Governor John Bel Edwards will speak today at the Baton Rouge Press Club. It’s expected he’ll discuss his legislative priorities for the 2020 session that begins next Monday. Edwards has already said he wants to increase funding for higher education, public schools and early childhood education. But political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the Republican-controlled legislature may have different priorities…
cut 9 (11) “…session”
The Revenue Estimating Conference has yet to agree on how much money the state can spend next fiscal year.

A Shreveport woman is dead after being attacked by two pit bulls. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s office has identified the victim as 64-year-old Geraldine Hamlin. Shreveport Police Corporal Angie Willhite says the woman shared a home with her son and the dogs.
Cut 13 (07) “…to her arms..”
Willhite says they are not sure what provoked the attack.

An LSU professor is shedding light on how to detect fake news. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

This is not fake news. The 11th ranked LSU baseball team was no-hit in a one to nothing loss to Oklahoma at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston yesterday. Dane Acker threw the first no-hitter against LSU since 1978. AJ Labas was the tough-luck loser, he gave up a home run in the eighth inning.

Governor John Bel Edwards is meeting with his Unified Command Group this morning to discuss the state’s ongoing preparations and response to the coronavirus. The governor will provide an update on what was discussed when he addresses the Baton Rouge Press Club at noon.

First responders from around the country are reaching out to the LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training, asking when coronavirus training will be available…
Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

Two pit bulls have been removed from a Shreveport home where a deadly attack occurred on 64-year-old Geraldine Hamlin. She died from her injuries on Friday morning. Shreveport Police Corporal Angie Willhite says it’s unclear what provoked the attack…
cut 15 (05) “…their protocol”
Willhite says the woman shared a home with her son and the dogs lived with the family for four years.

LSU Manship School of Mass Communication professor Len Apcar has relaunched his website…detectfakenews.com. Apcar says the process of fact-checking is usually a quick one with the help of his website…
cut 12 (10) “….different fake stories”
Apcar says the website aims to be a singular resource looking at manipulated media and fakes in the upcoming 2020 election cycle.

Governor Edwards will detail his priorities for the upcoming legislative session today at the Baton Rouge Press Club. Matt Doyle spoke with an analyst about what to expect…
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

Before addressing the press club, Edwards is meeting with his Unified Command Group this morning to discuss the state’s ongoing preparations and response to the coronavirus.

The investigation continues into the early Sunday morning house fire in Alexandria that killed one woman and three children, ranging in ages from seven-years-old to four-months.

The Caddo Parish Coroner’s office has identified the woman who was mauled to death last week by two pit bulls. Shreveport Police Corporal Angie Willhite says the dogs were very familiar with 64-year-old Geraldine Hamlin…
cut 14 (07) “….to the family”
Willhite says they are still not sure what provoked the attack.

LSU Manship School of Mass Communication professor Len Apcar relaunches a website that aims to help spot fake news and disinformation. The website, detectfakenews.com, is a resource guide on the latest developments in fake news. Apcar says the website has tips on how to fact check, with do-it-yourself tools and information.
Cut 10 (08) “…facts and sourcing.”
Apcar says fake news is all around us, but it’s a small percentage of the overall amount of information out there.

Governor Edwards speaks today at the Baton Rouge Press Club, one week ahead of the start of the 2020 regular session. Efforts to reduce auto insurance rates through tort reform will be a big topic. Edwards helped to defeat this approach last year, but political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the governor will have little choice but to try and reach a compromise this year…
cut 8 (07) “…veto it’

With Corononavirus fears spreading, LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training is developing programs that provide emergency management and response professionals with the knowledge to better prevent, prepare and respond in the event their communities are faced with coronavirus cases. N-C-B-R-T Associate Director of Research Jerry Monier says they’ve done this before…
cut 5 (10) “…occurred”

An LSU professor is shedding light on how to detect fake news. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”

First responders from around the country have begun reaching out to the LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training, asking when coronavirus trainings will be available…

Cut 1 (30) “I’m Matt Doyle.”

_____________________________________

Governor Edwards is expected to detail his legislative priorities for the upcomming session today at the Baton Rouge Press Club. Matt Doyle spoke with an analyst about what to expect…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.” 

___________________________________________

An LSU professor is shedding light on how to detect fake news. Kevin Barnhart has the story.

Cut 3 (31)  “…I’m Kevin Barnhart.”  

____________________________________________

The LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training is set to start helping first responders from around the country prepare for the coronavirus.

NCBRT Associate Director of Research and Development Jerry Monier says they’re developing training that will teach responders the history of the virus, how to ID it, how to respond to it, and then…

Cut 4 (06)_ “…need arise.”

NCBRT is known for it’s work training first responders nationwide, and Monier says they’re no stranger to preparing people to take on public health emergencies…

Cut 5 (10)  “…occured.”

NCBRT trained over 3,000 personnel located in the center of the West African Ebola crisis.

The US has yet to suffer a major outbreak of the virus, but Monier says first responders aren’t just waiting for that first explosion to happen.

Cut 6 (08) “…themselves.”

NCBRT will be releasing information on when these trainings will become available on their website.

____________________________

Governor Edwards will lay out his legislative agenda today at the Baton Rouge Press Club, exactly one week before the start of the 2020 session.

Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat expects the Governor will continue pushing a minimum wage increase and equal pay for women, Democratic priorities, but also tout a major bipartisan policy…

Cut 7 (09) “…needs”

The Governor’s budget recommends a 25 million dollar increase in early childhood education spending.

Lawsuit reform is expected to dominate the upcoming session. Pinsonat says despite his past opposition, he feels Edwards has little choice but to come out with some compromise offers today.

Cut 8 (07) “veto it”

Pinsonat says a substantial number of this year’s new class of lawmakers won their seats on the back of promises to vote for lawsuit reform.

Pinsonat says Edwards will likely call for a number of spending increases today, but his ambitions may be more hampered by this year’s more Republican legislature.

Cut 9 (11) “…session″

The Revenue Estimating Conference has yet to agree to a revenue forecast for the budget.

____________________

LSU Manship School of Mass Communication professor Len Apcar relaunches a website that aims to help spot fake news and disinformation.  The website, detectfakenews.com, is a curated resource guide on the latest developments in fake news.  Apcar says the website is full of tips on how to fact check with do-it-yourself tools and information.

Cut 10 (08) “…facts and sourcing.”

Apcar says fake news is all around us, but it’s a small percentage of the overall amount of information out there.  However, it is increasing.

Cut 11 (09) “…more fake news.”

Apcar says the process of fact-checking is usually a quick one with the website.

Cut 12 (10) “…different fake stories.”

The website was created three years ago to give users advice on how to spot fake news articles, and has since grown into a one-stop aggregator of latest news, research, and analysis of disinformation.

_____________________________________

A Shreveport woman is dead after being attacked by two pit bulls on Thursday night.  The victim has been identified as 64-year-old Geraldine Hamlin.  Shreveport Police Corporal Angie Willhite says the woman shared a home with her son and the dogs.

Cut 13 (07) “…to her arms..”

The victim was taken to a hospital where she died on Friday morning.  Willhite says the dogs were very familiar with the victim.

Cut 14 (07) “…to the family.”

Willhite says it is unclear as to what, if anything, provoked the animals to attack.

Cut 15 (05) “…of their protocol.”

Louisiana drivers saved money at the pump in 2019 compared to 2018 and are on course to save more this year.  Matt Doyle has the story.

cut  2 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle.”

A 19-year-old frat member has been arrested, accused of breaking into Tiger Stadium on separate occasions and causing $8000 in damages to the field with an ATV. The field was under construction and without grass at the time and just had a new drainage system installed when Delta Chi member Clayton Fleetwood used of the ATV on the field area caused enough ruts/damage to require the precision grading to be repeated.

Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans scores a 2.6-million-dollar grant to help expand capacity. The money was won in part because of the work of Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves, who sits on the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Graves says the airport has received nearly ten million dollars in grants since November of 2019

Cut 10 (11) “…that you did.”

Two taxiways at the airport are also set to undergo construction in the fall, part of a 40 million dollar project.

New Orleans State Senator Troy Carter files a bill that will ban “hate-related” throws at Mardi Gras parades. Earlier this month a father was stunned when his son caught a racially-themed throw at the Mystic Knights of Adonis parade in Gretna. Carter says if a person is caught throwing hate-related throws in the proposed bill…

Cut 5 (06)  “…consecutive.”

New Orleans State Senator Troy Carter files a bill that will ban “hate-related” throws at Mardi Gras parades. Earlier this month a father was stunned when his son caught a racially-themed throw at the Mystic Knights of Adonis parade in Gretna. Carter says all races and ethnicities should be brought together at parades.

Cut 3 (12)  “…need to do”  

When Carter learned a young boy caught a throw, which was a caricature of a black man holding a watermelon with a noose around his neck.

According to AAA, in 2019, Louisiana households saved nearly $46 a month at the pump compared to 2018.  AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says coronavirus fears are driving prices down again, so we may see savings this year over last year.

Cut 7 (09) “…time last year.”

Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans scores a 2.6 million dollar grant to help expand capacity. The money was won in part because of the work of Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves, who sits on the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Graves says it’s some vital funding.

Cut 9 (09) “…airport″

The one billion dollar new terminal was unveiled last year, but Graves says the rest of the airport’s infrastructure could still use some love.
Fears from the Coronavirus could roll over into putting dents into Louisiana’s tourism. The markets have taken a hit as a result of the virus and UNO Professor of Economics Dr. Janet Speyrer says some economists are forecasting the possibility of the coronavirus pressing the US economy into a recession, so people will be making cuts to their leisure spending.

Cut 13 (06) “…travel as much.”

According to AAA, in 2019, Louisiana households spent about 13% of their income filling up at the pump.  AAA fuel analyst Don Redman says there were savings compared to 2018 as households saved nearly $46 a month.

Cut 6 (07) “…almost $550.”

While prices saw an uptick earlier in 2020 due to concerns over an Iranian conflict, Redman says coronavirus fears are driving prices down again, so we may see savings this year over last year.

Fears from the Coronavirus could roll over into putting dents into Louisiana’s tourism industry.  UNO Professor of Economics Dr. Janet Speyrer says travelers may cut out nonessential trips due to being unaware of where other travelers may be coming from and their potential to be infected.

Cut 12 (10) “…in the US.”

New Orleans State Senator Troy Carter files a bill that will ban “hate-related” throws at Mardi Gras parades. Earlier this month a father was stunned when his son caught a racially-themed throw at the Mystic Knights of Adonis parade in Gretna. When Carter learned a young boy caught a throw, which was a caricature of a black man holding a watermelon with a noose around his neck, less than two weeks later he filed the bill for the session that opens March 9^th.
Cut 4 (11) “…of Mardi Gras.”
If the thrower cannot be identified, then the organization would be fined for the offense.
Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans scores a 2.6 million dollar grant to help expand capacity. The money was won in part because of the work of Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves, who sits on the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Graves says over a million people came to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and projects like these keep the money flowing into Louisiana.
Cut 11 (09) “…impact”
Louis has received nearly $10m in grants since November of last year.

LSU and Texas hooked up for a terrific baseball game at Alex Box Stadium and it was the Bayou Bengals who came out on top, beating the Longhorns four to three. Daniel Cabrera’s two-run homer in the sixth inning gave the Tigers the lead for good. Cole Henry was the winning pitcher, he gave up three runs but struck out 10. Jaden Hill was sensational out of the bullpen as he threw three shutout innings, striking out six. LSU improves to seven and three and they’ll face Baylor at Houston’s Minute Maid Park at 3 PM today.

In other action, Louisiana Tech topped Maine five to one to improve to 6-3. Illinois State doubled up ULM six to three. The Ragin Cajuns lost a tough one in Lafayette as they fell to Sam Houston State five to four in eleven innings. Nicholls edged Long Island four to three, McNeese doubled up Valparaiso four to two, Southeastern Louisiana banked Stony brook 11 to 0. And Northwestern State won again three to nothing over Eastern Illinois.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Pelicans took care of business last night as they defeated Cleveland 116 to 104. New Orleans took control with a 43-point first quarter. Brandon Ingram had 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Zion Williamson had 24 points. That’s ten straight games with 20 points or more, which is a record for a teenager. Memphis also lost, so the Pels are just two games back of the Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans will get ready to host the Lakers on Sunday night. The game is a sell out.

LSU baskeball has an 11 AM tip off today against Texas A-and-M. The Tigers are coming off a blowout loss in Florida, while the Aggies have won three of their last four. LSU needs to win to at least maintain a tie with Florida for third place in the league standings.

In other action, the Ragin Cajuns are at Little Rock, UNO is at Nicholls, Northwestern State visits Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese is at Houston Baptist. Grambling hosts Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Louisiana Tech is off today, they are home on Wednesday against F-I-U.