Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves teams up with one of his Democratic colleagues to bypass House leadership and force a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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New Orleans hosts the Super Bowl in about four and a half months. Is the city ready? Sean Richardson has the story.
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Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves teams up with one of his Democratic colleagues to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and force a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. Congressman Graves says the bill removes the penalty for those who work in the public sector.
Cut 3 (13) “…in public service.”
Graves says the law as originally passed was not intended to penalize public sector workers like police officers or school teachers.
Cut 4 (09) “…been the effect.”
Graves says as a result, public sector workers have seen their Social Security benefits reduced by as much as two-thirds, forcing them to turn to public assistance.
Cut 5 (09) “…make ends meet.”
This is not a controversial bill; Graves says it has 328 co-sponsors – more than enough for the bill to sail through the House. Graves and Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger got lawmakers to sign a discharge petition to force a vote on the bill, which should happen sometime in the coming weeks.
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In about four and a half months, the Super Bowl will be coming to New Orleans. Is the city ready? According to Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, not quite.
Cut 6 (11) “…in horrible shape.”
Nungesser said specifically, the streets in the French Quarter need work.
Cut 7 (09) “…the whole street.”
Nungesser said getting the French Quarter ready needs to be the top priority in preparing for the Super Bowl.
Cut 8 (14) “…keep it safe.”
Nungesser applauded the city’s efforts to reduce crime, with police officers using technology to take a proactive approach to prevent crimes before they’re committed.
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The University of Louisiana Monroe says fall enrollment is up four-percent over the last year, one of largest increases in the school’s history. Vice President of Enrollment Management Lisa Miller says this is driven by a remarkable 22% jump in first-time freshmen, reflecting strong recruitment efforts.
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ULM’s graduate school has also seen its largest enrollment ever, with a 9% rise compared to last year. Another notable growth area, Miller says is in international freshmen student enrollment, with a 110% increase in freshman students from abroad, more than doubling the last count.
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Miller emphasized this past year was the first since Covid-19 the university was able to get back to recruitment, and ULM has been working to rebound from the decreased enrollment that the pandemic caused.
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Saturday is another big day of college football in Louisiana. It starts at 11 AM in Lafayette as the Ragin Cajuns host Tulane. It’s the first time the two schools have met on the Gridiron since 2018 and the Green Wave have won the last two matchups. U-L Lafayette Coach Michael Desormeaux (DEZ-er-mo)…
Cut 12 (13) “…we want to be.”
At 2:45, LSU will host UCLA for the first time in football. The 16th ranked Tigers are 2-and-1 and Coach Brian Kelly is looking for a more consistent effort…
Cut 13 (14) “…every single play.”
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Saints Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak is quickly becoming the toast of the town, with his team putting up 91 points over their first two games. The first team offense scored on 15 consecutive drives to start the season. Kubiak knows, however, that this is not a spring – this is a marathon.
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This week, the Saints face a mobile quarterback in Jalen Hurts as they host the Eagles. The task of stopping him and the entire run game will fall on the shoulders of the defensive line, including Defensive End Chase Young.
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Kickoff at the Superdome is noon Sunday.