Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed tells lawmakers that many public universities and colleges are struggling financially. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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When it comes to the best states for doctors, Louisiana ranks surprisingly high. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Tomorrow’s hearing in the U-L system’s lawsuit against Conference USA in Lincoln Parish is off. Andre Champagne reports on the latest in Louisiana Tech’s quest to leave Conference USA for the Sun Belt for the 2026 football season.
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”
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Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed tells lawmakers that state funding for universities and colleges is not where it needs to be, as regional institutions in particular are struggling. Reed is calling on legislators to provide at least an additional 119-million dollars in state funding for higher ed.
Cut 4 (11) “…that are challenged.”
Reed says higher ed is 869-million dollars short of being fully funded. And that’s despite the closure of hundreds of programs. She says there are several reasons why regional schools are struggling — inflation and enrollment dips can throw off their budgets.
Cut 5 (11) “…impact the institutions.”
Reed also points out that in 2009, 59-percent of higher education’s funding came from state funding. Now it’s down to 26-percent. Money from tuition makes up 60-percent of the funding for higher education; so when enrollment goes down, so do revenues.
Reed says institutions are also feeling the pressure because athletic expenses are increasing.
Cut 6 (11) “…of the institution.”
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The May 16th primary is about two months away, and Secretary of State Nancy Landry is urging voters to check their party affiliation on their voter registration. Landry says the May 16th primary is closed, which means only registered Republican voters or no-party voters can vote in the Republican primary, and only registered Democrats or no-party voters can vote in the Democratic primary.
Cut 7 (10) “…be affiliated with.”
Landry says no-party voters can declare on the day they vote if they want to vote in the Republican or the Democratic primary.
Cut 8 (09) “…no party ballot?”
The Senate Republican primary is expected to go into a run-off, which will be held on June 27th. Landry says if you vote in the Democratic primary in May, you can’t switch and vote in the Republican primary in June.
Cut 9 (12) “…open general election.”
The deadline to register for the May 16th primary election is April 15th in person or by mail. April 25th is the deadline to do it at geauxvote-dot-com.
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Where does Louisiana rank for doctors to practice in? A new report by WalletHub has Louisiana at third overall in the country, behind only Montana and Indiana. WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo says one key reason is Louisiana’s relatively low cost of living, which makes it much more attractive for a young doctor saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.
Cut 10 (12) “…Manhattan, New York.”
The states were ranked on 19 metrics, including average annual salaries, the number of hospitals per capita and the quality of public hospital systems. Another metric is projected supply of physicians by 2032, for which Lupo says Louisiana ranks third.
Cut 11 (10) “…in rural areas.”
Lupo says Louisiana is also doing a good job in retaining young doctors who had just completed their residencies, ranking 19th in the country.
Cut 12 (11) “…tend to stay.”
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Tomorrow’s hearing in Lincoln Parish in the U-L system’s lawsuit against Conference USA is cancelled. The U-L system filed the lawsuit on behalf of Louisiana Tech in its quest to leave Conference USA for the Sun Belt for the 2026 football season. Matt Bellinson, a reporter with the Ruston Daily Leader, says Conference USA has filed a motion to move the case to federal court.
Cut 13 (08) “…the federal level.”
All this comes as Conference USA and the Sun Belt each released schedules that include Louisiana Tech. Bellinson says he believes Conference USA is trying to extract as much money from Louisiana Tech as possible before its inevitable exit.
Cut 14 (06) “…in this league.”
Bellinson says even before it had issued its press release last week announcing that it plans on playing the Sun Belt schedule, Tech made it perfectly clear which direction it had planned on going.
Cut 15 (08) “…the Sun Belt.”
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Saints veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan made some notable comments regarding free agency on Terron Armstead’s “The Set” podcast on Monday. Jordan said that just because he loves the city of New Orleans doesn’t mean the city or the organization has to love him back. Matt Paras, who covers the Saints for The Baton Rouge Advocate, says Jordan sounds open to leaving the Saints.
Cut 16 (14) “…of it all.”
Recording another 10 to 13 sacks next season will be important for Jordan moving forward, and that production could influence where he plays next. Paras notes that his role in New Orleans may not be as extensive as it has been in previous years.
Cut 17 (13) “…fourth pass rusher.”
Jordan currently ranks 19th on the all-time sack list with 132. While he could become one of the few defensive linemen to spend his entire career with one team, Paras believes Jordan’s priorities have shifted from where they were a couple of years ago.
Cut 18 (10) “…a Super Bowl.”
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The Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team will participate in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament after missing out on the NCAA Tournament. Even though the Lady Techsters didn’t make the big dance, head coach Brooke Stoehr (“store”) doesn’t want her players to forget the special things they were able to do this season.
Cut 19 (20) “…what they’ve accomplished.”
The Lady Techsters will face Rice in the WBIT first round tomorrow at seven p.m. Stoehr says that while it’s not the NCAA Tournament, she still believes there is value in continuing to compete in the postseason and extending the season with her team.
Cut 20 (10) “…pursue a championship.”
Last season, Tech reached the Final Four of the women’s NIT.