6:30 LRN Newscast February 5

In last night’s State of the Union, President Donald Trump endorsed a bipartisan bill supported by Senator Bill Cassidy that would allow parents to receive a larger child tax credit in their child’s first year after birth or adoption. He says it’s a favorite of the President’s daughter…
Cut 7 (08) “…mandates.”
The legislation would be paid for by drawing from a parent’s future child tax credits.

The LSU-Alexandria Foundation receives a 460-thousand dollar gift that would allow them to train more registered nurses that could be added to the central Louisiana workforce. LSU-A foundation director Melinda Anderson says the money will fund scholarships as well as the salary and benefits of an additional faculty member…
cut 14 (07) “….students every year”

Republican lawmakers in the House will chair the financial and redistricting panels, but Democrats have chairmanships over five committees. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James is the new chairman of House Criminal Justice Committee and he plans to hold an extensive public hearing on repealing the death penalty…
cut 6 (12) “…crime”
It’s been ten years since Louisiana carried out an execution.

A good portion of the state is under a slight risk for severe weather. The heightened severe weather threat stretches from northeast Louisiana through most of central Louisiana and most of south Louisiana. Damaging winds and flooding are possible.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

One of the biggest stars in the NBA makes his only trip of the season to the Smoothie King Center tonight as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks visit New Orleans. The Bucks have the best record in the NBA at 42-7. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are 3-and-3 since Zion Williamson returned from his knee injury. Tip-off tonight is at 6:30.

18th ranked LSU basketball is at Vanderbilt tomorrow night. The Commodores are winless in SEC play under first-year head coach Jerry Stackhouse. Malcolm Turner hired Stackhouse and he resigned today as athletics director after one year on the job. Candice Storey Lee takes over becoming the first African American woman to head an SEC athletics program.

The Saints say they’ve been recognized as having the best overall fan experience in the NFL for a third consecutive season. The ranking comes from the NFL’s League Observation Program and third-party Expert Review Audits.

Tomorrow is the NCAA February signing date for high school athletes. The LSU football program is looking to lock up a top five recruiting class. They are hoping to sign five-star defensive Jordan Burch from South Carolina. Burch is committed to the Gamecocks, but has expressed interest in signing with LSU. The Tigers also have an interest in Mississippi four-star defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson.

St. Thomas More Quarterback Caleb Holstein is expected to sign with Louisiana Tech. According to 24-7 sports, the Bulldogs have the highest-rated recruiting class in 2020 in Conference USA.

Three-star quarterback Blake Shapen from Evangel has committed to Baylor and plans to sign with Dave Aranda and the Bears tomorrow. Shapen also took a long look at U-S-C. He’s expected to get an opportunity to play baseball at Baylor too.

The Ragin Cajuns have agreed to a home-and-home football series with UAB. U-L Lafayette is set to play in Birmingham in 2023 and the Blazers will visit Cajun Field in 2026.

LRN PM Newscall February 4

A newly discovered drug in Louisiana known as gray death has the potential to kill someone, just by touching it. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

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A Tulane study uncovers data that supports a push to begin colorectal cancer screenings before age 50. Matt Doyle has more.

cut  2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

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A final removal vote in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump is set for tomorrow, and Senator Bill Cassidy says he will vote against removing the Commander in Chief.

The vote is expected to split along party lines, and Cassidy says that’s evidence the whole process was a partisan exercise.

Cut 3 (12)  “…article one” 

Polls show a near dead even split on public opinion related to impeachment and removal, and Cassidy says you can’t undo an election without a strong consensus.

Cut 4 (09) “…society.”

Cassidy ended his comments by quoting then-Congressman, and now Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer’s 1998 Clinton impeachment speech…

Cut 5 (06) “…prophet.”

Democrats allege the President used military aide pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rival, Joe Biden.

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A new, potentially lethal drug has been discovered in a St. Mary Parish traffic stop.  It’s called “gray death” and it is heroin cut with fentanyl.  St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson David Spencer says different batches contain different levels of fentanyl and just touching it could have bad consequences.

Cut 6 (10) “…play with it.”

Some reports indicate the potency is up to 10,000 times that of morphine.  Spencer says it doesn’t look like heroin that officials are used to seeing on the street.

Cut 7 (09) “…pieces of concrete.”

Spencer says this drug is fairly new, first popping up around Georgia and Alabama in 2017.

Cut 8 (11) “…new to us.”

If someone sees this drug, Spencer says alert authorities.

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There’s an active debate in the medical community about whether to start colorectal cancer screenings at 45 or 50, and a study by Tulane indicates starting screenings before 50 may be the better choice.

Tulane Associate Clinical Professor Dr. Jordan Karlitz studied cancer rate increases on a year to year basis, and found a 46 percent increase in diagnoses from ages 49 to 50…

Cut 9 (10) “increase”

The increase from 49 to 50 was particularly noticeable in men, who saw a 53 percent increase in diagnoses.

The study also found 93 percent of cases discovered at age 50 had been growing for quite some time. Karlitz says that’s dangerous.

Cut 10 (07) “radiation” 

Karlitz hopes the study will receive further review and potentially influence policy creators, as well as the public.

Cut 11 (11) “…screened”

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The CDC launches a first of its kind virtual human simulation tool to help cancer survivors adopt healthier behaviors. It’s called Talk to Someone, a place to ask questions and engage in conversations with Linda, a virtual cancer survivor, about a variety of topics, including mental health. Cancer survivor Rebecca Shimkets…

Cut 12 (13) “…I was having.” 

Linda will also talk about issues such as alcohol use, tobacco use, nutrition and fitness to prevent recurrences.  Shimkets says it is a tool that would have been valuable to her upon recovery.

Cut 13 (11) “…that I had.”

There are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the US, with 22 million projected in ten years. Shimkets says there’s no shame in having challenges and reaching out for help…

Cut 14 (07) “…to reach out.”

11:40 LRN Sportscasts Feb 4

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks make their only visit to the Smoothie King Center as New Orleans hosts the top team in the Eastern Conference for a 6:30 tip tonight. The Greek Freak is averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds a game and Milwaukee has won five in a row on the road. The Pels are 3-and-3 since Zion Williamson’s debut.

Shareef O’ Neal the son of LSU legend Shaquille O’ Neal is interested in transferring to LSU. Shareef signed with UCLA out of high school, but he’s entered the NCAA transfer portal and spent this past weekend in Baton Rouge. But he may not make a decision on his future for at least another month.

LSU has moved up several spots in both basketball polls to number 18. The Tigers are 8-and-0 in the SEC and they’ve won ten in a row overall. They are at Vanderbilt tomorrow night.

Last night, Travon Bunch had a career-high 23 points as Grambling State defeated Mississippi Valley State 90 to 65.

St. Thomas More quarterback Caleb Holstein posted on Twitter that he plans to sign with Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. Holstein just led the Cougars to a Division Two state title. During his prep career, Holstein threw for nearly 10-thousand yards and over 100 touchdowns.

Three-star quarterback Blake Shapen from Evangel has committed to Baylor and plans to sign with Dave Aranda and the Bears on Wednesday. Several Pac-12 schools and Ole Miss are interested in the two-sport star. Shapen is also a very good baseball player.

LSU heads into national signing day tomorrow with the ability to sign six players. They have commitments from five players, including Haynesville defensive tackle CamRon Jackson. LSU is hoping to get five-star defensive end Jordan Burch to de-commit from South Carolina and sign with LSU.

The Ragin Cajuns have agreed to a home-and-home series with UAB. U-L Lafayette is set to play in Birmingham in 2023 and the Blazers will visit Cajun Field in 2026.

9:30 LRN Newscast February 4

Congressman Ralph Abraham only has 21,000 dollars in his reelection war chest, sparking speculation he’s considering not running again this year. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says 21,000 dollars is a remarkably low number for someone to run a reelection campaign with…
Cut 10 (10) “…campaign”
Two potential candidates have started raising money, Republican Ouachita Parish Police Juror Scotty Robinson and Democrat Candy Christophe.

There’s a marginal risk for severe weather for northern parishes today as a strong cold front is expected to sweep across the state over the next couple of days. Forecasters say there is a slight risk for severe weather tomorrow for all of southeast Louisiana, Acadiana, and areas east of Alexandria. National Weather Service Meteorologist C-S Ross…
cut 6 (05) “…tornado or two”

Louisiana is seeking 150-million dollars from the federal government to elevate an eight-point-three mile stretch of LA Highway one from Golden Meadow to Leeville Bridge in Lafourche Parish. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson is in Washington DC to make the state’s case…
cut 8 (11) “”…disasters”
The state has already put up 150-million dollars for the project.

Many have taken to the Keto diet to lower the risk of diabetes and inflammation, but new research out of Yale has found based on a study on mice that more than a week of keto may not be beneficial. LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Public Health Melinda Sothern says more research is needed on humans to see if the same response occurs…
cut 15 (12) “…longer response”

8:30 LRN Newscast February 4

Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham, who represents much of north and central Louisiana, has only 21-thousand campaign dollars on hand and he’s up for reelection in November. Abraham has said he might not run for a fourth term. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says if Abraham does not run, the seat will not turn blue as there will be a lot of interest from Republicans….
cut 12 (11) “…field”
Qualifying for the Congressional races is in July.

North Louisiana parishes are under a marginal threat for severe weather today. About a month ago, northwest Louisiana was hit by a tornado that killed three people, but National Weather Service Forecaster C-S Ross says the threat is not as high as a month ago…
cut 5 (06) “…severe weather”
There’s a slight risk for severe weather tomorrow for much of south Louisiana and areas east of Alexandria.

New research has concluded that more than a week of the keto diet may not be beneficial. LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Public Health, Doctor Melinda Sothern, says Yale researchers put mice on a keto diet and found after a week they stored more fat than they can burn, which raises health concerns…
cut 14 (10) “…a higher diabetes risk”
Sothern says it’s still possible that the keto diet has health benefits if dosed properly.

Louisiana is pushing the feds to give 150 million dollars in matching funds to the state to help construct an elevated roadway on LA Highway 1 from Golden Meadow to the Leeville Bridge in Lafourche Parish. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says a several mile-long bridge over marshlands is needed to guarantee safe passage to Port Fourchon.
Cut 7 (10) “…marshland.”
Wilson says Louisiana has already pumped over 300 million dollars into projects along that vital stretch of highway.

7:30 LRN Newscast

Congressman Ralph Abraham’s remarkably small reelection war chest has rumors flying that he will not seek a fourth term in office. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

House Speaker Clay Schexnayder has finalized committee assignments for the upcoming term. Lafayette Representative Vincent Pierre is chairman of Transportation, Baton Rouge Representative Ted James will lead Criminal Justice, Chalmette Representative Ray Garofalo is the chair of Education, and Stonewall Representative Larry Bagwell heads Health and Welfare.

The keto diet may be all the rage in trying to drop pounds, but new research shows that you might not want to be on the diet for too long. LSU Health New Orleans Professor of Public Health Melinda Sothern says after rodents were on the diet for a week, Yale University researchers discovered an increase in delta gamma t-cells.
Cut 13 (10) “…to be eliminated.”
After a week, Sothern says the rodents would eventually begin to eat more fat.

There’s a marginal risk for severe weather for northern parishes today as a strong cold front is expected to sweep across the state over the next couple of days. Forecasters say there is a slight risk for severe weather tomorrow for all of southeast Louisiana, Acadiana and areas west of Alexandria. National Weather Service Meteorologist C-S Ross…
cut 6 (05) “…tornado or two”

6:45 LRN Sportscast February 4

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks make their only visit to the Smoothie King Center as New Orleans hosts the top team in the Eastern Conference for a 6:30 tip tonight. The Greek Freak is averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds a game and Milwaukee has won five in a row on the road. The Pels are 3-and-3 since Zion Williamson’s debut.

Shareef O’ Neal the son of LSU legend Shaquille O’ Neal is interested in transferring to LSU. Shareef signed with UCLA out of high school, but he’s entered the NCAA transfer portal and spent this past weekend in Baton Rouge. But he may not make a decision on his future for at least another month.

LSU has moved up several spots in both basketball polls to number 18. The Tigers are 8-and-0 in the SEC and they’ve won ten in a row overall. They are Vanderbilt tomorrow night.

Last night, Travon Bunch had a career-high 23 points as Grambling State defeated Mississippi Valley State 90 to 65.

St. Thomas More quarterback Caleb Holstein posted on Twitter that he plans to sign with Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. Holstein just led the Cougars to a Division Two state title. During his prep career, Holstein threw for nearly 10-thousand yards and over 100 touchdowns. He’s rated by Rivals as the 34th best pro-style Q-B in the nation.

Three-star quarterback Blake Shapen from Evangel has committed to Baylor and plans to sign with Dave Aranda and the Bears on Wednesday. Several Pac-12 schools and Ole Miss are interested in the two-sport star. Shapen is also very good on the baseball diamond.

The SEC has named John McDaid as its new coordinator of football officials. McDaid will replace Steve Shaw. McDaid has 24 years of experience as an official and has been officiating SEC games since 2015. The Harvard graduate will also serve as coordinator of football officials for the Sun Belt Conference.

6:30 LRN Newscast February 4

5th district Louisiana Congressman Ralph Abraham reports only having 21-thousand dollars in his campaign war chest and he’s up for re-election this year. It fuels speculation Abraham will not seek a fourth term. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says when Abraham was first elected, he pledged to serve just three terms, but…
cut 11 (11) “…pledge”

There’s a marginal risk for severe weather for the northern parishes of the state later today. National Weather Service Meteorologist C-S Ross…
cut 4 (10) “…front near freezing”
Expect scattered showers this morning and then thunderstorms in the afternoon and into the evening. The severe weather threat shifts to southeast Louisiana, Acadiana and a part of central Louisiana tomorrow.

Louisiana officials are seeking 150 million dollars in federal funding to help construct an elevated roadway heading to Port Fourchon. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Matt Doyle”

4:45 LRN Sportscast Feb 3

The Honey Badger is celebrating a Super Bowl Championship today. New Orleans native and former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu helped Kansas City rally back from a 10-point deficit to beat San Francisco 31-20 in Super Bowl 54. Mathieu and the K-C defense helped spark the comeback…
cut 13 (11) “…progressed”
Its Kansas City’s first NFL championship in 50 years and a parade is scheduled for Wednesday.

The SEC has named John McDaid as its new coordinator of football officials. McDaid will replace Steve Shaw. McDaid has 24 years of experience as an official and has been officiating SEC games since 2015. The Harvard graduate will also serve as coordinator of football officials for the Sun Belt Conference.

LSU men’s basketball has won 10 straight and they are 8-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1981. LSU’s Javonte Smart on trying to win back-to-back regular-season titles…
cut 20 (10) “…continue to win”
The Bayou Bengals moved up four spots and are ranked 18th in the A-P Top 25 and six spots in the coaches poll to 18th. LSU visits Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Commodores are winless in league play. On Saturday, LSU is at 11th ranked Auburn, who just beat Kentucky over the weekend.

Louisiana Tech has moved into a tie with North Texas for first place in Conference USA after beating Old Dominion on Saturday. The Bulldogs are at Western Kentucky for a pivotal game on Thursday night.

Tonight in college hoops, Grambling is at Mississippi Valley State. The Pelicans host Milwaukee tomorrow.