If you were forced to pay more because you used your debit card, you will soon have recourse. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Bill Cassidy and other Republican Senators will meet with President Trump in what political observers say could be a very tense meeting. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (36) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Secretary of State Nancy Landry says her office received fewer questions about the new closed party primaries during early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate runoffs. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Kace Keischnick.”

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St. Landry Parish is in a race against time to save homes from floodwaters. Parish President Jesse Bellard (BELL-ard) says some homes are already flooded, and floodwaters have entered the yards of other homes and are threatening to enter those homes as well.

Cut 4 (11) “…getting flooded in.”

Bellard says the only way to drain water in St Landry Parish is to release it further south to the Virgin Canal.

Cut 5 (11) “…release it in.”

Bellard says flooding of this magnitude is completely unprecedented for St. Landry Parish.

Cut 6 (06) “…any future damages.”

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Did it just cost you more to pay with your debit card? If so, starting August 1st, you can fight back. That’s the day when Beth Mizell’s Senate Bill 254 goes into effect, prohibiting businesses from adding surcharges to debit card transactions. The Franklinton Senator said more and more retailers were adding the surcharge, which is actually against federal law.

Cut 7 (13) “…credit cards do.”

Mizell says gas stations are some of the biggest perpetrators of this.

Cut 8 (11) “…same as cash.”

Mizell says businesses which are considering flouting the new state law by offering discounts to customers who pay with cash shouldn’t even think about trying it, because it won’t work.

Cut 9 (09)  “…debit card transactions.”

Consumers who are hit with a debit card surcharge can call a hotline, and those businesses have 30 days to remedy the situation. Those which don’t would then face fines of 500 dollars for each violation.

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Republican Senators and President Trump will meet behind closed doors today to discuss the Iran peace deal and the SAVE America Act. The election security bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The Presidents wants Congress to approve this legislation, but Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the votes are not there in the Senate.

Cut 10 (11) “…affordable for Americans.”

Cassidy says he’s also very interested to hear what President Trump has to say about Iran. Louisiana’s outgoing U.S. Senator has criticized the peace deal, calling it a foreign policy blunder.

Cut 11 (11) “…Strait of Hormuz.”

On Tuesday, Cassidy was one of four GOP Senators to vote for a war powers resolution that calls on the Trump administration to withdraw U.S. troops from the war in Iran. The vote passed on a 50-to-48 vote.

Cassidy says he supported Trump’s initial war objectives to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, but those objectives were not met.

Cut 12 (11) “…have been achieved.”

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Early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate primary runoffs closed over the weekend. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says despite lower turnouts for early voting in this election, voters seemed more comfortable with the new closed party primary system.

Cut 13 (14)  “…they go vote.”

Every parish in the state will vote in the U.S. Senate primaries. Forty parishes will also have local propositions on the ballot, and ten will vote in local elections. Landry says your ballot will look different based on where you are and what party you are registered with.

Cut 14 (13) “…geaux-vote-dot-com.”

The closed primary law was approved by the legislature in 2024 and went into effect this year. Registered Republicans will receive a ballot to vote in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary. Landry says no party voters choose which primary to vote in, but you can’t change your selection if you voted in May.

Cut 15 (10) “…for this race.”

No party voters who did not select a ballot in May can choose which primary they would like to vote in. Selecting a ballot does not mean you are registering as a member of that party.

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Construction officially began in New Orleans on the Raising Cane’s 9th Ward Stadium at LCMC Health Field. The stadium will feature a turf field, 37-hundred seats, a press box, scoreboard, locker rooms and concessions. Stacy Martin, the secretary for the board of Ninth Ward Stadium Incorporated, says it will serve as the home field for George Washington Carver High School.

Cut 16 (14) “…excited about it.”

Construction is scheduled to be completed before the 2027 football season. Martin says the groundbreaking also marked the beginning of a brick fundraising campaign.

Cut 17 (20) “…purchasing a brick.”

One-thousand bricks are available in phase one of the campaign, and they’ll cost 150 dollars each.

Martin says fundraising will continue beyond the stadium project in hopes of one day expanding the facility with an adjacent track and field complex.

Cut 18 (15) “…work to do.”

One rain gauge in Avoyelles Parish measured 29 inches of rain in 12 hours during Tropical Storm Arthur. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

If you’ve been impacted, officials are urging you to document the damage online at damage.la.gov. Governor Landry says problems with the website have been fixed, and the survey is ready to receive more reports.

Cut 14 (09) “..those issues.”

Just four days to go until the U.S. Senate runoff elections, and the Republican race between Julia Letlow and John Fleming is likely going to be close. Ron Faucheux with Lunchtime Politics says at this point, Letlow has only one path to secure the Republican nomination.

Cut 11 (14) “…done that yet.”

Animal advocates are hailing the signing of a bill aimed at protecting Louisiana white-tailed deer. Under House Bill 1248, licensed rehabbers can take deer in for up to six months before releasing them back into the wild. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says they will need to follow certain procedures.

Cut 5 (08) “…Wildlife and Fisheries.”

The race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate is coming down to the wire.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Last week we told you about the Australian who lives in Franklinton, who is now facing federal charges for voting in two federal elections as a non-U-S Citizen. Denise Migliore tells the Advocate Newspaper that she didn’t know she was breaking the law and considers herself a citizen because she has lived in the U-S for decades. Migliore also believes state and local election officials should have told her she could not register to vote.

A new state law will allow Licensed rehabbers to take in injured or orphaned Louisiana white-tailed deer. Last year on two occasions, LDWF agents seized deer from those caring for them and killed them. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says these incidents will not be repeated thanks to this new law…

Cut 4 (12) “…neurological disorders.”

The law goes into effect August 1^st.

Louisiana officials are urging those impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur to report damages and losses to damage-dot-la-dot-gov. Governor Jeff Landry says the data collected on the website will help the state appeal for federal disaster assistance.

Cut 12 (09) “…methodic way.”

The individual assistance threshold is the one Landry says he is targeting, and the declaration will provide aid to secure temporary housing and basic home repair for flood victims.

Saturday is the party primary runoffs in the U-S Senate Race. There are polls that show Julia Letlow in the lead in the Senate Republican Primary,  but there are also polls showing John Fleming in the lead. Political analyst Ron Faucheux says the Republican runoff has the ability to break all norms in national Republican contests this year…

Cut 10 (11) “….in the lead”

Animal advocates are hailing the signing of a bill aimed at protecting Louisiana white-tailed deer. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says House Bill 1248 was spawned by a pair of high-profile incidents, in which LDWF agents seized deer from those caring for them and killed them.

Cut 3 (09) “…by good Samaritans.”

The law that will go into effect on August 1^st will allow licensed rehabbers to care for an injured or orphaned white-tail deer for up to six months.

The massive rainfall in Avoyelles Parish is one step closer to officially being a record-breaker. A rain gauge near Cottonport measured 29 inches of rain during the downpours caused by Tropical Storm Arthur. State climatologist Jay Grymes says officials just need to make sure the rain was collected properly.

Cut 7 (09) “…multiple times.”

Grymes and a team from the National Weather Service will be in Avoyelles Parish tomorrow to determine if the 29-inch rain event is accurate.

Louisiana residents who had damage from the remnants of Tropical  Storm Arthur are urged to report their losses to damage-dot-la-dot-gov.   The website has a survey for flood victims to provide photos and descriptions of the damage to their homes. Governor Jeff Landry says these pictures can also be used to make FEMA claims if federal assistance becomes available

Cut 13 (11) “…la-dot-gov website”

A threshold needs to be reached before a federal disaster declaration can be declared, which would open the up the possibility for federal assistance for storm victims.

Just four days to go until the runoff elections. Ron Faucheux with Lunchtime Politics says polls in the Republican U.S. Senate race between Julia Letlow and John Fleming indicate that it’s anyone’s contest.

Cut 9 (10)  “…the Republican primary.”

A new law signed by Governor Landry allows licensed rehabbers to have the opportunity to care for injured white-tailed deer. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says there are certain procedures licensed rehabbers will need to adhere to when taking in one of these deer…

Cut 5 (08) “….Wildlife and Fisheries”

There were two recent incidents in Louisiana where L-D-W-F agents investigated a report of a person nursing a deer, but because it’s illegal to do so, the agents removed the deer from the home and killed the deer.

The 29 inches of rain recorded during a 12-hour period at a rain gauge in Avoyelles Parish near the town of Cottonport is likely a state record. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says the massive rain was possible due to numerous thunderstorms forming over the same area. Grymes says it’s similar to the 2016 thunderstorms that caused flooding in south Louisiana with the same designation.

Cut 8 (10) “…a thousand years.”

Grymes will meet up with the National Weather Service tomorrow in Avoyelles Parish to make sure the 29-inch rainfall event is accurate.

Meanwhile, Governor Landry continues to urge storm victims to report their damages to the damage-dot-la-dot-gov website. The state will use the information collected to make the case for a federal disaster declaration. Governor Landry says the website had some issues on Sunday, but they have since been resolved…

Cut 14 (09) “…those issues”

There are two types of federal declarations, each with a different threshold: public assistance and individual assistance. The individual assistance threshold is the one Landry says he is targeting, and the declaration will provide aid to secure temporary housing and basic home repair for flood victims.

State lawmakers have until 5pm today to vote on Governor Landry’s plan to provide public school teachers with a two-thousand-dollar stipend. Patrick Wall with The Advocate says districts have warned that reducing their budgets to fund the bonuses would negatively impact operations…:
Cut 11 (07) “the public schools”
It will take a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate for the Governor’s plan to move forward.  There’s also a legal challenge to Landry’s teacher pay plan.

Louisiana officials are urging those impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur to report damages and losses to damage-dot-la-dot-gov. Governor Jeff Landry says the data collected on the website will help the state appeal for federal disaster assistance.

Cut 12 (09) “…methodic way.”

One rain gauge in Avoyelles Parish measured 29 inches of rain in 12 hours during Tropical Storm Arthur. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

Hundreds of families in Avoyelles Parish are facing the long process of recovery after their homes were flooded last Thursday. State Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says most homeowners in Avoyelles do not have flood insurance.

Cut 14 (14) “…dropped those policies.”

The massive rainfall in Avoyelles Parish is one step closer to officially being a record-breaker. A rain gauge between Cottonport and Plaucheville measured 29 inches of rain during the downpours caused by Tropical Storm Arthur. State climatologist Jay Grymes says officials just need to make sure the rain was collected properly.

Cut 7 (09) “…multiple times.”

Licensed rehabbers can now take in Louisiana white-tailed deer under a new law signed by Governor Landry. Last year on two occasions, LDWF agents seized deer from those caring for them and killed them. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says these incidents will not be repeated thanks to a bill authored by Greenwell Springs Representative Lauren Ventrella.

Cut 4 (12) “…neurological disorders.”

The 128-million-dollar I-20 reconstruction project in Bossier and Caddo parishes was completed yesterday after nearly three years. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 23 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

LSU might not have made the College World Series, but their fans are still the Jello shot kings. This year’s runaway winner was West Virginia, whose fans scarfed down 28,221 Jello shots at Rocco’s during the tournament. While that’s impressive, it was only slightly more than half of LSU’s 2025 total of 52,390.

A rain gauge between Cottonport and Plaucheville measured 29 inches of rain during the downpours caused by Tropical Storm Arthur. State climatologist Jay Grymes is meeting with the National Weather Service in Avoyelles Parish to check and verify the rain gauges in the area. Grymes says if it’s made official, the total would be a new state record.

Cut 6 (08) “…the record.”

If you need to file claims from the damage caused by the severe weather, the Department of Insurance has some very important information for you. Commissioner Tim Temple says different policies will respond to different types of claims.

Cut 13 (10)  “…rising flood waters.”

The state is asking all flood victims, regardless of whether or not you have insurance, to report damages to damage.la.gov

Animal advocates are hailing the signing of a bill aimed at protecting Louisiana white-tailed deer. Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson says House Bill 1248 was spawned by a pair of high-profile incidents, in which LDWF agents seized deer from those caring for them and killed them.

Cut 3 (09) “…by good Samaritans.”

Unlike in the primary election, where Democrats outnumbered Republicans in early voting, the numbers were swapped in early voting for the runoffs. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, more than 77-thousand Republicans cast early ballots, compared to just over 54-thousand Democrats. John Couvillon of JMC Analytics and Polling says, despite the robust Democratic turnout in early voting, he expects this to be the end of the road for Democrats.

Cut 9 (13)  “…competitive at all.”

Hundreds of families in Avoyelles Parish are facing the long process of recovery after their homes were flooded last Thursday. State Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says most homeowners in Avoyelles do not have flood insurance.

Cut 14 (14) “…dropped those policies.” 

Many of these residents will now have to count on assistance from the federal government should this historic rain event receive a federal disaster declaration.

Construction is complete on the 128-million dollar project to improve I-20 in Caddo and Bossier parishes. Erin Buchanan with DOTD says the rebuild will benefit local commuters.

Cut 5 (10) “…vehicles per day.”

What clues, if any, do the early voting numbers give us in the U.S. Senate runoffs? Jeff Palermo has some insight.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Last week we told you about the Australian who lives in Franklinton, who is now facing federal charges for voting in two federal elections as a non-U-S Citizen. Denise Migliore tells the Advocate Newspaper that she didn’t know she was breaking the law and considers herself a citizen because she has lived in the U-S for decades. Migliore also believes state and local election officials should have told her she could not register to vote.

State lawmakers have until 5 PM today to turn in their ballot on the governor’s plan to provide teachers with a two-thousand-dollar stipend and a one-thousand dollar stipend for school support workers. To pay for the stipend, 168-million dollars will be taken away that go towards operating costs for public schools. It will take a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate for legislators to approve the governor’s teacher pay plan. Advocate newspaper education reporter Patrick Wall says there could be consequences for lawmakers and their districts if they vote against the governor.

Cut 12 (08) “…in their districts.”

More than 151-thousand people voted during the early voting period that wrapped up last Saturday. John Couvillon of JMC Analytics and Polling says turnout was high in East Baton Rouge, as there are three high-profile tax renewal measures on the ballot…

Cut 7 (13) “…Democratic leaning parish”

The 128-million-dollar I-20 reconstruction project in Bossier and Caddo parishes was completed yesterday after nearly three years. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

The state has been hit with another round of severe weather, this time in northwest Louisiana. Hundreds of customers are without power in Caddo and Bossier parishes. In Claiborne Parish, authorities say a woman and a child were rescued from a car in two feet deep water in Homer.