While appearing on Talk Louisiana host, former LSU basketball player and Ukraine native Roman Rubchenko (roob-CHENK-oh) and says he’s able to view media reports from all over about the invasion, and while the media in Russia is controlled by the government, he also points out that Ukrainian reports are not necessarily accurate with the number of civilian deaths.

Cut 4 (00) “…war effort.”

While the state has the potential to see more income due to the rising price of gas, State Treasurer John Schroder says as for estimates on how much of a bump in revenue the state could see he says it’s not so simple to equate.

Cut 12 (10) “…tied in.”  

In Louisiana, the tax on gasoline or diesel is $.20. per gallon.

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. The map does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Edwards spoke with voting rights experts and came to this conclusion…

Cut 7 (10) “…state of Louisiana.”
Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt says she’s disappointed with the governor’s veto and looks forward to the debate on a veto override.

With gas prices setting record highs some are considering making the switch to hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels says even Louisiana is ramping up the installation of charging stations around the state, which should spur even more converts to charge up rather than gas up.

Cut 15 (12)  “…really quickly”

Louisiana’s congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim that the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the congressional map that the legislature passed last month during the redistricting session. African American lawmakers say the map does not allow for a second majority-minority district, but Republicans say doing so would dilute the Black vote.

In the week since Talk Louisiana host, Jim Engster spoke with former LSU basketball player Roman Rubchenko (roob-CHENK-oh) and Ukraine native says he’s now back at his country home outside of the capital of, Kyiv, after traveling with other men to help women and children in their families evacuate safely.

Cut 3 (11) “…can help.”

U-S Congressman Troy Carter announced that his office has secured 17 and a half million dollars to fund seven projects in the Second District. He says three million will be used to renovate Woldenberg Park, which runs along the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. The park will receive upgrades to make it more accessible and modernize the venue that hosts a number of local festivals each year.

Cut 12 (8) “…all combined.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature because it does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley expects the GOP led Legislature to attempt to override the veto…

Cut 8 (06)  “…Governor Edwards.”

African-American lawmakers say since 33-percent of the state’s population is Black, two of the state’s six Congressional districts should be majority-minority

U-S Congressman Troy Carter says his office has secured 17 and a half million dollars to fund seven projects in the Second District. Carter says the money, which is part of the 2022 Appropriations Bill, will help fund projects aimed at boosting the local economy and improving the quality of life for people in southeast Louisiana.

Cut 10 (11) “…and excited about.”

Louisiana congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Psaki made the comment at Monday’s press conference; saying there are 9000 oil & gas leases offshore that oil companies are choosing NOT to explore. Congressman Garret Graves says it shows her ignorance of how exploration and leases work.

Cut 4 (10)  “…has blocked pipelines.”

With gas prices setting record highs on an almost daily basis, many drivers may consider making the switch to hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels, says the answer isn’t that simple.

Cut 13 (11) “…catches up.”

Herrmann says a major advantage of electric cars is “filling up the tank” takes place at home but your typical daily drive is limited.

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed Congressional district map approved by the state Legislature because it does not have two majority-minority districts. Michelle Southern has more…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

It looks like Louisiana will not receive any additional dollars for hurricane recovery from hurricanes Laura and Delta. A federal spending plan unveiled yesterday does not include any more disaster relief. Congress appropriated 600-million dollars last year, but Governor Edwards says the state needed at least another 400-million dollars for southwest Louisiana.

The White House says the Biden Administration is not doing anything to hold down production of oil and gas in the United States and point the nine-thousand leases that are not in operation. But Senator Bill Cassidy says energy production is more than just drilling a well and the President has policies in place that make it difficult to ramp up production…
cut 6 (13) “….not being honest” (2x)

Congressman Troy Carter says the federal government is appropriating three million dollars to build a new athletic stadium in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Carter says the project would create a first-of-its-kind facility that would primarily serve public schools in eastern New Orleans..
Cut 11 (12) “…brand new stadium.”
Carter says there’s also another three million dollars to renovate Woldenberg Park.

Gas prices rose another ten cents from yesterday setting a new record high of $4.13 a gallon for regular gasoline today. According to Triple-A, the price at the pump has jumped 90-cents in the last month.

Members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the Congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. Edwards says the map should include a second majority African American district because Black voters make up nearly a third of the state’s population. But the governor is allowing the new House and Senate district maps to become law without his approval. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley…
cut 9 (05) “….to challenge”

With gas prices over four dollars a gallon and rising, there are some considering whether they should buy an electric vehicle the next time they are in the market to buy a car. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels, says one of the major advantages of electric cars is that filling up the tank takes place at home…
cut 14 (11) “….isn’t quite as important”

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. The map does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Edwards spoke with voting rights experts and came to this conclusion…
Cut 7 (10) “…state of Louisiana.”
Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt says she’s disappointed with the governor’s veto and looks forward to the debate on a veto override.

The White House says energy companies could do more to increase production of oil and gas and point to the nine-thousand oil and gas leases that oil companies are choosing not to explore. But Senator Bill Cassidy says the Biden administration’s policies are not resulting in more domestic production…
cut 5 (11) “….otherwise be refined”

With record-high gas prices, should more Louisianans consider electric vehicles? David Grubb has the story…
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m David Grubb.”

Louisiana congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim that the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

_____________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed Congressional district map because it does not have two majority-minority districts. Michelle Southern has more…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Michelle Southern.” 

_____________________________________

With record high gas prices, should more Louisianans consider electric vehicles? David Grubb has the story…

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m David Grubb.” 

____________________________________

Louisiana congressional delegates react to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s claim that the President is doing nothing to hamper U.S. oil & gas production. Psaki made the comment during a Monday press conference; saying there are 9000 oil & gas leases offshore that oil companies are choosing NOT to explore. Congressman Garret Graves says Psaki shows her ignorance of how exploration and leases work..:

Cut 4 (10)  “…has blocked pipelines.”

Psaki told Fox news reporter Peter Doocy he should “ask the oil companies” why they’re not drilling. Senator Bill Cassidy says that remark made him laugh out loud. He says this administration has been very unfriendly to domestic oil & gas, and he cites the president’s early official act of cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline as a sign of what was to come…:

Cut 5 (11) “…otherwise be refined.”

Cassidy says Psaki’s comments were playing with words. He says the federal government has been dragging its feet on drilling permits ever since Mr. Biden took office…:

Cut 6 (13)  “…not being honest.” (2x)

Cassidy says the Biden White House has nominated a person to head the Federal Reserve who wants banks to stop lending for oil & gas exploration, and the administration has cancelled lease sales in the outer Continental Shelf.

_______________________________________

Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed the proposed congressional district map approved by the Louisiana Legislature. The map does not include a second majority-minority district. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Edwards spoke with voting rights experts and came to this conclusion…

Cut 7 (10) “…state of Louisiana.”

African-American lawmakers say since 33-percent of the state’s population is Black, two of the state’s six Congressional districts should be majority-minority. But Republicans say two majority minority districts would dilute the black vote in those two districts, not producing the desired results. Stockley expects the GOP led Legislature to attempt to override the veto…

Cut 8 (06)  “…Governor Edwards.”

Edwards has announced he signed the new maps for Public Service Commission and BESE, but he’s allowing re-drawn House and Senate district maps to become law without his signature. Stockley says the governor believes the Legislature should focus on the issues in the upcoming session and not be concerned about what their own districts will look like in 2023 elections…

Cut 9 (05)  “…to challenge”

____________________________________________

U-S Congressman Troy Carter announced that his office has secured 17 and a half million dollars to fund seven projects in the Second District. Carter says that the money, part of the 2022 Appropriations Bill, will fund projects to boost the local economy and improve the quality of life for people in southeast Louisiana.

Cut 10 (11) “…and excited about.”

Three million dollars will go towards the construction of a new athletic stadium in the historic Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Carter says the project would create a first-of-its-kind facility that would primarily serve public schools in eastern New Orleans and act as an economic catalyst for the community.

Cut  11 (12)  “…brand new stadium.”  

An additional three million will be used to renovate Woldenberg Park, which runs along the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. The park will receive upgrades to make it more accessible to people with disabilities, rejuvenate its green spaces, and replace benches to modernize the venue that hosts a number of local festivals each year.

Cut 12 (8) “…all combined.”

____________________________________________

With gas prices setting record highs on an almost daily basis, many drivers may consider making the switch to hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Tyler Herrmann, co-coordinator at Louisiana Clean Fuels, says the answer isn’t that simple.

Cut 13 (11) “…catches up.”

Herrmann says that one of the major advantages of electric cars is that “filling up the tank” takes place at home, and your typical daily drive should be well within the vehicle’s limits.

Cut 14 (11)  “…isn’t quite as important.”

The market is getting better for drivers of electric vehicles, with more than 16 million now on the road worldwide and sales in the U-S have doubled in the past year. Herrmann says Louisiana is ramping up the installation of charging stations around the state, which should spur even more converts to charge up rather than gas up.

Cut 15 (12)  “…really quickly”

_____________________________________________

Will Wade leads the fifth-seeded LSU Tigers to the SEC men’s tournament in Tampa looking to find some momentum after going 9-9 in conference play. The Tigers won two of three to close the regular season, and have some of the top individual talents in the league. Wade thinks his team is playing more like the team that started the season 15-1, rather than the one that scuffled through the SEC.

Cut 16 (13)  “…we’re in Tampa.”

The Tigers are still one of the darlings of the Net Rankings that the NCAA selection committee uses to place teams in the tournament, and the SEC has six teams among the top 30 meaning the conference should be well represented come this Sunday when seedings are announced. Wade says that’s a testament to just how strong the conference has become.

Cut 17 (16) “ …at the top.” 

The average price for a gallon of gas in Louisiana finally exceeds $4 and sets a new record high of $4.04. Brooke Thorington has more

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

—

Despite pleas from Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, there is no further Louisiana disaster recovery funding in a government funding bill that the U-S House is set to approve today. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says it’s disappointing.

Cut 3 (12) “…other countries.”

—

Two years after Louisiana’s first reported case, COVID is here to stay in one form or another, says State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter. But he believes as the science advances and more people are vaccinated, it can become less disruptive, more treatable, and most importantly, more preventable.

Cut 11 (10) “…die from COVID.”

Overall there have been more than 1.2 million reported cases of COVID-19 in Louisiana, including 16,832 deaths due to the virus.

—

With gas prices at all-time highs, many are calling for an increase in oil production. Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Mike Moncla says the U-S would need oil from both Mexico and Canada in order to become energy independent as a continent. But he says President Biden would need to make it happen.

Cut 12 (10) “…using now.”

—

Despite pleas from Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, there is no further Louisiana disaster recovery money in the government funding bill that the U.S. House is set to approve today. Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves says it’s disappointing…:

CUT 03(12)      “…other countries.”

Louisiana has already received 600-million federal dollars for the hurricanes that hit in 2020 and 2021. It’s estimated that as much as $300-million more may be needed.

An outage left approximately 10-thousand in New Orleans without power this morning, and Entergy says a bird was the cause. The animal apparently caused a massive short circuit at a power neighborhood power substation. Power was restored by early afternoon. The bird? Didn’t make it.

Today marks two years since Louisiana reported its first positive COVID case. March 9, 2020 was the start of the pandemic here. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says there have been tremendous challenges and losses over the past 24 months….:

CUT 09(11)      “…people nationwide.”

Overall there have been more than 1.2 million reported cases of COVID-19 in Louisiana. The statewide death toll related to the virus is just over 16,800.

Here’s another side effect of the huge run-up in gasoline prices; a developing shortage of delivery and ride share drivers. A number of drivers for Uber, Lyft, Door Dash and others report they simply don’t make enough money to pay for car insurance, wear & tear on their ride AND $50 to fill up the gas tank.

Gas and diesel fuel prices are now at all-time highs, and many are now calling for an increase in domestic oil production, but experts says it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports there are just over 600 crude oil and natural gas rigs operating. Louisiana Oil & Gas Association head Mike Moncla says getting dormant rigs working again – after they’ve been shut down -requires a large investment…:

CUT 13(12)      “…invest in it.”

Moncla says the President could take action to hasten domestic production, but so far he has not.

Meanwhile the statewide average price of regular gas is at $4.04-a-gallon; leaving many trying to budget for sky high fuel and everything else they need. Louisiana AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says there are thing you can do to improve your vehicle’s mileage…:

CUT 08(06)      “…properly inflated.”

Senator John Kennedy met today with White House Supreme Court nominee Katanji Brown Jackson. The two spent several minutes in one-on-one conversation. In a brief written statement, Kennedy says he is “thankful for the opportunity to meet with Judge Jackson” and that he looks forward to hearing more from at her Senate confirmation hearing.

Some anniversaries are celebrated, others are commemorated. David Grubb has more as the state marks two years since the arrival of COVID…:

CUT 02(31)      “…David Grubb.”

Former State Police head Kevin Reeves has agreed to testify to a panel of lawmakers looking into the roadside death of Ronald Greene in 2019 – when Reeves was in charge. His testimony could be as early as next week.