“A miracle on the Mississippi” – all 129 passengers aboard a cruise ship at the Port of New Orleans are accounted for after she capsized in the Mississippi River Friday afternoon. Dramatic video shows the American Heritage cruise ship rapidly listing until she ended up on her side, with half of her underwater. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno says as passengers were boarding, an asphalt tanker hit her.

Cut 16 (12) “…the cruise ship.”

Almost immediately, the American Heritage started taking on water. Mayor Moreno says as she started capsizing, passengers were rushing to get off the boat.

Cut 17 (09)  “…in the water.”

First responders, including the U.S. Coast Guard, pulled everyone out. 32 people were taken to hospitals, none of whom suffered critical injuries.

LSU Health Shreveport has set a new record for research funding, securing 44-million dollars in external grants and awards during the last fiscal year.  Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Doctor Oren Rom says they also have brought in 26 new researchers.

Cut 8 (13) “…unheard of.”

Before the LSU football game Saturday night, the LSU men’s basketball team will face its biggest test of the season as the Tigers visit 14th ranked Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington. Bulldogs head coach Mark Few is impressed with the 3-and-0 Tigers.

Cut 14 (11) “..international ranks.”

Tip time is at 2:30.

Scary moments as an asphalt tanker collided with a cruise ship at the Port of New Orleans. It happened early Friday afternoon as passengers were boarding. As the cruise ship took on water, it eventually ended up on its side into the water. At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno says there were 129 people on board at the time.

Cut 16 (08) “…on the Mississippi.” 

32 people were taken to hospitals, none of whom had critical injuries.

LSU Health Shreveport shatters a record for research funding, securing 44-million dollars in external research funding last fiscal year. That’s an 18-million-dollar increase over the previous year. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Oren Rom says the year also included an 11-million dollar federal grant renewal supporting immunology research.

Cut 7 (09) “…cardiometabolic research.”

Swyft Fiber is expanding its operations and will build its new headquarters in Metairie. Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission President Jerry Bologna says the internet provider is also making a one-billion-dollar investment in broadband infrastructure.

Cut 10 (08) “…as a result.” 

Bologna says Swyft Fiber’s existing network will grow from more than 160-thousand homes and businesses to more than 500-thousand over the next four years.

Saturday night, it’s 21st ranked LSU and sixth ranked Texas in the final home game of the season for the Tigers. A loss for LSU and its College Football Playoff chances are done after suffering their third loss of the season last week against Alabama. Coach Lane Kiffin says he’s glad they are playing another Top Ten team.

Cut 12 (12) “…want to be.”

We continue to follow breaking news at the Port of New Orleans, where a cruise ship became submerged into the Mississippi River after an asphalt tanker hit it. There were 129 passengers onboard at the time, and the lieutenant governor’s office tells us that everyone is accounted for. We’re still awaiting confirmation on that. We’re hearing that eight people have been taken to hospitals, and we’re hearing that they’ve requested 85 hotel rooms for the passengers who have been displaced from their overnight cruise.

35 men are arrested in a three-month-long operation targeting registered sex offenders using social media, which is against the law in Louisiana. In a news conference, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley says social media networks are not safe places for children.

Cut 5 (09) “…to child suicide.”

The operation, dubbed Operation Safe Networks, took place between August and October.

Rick Gallot is out, and Cade Brumley is in as the new University of Louisiana System president. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

The CDC says Louisiana leads the nation in the number of flu cases reported. It says several parishes, including East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Lafayette and St. Tammany, are reporting elevated rates of flu-like symptoms. Health officials are urging you to take all the appropriate precautions, including getting your annual flu vaccine.

We’re following breaking news at the Port of New Orleans, where a river cruise ship is currently on its side, with half the ship underwater in the Mississippi River. We’re learning that the American Heritage cruise ship collided with an asphalt tanker near the port. There were 129 passengers onboard the ship, and they were actually in the process of disembarking at the time of the collision. A city spokesman says many of those people have been rescued, and search and rescue operations are ongoing. It’s unknown how many people are unaccounted for.

A multi-agency operation targeting registered sex offenders using social media networks nets 35 arrests.  The operation, dubbed Operation Safe Networks, took place between August and October. Attorney General Liz Murrill says while law enforcement will work tirelessly to take child predators off the streets, parents need to be vigilant as well.

Cut 4 (08) “…not their friend.”

Swyft Fiber is expanding its operations and will build its new headquarters in Metairie. Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission President Jerry Bologna says Swift Fiber employs more than 230 people today and they plan to grow to more than 300 employees by the end of 2027.

Cut 9 (08)  “…here.” 

Most of the company’s planned network will be built underground to reduce exposure to high winds from hurricanes and severe storms.

In other breaking news, the president of the UL System has resigned. The Board of Supervisors said Rick Gallot’s resignation will take effect December 1st. It comes following a report that Gallot owed 350-thousand dollars in outstanding federal income taxes. The board has appointed current Superintendent of Public Education Cade Brumley as the new system president. Gallot will remain with the system as a faculty member.

An operation targeting sex offenders using social media networks nets 35 arrests. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A former New Roads police officer and volunteer firefighter will spend the rest of his life in prison, and he will be castrated for raping multiple children. Judge Kevin Kimball says it was the worst case of child sex abuse he’s seen. It took a jury only 39 minutes to convict 31-year-old Kendreyon Williams of three counts of first-degree rape of juveniles and other charges.

LSU Health Shreveport has shattered a record for research funding. LSU Health Shreveport secured 44-million dollars in external research funding last fiscal year, an 18-million dollar increase over the previous year. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research, Doctor Oren Rom, says the record reflects years of work to build a stronger, more competitive research enterprise…

Cut 6 (07) “…quite challenging.”

Among the highlights was a five-year, 7.5-million-dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to study how RNA molecules and protein modifications regulate metabolism. The year also included 11-million-dollar federal grant renewal supporting immunology research.

Tomorrow will be the final home game of the season for the LSU Tigers who need to keep their college football playoff chances alive. Coach Lane Kiffin says execution against Texas, especially in the red zone, will be the key…

Cut 13 (11) “…execute really well”

Kick off is at 6:30.

35 men are arrested in a multi-agency operation targeting registered sex offenders using social media networks. The suspects were found to be using Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and others – sites which under Louisiana law registered sex offenders are prohibited from using. In a news conference, Attorney General Liz Murrill says law enforcement throughout the state are tackling the issue head-on.

Cut 3 (10) “…even a moment.” 

The U.S. Drought monitor map now shows 95-percent of the state is in some category of drought, and exceptional drought conditions cover nearly one-fifth of the state. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says exceptional drought conditions stretch from a portion of southwest Louisiana to the west of Alexandria and into north Louisiana.

Cut 10 (10) “…to exceptional drought.”

Louisiana has moved up nine spots in the Tax Foundation’s 2027 State Tax Competitiveness Index to number-23. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2  (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Those of you in Ponchatoula who get orders delivered from Walmart, your next order could be delivered by a drone. Ponchatoula is the first city in Louisiana where drone delivery from Walmart is available. Walmart is partnering with a company called Wing, which says the average delivery time is less than five minutes. The drones are certified through the FAA at the same level as commercial airliners.

Louisiana has posted the largest gain of any state in the Tax Foundation’s 2027 State Tax Competitiveness Index. Louisiana Revenue Secretary Jarrod Coniglio says the state has moved up nine spots to 23rd overall.

Cut 7 (09) “…Georgia at 24.”

Coniglio says the improvement is the result of the tax reform package approved in 2024. One of the major changes that went into effect in 2025 was a flat three-percent income tax rate.

Republican Governor Jeff Landry is up re-election next year and he could face several Democratic challengers. Gary Crockett says he’s in. The man who beat him out for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, Jamie Davis, is seriously considering a run after coming close to beating Julia Letlow last week. Another Democrat considering a run is Alexandria State Senator Jay Luneau.

Cut 4 (10) “…leap or not.”

The 63-year-old is a lawyer in Alexandria and adjunct professor at Northwestern State. He’s been in the Louisiana legislature since 2016.

Louisiana is receiving three million dollars from the USDA that will be used to hire technicians and deploy traps to trick the pigs into being captured. That’s according to Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, who says the funds will be used in 27 parishes in the Red River and Mississippi River Basins…

Cut 15 (07) “…swine”

Strain says there are 700 to 900-thousand feral pigs, many of them are causing damage to crop fields, costing farmers around 100-million dollars every year.

The US Drought monitor this week shows that nearly one-fifth of the state is suffering from exceptional drought conditions. North-central Louisiana, west of Alexandria and a portion of southwest Louisiana are all considered in exceptional drought. LSU Climatologist Jay Grymes says there is a chance we’ll see rain on Sunday and Monday…

Cut 11 (09) “…right back up”

Heading out to a high school game tonight? It will get chilly, low temperatures for a majority of the state will be in the 30s on Saturday.