Two 14-year-old girls have been arrested for terrorizing after authorities were alerted to a Snap Chat conversation in which the girls allegedly discussed shooting up the school to kill one of their teachers. The Girls are students at a Mandeville area High School and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office says the FBI National Threat Operations Exigent Threat Research and Analysis Crisis Team notified them of the conversation in which the girls also discussed having firearms. No guns were found in searches of their homes.

Senate Health and Welfare Chairman Patrick McMath says a daylong meeting with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana officials about its proposed sale to Indiana-based Elevance Health produced a ton of unanswered questions. McMath is concerned the proposed sale will lead to higher costs for policyholders despite the president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana telling legislators that premiums will not rise…

Cut 10 (08) “…increase”

There are talks of adding a Category 6 to the hurricane Saffir-Simpson scale. But is it necessary? Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (33)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

New Orleans is hosting its first Super Bowl since 2013 and The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero says the huge sporting event has grown…

Cut 7 (12) “…just plentiful”  

Due to the growing intensity of storms there’s talk of adding a Category 6 for hurricanes with wind speeds of more than 192 miles per hour. The strongest storm to ever make landfall in the US was Labor Day 1935 with winds of 185 miles per hour. LSU Climatologist Barry Keim worries adding a higher classification could have repercussions.

Cut 4 (12) “…is necessary.”

Las Vegas is hosting its first Super Bowl this week and next year New Orleans will host its record tying 11th Super Bowl.  The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation is the host committee for next year’s Super Bowl and CEO Jay Cicero is in Vegas all week….

Cut 6  (10) “..next year” 

Chairman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee Patrick McMath says there are way too many questions about the proposed sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to a for profit company based out of Indiana. Jeff Palermo has more

Cut 2 (34)  “…I’m Jeff Palermo” 

Senate Health and Welfare Chairman Patrick McMath says a daylong meeting with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana about its proposed sale to Indiana-based Elevance Health produced a ton of unanswered questions. McMath says the sale will create a foundation to address poverty and health inequities, but there are a lot of unknowns.

Cut 9 (11) “…incredibly vague”

Due to the growing intensity of storms, there’s talk of adding a Category 6 for hurricanes. A Cat 6 would be defined as wind speeds of more than 192 miles per hour. But LSU Climatologist Barry Keim says considering the last one that even came close in the Atlantic was Hurricane Allen in 1980 at 190 miles per hour, there’s no need.

Cut 3 (07) “…this category.”  

With the shortage of truck drivers, there are initiatives underway to recruit more women to the profession, but Executive Director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association Renee Amar says there are legitimate safety concerns for female drivers with the lack of truck parking. Because truckers are limited by the number of driving hours, looking for a safe area to pull off the road is problematic.

Cut 6 (07) “…for them.”

King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer and will be stepping away from royal duties. LSU History Professor Meredith Veldman says she does admire that the King has opted to go public with his health concerns and notes that it is harder however to keep such information private upon the advent of social media.

Cut 15 (11) “…about it.”

The kind of cancer King Charles has been diagnosed with has not been made public.

Eleven months after McNeese State signed basketball coach Will Wade to its second largest contract ever at $1.175 million for five years he’s been signed to a new five-year contract at $700,000 annually. The Cowboys will have a noon presser today on the contract extension.

Port of New Orleans cruise passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels with one point two million passenger movements. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

Due to the shortage of truck drivers, the Louisiana Motor Transport Association is encouraging more women to join the workforce with the initiative “Women in Motion.” Executive Director of LMTA Renee Amar says while women make up 50 percent of the workforce…

Cut 4 (12) “…in driving.”

Depending on what is being hauled and how far, she says drivers can make annually anywhere from $40,0000 to $120,000.

King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer and will be stepping away from royal duties as he undergoes treatment. LSU History Professor Meredith Veldman says there are mechanisms in place to fill his role as he undergoes treatment.

Cut 14 (12) “…(x2) Counsellors of State.”

As for the line of succession upon King Charle’s death, Prince William will become King followed by his eldest son George.

Governor Landry plans to talk to legislative leaders about sending Louisiana National Guard troops tot he U-S Mexico border to help Texas keep migrants from entering the United States. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says immigration will be a huge campaign talking point in the 2024 presidential race and he says Republicans are constantly making the point the Biden Administration is mishandling the border…
Cut 12 (10) “…problems.”

The Port of New Orleans says New Orleans Cruise passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels as one-point-two million cruised out of the Big Easy in 2023. Port of New Orleans spokesperson Kimberly Curth says the cruise industry is worth 125-million dollars to the local economy…
cut 8 (12) “….our attractions”

To combat the ongoing truck driver shortage, there are initiatives to encourage more women to join the profession. Brooke Thorington explains…
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Governor Jeff Landry has signed a proclamation that states Louisiana is open for business and his administration will work tirelessly to ensure oil and gas industry can thrive in Louisiana. Landry is also directing D-N-R and D-E-Q to streamline the permitting processes associated with oil and gas.

The Attorney General’s Office and and Orleans Parish District Attorney sign an agreement that the two sides believe will lead to a safer Big Easy. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”
Two and a half months after Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams and his mother were carjacked, the four suspects, three of them under 18 years old, entered a not guilty plea in court yesterday. The incident happened around ten pm October 16^th in the Lower Garden District. All four suspects are being tried as adults. They each face up to 99 years if convicted.

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After his visit to the southern border of Texas on Sunday, Governor Jeff Landry is looking to send National Guard troops there to boost border patrols. LSU Political Science professor Robert Hogan says it’s unclear what effect our national guard soldiers could have on improving border security.

Cut 11 (11) “…anything else” 
Meanwhile State Senate President Cameron Henry, a Republican from Metairie said yesterday that a mission like the governor is suggesting would cost up to three million dollars and that lawmakers would need to agree to finance it.

With three major cruise lines calling the Port of New Orleans home, Pot NOLA has been setting passenger records when it comes to cruises since the pandemic. Add that to all the city itself has to offer and you’ll find The Big Easy is easily one o the most popular pre and post-cruise destinations in the country. Port Spokesperson Kimberly Curth says it’s a competitive marketplace but…

Cut 9 (06)  “…this market.”

Governor Jeff Landry said he’ll talk with state legislative leaders about sending Louisiana National Guard troops to the Lone Star state to boost border patrols. Landry visited the southern border with other Republican governors on Sunday. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says state leaders are getting involved in a hot-button issue on Capitol Hill…

Cut 10 (09) “…attention too.”
Meanwhile State Senate President Cameron Henry, a Republican from Metairie said yesterday that a mission like the governor is suggesting would cost up to three million dollars and that lawmakers would need to agree to finance it. The proposed deployment is an escalation of Landry’s hardline immigration stance that comes amid a greater number of people crossing into the US through Mexico. It also comes as Texas National Guard and state police have been prevent US Border Patrol agents from accessing a 47 acre area in Eagle Pass known as Shelby Park and rom using the park to process immigrants.

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Port of New Orleans cruise passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels with one point two million passenger movements. Teiko Foxx has more.

Cut 2 (32)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”

Due to the shortage of truck drivers, the Louisiana Motor Transport Association is encouraging more women to join the workforce with the initiative “Women in Motion.” Executive Director of LMTA Renee Amar says only 10 percent of truck drivers are women and despite a common myth about ability behind the wheel….

Cut 5 (11) “…incredible drivers.”