Near-freezing temperatures have Louisianans across the state bundling up today. Matt Hemmingway with the National Weather Service in Shreveport says temperatures dropped to just below freezing this morning in North Louisiana, while the southern half of the state is hovering around 40 degrees…:
Cut 3 (11) “cold temperatures”
The first official day of winter is December 21st.

Louisiana’s 8 electoral voters are expected to stick with Donald Trump when they case their ballots today for president. Scott Wilfong is one and he says it’s an honor…:
CUT 1 (08) “538”
He says even though they’ve been getting a lot of letters from people urging the Electoral College not to vote for Mr. Trump, he sees Louisiana delegates sticking with the will of Louisiana citizens.

The United Health Foundation finds there are fewer smokers in Louisiana than there were last year. Halen Doughty has more…:
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Could lawmakers be headed into another special session as the state faces a $300 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year? That’s the chatter according to LaPolitics.com. But political analyst and pollster Bernie Pinsonat feels people don’t want more taxes to raise revenue:
Cut 15 (09) “state government”

The Electoral College is set to meet today at the State Capitol to formally elect Donald Trump for president. Republican electors, like Scott Wilfong from Louisiana, says they’ve gotten emails, calls, and letters urging them not to support Mr. Trump. Wilfong says some may be swayed…:
Cut 6 (10) “he needs”
A joint session of Congress is scheduled for Jan. 6 to certify the results of the Electoral College vote.

US Senator David Vitter is in the final days of his term, so what’s next for the Republican lawmaker from Jefferson Parish. Vitter says he cannot negoitate potential jobs while in office, but he has an idea of what he’d like to do after he leaves Washington…
cut 9 (09) “…Washington D.C”
Vitter has served in Congress since 1999.

Could we see another special session in the near future to address the state’s fiscal problems? Political analyst and pollster Bernie Pinsonat says another session to raise revenues would not be popular among voters. Pinsonat says many residents believe state spending is already too high, which was evident when Senator-elect John Kennedy won by a landslide earlier this month…
cut 14 (12) “….state government”
La-politics-dot-com is reporting that a source within the Edwards administration says a special session is a possibility.

Meanwhile, Governor John Bel Edwards is heading to Tensas Parish later today to attend a community meeting with residents of St. Joseph, who have been advised to drink bottle water after tests revealed that lead and copper were found in the public drinking system. St. Joseph residents have complained about poor drinking water for years, because it’s been poorly maintained and deteriorating.

Electors are set to gather in every state today to formally elect Donald Trump president. Scott Wilfong is one of 8 from Louisiana. He says the votes will be sent to Washington after today, where the new Congress will read them when they convene in January…:
Cut 5 (10) “Joe Biden”
They’ve been getting tons of letters and emails from people who don’t want to see Mr. Trump president, but Wilfong believes Louisiana’s electors will go along with the will of the voters here.

Fewer Louisianans are smoking cigarettes, according to the United Health Foundation. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, smokers who quit will notice a change in their health almost immediately…:
cut 11 (11) “go to normal”
Louisiana now ranks 43rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46th last year.

There’s just two weeks left of US Senator David Vitter’s final term in office. Emelie Gunn has more…:
Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The Coast Guard says they medevaced a 60 year-old woman from a cruise ship approximately 14 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, this morning. They said a call came in from the Carnival Triumph requesting the medevac of a woman in need of dialysis. The boat crew arrived on scene and transferred the passenger to awaiting emergency medical services at Station Venice at 1:30 a.m. in stable condition.

Louisiana’s electors head to the state capitol today to cast their votes for president-elect Donald Trump. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Authorities Jefferson Parish say a 3 week old baby who was allegedly kidnapped by his biological father is back home safe. Cops say there is a warrant out for the arrest of Cameron Davis who remains at large.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case of a man who is believed to have fatally shot his ex-girlfriend before driving away and killing himself. They believe 33-year-old Tangela Detiege was murdered by the man after an argument.

US Senator David Vitter will only be in office two more weeks, and reflects on his time in public service. He says there are some things he did not accomplish that he hopes will be achieved under the Trump Administration, including term limits for lawmakers…:
Cut 8 (10) “for Congress”
Vitter says he plans to enter the private sector once his term ends.

Louisiana now ranks 43rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46th last year. That’s according to the United Health Foundation. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, believes the public is becoming more knowledgeable about the dangers of smoking…:
cut 12 (10) “of smoking”
The report found 22-percent of Louisiana residents smoke, compared to 24 percent last year.

The Electoral College is set to meet today to formally elect Donald Trump for president. Republican electors, like Scott Wilfong from Louisiana, says they’ve gotten emails, calls, and letters urging them not to support Mr. Trump. Wilfong says some may be swayed…:
Cut 6 (10) “he needs”
A joint session of Congress is scheduled for Jan. 6 to certify the results of the Electoral College vote.

Governor John Bel Edwards is traveling to the Tensas Parish town of St. Joseph today where he’s declared a public health emergency because elevated levels of lead were found in two water samples. The governor has ordered testing of every household in the town and the state is providing 3 liters of bottled water per day to each individual. St. Joe has for years had a poorly maintained and deteriorating water distribution system.

David Vitter has just two weeks left in office as a U.S Senator. He says representing and serving the people of Louisiana has been the greatest honor of his professional life. He says he’s most proud of his work in the post-hurricanes Katrina/Rita recovery…:
CUT 7 (11) “flood protection”
Vitter says he does not want a role in the new administration, as he and his wife, Wendy, have been looking forward to life in the private sector.

Fewer Louisianans are smoking cigarettes, according to the United Health Foundation. The report found 22-percent of Louisiana residents are smokers, compared to 24-percent in 2015. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, credits legislation that bans smoking in bars and casinos, like one that was passed in New Orleans last year…:
Cut 10 (09) “Alexandria”
Louisiana now ranks 43rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46th last year.

Today, Louisiana’s 8 electors will cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump. Scott Wilfong is one of those electors. He says it’s an honor to cast his vote for the people of Louisiana, as he has done once before for Mitt Romney in 2012…:
cut 4 (08) “to 538″”
Wilfong says he and other electors have received tons of feedback from people asking them not to vote for Mr. Trump, but feels that would be a disservice to the wishes of the people of Louisiana.

There’s talk around the Capitol about the potential for another special session to address a looming $300 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year. That’s according to a report from LaPolitics.com. But But political analyst and pollster Bernie Pinsonat says voters do not want to raise any more taxes…:
Cut 13 (08) “we have”

The United Health Foundation finds there are fewer smokers in Louisiana than there were last year. Halen Doughty has more…:
Cut 3 (31) “I’m Halen Doughty”

Arctic air has moved into Louisiana where temperatures across the state this morning are in the mid 20s in north Louisiana, and low 30s across the I-10 corridor. A freeze warning is in effect for Calcasieu, East Cameron, Vermilion and West Cameron parishes until 9am this morning.

Louisiana’s electors head to the state capitol today to cast their votes for president-elect Donald Trump. Jeff Palermo has more…

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There’s just two weeks left of US Senator David Vitter’s final term in office. Emelie Gunn has more…

Cut 2 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

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The United Health Foundation finds there are fewer smokers in Louisiana than there were last year. Halen Doughty has more…

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Today, Louisiana’s 8 electors will cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump. Scott Wilfong is one of those electors. He says it’s an honor to cast his vote for the people of Louisiana, as he has done once before for Mitt Romney in 2012.

cut 4  (08) “to 538”

Wilfong says each elector will cast his or her ballot in their respective state capitals today. He says the votes will then be sent to Washington, where the new Congress will read them when they convene in January.

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Wilfong says he and other electors have received hundreds of phone calls, emails, and letters asking them not to vote for Mr. Trump. But he says it would be a disservice to the people of Louisiana to go against their votes. However, he does expect some electors will be swayed.

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David Vitter has just two weeks left in office as a U.S Senator.  Vitter says representing and serving the people of Louisiana has been the greatest honor of his professional life. He says he’s most proud of his work in the post-Katrina recovery, as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the coast just months after Vitter was sworn in as a Senator.

CUT 7 (11)  “flood protection”

Vitter served as Louisiana’s 1^st Congressional District Representative from 1999 to 2004 and as a US Senator since 2005. Prior to that, Vitter served in Louisiana’s House of Representatives from 1992 to 1999. He says there are some things he did not accomplish that he hopes will be achieved under the Trump Administration, including term limits for lawmakers.

Cut 8 (10) “for Congress”

Vitter says he does not want a role in the new administration, as he and his wife, Wendy, have been looking forward to life in the private sector. He says he cannot negotiate potential jobs while still in office, but he has an idea of what he’d like to do after he leaves Washington.

Cut 9 (09)  “Washington, D.C.”

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Fewer Louisianans are smoking cigarettes, according to the United Health Foundation. The report found 22-percent of Louisiana residents are smokers, compared to 24-percent in 2015. CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust, Mike Rogers, credits legislation that bans smoking in bars and casinos, like one that was passed in New Orleans last year.

Cut 10 (09) “Alexandria”

Louisiana now ranks 43^rd in the country for the rate of smokers, up from 46^th last year. Rogers says there are many health benefits to quitting smoking, and smokers will notice a change in their health almost immediately.

cut 11 (11) “go to normal”

The US average for adult smokers is about 17-percent. Rogers hopes we’ll continue to see a decline in the number of smokers. He says the public is becoming more knowledgeable about the dangers of smoking.

cut 12 (10) “of smoking”

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There’s talk around the Capitol about the potential for another special session to address a looming $300 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year. That’s according to La-politics-dot-com, who heard that from a source within the Edwards administration. But political analyst and pollster Bernie Pinsonat says voters do not want to raise any more taxes.

Cut 13 (08) “we have”

The Revenue Estimating Committee meets again in January, so lawmakers will have a better idea of how much money is available. Pinsonat says voters believe there’s too much spending, which was evident when Senator-elect John Kennedy won the runoff by a landslide 61 to 39-percent.

cut 14 (12) “state government”

Lawmakers met for three back-to-back sessions earlier this year and still failed to raise enough revenue to avoid midyear cuts to higher ed, healthcare, and TOPS. Pinsonat says at this point Louisianans are okay with cutting back state services.

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The Ragin Cajuns football team finished the 2016 season with a 6-and-7 as a result of its 28-21 loss to Southern Miss in the R-and-L Carriers Bowl. On two separate occasions, Louisiana faces two 14-point deficits, but still had a chance to win the game. Coach Mark Hudspeth says the game mirrored their season…

Cut 16 (19) “in themselves”

It’s the second straight losing season for Hudspeth and the Cajuns. But Coach Hud is optimistic about 2017, because they’ll have a bunch of returning starters coming back on offense and defense…

Cut 17 (17)    “tonight at times”

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The Saints had very little trouble moving the ball or scoring points against one of the top defenses in the NFL on Sunday. Quarterback Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes as New Orleans won 48-41 to snap out of a two-game funk by the Black and Gold offense. Coach Sean Payton says it was a good win for the team…

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Brees had 389 yards passing on the day and it is the 21st time in his career that he’s thrown at least four touchdowns without any interceptions. The future Hall of Famer says the whole team played well in this one…

Cut 19 (19)   “red zone”

Brees silenced the naysayers who started to wonder if he’s done playing at a high level. The previous two games, Brees was intercepted six times and did not throw a touchdown. Payton liked what he saw from his veteran Q-B…

cut 20 (09)   “coach too”

One day after FBI agents raided the offices of the Hammond Police Department and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s office, Sheriff Daniel Edwards announced they are cooperating with federal authorities….
cut 30 (12) “…federal investigation”
The two individuals mentioned by Edwards are former deputies. It’s uncelar what Sheriff Edwards’ role is in all of this. He is the brother of Governor John Bel Edwards.

There’s talk about more changes to TOPS. Higher Ed Commissioner Joe Rallo says they’re considering raising the hourly requirement for the scholarship from 24 credits per year to 30 to encourage students to graduate more quickly…
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A report from United Health Foundation finds Louisiana is no longer the unhealthiest state in the country. Michelle Southern has more…
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Get ready for a change in the weather. Andy Tingler, with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, says a strong cold front will move through the state Saturday and produce a big temperature drop….
cut 3 (12) “….upper 30s”
There’s also a slight chance for severe weather in north Louisiana today.