A grand jury in the state’s Third Judicial District convenes today to hear evidence in the 2019 beating death of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Brooke Thorington has more.
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With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain you might want to pick up your turkey sooner than later. Brooke Thorington tells us why.
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Last week’s elections are still not totally decided, but it looks like Congress will be as divided as we’ve seen it in decades. More from Kevin Gallagher…:
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A grand jury in the Third Judicial District convenes today seeking indictments against State Troopers involved in the 2019 beating death of Black motorist Ronald Greene. It doesn’t appear the federal government will bring charges against those troopers and Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says that doesn’t preclude the state from bringing charges.
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Ciolino says in a difficult case like this one for prosecutors, you don’t know if District Attorney John Belton is seeking to indict or seeking cover, essentially asking a grand jury to find no probable cause for a true bill of indictment…
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After hearing the evidence in the case, Ciolino says if the grand jury returns no true bill, it’s likely the end of it.
At one of the special Louisiana House oversite committee meetings reviewing Greene’s death, Belton testified he believed state and federal crimes were committed and video of the arrest was the worst he’s ever seen.
Ciolino says video of the arrest has been public since May of 2021 and he’s not aware of any new evidence in the case.
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In May of 2019, Greene was brutally beaten during a trooper arrest following a two-parish high-speed chase that ended with a car crash near Monroe.
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And while some are getting a head start on their Christmas shopping, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain you should also get a jump on your Thanksgiving shopping list too. Strain says the spread of the bird flu across the country is limiting the supply.
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As for the impact, the bird flu has had on Louisiana, Strain says fortunately it hasn’t been detected in commercial flocks here.
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And there’s another Thanksgiving staple that’s fallen victim to the economy. Due to the dollar being more valuable than the Euro, Strain says sweet potato farmers aren’t able to export overseas as they have in the past…
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Besides Thanksgiving, Strain also recommends adding sweet potatoes to your crawfish boil.
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Last Tuesday’s midterm elections did not produce the big Red Wave many predicted. It appears, when all is done & counted, Congress will be about as divided as it has been in modern times. U.L. Monroe political science professor Pearson Cross says to look for at least two years of gridlock, with each party trying to block any progress made by the other. He says, however, that doesn’t mean zero progress at all…:
Cut 10 (10) “…very few of those things.”
Votes are still being counted in some states, but it appears Republicans may take a simple majority in the U.S. House, but the Senate may remain deadlocked at 50 members each; making the Vice President the tie-breaking vote. Dr. Cross says midterms are a referendum on the current administration, and voters did not vote overwhelmingly to either side…:
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Cross says a real Red Wave would have meant solid majorities in both the House and Senate, and because that didn’t happen he expects little progress will be made in D.C. in the next congress…:
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Cross says Louisiana delegates may be able to make some small progress with projects back in their districts, but he expects little else will be accomplished. he says to look for the president to make liberal use of Executive order to advance his priorities.
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State health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says Louisiana could be in for a rough winter, with COVID still present, the RSV spreading among kids and the annual “flu season.” On WWL radio in New Orleans, Dr. Kanter says this news may come as some surprise because the midterm elections have dominated the news in recent weeks…:
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Kanter says Louisiana hospitals are filling with flu and RSV patients, but not urgently so. He says two years of wearing masks, social distancing and isolation are meaning more people have less immunity to these viruses…:
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Kanter says there is a shortage (both here and nationally) of trained nursing and medical staff, which could present problems if RSV (Respiratory Sincytial Virus) or flu reach epidemic levels…:
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There is no vaccine or shot for RSV, but Kanter urges you to get your annual flu shot and a COVID booster as soon as possible.
(“syncytial” pronounced sin-SISH-al)
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For the second straight game, the Saints score just one touchdown as Pittsburgh defeats New Orleans 20-10. The Black and Gold rushed for just 29 yards, Quarterback Andy Dalton was intercepted twice and the Saints committed ten penalties. Coach Dennis Allen says it was a poor performance…
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Allen gave a non-answer when asked about making another quarterback change. The loss drops New Orleans record to 3-7, tied with Carolina for last place in the NFC South. Allen is not concerned about losing the locker room…
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The Saints host the Rams this Sunday.
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The LSU Tigers are champions of the SEC West as the Bayou Bengals beat Arkansas 13-10 and Alabama knocked off Ole Miss 30-24 in Oxford. LSU struggled on offense on a frigid day in Fayetteville, but Coach Brian Kelly says they still figured out a way to win…
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The Tigers defense held Arkansas to 249 yards of total offense. Freshman Harold Perkins had an outstanding game as he had eight tackles and four sacks. Kelly says Perkins was not feeling well before the game…
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LSU Quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for only 86 yards and rushed for ten yards as he was sacked seven times. Kelly says gives credit to Arkansas, but also says more could have been done to protect Daniels…
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