A week after he nearly pulled off a stunner in the race for U.S. Senate, Jamie Davis is reflecting on the experience.  Andrew Greenstein has the story.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana’s own Sammy Kewshaw will be on the red carpet at the CMA Awards after all.  Kershaw had publicly shared that he and his wife were initially denied red-carpet access to the CMA Awards, which sparked public backlash. Kershaw saying he accepted the apology that felt sincere and heartfelt and he’s happy to be part of the 2026 Awards event.

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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy says last week’s election results were a repudiation of President Trump and the Republican brand. The senator, who leaves office in less than two months, says Republicans need to learn from this and address the concerns of the American people.

Cut 8 (09) “…life more affordable.”

Today is Veterans Day. Louisiana V-A Secretary Charlton Meginley says it’s a day when we celebrate former military personnel who fought to protect our freedoms. And it’s also a day when Veterans can also pass their wisdom on to younger people and perhaps inspire them.

Cut 12 (14) “…another 250 years?”

It’s been a week since Jamie Davis came perilously close to pulling off a stunner in the U.S. Senate race, and he’s reflecting on his near-miss. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Outgoing Louisiana U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy says the Republican Party only has itself to blame for the losses it suffered during the mid-term elections. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (27) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Construction is now underway on the new Buc-ee’s travel center in Lafayette. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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Jamie Davis has had a week to reflect on a U.S. Senate campaign that came up just short. Expected to lose by double-digits, Davis nearly pulled off a major upset, losing to Julia Letlow by only two percentage points. Davis says he wasn’t merely catching up during the campaign, he actually entered Election Day up by almost 36-thousand votes after early voting.

Cut 4 (10) “…to respond to.”

Davis says that A-I ad that a political action committee supporting Letlow released after the end of early voting distorted his image, and he says that ended up being the turning point of the race.

Cut 5 (13) “…with a smile.”

When he conceded the election last Tuesday, Davis hinted that he may challenge Jeff Landry for governor next year. He says he hasn’t made a final decision about his future plans yet.

Cut 6 (06) “…can beat him.”

In the meantime, Davis says he’s available to help campaign for Democrats Pat Moore and Chauna Banks during their respective U.S. House runoff campaigns.

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Louisiana U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy calls the results of the midterm elections a shellacking for Republicans. Cassidy says Democrats took control of both the House and Senate because voters were expressing their frustrations with Republicans and President Trump, who Cassidy says made himself a target in the election.

Cut 7 (12) “…in the administration.”

Cassidy says the results were a repudiation of Trump and the Republican brand. The senator, who will leave office in less than two months, says Republicans need to learn from the defeat. He says they should focus on serving the American people and addressing their concerns.

Cut 8 (09) “…life more affordable.”

Cassidy says voters came away with the impression that Republicans and the Trump administration were more focused on holding onto power than serving the public.

Cut 9 (11)  “…will win elections.”

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Today is Veterans Day. Louisiana V-A Secretary Charlton Meginley says it’s a day when we celebrate former military personnel who fought to protect our freedoms.

Cut 10 (10) “…in my mind.”

Secretary Meginley says Veterans Day is also a day when younger people can meet and honor those who fought in prior battles such as Vietnam and the Persian Gulf.

Cut 11 (11) “…serve in uniform.”

Meginley says Veterans is a day when Veterans can also pass their wisdom back down to younger people and perhaps inspire them into military careers.

Cut 12 (14) “…another 250 years?”

Veterans Day is actually one of three holidays which honors military personnel, and they often get mixed up with one another. Veterans Day honors former military personnel who are still alive, Memorial Day honors former military personnel who are deceased, and Armed Forces Day honors military personnel currently serving.

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Construction is finally underway on a Buc-ee’s travel center in Lafayette. The 82-million-dollar development is located off the Louisiana Avenue exit on Interstate 10. Lafayette Economic Development Authority President Mandi Mitchell says Buc-ee’s has been interested in bringing one of its mega-sized travel centers to south Louisiana for several years.

Cut 13 (11)  “…to this point.”

Mitchell worked with regional agencies to put together an incentive package to land the project. The development also required a massive amount of dirt to raise the property, along with 12-million dollars in improvements to the I-10-Louisiana Avenue interchange.

Mitchell expects the Buc-ee’s to open in February 2028.

Cut 14 (05) “…month or two.”

The 74-thousand-square-foot travel center is expected to employ more than 100 people. Plans call for about 120 gas pumps and 700 parking spaces.

Mitchell says the Buc-ee’s is also expected to generate one-point-five million dollars a year in sales tax revenue.

Cut 15 (11) “…and customer traffic.”

The Buc-ee’s under construction along I-20 in Ruston, meanwhile, is expected to open in April.

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UL Lafayette heads to Monroe to face the Warhawks on national television Thursday night. The Cajuns clinched a ninth straight bowl appearance Saturday, but coach Michael Desormeaux says that doesn’t mean his team will stop chasing a championship. He says he doesn’t know or care what it will take to contend for the Sun Belt, but his team will give its best every week.

Cut 16 (18) “…of it matters.”

Cajuns quarterback Lunch Winfield threw for almost 150 yards and a touchdown and ran for nearly 100 yards and another score last week. Desormeaux says he believes Winfield can have a similar performance on Thursday, and even if he can make mistakes, his competitive spirit is elite.

Cut 17 (16) “…it, it’s him.”

The Cajuns and Warhawks kick off at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

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LSU Safety Ty Benefield said you’d be a weirdo not to want to get the bad taste of the Alabama loss out of your mouth as soon as possible. The Tigers will have the chance to do just that against Texas this weekend. He says the loss has given the team a sense of urgency to want to get back on the field and play better.

Cut 18 (18)  “…of your job.”

With three losses, LSU’s playoff hopes are slim, but the Tigers still have a chance at the postseason if they can come away with wins against Texas and Tennessee. Benefield says the team is taking it one game at a time, but it also helps to know that it’s now or never.

Cut 19 (12) “…focus on it.”

Saturday’s game will be the final one in Tiger Stadium this season. Benefield is a senior who transferred to LSU from Boise State for his final season. He says imagining his final game in Death Valley makes him reflect on not just his time in Baton Rouge but his whole college career.

Cut 20 (21) “…last one here.”

Kickoff in Tiger Stadium is at 6:30.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor conducted an audit of the handling of sexual assault kits collected from July 2024 through December 2025. Performance Audit Manager Kristin Jacobs says the audit found that nearly one out of every five had not been submitted to a crime lab for testing.

Cut 6 (10) “…by state law.”

Jacobs says it’s important to note that that doesn’t necessarily mean that those sexual assault kits were mishandled – it could mean that law enforcement has closed the case, or the kits could still be pending lab testing.

Federal employees, including 50-thousand in Louisiana, are experiencing soaring health insurance costs. John Hatton with the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association says those increases mean for many, health insurance becomes their second biggest monthly expense, behind only housing.

Cut 4 (06) “…dollars a month.”

A Tangipahoa Parish teenager has been arrested after allegedly crashing an ATV on a public road that injured three others. 18-year-old Mason Simpson was previously arrested in July on a DWI charge and was out on bond. Sheriff Gerald Sticker says information about the ATV crash will be sent to the judge overseeing his DWI case.

Cut 14 (06) “…as well.” 

One of the riders injured in the crash remains hospitalized. 

Lane Kiffin called back to his time in L-A and brought out the stars for the LSU-Alabama game on Saturday. Shaq, Angel Reese, Paul Skenes, Livvy Dunne and Kevin Costner all joined Kiffin for the Tiger walk. Kiffin says he met Costner years ago, and it was great to introduce him to the passion and tailgating in the South.

Cut 9 (10)  “…enjoying it.”

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor says an audit of the handling of sexual assault kits collected from July 2024 through December 2025 found that nearly one out of every five had not been submitted to a crime lab for testing. Performance Audit Manager Kristin Jacobs says that doesn’t necessarily indicate negligence; thus, the Legislative Auditor is recommending expanding status classifications of these kits.

Cut 7 (11) “…things like that.”

Federal employees are experiencing soaring health insurance costs, including 50-thousand of them in Louisiana. John Hatton with the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association says the rate these costs are increasing is staggering.

Cut 3 (07) “…over three years.” 

Hatton says some of these plans have premiums that exceed one-thousand dollars a month.

A south Louisiana teenager faces multiple charges for an ATV crash that injured four teens, including himself. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The Louisiana Unclaimed Property Program has added another ten-million dollars. State Treasurer John Fleming notes that the unclaimed money belongs to their rightful owners, and they range from small amounts to six figures. To see whether you have any unclaimed money owed to you, just visit L-A-Cash-Claim-dot-org.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor is out with its results of its audit of sexual assault kits collected from July 2024 through December 2025. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Louisiana’s clout in Washington D-C has been severely weakened. Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will no longer lead the Republican Party in the U-S House when a new Congress convenes in January. And today, Steve Scalise of Jefferson Parish lost to Ohio Representative Jim Jorden for the Minority Leader position.

Since the loss to Alabama, the criticism has been amped up on LSU football coach Lane Kiffin. There are some fans who believe Kiffin should worry more about winning games, instead of walking into the stadium with celebrities and having smoke machines and a basketball hoop on the sidelines. Kiffin says the celebs, basketball goal and fire extinguisher is for recruiting…

Cut 11 (12) “…losing the game”

Federal employees face another year of rising healthcare costs with premiums increasing by double digits for a third consecutive year and average employee contributions rising by more than ten-percent. John Hatton with the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association urges federal workers to examine their healthcare needs and choose the plan that works best for them…

Cut 5 (14) “….out of pocket”

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor found that from July 2024 through December 2025, nearly one out of every five sexual assault kids were never sent to a crime lab for testing as required by state law. Performance Audit Manager Kristin Jacobs says that doesn’t necessarily mean they were mishandled; as such, she’s recommending that state law be clarified to indicate which sexual assault kits need to be tested.

Cut 8 (10) “…to be tested.”

A Tangipahoa teenager is arrested after allegedly crashing an ATV on a public road that injured three others. Sheriff Gerald Sticker says 18-year-old Mason Simpson was booked on several charges.

Cut 13 (12) “…negligent injury”

The Smoothie King Center is in dire need for major renovations. Now, the key question is where the money will come from to pay for them. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

The new U.S. House Republican leadership will not include anyone from Louisiana. Republicans choose Jim Jordan of Ohio as House Minority Leader for the 120th Congress when it convenes January 3rd. Outgoing House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was not going to seek the minority leadership after the huge losses his party suffered a week ago.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor conducted an audit of the handling of sexual assault kits collected from July 2024 through December 2025. Performance Audit Manager Kristin Jacobs says the audit found that nearly one out of every five had not been submitted to a crime lab for testing.

Cut 6 (10) “…by state law.”

Jacobs says it’s important to note that that doesn’t necessarily mean that those sexual assault kits were mishandled – it could mean that law enforcement has closed the case, or the kits could still be pending lab testing.

A Tangipahoa teenager is behind bars after allegedly crashing an ATV on a public road that injured three others. Sheriff Gerald Sticker says the incident happened during the middle of the night over the week in the Kentwood area. Sticker says the teen driver was traveling at a high rate of speed…

Cut 12 (09) “…struck a tree”

One of the riders remains hospitalized. 18-year-old Mason Simpson is facing three counts of negligent injuring and several other charges including reckless operation of a vehicle.

LSU fans are still miffed over the Tigers loss to Alabama 31 to 13. Lane Kiffin says he expects to catch some heat from fans about all the flashy gameday activity, like actor Kevin Costner, walking down Victory Hill with the team. Kiffin says that performance is part of the program, though, and doesn’t really change anything on the field.

Cut 10 (13) “…in the red zone.”

Federal employees are experiencing soaring health insurance costs, including 50-thousand of them in Louisiana. John Hatton with the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association says those increases mean for many, health insurance becomes their second biggest monthly expense, behind only housing.

Cut 4 (06) “…dollars a month.”

He says when it comes to healthcare, one size definitely does not fit all, and people should examine their healthcare needs and choose the plan that works best for them.