Blake Miguez ends the speculation with just hours to go until the end of qualifying – he’s running in the sixth district. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Louisiana’s cyclosporiasis cases continue to climb. Jeff Palermo reports.
Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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A new report shows Presidents Trump’s approval rating in Louisiana has fallen below 50 percent. Joe Gallinaro has the story…
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”
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With just hours left to qualify, Republican Blake Miguez ended the speculation entering the race for the Baton Rouge-area sixth district. Miguez represents the New Iberia area in the state senate, which is not within the sixth district’s boundaries. Throughout qualifying, the question was whether Miguez would run in the fifth or the sixth district.
Cut 4 (12) “…freshman at LSU.”
Miguez’s announcement came two days after his Republican state senate colleague, Rick Edmonds, qualified and took aim at Miguez for not living in the district. In a statement, Edmonds said he’s glad Miguez finally decided on the district to run in and that, in his words, he and his out-of-state supporters have been panicked since losing President Trump’s endorsement. Miguez addressed that after qualifying.
Cut 5 (11) “…this new race.”
As for where Miguez lives – he acknowledged that his primary residence is in New Iberia based on his homestead exemption, but he also accuses Edmonds of being absent from the district he aims to represent.
Cut 6 (07) “…to do that.”
Miguez and Edmonds are among ten candidates on the open primary ballot in district six – six Republicans, three Democrats and one Libertarian.
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The number of cyclosporiasis cases continues to go up across the country, including here in Louisiana. Louisiana Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein (green-steen) says while Louisiana’s number pales in comparison to the hardest-hit state, Michigan, the cases here continue to rise.
Cut 7 (10) “…happily no deaths.”
State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says the most recent cases involve two clusters of six cases, and investigators determined that romaine lettuce was the culprit.
Cut 8 (11) “…was romaine lettuce.”
The FDA is currently working to determine what the source of that lettuce is. Up until now, contaminated lettuce that has caused cyclosporiasis had been traced to Mexico.
Greenstein says with cyclospora causing severe dehydration, it’s important to take extra precautions these days when handling not only lettuce, but any fresh produce.
Cut 9 (13) “…and market withdrawals.”
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Legendary Saints quarterback Drew Brees delivered a deeply emotional, humble and grateful speech as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. His former head coach in New Orleans, Sean Payton, was his presenter, and Brees spoke about how Payton pushed him to his full potential…
Cut 10 (14) “…be great.”
Brees spent his first five seasons in the NFL in San Diego. He arrived in New Orleans as a free agent, months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Brees’ play lifted NOLA’s spirit and took the Saints franchise to new heights, including a Super Bowl Championship in 2009. Brees gave an emotional thank you to New Orleans…
Cut 11 (11) “…that calling.” (cheering)
Brees thanked many people who were part of his journey, including the late Saints owner Tom Benson, current owner Gayle Benson, general manager Mickey Loomis and his family. He gave a blanket thank you to the hundreds of players he played with during his 20-year career. Brees says it was them that kept him going and carried him to Canton…
Cut 12 (13) “…of my teammates.”
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A majority of Louisiana voters have supported President Donald Trump during his two terms in office. But his approval rating in the state has now fallen below 50 percent. That’s according to The World Population Review, which has Trump’s approval rating in Louisiana at 49 percent — down nine points from five months ago.
U-L-M political science professor Pearson Cross says presidential approval ratings typically fall when the economy struggles…
Cut 13 (09) “…in Iran.”
According to The Economist, Trump’s national approval rating is even lower, at 35 percent.
Cross says that could be a warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterm elections…
Cut 14 (10) “…mid-term election.”
Cross says it’s not unusual for a president’s popularity to decline while in office. But he believes it could be difficult for Trump to reverse the trend…
Cut 15 (16) “…he can do.”
Trump won 60 percent of the vote in Louisiana in the 2024 presidential election.
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ULM is renaming Malone Stadium to FMOL Health St. Francis Stadium as part of an expanded partnership with the healthcare ministry. Warhawks Athletics Director SJ Tuohy says that the partnership will help balance the athletics budget and provide opportunities for student-athletes moving forward.
Cut 16 (16) “…future with them.”
St. Francis will continue to be the “Official Medical Partner” of ULM athletics, and Tuohy says it was important to partner with a local organization committed to building the Northeast Louisiana community.
Cut 17 (19) “…need to improve.”
ULM also agreed to a deal to rename its basketball arena to B1Bank Fant Coliseum. Tuohy says the corporate partnerships are an exciting opportunity that spans across the athletics department.
Cut 18 (18) “…involved with us.”
ULM will honor coach James Malone, who the football stadium was previously named after, with a new installation at the home entrance.