TRANSCRIPT
You’re listening to Red River Radio News.
Good morning, I’m Jeff Ferrell.
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INTRO:
The New York Times has obtained leaked audio purporting to be Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
The audio appears to have Paxton saying that the Dallas mid-term Republican Convention, featuring President Donald Trump, hurt his poll numbers.
Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports:
SOT:
“The audio, which the New York Times says was recorded at a private fundraiser in Washington, DC, has since been reposted by a Democratic social media feed.…to be honest with you…when we did that convention, it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now? Yeah, it’s not good. I wish there was something we could do to turn that around. But there’s obviously nothing. Nothing.The Times did not share the identity of the person who passed on the audio but said its veracity had been confirmed by three other people with knowledge of the event. Nick Maddux, a senior advisor to Paxton, released a statement denying the audio is genuine, calling it “more manipulated nonsense from the New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist.” Paxton will be attending President Trump’s visit to the Peterbilt Motors factory in Denton on Thursday afternoon.”
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INTRO:
Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas have filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court.
The suit challenges abortion “shield laws” in New York, California and Massachusetts. Capitol Access Reporter Brooke Thorington has more:
SOT:
“Attorney General Liz Murrill says the “shield laws” that allow other states to send abortion medication through the mail, violate the Constitution and federal law and prevent states with abortion bans from enforcing their own laws. “ We want to be able to enforce our laws within the boundaries of our states, and they have decided that they don't like our laws.” Murrill says Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas have also filed legal action in the Western District of Louisiana against 30 individuals and organizations that advertise, prescribe and ship abortion drugs into anti-abortion-rights states.”
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INTRO:
In Arkansas… a new fund aims to help people fight hunger and lower the high rate of food insecurity in the state.
The Arkansas Full Table Fund will provide grants to non-profit groups, school districts and local governments to help reduce hunger across the state.
As Little Rock Public Radio reports, Julie Gehrki is president of the Walmart Foundation which is providing a five-year $10-million grant to launch the fund.
She says the investment is helping families get the food they need today, while building stronger and more reliable food systems in the future:
SOT:
“We believe our long-term success is connected to the well-being of the people and the communities we serve. Keeping food affordable, making nutritious choices accessible and using our stores’ pick-up and delivery capabilities, to make it easier for people to get what they need. It also means making nutrition benefits easier to use and donating safe, unsold food rather than allowing it to go to waste.”
TAG:
Arkansas continues to rank as the most food insecure state in the nation.That’s according to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. And they say hunger rates are getting worse - with “household food insecurity” rising half a percentage point to 19.4%.That’s just under 1 in 5 families.
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The National Weather Service in Shreveport is calling for:
- Partly sunny and dry conditions today, with a high near 93.
- Tomorrow: a 60% chance of rain, and possibly thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 87.
- For the weekend: chances of rain and storms continue with Saturday’s high only rising to 82, then 81 Sunday.
- By Monday, mostly sunny & 84.
The northwestern portions of the Four State Region in northeast Texas and southeast Oklahoma could see excessive heavy rainfall beginning this morning and continuing into Friday. Elsewhere, flooding potential is much lower.
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