9:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana House approves a congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two Black majority districts. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The mayor of New Orleans has some choice words for the scientists who urge people in the city to start relocating with rising sea levels poised to swallow the city. Helena Moreno calls it “shortsighted and foolish,” saying through engineering, infrastructure and technology, New Orleans has become one of the most important cultural hubs in America. 

SUN Bucks benefits started going out this week and will be completely distributed by Monday. The program provides money to kids who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the summer when school is not in session. Tim Jenkins, the economic stability director at the Louisiana Department of Health, says if you’re eligible and haven’t received your money yet, it will arrive – there’s nothing that you need to do.

Cut 6 (07) “…your SNAP card.” 

John Fleming says Republican voters have a clear choice between him and Julia Letlow for U.S. Senate. Fleming says while he opposes carbon capture and sequestration, Letlow is in bed with the industry – and not exactly figuratively.

Cut 8 (11) “…capture and sequestration.”

We’ve repeatedly asked for an interview with Julia Letlow, but her campaign never replied to our requests.

8:30 AM LRN Newscast

Hours of debate over Louisiana’s congressional map ended yesterday with one fewer majority black district.  The map is being redrawn after the US Supreme Court said race played too much of a factor in the current one which has two majority-minority districts.  Democrats allege the map drawn by the Republican-led Legislature is so solely based on party politics, but House Governental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu disagrees.

Cut 11 (14) “…two Democrat districts.”

But the fight’s not over yet as it’s likely the Legislative Black Caucus or a voting rights group will file a lawsuit to prevent the new map from going into effect once it has the governor’s approval. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says they also have other tools, just like the grassroots effort that led to the voting down of the five constitutional amendments on the May 16th ballot.

Cut 13 (12)  “…it all up.”

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Despite coming in a distant second in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, John Fleming is feeling good about his chances in the runoff. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

A Gonzales woman who previously ran for mayor is facing multiple felony charges this morning after a shooting on Perry Lane left a man hospitalized.  Hammond Police  identified the suspect as 58 year old Kemlyn Lomas of Gonzales. Lomas ran for mayor of Gonzales in 2024 and advanced to the runoff, where she was defeated. She currently serves on the Gonzales Planning and Zoning Commission.

7:30 AM LRN Newscast

After a debate that lasted about eight hours, the Louisiana House approved a Congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s existing majority Black districts. The vote was 66-35. The Republican-led legislature is drawing a new map because the U.S. Supreme Court says race played too much of a factor in the current map. Democrats say race should still be a factor in the drawing of a new map, but House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu says that would lead to more litigation.

Cut 10 (09) “…is too much?”

Every Black member of the Louisiana House spoke in opposition to the legislation, including Opelousas Representative Dustin Miller.

Cut 12 (10) “…mean we should.”

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The Shreveport grandmother accused of starting a fire that led to the deaths of her two young granddaughters was in court yesterday.  Rita Montgomery pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and other charges.  The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 16.

The program that provides money to kids who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the summer months has begun sending out the one-time payments of 120 dollors to recipients.  SUN BUCKS can be used on any SNAP-eligible food items, and that does not include hot prepared food, energy drinks, soda, candy or any other junk food.  And Economic stability director at the Louisiana Department of Health, Tim Jenkins says there is a time limit to use the benefit.

Cut 5 (10) “…cannot be recovered.”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints have wrapped up their first two days of Organized Team Activities in Metairie. Coach Kellen Moore likes what he sees in his receivers.

Cut 15 (22) “…find the matchups.”

Moore announced that when training camp rolls around, the team will have joint practices with Jacksonville at the team’s training facility in Metairie. They will also have joint practices with the Rams and Cowboys at their training camp facilities.

The NBA has passed new anti-tanking rules. The bottom three teams will now have less of a chance of winning the number one overall pick than the teams that finish with the fourth to the tenth worst records.  _____________

The Ragin Cajuns will make their 20th appearance in the NCAA postseason when they take on Cincinnati from the Big 12 at 6 PM in Starkville, Mississippi. The Cajuns are 39-23 and ranked 25th by D-1 Baseball. Cody Brasch will start on the mound for U-L Lafayette. He’s 6-2 with a 2.04 ERA.

Cincinnati is 37-20 and ranked 24th by D-1 Baseball. The Bearcats went 1-2 in the Knoxville Regional last year. Quinton Coats is fourth in the country with  28 home runs. Nate Taylor will start on the mound. He’s 6-3 with a 3.86 ERA and set a school record with 112 strikeouts this season.

The SEC says it opposes the idea of pooling media rights. Which would mean that the SEC, and the other power conferences, join together to secure a television broadcasting rights deal. It could be an option for college sports if the Protect College Sports Act gets approved.

6:30 AM LRN Newscast

The Louisiana House approves a congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two Black majority districts. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the family, this is the first weekend of he Great Louisiana Fair.  It returns to Louisiana Downs for its second year, beginning today.  The fairgrounds will be packed with more than 30 state fair-style amusement rides for all ages. Plus there’s free live entertainment. The Fair runs through June 14th.

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With the incumbent out of the race, Julia Letlow and John Fleming are now squaring off head to head for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Fleming says his supporters are more excited now with the results of a poll his campaign did after the primary.

Cut 7 (14) “…at this point.”

Louisiana Radio Network has repeatedly asked for an interview with Julia Letlow, but her campaign has not replied to our requests.

Children enrolled in the state’s SUN Bucks program are starting to receive their money. The program provides money to kids who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the summer months. Tim Jenkins, the economic stability director at the Louisiana Department of Health, says each eligible child enrolled in the program will get a one-time payment of 120 dollars.

Cut 4 (08) “…66-million dollars.”

LRN AM Newscall May 29

Kids who qualify for SUN Bucks are starting to receive their benefits. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

Despite coming in a distant second in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, John Fleming is feeling good about his chances in the runoff. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

The Louisiana House approves a congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two Black majority districts. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

_________________________________________________________

Children enrolled in the state’s SUN Bucks program are starting to receive their money. The program provides money to kids who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the summer months when school is not in session. Tim Jenkins, the economic stability director at the Louisiana Department of Health, says each eligible child enrolled in the program will get a one-time payment of 120 dollars.

Cut 4 (08) “…66-million dollars.”

That money can be used on any SNAP-eligible food items. They may not be used to buy hot prepared food, energy drinks, soda, candy or any other junk food. Jenkins says there is a time limit to use the benefit.

Cut 5 (10) “…cannot be recovered.”

Jenkins says most eligible children don’t need to do anything in order to receive SUN Bucks.

Cut 6 (10) “…a new one.”

The state expects to distribute all SUN Bucks benefits by Monday. There’s a link with more information on the Louisiana Department of Health’s webpage.

____________________________________________________

And then, there were two. With the incumbent out of the race, Julia Letlow and John Fleming are now squaring off head to head for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Fleming says his supporters are more excited now, and a poll that his campaign did after the primary shows him tied with Letlow.

Cut 7 (14) “…at this point.”

Fleming says while he opposes carbon capture and sequestration, Letlow is in bed with the industry – and not exactly figuratively.

Cut 8 (11) “…capture and sequestration.”

Fleming says while Letlow certainly has a well-financed campaign, his campaign finance strategy has not changed since he launched his Senate run a year and a half ago – and you will see and hear plenty of ads from his campaign between now and June 27th.

Cut 9 (09)  “…up as well.”

Louisiana Radio Network has repeatedly asked for an interview with Julia Letlow through her campaign, but her campaign never replied to our requests.

____________________________________________________

After a debate that lasted about eight hours, the Louisiana House approved a Congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s majority Black districts. The vote was 66-35. The Republican-led legislature is drawing a new map because the U.S. Supreme Court says race played too much of a factor in the current map, which resulted in two majority-minority districts. Democrats says race should still be a factor in the drawing of a new map, but House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu says that would lead to more litigation.

Cut 10 (09) “…is too much?”

The proposal will most likely result in Republicans representing five of the state’s six Congressional districts.

Democrats allege the map drawn by the Republican-led Legislature is so solely based on party politics, but Beaullieu disagrees.

Cut 11 (14) “…two Democrat districts.”

Every Black member of the Louisiana House spoke in opposition to the legislation, including Opelousas Representative Dustin Miller.

Cut 12 (10) “…mean we should.”

Black lawmakers have opposed this map every step of the way, but they did not have the votes to stop it from going to the governor’s desk. It’s likely the Legislative Black Caucus or a voting rights group will file a lawsuit to prevent it from going into effect after Landry signs into the law.

New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says they also have other tools, just like the grassroots effort that led to the voting down of the five constitutional amendments on the May 16th ballot.

Cut 13 (12)  “…it all up.”

Democrats have said since Blacks make up a third of the Black voting population, Blacks should represent two of the state’s six Congressional districts for it to be a fair Congressional map. Beaullieu’s response:

Cut 14 (13) “…have to apply?”

____________________________________________________

The Saints have wrapped up their first two days of Organized Team Activities in Metairie. Head Coach Kellen Moore says he really likes what he sees in his receivers.

Cut 15 (22) “…find the matchups.”

Moore says rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson, who had battled injuries throughout his college career, was limited during rookie mini camp, and his volume is still being controlled during OTAs.

Cut 16 (11) “…lot of them.”

Moore says now that Tyler Shough is fully entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback without any quarterback competition to navigate through, he’s expecting big things out of him this season.

Cut 17 (24)  “…build it together.”

The Saints resume OTAs Monday.

5:30 LRN Newscast/Legislative Report

After a debate that lasted about eight hours, the Louisiana House approved a Congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s majority Black districts.  The vote was 66-35.  Every Black member of the House spoke in opposition of the legislation, including Opelousas Representative Dustin Miller.

Cut 12 (10) “…mean we should.”

New Orleans Representative Candace Newell says they also have other tools, just like the grassroots effort that led to the voting down of the five constitutional amendments on the May 16th ballot.

Cut 13 (12)  “…it all up.”

Black lawmakers have opposed this map every step of the way, but they did not have the votes to stop it from going to the governor’s desk.

The Republican-led Legislature drew the new map, because the U.S. Supreme Court said race played too much of a factor in the current map, which resulted in two majority-minority districts. Democrats said race should still be a factor in the drawing of a new map, but House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu said that would lead to more litigation…

Cut 10 (09) “…is too much?”

Democrats have said since Blacks make up a third of the Black voting population, Blacks should represent two of the state’s six Congressional districts for it to be a fair Congressional map. Beaullieu’s response…

Cut 14 (13) “…have to apply?”

It’s likely the Legislative Black Caucus or a voting rights group will file a lawsuit to prevent the map from going into effect after Landry signs the bill into law.

4:30 LRN Newscast

A significant portion of south Louisiana, from Baton Rouge to the Atchafalaya Basin, is now completely out of the drought. This, after the area has been deluged with almost a foot of rain this month. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says those in the area should continue to keep those umbrellas handy.

Cut 11 (13) “…tend to be.” 

Two U.S. Senators – one from each party – introduce the “Protect College Sports Act,” which would enact several key reforms to the rapidly changing landscape of college sports. Tiger Rag Magazine Executive Editor Todd Horne says it’s Congress’ way of admitting that the current college sports model is no longer governable.

Cut 3 (10) “…with federal protection.”

LSU has surpassed 600-million dollars in research activity, an 11-percent growth from the previous fiscal year. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Governor Landry posts on social media that the state has reached a deal with ExxonMobil to resolve coastal land disputes. In his post, Landry says as part of the deal, ExxonMobil will partner with the state to ensure that the state’s orphan wells along the coast are addressed. Details of the settlement are scant at this time.

LRN PM Newscall May 28

Two U.S. Senators, one from each party, team up on a bill to transform college sports regulation amid a rapidly changing landscape. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

LSU has surpassed 600-million dollars in research activity, an 11-percent growth from the previous fiscal year. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

A bipartisan U.S. Senate bill would bring new rules and regulations to college athletics. Texas Republican Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell have introduced the “Protect College Sports Act,” which would enact several key reforms to the rapidly changing landscape of college sports. Tiger Rag Magazine Executive Editor Todd Horne says this bill is Congress’ way of admitting that the current college sports model is no longer governable.

Cut 3 (10) “…with federal protection.”

Among the proposed reforms are a five-year eligibility clock, a one-time transfer allowed without having to sit out a year, the option to pool media rights to generate more TV revenue, and the “Lane Kiffin Rule,” which Horne says would prohibit a school from hiring a coach from another school or a coach leaving for another school in the middle of the season.

Cut 4 (09) “…the national championship.”

Horne says this bill could have a profound impact on LSU, because it’s already operating within the new era, including revenue sharing, roster costs, coach buyouts, corporate inventory, jersey patches and public-private partnerships.

Cut 5 (09) “…brands like LSU.”

__________________________________________

LSU’s flagship campus has surpassed 600-million dollars in annual research activity, an 11-percent growth over the previous year. Chancellor Jim Dalton says the research is happening across the board…

Cut 6 (11) “..growing greatly.”

Dalton says there’s exciting research underway on fighting back against invasive species, clinical trials involving cancer research and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center is on the forefront of the development of the GLP-1 Weight loss drug.

He says the LSU AgCenter has been heavily involved in breeding programs for the best rice, sugarcane, and sweet potatoes. He says the LSU AgCenter is leading the regional research effort to fight back against invasive species that cause 120-billion dollars in damage to the US each year…

Cut 7 (13) “..them tick”

Dalton says LSU is also involved in cutting-edge clinical trials that help improve the care and outcomes of cancer patients. He says Pennington Biomedical researchers in Baton Rouge helped develop the GLP-1 weight loss drug currently on the market to fight obesity and diabetes…

Cut 8 (11) “…studying that”

Dalton says LSU’s research activity generates an estimated one-point-six billion dollars in economic impact.

_____________________________________________________________

Some parts of Louisiana, particularly in the middle of the state, have been inundated with rain over the last several days. And State Climatologist Jay Grymes says that has put a significant dent in the drought situation in those areas.

Cut 9 (10)  “…is no drought.”

Go into North Louisiana, and Grymes says the news for them in terms of the drought isn’t as good.

Cut 10 (12) “…drought up there.”

This month, the Baton Rouge area has received nearly a foot of rain, and Grymes says there’s even more to come.

Cut 11 (13) “…tend to be.”

3:30 LRN Newscast

Different parts of the state tell very different stories when it comes to the drought. In central Louisiana, which has received almost a foot of rain this month, the drought has been completely washed away. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says go north, and it’s a completely different story.

Cut 10 (12) “…drought up there.”

LSU’s flagship campus’ research activity is up 11-percent, now surpassing 600-million dollars in annual research activity. Chancellor Jim Dalton says the LSU AgCenter is leading the regional research effort to fight back against invasive species that cause 120-billion dollars in damage to the U.S. each year.

Cut 7 (13) “..them tick”

Two U.S. Senators, one from each party, team up on a bill to transform college sports regulation amid a rapidly changing landscape. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Two Covington elementary school administrators are facing charges for allegedly failing to comply with the state’s mandatory reporting law. Lauryn Faciane and Tanya Barth are the principal and assistant principal, respectively, of E.E. Lyon Elementary. Because minors are involved, DCFS is not releasing specific details of the incident that the two allegedly failed to report.