Life names Louisiana the most pro-life state in the nation. Matt Doyle has the story.

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LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is recruiting babies who are not breastfed to be part of the CONNECT research study.  Director of biomedical imaging Owen Carmichael says while breast feeding is the way to provide a baby with the best possible nutrition…

Cut 4 (13) “…are fed formula.”

The study tests a conventional baby formula against an enhanced formula that has a greater number of certain nutrients.

Carmichael says the research that led to the study suggests if a formula is fortified with the nutrient building blocks for the development of myelin, it promotes better brain development.

Cut 5 (08) “…of electrical wires.”

The study doesn’t restrict a baby’s diet solely to the fortified formula.  Carmichael says the study involves taking pictures via MRI of the child’s brain while asleep.

Cut 6 (12) “…years of age.”

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Starting today you can submit your 2019 state and federal taxes, and you’ll have until April 15^th to get them done.

New Orleans CPA Jerry Schreiber says his number one tip for filers every season is to efficiently organize your tax information either for yourself or your preparer.

Cut 7 (11) “…returns”

Last year was year one for the major federal tax overhaul that eliminated many itemized deductions in exchange for a higher standard deduction. Schreiber says if you figured out the new process last year, just repeat it…

Cut 8 (10) “…last year.”

Schreiber recommends taking your return to a reputable preparer, but if you chose to go it alone just know the IRS offers a free filing tool called IRS Free File. You can find it on the IRS website.

Cut 9 (09) “…PREPARER”

The tool comes with two packages, one for those making under 69,000 dollars a year, and one for those making over 69,000 dollars a year.

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New job numbers released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows the Baton Rouge area has set a fourth consecutive nonfarm employment record in December 2019.  Louisiana Workforce Commission chief economist Ali Bustamante says 1,800 jobs have been added over the month.

Cut 10 (10) “…over the state.”

New Orleans gained 11,300 jobs over the year, and 2,100 jobs from November to December.

The numbers were not so rosy in other parts of that state over with over the year job losses including Shreveport down 2,800 job, Houma down 1,200, and Lake Charles down 800.   Bustamante says much of that is attributed to declines in construction due to completion of big industrial construction projects.

Cut 11 (11) “…services and manufacturing.”

Bustamante says the leisure and hospitality sector is booming with record high employment at nearly 242,000 jobs, manufacturing added 5,000 jobs over the year and the state continues to excel with business and professional services.

Cut 12 (07) “…great employment growth throughout.”

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Americans United for Life ranks Louisiana as the most pro-life state in the nation, largely on the back of a series of bills passed last year in the Legislature.  The rankings also touted an upcoming March 4^th Supreme Court admitting privileges case originating from Louisiana that Louisiana Right to Life spokesperson Alexandra Seghers says could have major implications.

Cut 13 (11) “…Louisiana.”

Opponents argue requiring admitting privileges at local hospitals is an undue burden designed to shutter abortion clinics across the country.

Along with seven pieces of legislation passed last year, including the Heartbeat Bill, the publication noted a constitutional amendment set for the November presidential ballot…

Cut 14 (07) “…constitution.”

Seghers says the plan is to continue pursuing further pro-life legislation in the state as 8,000 to 9,000 procedures are still performed every year locally…

Cut 15 (10) “…the top”

The March for Life gathered in both Monroe and Baton Rouge over the weekend, and thousands, including the President, joined the march in D.C Friday.

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Preseason practice is underway for the 11th ranked LSU baseball team and there are plenty of position battles to be sorted out before the season opener on February 14th. The only returning starters in the field are catcher Saul Garza, first baseman Cade Beloso and outfielder Daniel Cabrera. Coach Paul Mainieri expects to have fluidity with his everyday lineup

Cut 16  (25)  …our team” 

LSU returns a lot of its pitching from last year. Mainieri says Cole Henry is the likely Friday night starter, Landon Marceaux, Eric Walker and AJ Labas are batting for the other two weekend spots

Cut 17  (20) ” three weeks” 

One of the newcomers on this team is outfielder Maurice Hampton, who just helped the Tigers win a national championship in football. The Memphis native had 10 tackles as a reserve safety. Mainieri admits Hampton is behind the other hitters

cut 18  (20) ” I think”   

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After winning a school-record 11 games in 2019, the Ragin Cajuns football team begins offseason workouts today as they prepare for 2020. Third-year head coach Billy Napier says the goal is to build on last year’s success

cut 19 (16)  intend to do”  

The Cajuns will have a new defensive coordinator. Ron Roberts has left to be the D-C at Baylor. Safeties coach Patrick Toney is expected to be named the new defensive coordinator and former graduate assistant Austin Armstrong is expected to be named inside linebackers coach. Napier is appreciative of Roberts, but is confident the defense will remain playing at a high level

cut 20 (20) “ stamp on it”    

Winning the national championship results in a big payday for LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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The killing of 17-year-old Ja’Quarius Taylor in Washington Parish has a civil rights group concerned that he may have been targeted because he was black and gay. Matt Doyle has more…

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Onlineschoolsreport.com ranks Northwestern State University’s online Bachelor of General Studies as the number two program in the nation. The rankings looked at various factors including student satisfaction and median debt by program. Executive Director of Academic Advising Steve Hicks…

Cut 3 (11)  “…is an honor.” 

Hicks says the general studies program is an appropriate field for those who have an employer that requires a degree for upward mobility.

A majority of the curriculum’s students are over the age of 24, and Hicks says it fits their needs whether full time or part-time.

Cut 4 (07) “…suit their needs.”

Hicks says the positive ranking should help with enrollment…

Cut 5 (08) “…to the region.”

Data sources for the rankings include the National Center for Education Statistics and the US Department of Education’s College Scoreboard.
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After guiding LSU to a national title, head coach Ed Orgeron has agreed to a six-year contract extension worth 42-million dollars. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says Orgeron is now among the Top 10 highest-paid coaches in college football…

Cut 6 (11) “…his worth”

The contract extension is pending approval of the LSU Board of Supervisors. The deal keeps Coach O’ in Baton Rouge through the 2026 season. Higgins says there were doubters when former athletics director Joe Alleva hired Orgeron as the head coach in 2016, but it’s turned out to be a perfect fit…

Cut 7 (10) “…college football.”

Higgins doesn’t see the big-money contract slowing down Orgeron’s work ethic…

Cut 8 (10) “…something again.”

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Holden Matthews, the man suspected of setting fire to three African American Churches in St Landry Parish last spring, will have a change of plea hearing next month. The 22-year-old pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, but Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says the prosecution has a lot of evidence..

Cut 9 (10) “…the arson.”

The U-S Attorney’s office indicted Matthews on three counts of intentional damage to religious property which is considered a hate crime and three counts of arson. Ciolino expects a plea deal will be reached, which will result in a significant sentence. But how much time is hard to figure

Cut 10 (07) “…civil rights violations.” 

Matthews next court date is February 10th. He also faces state charges, but Ciolino expects the son of a law enforcement officer will only spend time in federal prison…

Cut 11 (12) “…dismissed.”
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The hunt for the killer of a gay black teen who was found near a lake in Angie two weeks ago continues, and the Southern Poverty Law Center is concerned it may have been a hate crime.

17-year-old Ja’Quarius Taylor was found shot in the head only an hour after being reported missing by his mother. Washington Parish Sheriff’s chief deputy Mike Haley says it’s their office’s primary focus.

Cut 12 (11) “…FBI.”

Haley adds they’re currently reviewing a key piece of evidence discovered in the lake by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s dive team.

The SPLC is demanding no stone be left unturned in the case given what they say is the history of failure by law enforcement agencies in the Deep South to solve, or even investigate anti-LGBTQ hate crimes.

Cut 13 (10) “…particular”

That’s SPLC Staff Attorney Tyler Clemons. The FBI estimates nearly one in five hate crimes are motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias.

But Haley says it’s too early to start labeling the killing a hate crime, and they don’t have the evidence yet to make that determination.

Cut 14 (09) “…don’t know”