Tomorrow is Election Day, and both major political parties are pulling out all the stops in getting the vote out. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

_____________________________________________

Today is the start of the three day inaugural Louisiana State Marching Band Championship at McNeese State University in Lake Charles.  Sean Richardson has the story.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

_____________________________________________

Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge is conducting a study designed to help women at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Colleen Crain has the details…

Cut 3 (36) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

_____________________________________________

With just hours to go before voters go to the polls, both political parties in Louisiana are pulling out the stops in getting out the vote. State Republican Party Chairman Cory Dennis says if early voting is any indication, Election Day should be a good day for the G-O-P in the state.

Cut 4 (09) “…for Donald Trump.”

Dennis says if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that every vote counts.

Cut 5 (08) “…across the country.”

Former Governor John Bel Edwards rallied Democrats at the state party headquarters in Baton Rouge.

Cut 6 (14) “…Kamala Harris. (applause)”

Edwards said there will be at least one bit of good news for Democrats coming out of Louisiana in this election.

Cut 7 (13) “…promise you that. (applause).”

Opinion polls show that no federal race in Louisiana is competitive. Donald Trump is almost guaranteed to carry the state, and as Governor Edwards just alluded to, Democrats are a near lock to flip the redrawn Sixth Congressional District. The state’s five other House seats are almost certain to remain with their current political parties.

________________________________________________________

The inaugural Louisiana State Marching Band Championship begins today at McNeese State University’s Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles and will continue through Wednesday. Featuring 69 high school bands and nearly 6,500 student performers, Louisiana Music Educators Association President Lee Hicks says the people of Lake Charles have been amazing…

Cut 8 (06) “…help us out.”

Bands will perform in scheduled slots, with warm-up areas assigned. Judging criteria include Music General Effect, Visual Performance, and specialized categories for Percussion and Auxiliary. Hicks says it all comes down to one performance.

Cut 9 (11)  “…one shot to nail it.”

Hicks says the event provides a high-profile platform for Louisiana’s top high school bands to demonstrate their skill, creativity, and school spirit in a competitive arena.

Cut 10 (07) “…seeing how it goes.”

______________________________________________________

LSU Shreveport (LSUS) celebrates record-breaking enrollment for the second consecutive semester, reaching 10,851 students in Fall 2024—an 11% increase from Fall 2023 and over 24% growth from Fall 2022. This milestone marks continued growth in both undergraduate and graduate populations, with LSUS surpassing 10,000 students for the first time in Spring 2024. Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith credits faculty and staff for their commitment to recruiting and retaining students…

Cut 11 (11) “…our students.”

Graduate programs are particularly popular, with a record 8,118 enrolled, reflecting a 13% rise from the previous fall.  Undergraduate numbers are also on the rise, with 2,733 students—the highest since pre-pandemic levels. Smith says that includes face to face and online enrollment…

Cut 12 (12) “…every way you can think. 

LSUS ranks highest in Louisiana on the Economic Mobility Index, highlighting its role in helping low-income students secure well-paying jobs and improve socioeconomic status.

Cut 13 (09)  “…in this economy.” 

______________________________________________________

Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge is conducting The Sweet Study involving the medication, Ozempic. It’s designed to help women at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Scientific Research Director, Dr. Elizabeth Sutton, says most people don’t know they’re at risk for developing diabetes and women who have experienced gestational diabetes are at much greater risk…

Cut 14 (09) “…in your life.”

Women who meet the study’s criteria and complete it will earn $1000 for their participation. Sutton says most people are unaware they have prediabetes, which is one of the qualifying conditions, but the study offers free screening tests for it. Sutton describes the rest of the criteria…

Cut 15 (11) “…in the last ten years.”

Half the participants receive Ozempic during the study, and the other half get a placebo. It includes women from all over Louisiana. Those who pass a phone screening will visit Woman’s in Baton Rouge for in-person screening tests. If those tests and questions qualify her, Sutton says the participant will come back for baseline testing then…

Cut 16 (11)   “…with your medicine.”

Sutton says it’s easy to apply for the study. Either visit “womans dot org slash research” and click the Sweet Study link or you can call or text 225-421-9185.

_________________________________________________

The Saints’ losing streak is now seven after losing to one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Carolina Panthers scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat New Orleans 23 to 22. Coach Dennis Allen was hoping the return of starting quarterback Derek Carr would propel the Black and Gold to a much-needed win.

Cut 17 (20) “…advantage of them.”

New Orleans will try to end the losing streak this Sunday at home against Atlanta. Allen’s seat is also getting hot as the calls for him to get fired are getting louder. Allen was asked how they can end this losing streak

Cut 18 (17)   “…stand up and fight”

____________________________________________________

ULM could not hang on to a three-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost to Marshall 28 to 23. After starting 5-and-1, the Warhawks now have a two-game losing streak. Coach Bryant Vincent expects his team to keep grinding…

Cut 19 (19) “….uncommon.”  

ULM will host Texas State this Saturday.

________________________________________________________

Southeastern Louisiana rallied late to beat Lamar in overtime 30 to 27. After starting 1-and-4, the Lions are now 5-and-5 and Coach Frank Scelfo says the FCS playoff selection should take notice…

Cut 20 (14) “..played.”

The Lions host Northwestern State this Saturday and S-L-U closes out the regular season November 21st against Nicholls.

It’s the first day of Open Enrollment, and Louisiana residents looking for affordable coverage have new options. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

______________________________________

Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District could have a major impact on who has control of the U-S House. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

______________________________________

The Louisiana Book Festival returns to downtown Baton Rouge for its 20th year tomorrow. Robert Wilson, the assistant director of the Louisiana Center for the Book, says there will be something for everyone.

Cut 3 (12) “…as academic titles.”

Events will be held in the State Capitol, the State Library, the Capitol Park Museum and in tents on neighboring streets. Wilson says there will be scores of authors and presenters on hand.

Cut 4 (08) “…following their programs.” (More than 200 authors and presenters will be on hand.)

In addition, there will be cooking demonstrations. Wilson says the book festival is a family-friendly event.

Cut 5 (07) “…look for lunch.”

The event tomorrow is from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., and admission is free.

______________________________________

Annual enrollment for healthcare.gov begins today. Louisiana Blue Chief Healthcare Economist Mike Bertaut  says if you do not have affordable health insurance through an employer, or you’re losing Medicaid or you need to get covered, look at options on HealthCare.gov. He says enrollment is through January 15…

Cut 6 (07) “…by December 15.”

Bertaut says Louisiana Blue, the state’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield provider, offers HMO plans with the state’s lowest rates available in every parish, showing an average premium reduction of 9% compared to last year. He says you can work with an experienced, licensed agent at no cost…

Cut 7 (11) “…networks work.”

Bertaut says to connect with an agent call 1-844-GET-BLUE.

Residents should consider coverage needs, monthly premiums, and provider networks before enrolling, as each plan varies in cost and benefits. Bertaut says figuring out what health insurance plan works for you can be confusing, but the worst thing you can do is go uncovered…

Cut 8 (10) “…devastating if you do.”

________________________________________________________

Louisiana’s newly drawn Sixth Congressional District could result in Democrats regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Dillard University political science professor Doctor Robert Collins says the sixth district is expected to flip from Republican to Democrat because it’s now a Majority-minority district…

Cut 9 (06)  “…federal courts.”

Louisiana lawmakers approved new Congressional districts earlier this year after a federal judge ordered the state to create a second Majority-Minority District.

Republicans currently occupy 220 seats in the U.S. House, Democrats have 212 and there are three vacancies. Collins says Democrats are banking on winning the Sixth Congressional District in Louisiana…

Cut 10 (05) “…real opportunity.”

Republican Garret Graves represents the Sixth District, but the political boundaries of his district have been radically changed to favor a Black candidate. Four Democrats and one Republican are running for this open seat that might need a run-off election in December to decide.

_______________________________________________________________

This is the weekend in which we “fall back.” Before you go to bed Saturday night, be sure to turn your clocks back an hour. Even though it will give us an extra hour of sleep, the time change can have some negative effects. Dr. Pamela Alonso with LSU in New Orleans says they go beyond sleep disruptions, and some can be very serious. 

Cut 11 (10) “…during those changes.”

Dr. Alonso says the most common negative effect is a disruption in the body’s natural circadian rhythm.

Cut 12 (10) “…on 24 hours.”

And as a result of the time change, people are going to have to completely alter their daily routines based on daylight or darkness.

Cut 13 (10)  “…want to sleep.”

It’s for these reasons that Congress in recent years has debated doing away with biennial time changes altogether as Mexico did in March of 2023.