8:30 LRN Newscast

Among the most high-profile bills that Governor Edwards has vetoed is the ban on transgender medical procedures on children. Pollock Republican Representative Gabe Firment, who authored the bill, says it’s not antitransgender legislation, it protects children and there’s public support for it.
Cut 7 (11) “…this veto.”
New Orleans Democrat Aimee Freeman disagrees and says there are no known cases of surgery on children to alter their gender in Louisiana. She says the bill’s intent is to target a vulnerable population, and unnecessary.
Cut 8 (12) “…legislation.’”
Lawmakers have until Thursday to decide if they want to come back for an override veto session. The veto session would begin July 18th.

LSU Tigers were the first two picks in the Major League Baseball Draft, which got underway last night. Right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes went number one overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes says he’s shocked…
cut 4 (09) “…in Pittsburgh”
LSU center fielder Dylan Crews was the second selection as he was picked buy Washington. It’s the first time college teammates went one-two in the Major League Baseball draft.

The governor’s office says ground has been broken on a project that will result in high-speed affordable and reliable internet for 91-hundred households and 535 small businesses in Avoyelles Parish. Connect LA director Veneeth Iyengar says Swft Telecom is expected to complete the project next summer..
cut 16 (13) “…our office”

7:30 LRN Newscast

The veto of a bill to ban transgender procedures on minors could be the tipping point for an override session that would begin next week.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Lawmakers have until Thursday to decide if they want an override veto session. The governor vetoed 26 bills and several items in the budget. Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics-dot-com says Firment’s bill seems to have the most momentum for an override veto session but there are other bills too…
cut 11 (11) “…these other issues”

Paul Skenes is the first LSU player to be selected number one in the Major League Baseball draft since Ben McDonald in 1989. The Pittsburgh Pirates used their top overall pick on Skenes, who features a 100-mile per hour fastball and a wipe out slider…
cut 3 (11) “…this position”
LSU’s Dylan Crews was the second overall pick, going to the Washington Nationals.

Baton Rouge General has opened the Louisiana Center for Bariatrics. The center offers robotic gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy surgery for patients who qualify and have been unsuccessful in losing weight through diet and exercise. Doctor Karayln Bentley says weight loss surgery is an effect and long-term treatment for obesity….
cut 5 (09) “…moderation”
Visit la-center-for-baraiatrics-dot-com for more information.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

History was made in last night’s Major League Baseball draft as for the first time two teammates were selected with the first two picks. Pittsburgh selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with the first pick and Washington took Tigers center fielder Dylan Crews with the second pick. Skenes 100-mile per hour fastball and wipe out slider could put him in the major leagues soon….
cut 20 (17) “…as soon as possible”
Four LSU Tigers were selected last night. The Cincinnati Reds used the 38th overall pick to take right-handed pitcher Ty Floyd and in the second round the Chicago White Sox selected right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor, who did not pitch this past season because of an injury.

Rounds three through ten of the Major League Baseball Draft will get underway at 1 PM today. Last night in the second round, the Kansas City Royals took Ragin Cajuns outfielder Carson Roccaforte. Roccaforte had a .325 career batting average in three seasons at U-L Lafayette.

The Royals also took LSU’s top baseball signee, catcher Blake Mitchell, went in the first round with the eighth overall pick.

Nicholls baseball coach Mike Silva has a received a contract extension that attempts to keep him in the Colonels dugout through 2029. Silvia just led the Colonels to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998.

Legendary Louisiana high school football coach Lee Hedges has passed away at the age of 93. He coached NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw at Woodlawn High School in Shreveport. Hedges also led Captain Shreve to its lone state championship in 1973.

The Pelicans beat the Warriors 94-86 in NBA Summer League Action in Las Vegas. Dyson Daniels had 17 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. North Carolina State product Dereon Sebron had a team high 25 points. New Orleans is 1-and-1 in the Summer League and will play the Suns tomorrow night.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Lawmakers have until Thursday to decide if they want want to hold a veto session to override any of the vetoes issued by Governor John Bel Edwards. Pollock Representative Gabe Firment is urging his colleagues to hold an override veto session so that his bill that bans gender-affirming care for minors can be become law…
cut 9 (10) “….on kids”
Several legislative leaders have told the USA Today Network that a special session is inevitable.

Thinking about weight loss surgery. New guidelines are in place. Instead of a BMI of 40 or greater, it’s now 30, with at least one medical condition and…
cut 4 (08) “…considered”
That’s Doctor Karalyn Bentley at the new Louisiana Center for Bariatrics in Baton Rouge, who says nearly 43-percent of adults in the U-S have a B-M-I of 30 or higher.

Officials have broke ground on a $21 million broadband expansion project to bring high-speed, affordable, and reliable internet to nearly 10,000 households and businesses in Avoyelles Parish.
Cut 3 (33) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Major League Baseball Draft begins Sunday night and two LSU Tigers could be the first two picks, Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the first pick and D-1 Baseball-dot-com’s Kendall Rogers says he would take Crews….
Cut 12 (12) “…day one”
Baseball America Prospect writer Geoff Pontes says the Pirates could probably save some cash and draft high school prospect Max Clark an outfielder from Indiana…
cut 17 (19) “…this draft”
The draft gets underway at 6 PM on Sunday.

The state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approves stricter catch limits on redfish in an effort to reverse the decline on stocks. The new state plan would reduce catch limits from five redfish per day, per angler to three. Also the minimum size allowed would increase from 16 to 18 inches while bull reds would be off limits to anglers. Commissioner Joe McPherson says the changes could go into effect in early December, if an oversight committee of the state legislature does not step in…
cut 8 (12) “…effect”
The plan will undergo a public comment period that will last until October 5th.

The Sun Belt announces that the NFL Network will televise ULM’s season opener against Army on September 2nd. The game is scheduled to kick off at six PM in Monroe.

Former Saints running back Mark Ingram has joined Fox Sports as a college football analyst.

LRN PM Newscall July 7

The state’s wildlife and fisheries commission approves a plan to conserve the popular redfish. Jeff Palermo has the story..

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

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Approval of the Alzheimer’s medication Leqembi (lah-kem’-bee) is a historic advancement in the treatment of the brain-robbing disease. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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A jury has decided 47-year-old Brian Horn should die by lethal injection for killing 12-year-old Justin Bloxom of Stonewall. Justin’s lifeless body was found along a highway in Desoto Parish in 2010. It’s the second time Horn has been convicted and sentenced to die for this brutal crime. Desoto District Attorney Charlie Adams believes this conviction will stick…

Cut 3 (10) “…of people

Horn was convicted the first time in 2014, but the Louisiana Supreme Court vacated the conviction and death sentence over concerns his lawyers infringed on his Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel. Adams says his attorney in the second trial used the same strategy, having Horn admit guilt in the hopes of avoiding the death sentence…

Cut 4 (09)  “…we prevailed.” 

The 47-year-old Horn will be formally sentenced on September 14th. It remains to be seen if the sentence will be carried as it has been since 2010 since an execution has taken place in Louisiana. But Adams says Horn’s case is why Louisiana has the death penalty….

Cut 5 (11)  “…appropriate result.”

Authorities say Horn portrayed himself as a young girl to Justin in an exchange of text messages and made arrangements to pick him up in a taxi cab. Horn was the driver of that cab and strangled Bloxom after the cab ran out of gas on U-S Highway 171 in Stonewall. 

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The state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approves stricter catch limits for redfish in state waters in an effort to preserve the population of the popular fish. Commissioner Joe McPherson says sportsmen back their plan of reducing the catch limit from five redfish per day, per angler to three…

Cut 6 (08)  “…fishing success” 

The minimum size allowed would change from 16 to 18 inches and anglers can no longer keep a redfish above 24 inches.

Biologists suggested a limit of four redfish caught per day, per angler. But McPherson says a catch limit of three would speed up the recovery of the redfish population from 30 years to ten years.

Cut 7 (10)  “…are in” 

The plan will undergo a public comment period that last until October 5th. McPherson says the catch limit changes could go into effect in early December, if an oversight committee of the state legislature does not step in…

Cut 8 (12)  “…effect” 

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The FDA’s endorsement of the Alzheimer’s medication Leqembi (lah-kem’-bee), is a beacon of hope for the more than five million Americans with the brain-robbing disease. LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center Professor Dr. Owen Carmichael says it’s a completely new era for Alzheimer’s disease.

Cut 9 (11)  “…symptoms.”

Carmichael says the medication is a twice-weekly infusion that’s been shown to clear sticky brain plaque linked to the disease.

And while it’s a remarkable advancement, Carmichael cautions Leqembi can have notable side effects.

Cut 10 (09)  “…off the drug.”

The FDA’s accelerated approval of Leqembi also prompted the Center for Medicare Services to announce they’ll pay for the drug via coverage under evidence development. That means patients will be monitored and physicians are required to track their progress similar to a clinical trial.

Carmichael warns the medication is not effective for all Alzheimer’s patients, it’s only effective against those with a specific protein in the brain.

Cut 11 (11)  “…other protein.”

Carmichael says it’s not known yet if long-term use of the medication will reverse one’s brain to pre-Alzheimer’s status and if the medication can wear off.

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The Major League Baseball Draft begins Sunday night and two LSU Tigers could be the first two picks, Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the first pick and D-1 Baseball-dot-com’s Kendall Rogers says he would take Crews….

Cut 12 (12) “…day one” 

The Washington Nationals have the second pick and they could take Skenes, who could get to the major leagues quickly because of his 100-mile per hour fastball.

How high will LSU star Tre Morgan go in the draft? Rogers says Morgan is a great defensive first baseman, who hits for average, but does not have a lot of power

Cut 13 (13) “…with him.”

8:30 LRN Newscast

Louisiana’s Death Row is gaining another inmate. A jury has sentenced convicted child killer Brian Horn to die for the 2010 death of 12-year-old Justin Bloxom of Stonewall. Prosecutors say Horn portrayed himself as a young girl to Justin and made arrangements to pick him up in a taxi cab. Horn was the driver of that cab and he left Bloxom’s body along U-S Highway 171 in DeSoto Parish.

The Colorado State hurricane forecast team has increased its prediction for the Atlantic hurricane season from below-average to above-average…
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Governor John Bel Edwards says he’s proud to announce Louisiana’s personal income rate grew by over six percent in the first quarter of 2023, outpacing the national average and several southern states. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner says the state’s workforce earnings increased slightly, but so did inflation which means more income for social security recipients…
cut 11 (13) “…way up”

The newest Louisiana civil rights trail marker has been unveiled in Jonesboro and it honors the Deacons of Defense, which protected civil rights workers, their families and the black community. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail brings together the events of the 1950s and 60s that put Louisiana at the center of the National Civil Rights Movement…
cut 15 (13) “…Convention Center”

7:30 LRN Newscast

Global business software company 360Insights announces it will move its U.S. headquarters from Delaware to New Orleans. Louisiana Economic Development says the company will bring at least 50 direct jobs and another 50-plus indirect jobs to the Crescent City. Josh Fleig (“FLEG”) is Senior VP of Business Development with Greater New Orleans Inc…
Cut 7 (07) “…development sector.”
LED says 360insights will recruit software development and support workers this summer.

Because of record warm sea surface temperatures, the Colorado State University Hurricane Forecast Team is now predicting an above-average season with 18 named storms. C-S-U researcher Alex DesRosiers says be prepared…
cut 5 (12) “…your community”

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser was in Jonesboro Thursday to unveil the latest civil rights trail marker. Teiko Foxx reports this one honors the Deacons for Defense Justice which protected civil rights workers, their families and the black community…
Cut 3 (32) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

The state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission votes to reduce the catch limits from five redfish per day per angler to three. The minimum size would increase from 16 to 18 inches, while the maximum would be reduced from 27 to 24. A public comment period will take place before the new rules go into effect.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The first round of the Major League Baseball draft is Sunday night and LSU’s Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes are considered the top two players in the draft, but that doesn’t mean Pittsburgh, who holds the number one pick, will select Crews or Skenes. Baseball America prospect writer Geoff Pontes says M-L-B teams only have so many bonus dollars to spend on drafted players, so the Pirates could draft someone else that may not cost as much…
cut 16 (19) “…could do that”
The SEC has announced Crews as its male athlete of the year. He lead the league with a .429 batting average and lead the nation in walks and runs scored.

The Pelicans have officially announced the re-signing of Herb Jones to a mulit-year contract. The 2021 second round pick is known for his defense and he also averaged 10 points a game last season. New Orleans has also officially added free agent center Cody Zeller. The six-foot-eleven big man averaged seven points and four rebounds a game as a reserve for the Miami Heat last season. And the Pels have signed former second round pick E-J Liddell. The forward from Ohio State missed what would have been his rookie season last year after tearing his A-C-L.

The Pels begin action in the Summer League this afternoon. The oldest player on the roster is 29-year-old Frank Bartley, who is a Baton Rouge native and also starred for the Ragin Cajuns for two seasons from 2016 to 2018.

LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne has created the Livvy Fund to help LSU female athletes secure NIL deals and funds. Dunne is the highest -paid female college athlete in the country, making seven figures. A link to the fund can be found on the Bayou Traditions website.

6:30 LRN Newscast

Colorado State University hurricane researchers are now predicting an above average hurricane season, instead of slightly below average. Alex DesRosiers says record warm sea surface temperatures prompted the revision.
Cut 4 (08) “…intensity.”
The updated forecast is an increase from the 15 named storms predicted on June 1st.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal income growth grew by six-point-two percent in Louisiana during the first quarter of this year, outpacing the national average of 5-point-one percent. But U-L Lafayette Economist Gary Wagner says much of the increase in growth can be attributed to larger social security payments as a result of inflation…
cut 12 (11) “….income growth”

Global business software company 360 Insights announces it is moving its U.S. headquarters to New Orleans. Kevin Gallagher reports…:
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”