House votes to expand legal safeguards for LGBTQ people
The Equality Act amends existing civil rights law to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identification as protected characteristics. The Supreme Court provided the LGBTQ community with a resounding victory last year in a 6-3 ruling that said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applied to LGBTQ workers when it comes to barring discrimination on the basis of sex. Biden made clear his support for the Equality Act in the lead-up to last year's election, saying it would be one of his first priorities. AdโOur neighbor, @RepMarieNewman, wants to pass the so-called โEqualityโ Act to destroy womenโs rights and religious freedoms. Democrats likened the effort to past civil rights battles in the nation's history.
Sheriff on Louisiana gun store shooting: 'I don't know why'
Bullet holes are seen on a vehicle at the scene of a multiple fatality shooting at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie, La. A person went into a gun store and shooting range in a New Orleans suburb and fatally shot two people Saturday, causing customers and staff to open fire on the shooter, said a sheriff. Lopinto said Williams had walked into the store with a loaded weapon and was told that was against store rules. It shows Williams at the door of the store, firing in. At another point it shows Williams inside taking aim at one of those killed, Veronica Billiot, 59, of Belle Chasse, also a customer.
Customers, staff fired back in gun store shooting; 3 dead
People react at the scene of a multiple fatality shooting at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie, La. A person went into a gun store and shooting range in a New Orleans suburb and fatally shot two people Saturday, causing customers and staff to open fire on the shooter, said a sheriff. โ A person entered a gun store and shooting range in a New Orleans suburb and fatally shot two people Saturday, prompting customers and staff to open fire on the shooter, a sheriff said. The shooting happened around 2:50 p.m. at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in the suburb of Metairie, according to a release from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. ___This story has been updated to correct the name of the store to the Jefferson Gun Outlet.
Spurs to start homestand against defending champion Los Angeles Lakers
Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk during a timeout at AT&T Center on October 27 , 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)SAN ANTONIO โ The San Antonio Spurs will begin a three-game homestand Wednesday evening when they host the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs will play the Lakers again on Jan. 7 in LA, so that will be three games in just over a week. With or without James, the Spurs will still be able to gauge where they stand this early in the season. And then of course it is the Lakers, DeRozan said.
Smart leads LSU past Sam Houston State without coach Wade
โ JaโVonte Smart had 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, and shorthanded LSU beat Sam Houston State 88-66 on Monday without coach Will Wade after he tested positive for COVID-19. Hours before the game, LSU announced Wade would not be available because of contact tracing issues. Wade said during a Zoom press conference after the game that he tested positive while in quarantine last week. Freshman Cameron Thomas scored 19 points and Darius Days had 16 points and 10 rebounds for LSU (4-1). Demarkus Lampley scored 16 points and Zach Nutall added 13 for San Houston State (3-4).
Orgeron: LSU has COVID outbreak, injured QB still sidelined
โ LSU coach Ed Orgeron says his team is contending with a corona virus outbreak and resulting quarantines that have made it difficult to know whether a number of starters or regulars will be available for Saturday's scheduled game against No. โWe're talking to the doctors right now to see what's the best for Myles,โ Orgeron said during his usual Monday-of-game-week media conference. The number of related quarantines due to possible exposure also have thinned his roster in recent days, he said. The SEC requires teams to have at least 53 scholarship players available, less than that and the scheduled game cannot be played. By the middle of the week, LSU expects to know if the game could still be held this weekend as scheduled, Orgeron said.
Jansen shows signs of old self as Dodgers try to stay alive
ARLINGTON, Texas โ Though Kenley Jansen never lost confidence in himself, the big right-hander might be regaining that from the Los Angeles Dodgers after an inconsistent stretch. That came two days after another 1-2-3 inning in a midgame appearance for LA in a 15-3 win. In the ninth inning Friday night, Jansen threw 10 strikes and got three swinging strikeouts. โI thought the tempo, I thought the delivery was cleaned up, it was a little bit more smooth. The 33-year-old 3-time All-Star, whose velocity had been noticeably down and his control inconsistent, said they went over how his delivery wasn't the same as it had been when he was dominating hitters.
Wedding before the storm: Delta speeds up couple's nuptials
โ Hurricane Delta sped up one Louisiana couple's wedding by a few days, but judging by the smiles on the bride and groom, it certainly didn't dampen the affair. Skies were gray, but the rain held off while the wedding party gathered. The streets outside were largely deserted as residents finished up last-minute storm preparations or evacuated. โWithin 16 hours they threw an entire wedding together, and itโs beautiful. It was very important for her that she did get married in the church and when that almost didnโt happen she was so distraught,โ she said.
Louisiana widening access to medical marijuana under new law
More Louisiana residents will have access to medical marijuana under a significant expansion of the state's therapeutic cannabis program that was signed into law by Gov. The changes in the law, which take effect in August, allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana for any patient they believe it would help, and remove restrictions on which doctors can recommend cannabis. The state House and Senate agreed to the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Larry Bagley of Stonewall, the chairman of the House health committee - in the regular session that ended June 1. Edwards, a Democrat, announced Monday evening that he had signed the bill into law. Only the agricultural centers at Louisiana State University and Southern University are authorized to grow cannabis in Louisiana, and only nine dispensaries can provide it to patients.
Fair Oaks Ranch man gets 5 years for hazing death of LSU fraternity pledge
โ Matthew Naquin, 21, who was found guilty of negligent homicide in the 2017 hazing death of Louisiana State University student Maxwell Gruver, was sentenced to five years in prison, according to CNN. Naquin, of Fair Oaks Ranch, was arrested on hazing charges in Oct. 2017 for making pledges drink alcohol while playing a game called โBible Study,โ according to an affidavit. San Antonio-area man found guilty of negligent homicide in LSU hazing deathPledge members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity were forced to take โpullsโ of 190-proof Diesel -- a โpull,โ according to the affidavit, is consuming the alcohol for three to five seconds. Naquin and nine other members of the fraternity were arrested on hazing charges related to the incident. Affidavit: Fair Oaks Ranch teen โmost aggressiveโ in alleged LSU pledge memberโs hazing deathGruverโs blood-alcohol level was more than six times the legal driving limit when he died in 2017.