A Congressional map with two Black majority districts will be the map used for this fall’s federal election. That’s the result of a ruling from the U-S Supreme Court that blocks a previous ruling by a panel of three federal judges that said the map approved by lawmakers this year was illegal. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the state finally has closure
Cut 13 (10) “..be using”
The ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means the current sixth Congressional district represented by Republican Garret Graves has a political boundary that favors a minority to win.

President Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to two televised debates. The first will be June 27th and the second will occur on September 10th. ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross the debates are important for both candidates…
cut 11 (16) “….something to lose”

The abuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is no laughing matter, as a bill to ban public sale of the drug in Louisiana is headed to Governor Jeff Landry for his signature. Mel Bridges has more…
Cut 1 (43) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

Heavy rainfall will begin to fall in Louisiana later today. A flash flood watch has been issued from 1 PM this afternoon until 6 PM Friday for most of the state. There’s also the possibility of more severe weather.

A ruling from the U-S Supreme Court will result in a new Congressional map for Louisiana that will be used in this fall’s elections. It’s the map approved by lawmakers earlier this year that has two majority Black districts, not one. The sixth District becomes a majority-minority district and it will stretch from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, despite concerns its racial gerrymandering…
cut 15 (12) “….over”
That’s political analyst Bernie Pinsonat. The ruling could result in a Congressional race between Republican incumbent Garret Graves and Black Democrat Cleo Fields.

LSU baseball is fighting for its postseason lives….
cut 28 (06) “…a chance”
That’s Coach Jay Johnson. The Tigers begin a three game series against Ole Miss tonight. LSU needs to sweep to give them a shot at receiving a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The Louisiana Legislature has sent a bill to the governor’s desk that bans the sale of nitrous oxide. Also known as laughing gas, it’s sold in metal canisters in convenience stores and smoke shops. It can be used to make homemade whipped cream, but director of the Louisiana’s Poison Control Center, Mark Ryan, says some use it for human consumption, which is dangerous…
cut 5 (15) “…including Amazon”

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to two debates before the November fifth Presidential election, June 27th and September 10th. U-L-M political science professor Pearson Cross expects high viewership…
cut 12 (04) “….make a difference”
Polls show the race is extremely tight.

The U-S Supreme Court has ordered Louisiana to use the Congressional map approved by state lawmakers earlier this year that has two majority-Black districts instead of one. The ruling means the Sixth Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Garret Graves now has a political boundary that favors a minority to win. But political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Graves will not go down without a fight…
cut 14 (10) “…certainly run”
National political analysts say this ruling could also shift control of the U-S House to Democrats if a Democrat ends up winning the seat.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser along with officials from Louisiana Economic Development and the Department of Tourism are In France this week to promote the Louisiana film industry at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Cut 7 (08) “…film in Louisiana.”
Nungesser says he wants to show the world what Louisiana brings to film producers in the form of tax incentives.

A bill banning the general sale of nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, is headed to the Governor’s desk after being unanimously passed by the Louisiana Legislature. Doctor Mark Ryan, director of Louisiana’s Poison Control Center, says the seemingly harmless drug poses a big threat.
Cut 4 (14) “…times a day.”
Nitrous oxide is available to the general public for usages such as making homemade whipped cream.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have announced they will hold two campaign debates ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Cut 10 (05) “…taking place.”
That’s U-L-M Political Science Professor Pearson Cross, referencing how the announcement went against Biden’s previous statement that he would not attend any presidential debates.

The Congressional map with two Black majority districts will be the map used for this fall’s federal election. That’s the result of a ruling from the U-S Supreme Court that blocks a previous ruling by a panel of three federal judges that said the map approved by lawmakers this year was illegal. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says the state finally has closure…
cut 13 (10) “…will be using”

The ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means the current sixth Congressional district occupied by Republican Garret Graves has a political boundary that favors a minority to win. But Pinsonat says Graves will not go down without a fight…
cut 14 (10) “…certainly”

Black Democrat Cleo Fields, a state senator from Baton Rouge, plans to challenge Graves, if he runs for re-lection in the sixth district.

The abuse of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is no laughing matter, as a bill to ban public sale of the drug in Louisiana is headed to Governor Jeff Landry for his signature. Mel Bridges has more…
Cut 1 (43) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

Two bills that sought to restrict the release of government records through public records request are likely dead for the legislative session. That’s according to Senate President Cameron Henry, who told NOLA-dot-com the bills don’t have the support of the Senate.

The Saints 2024 NFL schedule has been released and according to Sharp Football Analysis, New Orleans has the fifth easiest strength of schedule. The Saints will open the season against Carolina on September the 8th, before facing a tough stretch of games against the Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, and Chiefs. New Orleans will host Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos in week 7 for Thursday Night Football, face Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in week 15, and then travel to Green Bay in week 16 for what could be a critical Monday Night Football game.

The NFL has also announced that Netflix will show this year’s Christmas Day games with the Ravens and Texans and Steelers Chiefs facing off on the historic day.

And Angel Reese will make her WNBA regular season debut tonight when the Chicago Sky visit the Dallas Wings. During her two preseason games Reese averaged 13 points and seven rebounds.

And McNeese Football will open their season against Tarleton State a week earlier as the game has been moved to August 24th as a part of ESPN’s big Week Zero kickoff.

According to the Baseball America NCAA Tournament projection, LSU is currently one of the first four teams out after the Tigers failed to win their series against Alabama last weekend. In order for the Tigers to have a good chance at gaining an at-large bid in the tournament, the Tigers will need to sweep the Rebels this weekend and secure 13 SEC wins. LSU and Ole Miss will face off tomorrow with first pitch at 6 pm.

Baseball America’s projection also has Louisiana Tech becoming a two-seed in the Knoxville regional. The Bulldogs have made a great comeback after being swept by Arizona in early April.

Twenty-first ranked UL-Lafayette is also projected to be a two-seed, but in the College Station Regional. The Ragin Cajuns will take on South Alabama in their final SunBelt regular season series. First pitch between the Jaguars and Cajuns will be tomorrow night at 6 pm.

And Oklahoma quarterback General Booty had transferred to ULM. Booty started for Tyler Junior College in 2021 where he recorded 25 touchdowns and 3,115 yards before transferring to Oklahoma where he played the past two seasons.

A national survey of small businesses finds optimism increased slightly in April, but the small business optimism index remains below the 50-year average. Joe Gallinaro has more…
cut 2 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro”

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry gave today as the deadline to have an approved Congressional map so her office can prepare for the fall Congressional elections. But federal judges have rejected two different maps approved by state lawmakers and Louisiana’s Attorney General Liz Murrill is seeking direction from the U-S Supreme Court.

Christopher McCoy of Bunkie has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in the death of Lauren Vaughn. She was a 22 year-old nursing student from Alexandria. The incident happened on Good Friday in 2023. Bridget Vaughn, Lauren’s mother, says McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.
Cut 3 (12) “…grieving process”
State Police says McCoy’s blood alcohol level was .15 at the time of the fatal crash. Lauren Vaughn was a passenger in his vehicle when it ran off the road.

Crawfish farmers got some good news last week. The USDA is changing its rules so crawfish producers can take advantage of federal disaster grants. LSU Ag Center economist Kurt Guidry says those dollars can be used to help reseed their ponds for next year.
Cut 11 (10) ” …tend to seed.”
Guidry says despite the efforts to reseed, production is expected to be down again next year.

The debate over banning consumable hemp products containing THC continues at the state capitol. Shreveport Senator Thomas Pressley says there are dozens of THC products available to buy that can get you high…
Cut 13 (11) “..gets you high.”
Pressly’s bill needs a positive vote from the House and then it heads to the governor’s desk.

A Bunkie man has plead guilty to vehicular homicide for a crash that occurred in April 2023. State Police say Christopher McCoy was driving intoxicated when he drove off the road in Avoyelles Parish striking a tree and killing his passenger, 22-year-old Lauren Vaughn of Alexandria. Vaughn’s mother, Bridgette, says her daughter’s death is a sobering lesson to make plans ahead of time for a safe drive home…
cut 4 (06) “…that night”
Bridgette Vaughn says McCoy was sentenced to six years in prison.

Inflation continues to be the single most important problem small business owners face, according to the results of a national survey of small business owners. Finding qualified workers is another major issue. NFIB State director Leah Long says a staggering 91-percent of owners who either hired or tried to hire workers last month, reported few or no qualified applicants…
cut 8 (06) “….jobs out there”
Forty-percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in April.

Now that Mother’s Day has passed, the crawfish season is certainly winding down. We’ve done numerous stories about the low supply of mudbugs this year. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says estimates in November had production loss at around 40-percent, it actually ended up at 50 to 60 percent…
cut 10 (13) “…fish those ponds”
Guidry says the USDA announced last week rule changes that will allow for crawfish farmers to be eligible for federal disaster grants.

A judge has sentenced Christopher McCoy of Bunkie to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide. Authorities say McCoy was drunk when he drove off the road and struck a tree killing his passenger Lauren Vaughn. Sean Richardson has more..
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson”

Entergy Louisiana says power should be restored by late tonight for the Lake Charles and Lafayette areas. But the Baton Rouge area it may take until tomorrow night to restore service. More severe weather is possible Friday.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter says the Hertz Tower, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, will be demolished this summer. The building has been vacant since Hurricane Laura blew out many of the sky scraper’s windows. Hunter says the demolition will pave the way for better use of the space…
cut 12 (12) “…Lake Charles”
Hunter says insurance money will pay for the building’s demolition which is expected to take place in August or September.

Crawfish farmers got some good news last week. The USDA is changing its rules so crawfish producers can take advantage of federal disaster grants. LSU Ag Center economist Kurt Guidry says those dollars can be used to help reseed their ponds for next year.
Cut 11 (10) ” …tend to seed.”
Guidry says despite the efforts to reseed, production is expected to be down again next year.

A national survey of small businesses finds optimism increased slightly in April, but the small business optimism index remains below the 50-year average. Joe Gallinaro has more…
cut 2 (28) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro”

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry gave today as the deadline to have an approved Congressional map so her office can prepare for the fall Congressional elections. But federal judges have rejected two different maps approved by state lawmakers and Louisiana’s Attorney General Liz Murrill is seeking direction from the U-S Supreme Court.

With crawfish season winding down, we are getting a better idea of the effects still being felt from last summer’s historic drought. LSU Ag Center Economist Kurt Guidry says the number of harvested mudbugs has been way down…
Cut 9 (09) “..Normal catch.”
Crawfish farmers got some good news last week. The USDA is changing its rules so crawfish producers can take advantage of federal disaster grants.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter has announced the Hertz Building, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, will be torn down this Summer. It’s been vacant since Hurricane Laura damaged many of its windows. Hunter says the city does not own the Hertz Building but he wanted to save it. He and city officials met with private developers in hopes of finding a way…
Cut 17 (09) “…this building.”
Hunter looks forward to replacing the building with something that will enhance downtown Lake Charles.

A national survey of small business owners finds optimism rose in April, but the small business optimism index remains below the 50-year average index. NFIB state director Leah Long says 22-percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem….
Cut 7 (06) “…make it all work.”
Forty-percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in April.

According to the Vaughn family, a Bunkie man has been sentenced to six years in prison after he plead guilty to vehicular homicide. State Police say Christopher McCoy was legally intoxicated when he drove off the road and struck a tree in Avoyelles Parish, killing his passenger Lauren Vaughn. Lauren’s mom pleads with drivers to be sober when they are behind the wheel…
cut 5 (10) “…drink and drive”

The Skyline of Lake Charles is changing as the tall, mirrored Hertz building is finally coming down. It has been four years since the building sustained significant damage in Hurricane Laura leaving multiple broken glass panes to greet travelers on I-10. Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter says taxpayers will not have to foot the bill for the demolition…
Cut 10 (12) “…not own.”
Hunter says the city tried to work with private developers on a plan to repair and renovate the building, but the only viable option is to tear the skyscraper down. Demolition will likely occur in August or September.