A hearing is being held in federal court in Baton Rouge today aimed at halting the execution of Jessie Hoffman. Colleen Crain reports.
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LSU Graduate and Lafayette native Kate Williams owner of Kate’s Ice Cream in Portland Oregon has won Best Vegan Ice Cream Shop in the US
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Venture Global announces an 18-billion-dollar expansion to its liquefied natural gas export facility in Plaquemines Parish. Kace Kieschnick has more…
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A hearing is happening in federal court in Baton Rouge today, aimed at delaying the execution of Jessie Hoffman. In 1996, Hoffman kidnapped a woman in New Orleans, raped her and killed her. Loyola University New Orleans Law Professor Dane Ciolino says the Promise of Justice Initiative is trying to prove that using nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.
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Ciolino says the group will cite an execution in Alabama, the only other state to use nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution.
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Hoffman is scheduled to be executed March 18th. As such, Ciolino says he expects Chief Judge Shelly Dick to issue a ruling very quickly.
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The state has released its protocol for using nitrogen hypoxia. Among other things, a mask is placed on the inmate’s face, and the gas is administered for either 15 minutes or for five minutes after the heart flatlines on the EKG, whichever is longer. The air pressure is set to 500 pounds per square inch.
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Two Republican state senators will be introducing a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would ban the use of fluoride in drinking water throughout the state. It’s being introduced by Mike Fesi of Houma and Patrick McMath of Covington. McMath says with nearly every toothpaste on the market containing fluoride, there is no reason why it should be in drinking water.
McMath points to a study that found that fluoride concentration that exceeds 1.5 milligrams per liter can cause health issues.
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And McMath says the study shows that it can also cause Alzheimer’s Disease in adults. Felicia Rabito, a professor of epidemiology at Tulane University, says McMath’s reasoning doesn’t add up, pointing out that the current EPA standard is point-seven milligrams per liter.
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One of the reports McMath was alluding to was one done last August by the National Toxicology Program. Rabito says that report is problematic in its methodology.
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Rabito says even if the report is accepted as fact, it’s irrelevant because it cites a fluoride concentration level that’s more than twice the EPA recommended level. A similar bill in Utah is now just a governor’s signature away from becoming law.
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An LSU grad from Lafayette who owns an ice cream shop in Portland, Oregon, has been recognized as having the best Vegan Ice cream shop in the United States by Veg News. Kate Williams says it was a surprise and honor.
Williams says they have two stores and plan on hoping more to create places for all people to visit that want to taste delicious ice cream.
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Williams says all her ice cream is vegan, made with coconut milk, and all made in-house. The big question is how does it taste?
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Williams says if you’re ever visiting Portland come in and try her award-winning ice cream.
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Venture Global has announced it will invest an additional 18 billion dollars to expand its liquefied natural gas facility south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish. Venture CEO Mike Sabel says the LNG export facility will increase annual shipments from 27 million tons to over 45 million
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The facility was approved by President Donald Trump in 2019, along with the company’s first facility, Calcasieu Pass in Cameron Parish, which can process over 12 million metric tons of LNG every year. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the fastest growing source of energy is natural gas and Louisiana plays a major role…
Venture says the Plaquemines LNG expansion will continue to support hundreds of new, permanent Louisiana jobs and tens of thousands of indirect subcontractor, part-time and full-time jobs throughout the state and across the country. Wright says the expansion of this facility is a signal to the rest of the world that American energy dominance is back…
Climate activists say LNG expansion will worsen emissions and the Biden Administration raised concerns that “unfettered” exports would raise domestic prices.
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The LSU women’s basketball team will play in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament tonight. The Lady Tigers will be without first-team All-SEC guard Flau’Jae Johnson as she battles shin inflammation. Lady Tigers color analyst Shaeeta Williams says coach Kim Mulkey won’t risk her star’s health for the conference tournament.
Despite Mulkey’s disregard, Williams says LSU will likely need to win at least one tournament game to keep its projected spot as a two-seed in the NCAA tournament…
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Tip-off is at 7:30
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The second-ranked LSU baseball team will start its weekend series against North Alabama tonight at 6:30. The Tigers will still be without junior reliever Gavin Guidry who’s been sidelined all season with a back/mid-body injury. Johnson says Guidry is close to returning but he’s careful not to rush him back…
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The Tigers’ pitching staff has performed very well in Guidry’s absence. Junior ace Kade Anderson is 2-and-0 with a 2.30 ERA, and redshirt sophomore Chase Shores is 3-and-0 with a 3.00 ERA while freshmen William Schmid and Casan Evans have wowed in their appearances. Johnson, though, says he misses Guidry’s experience…