4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints will not be in the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, but they still have three more regular season games left, starting with tonight’s matchup at Green Bay. Spencer Rattler will start at quarterback for the injured Derek Carr and the rookie wants to get off to a fast start…

Cut 27 (10) “…stay fast”

Kick off is at 7:15.

LSU football has added 13 players through the transfer portal. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier likes the wide outs that have been added to the roster in Barion Brown from Kentucky and Nic Anderson from Oklahoma…

Cut 18 (16) “…that room”

LSU also brought in a new starting tight end in Bauer Sharp from Oklahoma.

The Pelicans dropped their seven straight game losing to Denver 132 to 129 in overtime. C-J McCollum had a chance to win it in regulation, but missed a three-pointer. The Pels have not won since December fifth and they are now 5-and-25 on the season.

LSU men’s basketball improved to 10-and-2 with an 86 to 70 victory UNO yesterday. Guard Cam Carter had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Vyctorius Miller came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points.

McNeese outscored U-L Lafayette ten to one over the final 4-minutes and 47-seconds and beat the Cajuns 64 to 56. Cowboys Coach Will Wade is now 2-and-0 against the Cajuns in his two seasons at McNeese…

Cut 29 (16) “…backboards”

McNeese will begin Southland play this Saturday as they will host UNO.

4:30 LRN Newscast

Senator John Kennedy is hailing the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. The act eliminates two provisions that reduced the Social Security benefits of people who worked in the public sector. Senator Kennedy said Social Security is not free and belongs to the people who paid into it.

Cut 4 (09) “…who earned it”

State Police are investigating a fatal police shooting in Hammond on Saturday night. Authorities say a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot 48-year-old Timothy Douglas of Ponchatoula during a foot pursuit. Trooper Marc Gremillion says during the physical altercation, the deputy fired his weapon, striking Douglas…

Cut 7 (11) “…shooting incident .”

Unseasonably warm and wet weather is expected for the Christmas week, with highs in the mid-70s and rain likely through Saturday. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bring increased chances of showers and thunderstorms,

Cut 9 (09)  “…west of Shreveport,”

The Justice Department is suing the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Corrections, claiming that the state is keeping prisoners in custody after they have completed their sentences. Lydia Wright with the Promise of Justice Initiative says a years-long investigation found that the Louisiana Department of Corrections is keeping thousands of prisoners behind bars beyond their scheduled release dates.

Cut 12 (09) “…served their time.”

3:30 PM Newscast Dec 23

The Social Security Fairness Act is on its way to President Biden’s desk for his signature and Senator John Kennedy is hailing its passage. The act eliminates two provisions that reduced the Social Security benefits of people who worked in the public sector. Senator Kennedy said good riddance to them.

Cut 3 (17) “…earn their pensions.”

Louisiana is getting warm and wet weather for the Christmas week. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bring increased chances of showers and thunderstorms, but we are not expecting severe weather…

Cut 11 (05) “…across the state.”

On Christmas Day temperatures may reach 73 degrees.

The Justice Department is suing the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Corrections, claiming that the state is keeping prisoners in custody after they have completed their sentences. Lydia Wright with the Promise of Justice Initiative blames the state for not using modern technology to keep track of release dates.

Cut 13 (15)  “…served their sentences.”

Governor Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a joint statement, calling the lawsuit frivolous and calling it, in their words, “Grinch Joe Biden’s parting Christmas present to the state and to its people.”

State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting in Hammond on Saturday night. Authorities say a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot 48-year-old Timothy Douglas of Ponchatoula. Trooper Marc Gremillion says the deputy was trying to apprehend Douglas who allegedly was driving a stolen vehicle…

Cut 6 (12) “…altercation ensued.”

LRN PM Newscall December 23

Senator John Kennedy is hailing the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

______________________________________

The Department of Justice is suing the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Corrections for allegedly keeping prisoners behind bars after they’ve completed their sentences. Sean Richardson reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

______________________________________

Senator John Kennedy is hailing the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. The act eliminates two provisions that reduced the Social Security benefits of people who worked in the public sector. Senator Kennedy said good riddance to them.

Cut 3 (17) “…earn their pensions.” 

Kennedy said Social Security is not free and belongs to the people who paid into it.

Cut 4 (09) “…who earned it”

Kennedy said the act, once signed into law, will benefit everyone who has paid into the system.

Cut 5 (13) “…Social Security Act.”

______________________________________

State Police are investigating a fatal police shooting in Hammond on Saturday night. Authorities say a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot 48-year-old Timothy Douglas of Ponchatoula during a foot pursuit. Trooper Marc Gremillion says the deputy was trying to apprehend Douglas who allegedly was driving a stolen vehicle…

Cut 6 (12) “…altercation ensued.”

Gremillion says during the physical altercation, the deputy fired his weapon, striking Douglas…

Cut 7 (11) “…shooting incident .”

Gremillion says the investigation remains active…

Cut 8 (09) “…working with us.”

______________________________________

Unseasonably warm and wet weather is expected for the Christmas week, with highs in the mid-70s and rain likely through Saturday. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bring increased chances of showers and thunderstorms,

Cut 9 (09)  “…west of Shreveport,”

Keim says a cold front will come through Christmas Day and temperatures may reach 73 degrees.

Cut 10 (07) “…not very cold.”

Keim says we are not expecting severe weather with the rain this week…

Cut 11 (05) “…across the state.”

__________________________________________________________

The Justice Department is suing the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Corrections, claiming that the state is keeping prisoners in custody after they have completed their sentences. Lydia Wright with the Promise of Justice Initiative says a years-long investigation found that the Louisiana Department of Corrections is keeping thousands of prisoners behind bars beyond their scheduled release dates.

Cut 12 (09) “…served their time.”

Wright is pinning the blame on the state not using modern technology to keep track of when prisoners are scheduled to be released.

Cut 13 (15)  “…served their sentences.”

Governor Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a joint statement, calling the lawsuit frivolous and calling it, in their words, “Grinch Joe Biden’s parting Christmas present to the state and to its people.” The statement goes on to say that the problem stems from the failed criminal justice reforms pushed by the Biden administration. Wright says the problems started much earlier.

Cut 14 (13) “…policies and practices.”

2:30 PM Newscast Dec 23

State Police are investigating a fatal police shooting in Hammond on Saturday night. Authorities say a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot 48-year-old Timothy Douglas of Ponchatoula during a foot pursuit. Trooper Marc Gremillion says the deputy was trying to apprehend Douglas who allegedly was driving a stolen vehicle…

Cut 8 (09) “…working with us.”

The Saints are in Green Bay tonight. New Orleans rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler will make his fourth start of the season. Rattler made three starts in October and was sacked 14 times but showed more poise coming off the bench last week. Rattler says when started two months ago, starting center Eirk McCoy was injured and having back him back is huge…

Cut 19 (10) “…a lot better.”

The Department of Justice is suing the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Corrections for allegedly keeping prisoners behind bars after they’ve completed their sentences. Sean Richardson reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Senator John Kennedy is hailing the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. The act eliminates two provisions that reduced the Social Security benefits of people who worked in the public sector.

Cut 5 (13) “…Social Security Act.”

1:30 PM Newscast Dec 23

The Justice Department is suing the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Corrections, claiming that the state is keeping prisoners in custody after they have completed their sentences. Lydia Wright with the Promise of Justice Initiative…

Cut 12 (09) “…served their time.”

In a joint statement, Governor Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a joint statement, calling the lawsuit frivolous and, in their words, “Grinch Joe Biden’s parting Christmas present to the state and to its people.”

A weekend officer involved shooting led to the death of 48-year-old Timothy Douglas of Ponchatoula Authorities say a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy shot Douglas during an altercation after a foot pursuit Saturday night in Hammond. State Police were called in to investigate. Trooper Marc Gremillion says the deputy was trying to apprehend Douglas who was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle.

Cut 7 (11) “…shooting incident .”

Gremillion says the investigation remains active.

Senator John Kennedy is hailing the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Expect unseasonably warm and wet weather for the Christmas week, with highs in the mid-70s. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry says we are not expecting severe weather with the rain this week but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bring increased chances of showers and thunderstorms. He says a cold front will come through Christmas Day.

Cut 10 (07) “…not very cold.”

12:30 LRN Newscast

One of the final acts of the 118th Congress was approval of the Social Security Fairness Act, which will increase social security benefits for thousands of police, firefighters, teachers and other public sector workers and their spouses in Louisiana and across the country. Senator John Kenney was one of 76 senators who voted for it…

Cut 4 (09) “…who earned it”

The bill eliminates two statues that reduced payouts to many public sector workers.

Some encouraging job numbers for Louisiana. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the state added four-thousand non-farm jobs last month and more than 20-thousand non-farm jobs in the last year. Emily DiPalma with the Louisiana Workforce Commission says a few sectors led the way in job growth.

Cut 14 (09) “…over the year.”

Unseasonably warm and wet weather is expected for Christmas week, with highs in the mid-70s and rain likely through Saturday. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bring increased chances of showers and thunderstorms,

Cut 9 (09)  “…west of Shreveport,”

But Keim says the chance for severe weather is low and the rain should arrive after midnight in St. James Parish, where they light bonfires along the Mississippi River every Christmas Eve.

The Saints will not be in the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, but they still have three more regular season games left, starting with tonight’s matchup at Green Bay. Spencer Rattler will start at quarterback for the injured Derek Carr and the rookie wants to get off to a fast start…

Cut 22 (20) “…great in”

Kick off is at 7:15.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

When the Saints take the field tonight against the Packers in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field, they will be playing for pride. The Falcons’ blowout win over the Giants yesterday ended what was left of the Saints’ faint playoff hopes.

The most interesting aspect of tonight’s game from a Saints fan perspective is the play of rookie Spencer Rattler. Rattler will start at quarterback for the injured Derek Carr …

Cut 20 (12) “….myself to”

Kick-off is at 7:15.

Sunday was a good day for a couple of former LSU quarterbacks. Jayden Daniels threw five touchdown passes for the Commanders as Washington came from behind to beat Philadelphia 36 to 33.  Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes as the Bengals beat up the Cleveland Browns 24 to 6. J’Marr Chase set a franchise record for receiving yards in a season, eclipsing 15-hundred.

LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier spoke to reporters about his decision to come back for a fifth and final season. If Nussmeier entered the NFL draft, he would have likely been a second-day selection. Nuss is hoping to improve on what he did in 2024, so that he can be a first round pick in the 2026 NFL draft…

Cut 17 (18)  “…than I am now.” 

Nussmeier and the Tigers are getting ready to play Baylor on New Year’s Eve in the bowl game.

LSU Men’s basketball started slow yesterday but beat UNO 86 to 70. Vyctorius Miller had team-high 17 points.

Sincere Parker scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half as McNeese defeated U-L Lafayette 64 to 56 in the 100th meeting on the hardwood between the two schools.

 

11:30 LRN Newscast

Senator John Kennedy is hailing the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. The act eliminates two provisions that reduced the Social Security benefits of people who worked in the public sector. Senator Kennedy said good riddance to them.

Cut 3 (17) “…earn their pensions.” 

The Justice Department is suing Louisiana, claiming that the state is keeping prisoners in custody after they have completed their sentences. The department says a years-long investigation found that the Louisiana Department of Corrections keeps thousands of prisoners behind bars beyond their scheduled release dates. Governor Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a joint statement, calling the lawsuit frivolous and calling it, in their words, Grinch Joe Biden’s parting Christmas present to the state and to its people.

State Police are investigating a deadly deputy-involved shooting in Hammond Saturday night. Authorities say a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot 48-year-old Timothy Douglas of Ponchatoula during a foot pursuit. Trooper Marc Gremillion says the deputy was trying to apprehend Douglas who allegedly was driving a stolen vehicle…

Cut 6 (12) “…altercation ensued.”

If you’re dreaming of a White Christmas, you’ll be out of luck in this state. But if you’re dreaming of a WET Christmas, your dreams just might come true. The state will be experiencing a warming trend, with temperatures topping 70 degrees in much of the state by Christmas. And on Christmas Day, rain is in the forecast in many areas.

The Falcons made it official yesterday – the Saints will not be going to the playoffs. Those slim chances were dashed yesterday when the Falcons blew out the Giants. The Saints take on the Packers in Green Bay tonight.

10:30 LRN Newscast

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Louisiana added four-thousand non-farm jobs last month and more than 20-thousand non-farm jobs in the last year. Emily DiPalma with the Louisiana Workforce Commission says the state’s two biggest metro areas topped the list.

Cut 15 (16) “…over the year (3x).”

DiPalma says this marks 44 straight months that monthly jobs experienced year-over-year growth.

If you enjoyed the cooler weather this weekend, I hope you took full advantage, as it’s going to warm up this week. By Christmas, temperatures will hit the 70s throughout much of the state. And while your dreams of a White Christmas won’t come true, they will come true if you’re dreaming of a WET Christmas.

When the Saints take the field tonight against the Packers in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field, they will be playing for pride. The Falcons’ blowout win over the Giants yesterday ended what was left of the Saints’ faint playoff hopes.

27-percent of Louisiana third graders – more than one in four – scored far below state reading targets on a fall assessment. Deputy Superintendent Jenna Chaisson (CHASS-on) says there have, however, been many literacy improvements in the state.

Cut 10 (13) “…teachers and leaders”

Under a new state law, third graders who fall well below state reading targets do not get promoted to fourth grade.

A new report shows that a quarter of a million Louisianians live in households that can’t afford enough food. Joel Berg with Hunger Free America points out that the money the government spends to determine which kids get free meals at school and which ones get reduced-cost meals could actually go to feeding all kids.

 

Cut 9 (11)  “…all its kids.”