Beginning April 27th time-sensitive elective medical procedures will be permitted under the state’s coronavirus social distancing guidelines. Matt Doyle has more.

Cut 2 (28) “…I’m Matt Doyle” 

Rev. Tony Spell surrenders and is in the custody of law enforcement after Central Police issue a warrant for his arrest.  The warrant comes after Spell nearly hit a protestor with a church bus.  The preacher leads the Life Tabernacle Church who continues to violate the Governor’s stay at home order during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Louisiana House GOP Leader Blake Miguez says Louisiana needs to reopen its economy on a parish by parish basis, but Governor Edwards disagrees.  Miguez wrote a letter to the Governor calling on him to implement Phase One of the federal reopening plan after the stay-at-home order ends April 30^th.
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Phase One allows for limited reopening like dine-in restaurants while calling for sustained social distancing and use of public PPE.  Edwards says he’s leaning towards issuing any guidance at a state level.

Nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing are now being 3-D printed at LSU Health Shreveport. The swabs, which are a crucial part or the testing kit, have been in short supply.  Molecular and cellular physiology professor Dr. Steven Alexander says the light-activated printing technique can produce medical devices which are chemically inert, sterile, and compatible with accurate testing procedures.

Cut 6 (07) “…to existing swabs.”

Louisiana reports a slight increase in the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations today for the first time since April 13^th, and 32 more Louisianans are also reported to have died from COVID-19. To date 24,523 cases have been reported and 1,328 fatalities. 56 percent of the fatalities are African Americans, who make up just a third of the population.

The coronavirus economic collapse and an international price war lead to a historic collapse in oil prices…

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

A Main Street America survey shows nearly 60-percent of small businesses in the state are in danger of closing permanently due to COVID-19 in the next six months. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is a co-chairman of the Resilient Louisiana Commission which will make recommendations on how to reopen the state’s economy…

Cut 12 (11) “…shops, etc”

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict in a 6-3 ruling of a case brought by Evangelisto Ramos, who was found guilty of killing a woman in New Orleans in 2014 on a 10-2 vote that he appealed on constitutional grounds. The decision will likely result in some high-profile retrials of people on direct review. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says one of those will likely be for Ronald Glasser who was convicted of murdering NFL running back Joe McKnight in 2016.

Cut 11 (09) “…new trial”

For the first time ever, West Texas Intermediate oil futures traded in the negative today.  Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Gifford Briggs says the industry is facing a crisis, with many Louisiana wells planning to shut in 100% of their production due to storage constraints as companies are being told they can’t take delivery in May.

Cut 4 (12)_ “…have to take.”

Ten years ago today the BP Oil Spill killed 11 rig workers and coated much of the state’s coastline in tar. Congressman Garrett Graves was the head of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at the time. Louisiana received just over eight billion dollars in settlement funds to help restore the coast and billions more in economic damages as a result.

Cut 8 (09) “…states”

The spill pumped 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf.

A Main Street America survey shows nearly 60-percent of small businesses in the state are in danger of closing permanently due to COVID-19 in the next six months. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser encourages Louisianans to have a staycation when they can venture out again and to visit a part of the state they’ve never been to and support the local economy.

Cut 14 (08) “…local restaurant.”

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict, a decision likely to result in dozens of retrials in Louisiana. There are likely hundreds of people incarcerated in Louisiana due to non-unanimous verdicts whose cases are decided and whose appeals are done. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says for them…

Cut 10 (05) “…day.”

Louisiana reports a slight increase in the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations today for the first time since April 13^th, and 32 more Louisianans are also reported to have died from COVID-19.

So much more oil is being produced than consumed right now that producers are running out of places to store it, leading to a pricing quirk where future on a barrel of oil are in the never before seen negatives.  Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Gifford Briggs says the energy industry is on the verge of collapse…

Cut 3 (08)  “…and it happens.”  

Ten years ago today the BP Oil Spill killed 11 rig workers and coated much of the state’s coastline in tar. The cleanup job was immense, but Congressman Garrett Graves, who was the head of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at the time, remembers it was expedited by a one of its kind agreement cut with BP to get projects off the ground in record time…

Cut 7 (10) “down payment”

A survey of Louisiana small businesses finds nearly 60-percent of them are at the risk of closing over the next five months…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington” 

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict. In 2018, Louisiana passed a constitutional amendment ending its practice of allowing non-unanimous verdicts, but Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says the amendment was not retroactive…

Cut 9 (08) “trials.″

The combination of coronavirus related economic shutdowns and an ongoing international price war has pushed the price of a barrel of oil into never before seen territory: negative prices. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Gifford Briggs says the only way these prices can bounce back to reasonable levels is if the economy is restarted, and drastic tax cuts on the industry are enacted.

Cut 5 (11)  “…of making payroll.”

Oil started the year at over 60 dollars a barrel.

It’s been ten years since the deadly BP Oil spill coated the coast in tar. Congressman Garrett Graves, who was the head of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at the time remembers how much progress that one calamity undid…

Cut 6 (10) “…made”

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict in a 6-3 ruling of a case brought by Evangelisto Ramos, who was found guilty of killing a woman in New Orleans in 2014 on a 10-2 vote that he appealed on constitutional grounds. The decision will likely result in some high-profile retrials of people on direct review. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says one of those will likely be for Ronald Glasser who was convicted of murdering NFL running back Joe McKnight in 2016.

Cut 11 (09) “…new trial”

The state stay at home order is set to lift April 30th, but in New Orleans it’s been extended to May 16^th. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says he talking with Mayor Latoya Cantrell, who might reconsider the extension.

Cut 13 (09) “…make it”

Louisiana reports a slight increase in the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations today for the first time since April 13^th, and 32 more Louisianans are also reported to have died from COVID-19. To date 24,523 cases have been reported and 1,328 fatalities. 56 percent of the fatalities are African American.

Crude oil trading hits the lowest price in history. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart” 

A Main Street America survey shows nearly 60-percent of small businesses in the state are in danger of closing permanently due to COVID-19 in the next six months. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is co-chair of the Resilient Louisiana Commission tasked with reopening businesses across the state.

Cut 12 (11) “…shops, etc”

Nungesser says the commission is looking at options of phases of reopening businesses.

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict, a decision likely to result in dozens of retrials in Louisiana. There are likely hundreds of people incarcerated in Louisiana due to non-unanimous verdicts whose cases are decided and whose appeals are done.  Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says for them…

Cut 10 (05) “…day.”

Louisiana reports a slight increase in the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations today for the first time since April 13^th, and 32 more Louisianans are also reported to have died from COVID-19.

New demographic data now shows 56 percent of COVID deaths in the state were African Americans, down from the 70 percent initially reported, and 56 percent of all patients to die had hypertension.

Oil prices have collapsed to the lowest point ever recorded as the economy screeches to a halt and an international price war rages on. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Gifford Briggs says at a just a few dollars a barrel many Louisiana wells are planning to shut off 100 percent of production because they can’t find a place to sell…

Cut 4 (12)_ “…have to take.”

The US Supreme Court rules all felony trials must be decided by a unanimous jury verdict, a decision likely to result in dozens of retrials in Louisiana. In 2018 Louisiana passed a constitutional amendment ending its practice of allowing non-unanimous verdicts, but Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino says the amendment was not retroactive…

Cut 9 (08) “trials.″

After the amendment passed Oregon remained the only state not to require unanimous jury verdicts.

Some schools are organizing drive-through pickup for caps, gowns, and class rings for juniors and seniors who are missing out on some of the seminal events of their high school years. Jostens sales rep Jim Rabb says his company is working with schools to establish drive-by locations where parents can bring their kids to get some semblance of pomp and circumstance.

Cut 10 (09) “possible.”

When adjusted for inflation, crude oil trading hits the lowest price in history. On Monday, West Texas Intermediate futures traded below $11 a barrel for the first time since 1986, reaching $10.63 early Monday morning. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Gifford Briggs says the economic impact on oil is not surprising.
Cut 3 (10) “…in that range.”

Today is the 10 year anniversary of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.

The number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators has declined from a high of 571 on April 4th down to 349. Assistant State Health Officer Doctor Joseph Kanter says I-C-U doctors have learned how to better treat the disease

Cut 14 (07) “…fluid.”
Some schools are organizing drive-through pickup for caps, gowns, and class rings for students who are missing out some of the memorable events of their high school years. Jostens sales rep Jim Rabb says they’ve taken precautions to maintain social distancing and all employees are wearing at least gloves. He says it’s not mandatory, but he’s requesting participants wear a mask…
Cut 12 (10) “possible.”

A Louisiana Tech freshman is 3-D printing a contraption for medical personnel intended to relieve the pressure on the ears from the elastic bands on face masks. Inspired by a Canadian boy scout’s invention she saw, Avereigh Barras recently started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of the shipping and manufacturing which she says has seen an abundance of support.
Cut 6 (07) “…do add up.”
Her invention has been distributed to more than 7 states.

Phase One of federal guidelines on reopening the economy call for limited access to dine in restaurants and gyms, reopening of elective surgical centers, and more. Matt Doyle has local reaction…

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Gov. Edwards says the Department of Health and Hospitals is working on new plans to increase non-emergency surgical capacity in the state’s clinics and hospitals.  While no specifics were given, the reopening is expected to happen before May 1.

The Governor toured the PMAC Friday.  The home of LSU basketball is playing host to a giant operation to create PPE for frontline healthcare workers.  Interim LSU President Thomas Galligan says the operation started in the garage of Wayne Newhauser, the head of LSU’s Medical Physics department.
Cut 9 (08) “…an arena operation.″
In the near future, Galligan believes the operation will be outputting 1000 gowns a day.
The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation is raising money to help bar owners stay afloat and keep your favorite local watering hole alive through the COVID Crisis.  Many small businesses are keeping the lights on by taking advantage of federal programs like the CARES Act.  LHF Executive Director Jennifer Kelley says, unfortunately, bars have a very unusual business model…
Cut 7 (11) “sense”