11:30 LRN Newscast

A recent surge in sextortion of children cases has the FBI on alert. David Grubb has more…
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m David Grubb.”

State Police have changed the status of the case of Ella Goodie, the 33-year-old ride share driver from Lafayette Parish who vanished in March. It’s now a homicide investigation instead of a missing person case. Goodie’s vehicle was found in Missouri and Brandon Francisco has been named a person of interest.

The major national news story is the draft opinion indicating the US Supreme Court might be poised to overturn Roe v Wade would immediately make abortions illegal in Louisiana. Tulane University law professor Keith Werhan (pronounced “WER-han”) says having a justice’s draft opinion leaked to the press is rare and the Supreme Court will not take it lightly…:
Cut 13 (08) “a vigorous one”

A bill banning handheld cell phone use while driving failed to get approval in the Louisiana House. During the debate, Breaux Bridge Representative Mike Huval’s legislation faced opposition from Amite Representative Robby Carter, who says not everyone drives a car with Bluetooth technology, but Huval says there are inexpensive accessories available that allow for hands-free cell phone use…
Cut 3 (11) “…your hands”
Huval says banning hand held cell phone use will cut down on distracted driving crashes.

10:30 LRN Newscast May 4

The House Education Committee has voted against a bill that would prohibit teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in front of the entire classroom. Haughton Representative Dodie Horton says her bill isn’t intended to hurt or discriminate against anyone, but to assure children are not exposed to inappropriate adult topics…
cut 10 (07) “….instruction time”
The panel heard from numerous opponents, including this parent of two children in the East Baton Rouge school system…
cut 25 (10) “…discriminatory”
The House committee agreed and voted against it on a vote of seven to four.

Today the House Education Committee debates a bill that bans transgender women from participating in female sports.

The FBI says there’s been an increase in sextortion schemes targeting children in Monroe, Shreveport, and Alexandria. FBI spokesperson Connor Hagan says the predators are engaging in sexual activity over video chat. He says the juvenile believes the questionable content will be deleted, but the predator than threatens to post the videos on social media pages, unless they receive money…
cut 5 (08) “….for financial gain”
If you know someone who may be a victim, contact the FBI.

The lawyer for the former head of State Police, Kevin Reeves, says the legislative committee investigating the fatal 2019 arrest of Ronald Green has what they need from his client. Houma Representative Tanner Magge believes Reeves is acting in contempt for refusing to provide a particular journal entry. But Lewis Unglesby says what Magee is looking for is not relevant…:
cut 15 (08) “interested in”

09:30 LRN Newscast May 4th Judge me by my size, do you?

Attorney Lewis Unglesby says it’s an unreasonable response for state lawmakers to hold former State Police leader Kevin Reeves in contempt for not handing over a certain journal entry. Jeff Palermo has the story..:
Cut 3 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Ahead of the start of hurricane season on June 1st, Governor John Bel Edwards is slated to hold a news conference this morning with other emergency preparedness officials to discuss how the public should get ready for a potential storm.

Abortion will become illegal in Louisiana if the leaked Supreme Court opinion stands. Chief Justice John Roberts has confirmed the leaked draft IS authentic, and Tulane University law professor Keith Werhan (pronounced “WER-han”) feels – IF there are enough votes to reverse Roe V. Wade – that will eventually happen. He says the Supreme court more often seeks to narrow precedent rulings..:
CUT 12 (08) “opinion was drafted”
He points out the draft has preliminary support but it’s not a done deal.

Louisiana’s so-called version of what opponents call the Don’t Say Gay bill was halted in a House Committee. The bill drew opposition from several witnesses, like Brenna Wells, with the LSU School of Social Work and LGBTQ Studies, who feels the bill is mean-spirited…:
Cut 8 (12) “…and their future.”
The committee voted 7-to-4 to reject the bill.

08:30 LRN Newscast May 4th This is the way.

Louisiana’s version of what opponents call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill has been killed for this legislative session. House Education voted 7-to-4 to reject the measure. Bossier Parish Republican Dodie Horton wrote the bill…:
Cut 7 (12) “state standard-slash-curriculum”
Some in opposition argued the measure is too broad.

The committee investigating the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene wants to hold former State Police Head Kevin Reeves in contempt for refusing to hand over a journal entry on the matter, but Reeves’ lawyer says members already have what they need. Attorney Lewis Unglesby says anything in the journals kept by Reeves pertaining to the Greene case has been given to lawmakers..:
Cut 16 (11) “the committee”

The draft opinion indicating the US Supreme Court might be poised to overturn Roe v Wade would immediately make abortions illegal in Louisiana. Tulane University law professor Keith Werhan (pronounced “WER-han”) says having a justice’s draft opinion leaked to the press is rare and the Supreme Court will not take lightly…:
Cut 13 (08) “a vigorous one”
Abortions would be illegal here, under a 2006 “trigger bill”; written to kick in if the Justices ever took that action.

The FBI is warning parents about a sextortion scheme going around in Louisiana which tricks minors into sending inappropriate photos which are then used to extort them into sending money, or else. Spokesperson Connor Hagan offers this to parents who believe their kid is a victim..:
CUT 6 (12) “contact the FBI”

07:30 LRN Newscast May 4th Luke I am your father

A House committee rejects Louisiana’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill…:
Cut 2 (33) “I’m Kevin Gallagher”

After a long stretch of falling gas prices, we’re starting to see them slowly inch back up. The current statewide average for a gallon of regular is $3.89 which is down 7 cents from a month ago — but up nearly a nickel over the week.

The New Orleans Saints are expected to make the signing of former LSU star safety Tyrann Mathieu official today.

The lawyer for the former head of State Police, Kevin Reeves, says the committee investigating the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Green has what they need from his client. The members believe Reeves is acting in contempt for refusing to provide a particular journal entry. But Lewis Unglesby says it’s not relevant…:
Cut 15 (08) “interested in”

The FBI is warning parents of a rise in sextortion schemes targeting children in Louisiana. The crime-fighting agency says it has received several reports in the Monroe, Alexandria, and Shreveport areas of predators posing as children and coercing minors into sending them sexually explicit materials for the purpose of extorting money. Spokesperson Connor Hagan…:
Cut 4 (11) “that they are”
Hagan says an underage person should never send intimate or explicit photos or videos over the internet.

06:45 LRN Sportscast May 4th

The homecoming of former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu has electrified New Orleans Saints fans, but perhaps no place is more proud of the “Honey Badger” than St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, where Mathieu’s athletic career began. School CEO Aulston Taylor says it’s been a long time coming, but it’s great to see a Purple Knight back in the Black and Gold…:
Cut 17 (20) “ coming back”

New Orleans is expected to make it official today, and The Honey Badger reportedly set to land a three year 33-million-dollar deal and $18 million fully guaranteed.

The LSU Baseball team took care of business last night knocking off Nicholls in The Box 10-6. Tiger Freshman right fielder Josh Pearson blasted two homers and collected five RBI in the game. LSU improved to 30-14 on the year, while Nicholls dropped to 24-17. Jay Johnson’s Tigers will now turn their attention back to the SEC has they travel to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a 3-game set versus Alabama.

Louisiana Tech used a five-run bottom of the eighth inning including a grand slam for Jorge Coronoa to pull away from ULM 11-5 Tuesday night at JC Love Field. The Bulldogs now move to 31-15 overall. The Warhawks are now 15-27. Tech now heads to Natchitoches for a quick road trip to take on Northwestern State this evening at 6.

Elsewhere around the diamond in the state, Southern fell to Lamar 15-5. Tulane edged UNO 6-5. McNeese clobbered Stephen F Austin 17-7.

06:30 LRN Newscast May the 4th Be With You

The emergence of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision might soon be overturned has implications for Louisiana. Tulane University law professor Keith Werhan (pronounced “WER-han”) says the draft has preliminary support, but it’s not yet a “done deal”…:
Cut 11 (11) “gonna want that”
If the High court reverses Roe v. Wade, abortions would become illegal in Louisiana immediately.

The House Education committee rejects a measure prohibiting teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation in classrooms. Opponents call it the Don’t Say Gay Bill. New Orleans Representative Aimee Freeman says its too broad…:
Cut 9 (09) “…cannot support this bill”
The matter is dead for the session.

The lawyer for former State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves says a legislative committee investigating the fatal arrest of Ronald Greene has the information they need from the journals kept by Reeves. Houma Representative Tanner Magee has threatened to charge Reeves with contempt, but attorney Lewis Unglesby says that is an unreasonable response..:
Cut 14 (10) “confusion there”
Magee met with Unglesby on Monday to make copies of pages in the journal pertaining to anything written about the Greene case.

State Police have changed the status of the case of Ella Goodie, the 33-year-old ride share driver from Scott who vanished in March, from missing person to homicide. No body has been found and no suspect charged, but troopers say the transition is based on investigative techniques and witness statements.

LRN AM Newscall May 4

A recent surge in sextortion of children cases has the FBI on alert. David Grubb has more…

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m David Grubb.”

____________________________________

A House committee rejects a bill that’s been called Louisiana’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Kevin Gallagher has more…:

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.” 

_____________________________________

Attorney Lewis Unglesby says it’s an unreasonable response for state lawmakers to hold former State Police leader Kevin Reeves in contempt for not handing over certain information from his personal journals. Jeff Palermo has the story

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.” 

____________________________________

The FBI is warning parents of a rise in sextortion schemes targeting children in the Monroe, Alexandria, and Shreveport areas. The crime-fighting agency says it has received several reports of predators posing as children and coercing minors into sending them sexually explicit materials for the purpose of extorting money from them. Spokesperson Connor Hagan says prevention begins with a clear warning…

Cut 4 (11)  “…that they are.”

Hagan says an underage person should never send intimate or explicit photos or videos over the internet. He pointed out that many kids believe that using certain apps delete questionable content after a view and they are protected. Unfortunately, they are not.

Cut 5 (11) “…for financial gain.”

One of the barriers to identifying and catching predators is the embarrassment that the victims feel. Hagan offers advice to parents or guardians when dealing with a child who comes forward.

Cut 6 (12)  “…contact the FBI.”

If you know someone who may be a victim of sextortion, contact FBI New Orleans at 504-816-3000 and do not delete anything that could potentially be used as evidence.

________________________________________

The House Education committee rejects a bill prohibiting teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation in classrooms. A similar bill recently passed in Florida is dubbed by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill”. Bossier Parish Republican Dodie Horton says her bill is  straightforward…:

Cut 7 (12) “…state standard-slash-curriculum.”

Under Horton’s HB 837, teachers would not be allowed to discuss the topics of gender preference or sexual orientation with kids in grades K though 8. The bill drew opposition from several witnesses, like Brenna Wells, with the LSU School of Social Work and LGBTQ Studies, who feels the bill is mean-spirited…:

Cut 8 (12)  “…and their future.”

Committee member and New Orleans Representative Aimee Freeman says the language of Horton’s bill is “too broad” and does not need to be part of state statutes…:

Cut 9 (09)  “…cannot support this bill.”

Horton says her bill isn’t intended to hurt or discriminate against anyone, but to assure children aren’t exposed to inappropriate adult topics…:

Cut 10 (07) “…instructional time.”

After hours of discussion, the committee voted 7-to-4 to reject the bill; ending its progress for the session.

_______________________________________

The emergence of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision might soon be overturned has implications for Louisiana. Abortions would be illegal, under a 2006 “trigger bill”; written to kick in if the Justices ever took that action. Tulane University law professor Keith Werhan (pronounced “WER-han”) says Justice Alito’s draft has preliminary support with conservative colleagues on the High Court, but it’s not yet a “done deal”…:

Cut  11 (11)  “…gonna want that.”  

Chief Justice John Roberts has confirmed the leaked draft IS authentic, and Werhan feels – if there are enough voted to reverse Roe V. Wade – that will eventually happen. He says the High court rarely goes back and overrules its own precedents. He says they more often seek to narrow precedent rulings, or revise them in some way..:

Cut 12 (08) “…opinion was drafted.” 

Werhan says having a justice’s draft opinion leaked to the press is rare and the Supreme Court will not take lightly…:

Cut 13 (08) “…a vigorous one.”

If the High court reverses Roe v. Wade, abortions would become illegal in Louisiana immediately.

_______________________________________

The lawyer for former State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves says a legislative committee investigating the fatal arrest of Ronald Greene has the information they need from the journals kept by Reeves. Houma Representative Tanner Magee has threatened to charge Reeves with contempt, but attorney Lewis Unglesby says that is an unreasonable response

Cut 14 (10)  “…confusion there”

Magee met with Unglesby on Monday to make copies of pages in the journal pertaining to anything written about the Greene case. Magee believes Reeves is acting in contempt for refusing to provide an entry dated June 17th, 2020 that mentioned the governor by name and police brutality. But Unglesby says it’s just a random discussion on police brutality

Cut 15 (08)  “…interested in.”

Unglesby says anything in the journals kept by Reeves pertaining to the Greene case has been given to lawmakers

Cut 16 (11)  “…the committee.”

___________________________________________

The homecoming of former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu has electrified New Orleans Saints fans, but perhaps no place is more proud of the “Honey Badger” than St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, where Mathieu’s athletic career began. School CEO Aulston Taylor says it’s been a long time coming, but it’s great to see a Purple Knight back in the Black and Gold.

Cut 17 (20) “ …coming back.” 

Mathieu wasn’t a superstar prospect coming out of St. Aug. and was overlooked by many of the top programs in the country. Taylor says his journey and perseverance serve as an example to the young men who walk the school’s halls today.

Cut 18 (21) “ …someone did that.” 

Community service has been a major part of Mathieu’s career, and he was nominated by the Kansas City Chiefs for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last season, an honor that went to another former Tiger, Andrew Whitworth. Taylor believes that Mathieu will make a difference in his native New Orleans as well, just as he was taught at St. Augustine years ago.

Cut 19 (20) _“…young men.” 

5:30 LRN Newscast Legislative Report

After a lengthy debate, the House Education Committee voted against a bill that would have prohibited teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in front of the entire classroom. The measure died on a four to seven vote, New Orleans Representative Aimee Freeman voted against it…
cut 9 (10) “…cannot support this bill”

Lawmakers are working on legislation to incentivize retired teachers to come back to the classroom to help address a teacher shortage…
cut 4 (10) “….get it”
Currently, retired teachers can return to the classroom and collect 25-percent of their final average compensation. Baton Rouge Representative Rick Edmonds’ bill boosts that percentage up to 50-percent. It has been approved by the House.

The lawyer for former State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves says a legislative committee investigating the fatal arrest of Ronald Greene has the information they need from the journals kept by Reeves. Houma Representative Tanner Magee has threatened to charge Reeves with contempt, but attorney Lewis Unglesby says that would be an unreasonable response…
cut 14 (10) “…confusion there’
Magee met with Unglesby on Monday to make copies of pages in the journal pertaining to anything written about the Greene case. Magee believes Reeves is acting in contempt for refusing to provide an entry dated June 17th, 2020 that mentioned the governor by name and police brutality…
cut 11 (12) “….contempt charges”
Unglesby says anything in the journals kept by Reeves pertaining to the Greene case has been given to lawmakers

4:45 LRN Sportscast May 3

Following a series win over Georgia, LSU baseball seems to have found its bearings. The Tigers have won six of eight and are climbing the power rankings. Cade Doughty says there’s no time to look back with plenty of tough competition ahead.

Cut 16 (14) “…get the job done.”

The Tigers host Nicholls tonight at 6:30 before going for their third straight SEC series win on the road at Alabama this weekend.

In other action around the state, Lamar visits the Southern Jaguars while McNeese hosts Stephen F. Austin. UL-Monroe heads west on I-20 to take on Louisiana Tech, as UNO travels across town to play Tulane for the Pelican Cup in New Orleans.

Southern University offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter was one of four players selected from Historically Black Colleges in this past weekend’s NFL Draft. Carter was taken by the Bears in the seventh, becoming the first player from The Bluff drafted since Lenny Williams in 2004.

The U-L Ragin Cajuns have won 10 of their last 12 in the Sun Belt Conference and sit three games behind Texas State in the standings. They’ll take on the Bobcats next weekend, but up first is UT-Arlington, and Coach Matt Deggs says his team won’t take the struggling Mavericks lightly.

Cut 18 (15) “…can we play.”

In tonight’s NBA playoffs, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks look to take a 2-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while Golden State tries to do the same against the Memphis Grizzlies in the West.

The LSU women’s basketball team has added another transfer, 5-foot-8 guard Kateri Poole from Ohio State. Last season Poole averaged 4.8 points and 2.4 assists for the Buckeyes and played in OSU’s win over the Tigers in the second round of the NCAA tournament. With three transfers now, Kim Mulkey’s recruiting class for next season is up to seven players.