Author Archives: Jeff Palermo

06.02.23
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6:30 LRN Newscast

Attorney General Jeff Landry has filed a lawsuit against FEMA over the new Risk Rating 2.0 flood insurance pricing policy. Landry says the federal agency’s rate increases place many Louisianans at risk of foreclosure. They have asked for open information on how the rates are set, with no response from FEMA…:
Cut 4 (13) “…gonna file suit.’”
Nine other states have joined Louisiana in this lawsuit.

LSU’s annual 2023 Louisiana survey shows increasing support to legalize the recreational use of marijuana…..
cut 11(11) “a bit”
That’s the Director of the Louisiana Survey Dr. Michael Henderson who says the survey also shows a sizable increase in support from respondents 65 and older.

Legislation that’s been called Louisiana’s version of “Don’t Say Gay Bill’ heads to the Senate for possible final passage. Brooke Thorington reports.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Louisiana Senate has revived a bill that would ban gender affirming care for transgender youth. The legislation appeared to be dead for the session when the Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted against it, but the full Senate voted yesterday to bring the bill back up and it will be heard today by the Senate Judiciary A Committee.

06.01.23
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LRN PM Newscall June 1

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams might run for governor.  Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.” 

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The 2023 Louisiana survey, a poll produced by LSU, finds 52-percent of respondents, say abortion should be legal and support is even higher in cases of rape and incest. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 2 (31)  “….I’m Teiko Foxx.”  

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U-S Majority Leader and Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise is calling on Republicans not to attack each other in the governor’s race. Scalise issued a statement after a group supporting Republican candidate Stephen Waguespack released an attack ad against the perceived front-runner in the race Jeff Landry. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat…

Cut 3 (08) “…attacking Republicans”

The 30-second ad from Reboot Louisiana alleges Landry, who is the state’s top prosecutor, is responsible for the rise in violent crime. Pinsonat says Scalise issued the statement because he is concerned attacks between Republican candidates could cost the party the governor’s race…

Cut 4 (12)  “…John Bel Edwards” 

Political observers believe the political fighting between Republican candidates in the 2015 governor’s race led to voters electing Democrat John Bel Edwards over Republican David Vitter.

In his statement, Scalise says Waguespack should denounce this negative ad and Reboot Louisiana PAC should take down this attack ad immediately. Pinsonat says it will be interesting to see how Waguespack and his supporting PAC will react

Cut 5 (08) “…they would avoid”

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Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams says he’s considering getting into the governor’s race. Gambit Political Commentator and columnist Clancy Dubos says if he is serious, we should know well before qualifying in August if he’s to be considered a formidable candidate.

Cut 6 (07)  “…raising money.” 

According to an article in The Advocate, Williams says he’s been encouraged by several people to run for governor.

Gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Jeff Landry has campaign ads blaming the local justice systems for the rise in crime however Dubos says it’s Williams who’s more knowledgeable about the subject.

Cut 7 (11)  “…right now.” 

With Shawn Wilson the only Democrat in the race so far, Dubos says he imagines he’s not very happy to hear Williams could join the race. He says Wilson needs to boost his name recognition in the blue parish of Orleans.

Cut 8 (09)  “…New Orleans.” 

Qualifying is from August 8th through the 10th, for the October 14th primary.

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More than two years after the death of Marie Bourque, and her 12-year-old daughter Ski Smith who died in a trailer home fire, Casey Hatch is convicted of two counts of second-degree murder. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight says the jury came to the right conclusion.

Cut 9 (12) “…about it.”

Jurors heard 911 audio of Bourque pleading for help for herself and her children in the smoke-filled house on Dobertine Road, owned by Hatch before the call went silent. Public defender King Alexander said Hatch has schizophrenia and did not know right from wrong.

Cut 10 (13) “… horrible crime.”

Hatch faces a mandatory life sentence for each of his convictions. Dwight hopes Bourque’s family can start moving forward one day at a time.

Cut 11 (13)  “…the verdict”

Bourque’s 11-year-old son was also severely injured in the fire. Hatch’s sentencing has been set for July 21.

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The 2023 Louisiana survey, an annual poll produced by LSU, shows support growing for legal abortions. Director of the Louisiana Survey Dr. Michael Henderson says two months ago they polled about 500 Louisiana residents about the hot button topic.

Cut 12 (13) “…52 percent.” 

52-percent say abortion should be legal, 44-percent agree with the state’s near total ban of abortions. Henderson says 85-percent of the respondents believe a woman should be able to obtain a legal abortion if the pregnancy has put the mother’s life in jeopardy and 77-percent also support an except if the pregnancy was the result of a rape…

Cut 13 (09) “…and Republicans” 

Henderson says Louisiana residents’ opinion on abortion are following what polling data is showing nationally that support is growing for legal abortion…

Cut 14 (12)  “…from the Supreme Court”

06.01.23
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4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU right-hander Paul Skenes was named today as the National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. Skenes leads the nation in strikeouts with 167 and he has 10-2 record with a 1.89 ERA. Skenes was asked about winning the prestigous award…
cut 29 (06) “…means something”

The Road to Omaha begins tomorrow for LSU as they open up the Baton Rouge Regional by taking on Tulane at two PM at Alex Box Stadium. The Green Wave won only 19 games, but they won the American Atheltic Conference Tournament to receive an automatic bid. Coach Jay Johnson has mad respect for the Greenies and first year Coach Jay Uhlmann…
cut 19 (19) “…massive respect”

The SEC Spring meetings conclude tomorrow and there’s a good chance athletic directors and school presidents and chancellors will leave Destin without agreeing to a new football scheduling format for when Texas and Oklahoma join the league in 2024. There’s a split between keeping an eight-game conference schedule or going to a nine-game SEC schedule, which LSU favors. 247 sports national college football writher Brandon Marcello says part of the equation is the potential for more TV money from ESPN if they play an extra conference game….
cut 20 (19) “…..on TV”
It’s possible they the league will stay at eight conference games for the time being and eventually go to nine game league schedule in a few years.

06.01.23
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11:40 LRN sportscast

The LSU Tigers held a practice this morning at Alex Box Stadium ahead of their matchup with the Tulane Green Wave tomorrow afternoon to open up the Baton Rouge Regional. The Bayou Bengals are expected to make it to Omaha and the College World Series and LSU star Tre Morgan believes they will be tough to beat…
Cut 16 (15) “…biggest advantage.”
LSU ace pitcher Paul Skenes was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the year today. He’s the third LSU player to receive this award. Ben McDonald in 1989 and Lloyd Peever in 1992 were the other two.

The junior from Lake Forest, California, is 10-2 with a 1.89 ERA and has recorded 167 strikeouts while walking just 17.

06.01.23
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8:30 LRN Newscast

A south Louisiana lawmaker says the alligator population is booming and is asking L-D-W-F to look at what can be done to limit alligator and human interactions
cut 15 (11) “…more and more”
That’s Plaquemine Representative Chad Brown talking about his resolution that will be voted on by the Louisiana House.

Trina Edwards, the widow of former four-term governor Edwin Edwards, will tie the knot today with former longtime state lawmaker John Alario at a ceremony in New Orleans. During a recent appearance on Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster, Edwards said before the Cajun Prince passed away, they talked about her getting married again
Cut 6 (08) “…any money.”
John Alario is 79 and Trina Edwards is 44-years-old. Trina has said she has a type.

Today marks the official start of the 2023 hurricane season. Mike Steele with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says spend time this week making sure you are ready for the next storm…
Cut 8 (09) “…basic things.”
2022 was a very quiet season for Louisiana and after two straight hyper active seasons.

A study out of Tulane finds eight factors that put Black adults at a greater risk of early death. Black adults in the U-S have a 59-percent higher risk for premature death than White adults and lead author of the Tulane study Josh Bundy says socioeconomic factors play a major role in the Black-White difference…
cut 11 (09) “…health framework”
Bundy says other factors include martial status, food security, job quality and insurance status.

06.01.23
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7:30 LRN Newscast

A Tulane University study finds disparities in eight areas of life, critical to health and well-being, that help explain why Black adults in the U.S. have a 59% higher risk of early death than White adults.
cut 10 (13) “…social determinants”
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Dr. Josh Bundy says when all unfavorable social determinants for Black adults were accounted for the mortality disparity was reduced to zero.

Plaquemine Rep. Chad Brown says the state’s efforts to preserve alligators have worked too well, and his House Resolution asks Wildlife & Fisheries to look into expanding the hunting limit. Brown says the state has almost three times the number of gators as Florida…:
Cut 13 (09) “…being torn up.”
Brown’s resolution requests that LDWF consider a longer alligator harvest season, with slightly increased limits for hunters.

Wedding Bells will ring today for Trina Edwards and John Alario. Brooke Thorington has more from former Governor Edwin Edwards’ widow.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

It is the first day of the hurricane season and forecasters are predicting a near normal season. State Climatologist Barry Keim says a named storm in June is not out of the question, but…
cut 29 (10) “…hyper focused”

06.01.23
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6:45 LRN Sportscast

We are on the eve of the NCAA Baseball Regionals starting and pitching is the big concern for the LSU Tigers. Ty Floyd and Thatcher Hurd both pitched well in last week’s SEC Tournament. Coach Jay Johnson says Hurd has come a long way from his previous struggles
Cut 17 (13) “…moving forward.”
Johnson will wait right before game time before announcing a starting pitcher for the regional opener against Tulane.

The Ragin Cajuns are in South Florida getting ready to play Texas tomorrow to open up the Coral Gables Regional. Right-handed pitcher Cooper Rawls says they are not in the Sunshine State to work on their tan…
Cut 18 (09) “…baseball games.”
And Nicholls is getting ready to play Alabama in Tuscaloosa tomorrow night.

SEC spring meetings are ongoing in Destin, Florida with no decision in sight on what to do with the football schedule when Oklahoma and Texas enter the league in 2024. There’s a desire to go to a nine-game SEC schedule, but several schools would like to keep the league schedule at eight games and keep playing four non-conference games. 247-sports national college football writer Brandon Marcello says SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has struggled to get a consensus
Cut 19 (19) “…figure it out.”

We do know the game times for the LSU home and SEC openers. The Tigers will take on Grambling State on September ninth in Baton Rouge and that game will kick off at 6:30. LSU will be in Starkville the following week and they will kick off that game against Mississippi State at 11 AM.

06.01.23
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6:30 LRN newscast

Today marks the first day of the 2023 hurricane season and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness encourages residents to get their game plan in place in case a storm threatens Louisiana. GOHSEP Spokesperson Mike Steele.
Cut 7 (10) “…happen again.”
NOAA is forecasting a near-normal season with 12 to 17 named storms with five to nine of those being hurricanes. One to four storms are projected to be major. State Climatologist Barry Keim says the development of an El Nino during the peak of the hurricane season could tamper development…
cut 30 (15) “…for the hurricanes”

Black adults face a 59 % greater risk of premature death than white people, and a new study by Tulane University points to social determinants as the reasons why. Teiko Foxx explains.
Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

Wedding bells will ring in New Orleans today as the widow of former governor Edwin Edwards, Trina Edwards, will tie the knot with former longtime lawmaker John Alario. During a recent appearance on Talk Louisiana, Trina Edwards said she could not be happier…
cut 4 (04) “…human beings”

05.31.23
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4:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU baseball is getting ready to host its first NCAA Baseball Regional since 2019. Coach Jay Johnson says playing postseason ball at Alex Box was the goal before the season started….
cut 18 (14) “….800”
LSU hosts Tulane at 2 PM on Friday. The Green Wave’s 19 wins are the worst of any tournament team but with a shocking performance to win the American Athletic Conference tournament they earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney. First-year coach Jay Uhlman says his squad left it all on the field…
Cut 16 (18) “.., and intentful.”

The Ragin Cajuns head to the Coral Gables regional today hosted by eighth ranked Miami. U-L Lafayette won four games in the Sun Belt Tournament to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Starting pitcher Jackson Nezuh says they have no plans of stopping now…
cut 20 (19) “….keep playing
Nezuh could get the start Friday afternoon when the Cajuns tangle with Texas.

LSU announced its home opener against Grambling State on September ninth will kick off at 6:30. While the Tigers SEC opener at Mississippi State on September 16th will get underway at 11 AM. ULM’s game at Texas A-and-M that day will kick off at 3 PM in College Station.

05.31.23
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LRN PM Newscall

The gloves are coming off in the governor’s race as we have our first attack ad. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m   Jeff Palermo” 

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation of the fatal officer-involved shooting of a man who was holding a child in his arms is completed. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (33)  “….I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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The statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.13, $1.10 cheaper than the same time last year. AAA Fuel Analyst Don Redman says crude oil prices are under $70 a barrel and that translates to better prices for the consumer.

Cut 3 (10) “…this year”

Redman says drivers should budget $3.25 – $3.50 a gallon for the remainder of the summer.

Cut 4 (06)  “…gallon gasoline.” 

Redman says although financial markets are unsure of what direction the economy will go due to inflation, he’s predicting a busy summer as people continue to travel over the summer.

Cut 5 (12) “…the summer.”

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We have our first attack ad in the governor’s race. A group supporting Republican candidate Stephen Waguespack claims in a TV and radio spot that Jeff Landry, the perceived front-runner in the governor’s race, has been soft on crime during his time as Attorney General…

Cut 6 (11)  “…in America” 

A super PAC called Reboot Louisiana produced the ad. The Landry campaign has responded by announcing endorsements from eight sheriffs and district attorneys. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the October 14th primary is five and a half months away and the gloves are coming off…

Cut 7 (08)  “..the front-runner” 

Pinsonat says attack ads usually wait until after qualifying, which for this election is the second week of August. Landry has raised the most money and the polls show he has the most support among voters.

Pinsonat says Waguespack was the last major candidate to get in the race, but a pro-Waguespack group dropping an attack ad on Landry shows the former L-A-B-I president is serious about winning

Cut 8 (09)  “…Landry” 

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Another hurricane season begins tomorrow.  State Climatologist Barry Keim says Louisiana, Florida, and North Carolina are the top three most vulnerable states due to size of coastline and geographic locations.

Cut 9 (13) “…these things.”

NOAA  predicts a near-normal season with 12 to 17 named storms. The peak of hurricane season starts in mid-August, but Keim recommends having a plan in place now and stay ready.

Cut 10 (11) “… hyper-focused.”

Keim says last year’s hurricane season was quiet with not one track in the northern or western gulf compared to the previous years. He says every year there’s something to learn about the state’s geographic vulnerabilities, however…

Cut 11 (13)  “…in Louisiana”

A strong El Nino is expected around August, September, and October which creates hostile conditions for the formation of hurricanes.

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The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office has completed its investigation of the fatal April 23rd Pineville Police officer-involved shooting. RPSO spokesperson Tommy Carnline says 25-year-old Larry Calk was holding a child and a weapon and threatening to harm the child while on the front porch of a residence.

Cut 12 (09) “…the child.” 

Pineville Police responded to a reported family disturbance shortly before 1 PM on Sunday, April 23rd. Carnline says the officers first heard the suspect inside the home threatening the child and that continued as he exited the residence.

Cut 13 (11) “…was saved.” 

Carnline says immediately after Calk was shot and the child was out of danger, other officers immediately began rendering medical aid.

Cut 14 (09)  “…alive today.”

The investigation has been turned over to the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office.