3:30 PM Newscast

A Suspected ISIS member has been arrested in Iraq for his alleged connection to the New Year’s morning terror attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people and injured over 50 people. The FBI says they believe Shamsud-Din Jabbar who drove his truck into the crowd, acted alone. The suspect arrested in Iraq was arrested for inciting the Jan. 2025 truck attack in the United States according to Iraqi officials and they say he will be prosecuted in Iraq under their country’s anti-terrorism laws.

The Louisiana House has approved bills that seek to reduce the big payouts car accident victims receive after filing a lawsuit. One of those measures is Baton Rouge Representative Emily Chenevert’s (SHEN-UH-VAIR) bill, which says if a driver is 51-percent or more at fault for a wreck, they are not entitled to damages. She says states with lower insurance rates have this law…

Cut 12 (12) “…claim for damages.”

Woodside Energy Group an Australian-based company announces a huge investment in Calcasieu Parish. The liquefied natural gas export facility is the first greenfield LNG export facility to advance since President Trump rolled back the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export permits. Woodside Executive Vice President Daniel Kalms

Cut 7 (13) “…sector this year.”

Louisiana is participating in the federal SUN Bucks program to provide eligible school age children, 120-dollars to use on food during the summer months when they’re out of school. Tim Jenkins with the Department of Children and Family Services, says those participating in certain programs will get a new SUN Bucks card sent to them.

Cut 10 (13) “…the child’s name.”

LRN PM Newscall April 29

Louisiana is once again participating in the federal SUN Bucks program. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The House has approves measures that seek to lower the payouts car accident victims receive in court. Jeff Palermo reports that supporters say the legal reforms will help drive down auto insurance rates…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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More than 30,000 residents in Bossier and Caddo parishes were left without power for six hours on Saturday, prompting Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell to demand answers from SWEPCO and the Southwest Power Pool. About what happened and who is paying for it:

Cut 3 (11) “…pay for that?” 

The outage, ordered by SPP to prevent a broader grid failure, came without warning and has raised serious concerns from residents and business owners. SPP President Lanny Nickell says they take responsibility and their role in the emergency outage.

Cut 4 (13) “…from reoccurring.”

Campbell stated that while he’s not looking to assign blame, he wants clear answers and solutions. SWEPCO President and CEO Brett Mattison says the outage was a last-resort response to instability caused by planned maintenance.

Cut 5 (08) “…specific area.”

Mattison says they can’t guarantee this will not happen again when temperatures soar above 90-degrees.

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Governor Landry announces yet another major economic development project for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (17) “…in Southwest Louisiana.”

(Woodside Energy Group is investing $17.5 billion investment to build a new LNG facility in Calcasieu Parish)

Woodside Energy is an Australian-based company, and their 17-billion dollar investment in Calcasieu Parish is the largest single foreign direct investment in Louisiana history. It’s also the first greenfield LNG export facility to advance since President Trump rolled back the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export permits.

Executive Vice President Daniel Kalms says he’s proud that the company is making such a huge investment in Louisiana.

Cut 7 (13) “…sector this year.”

Governor Landry says the project will create about 15-thousand jobs during construction and thousands more once the facility is up and running.

Cut 8 (10) “…their incomes raised.”

The announcement comes on the heels of prior economic development announcements, including a ten-billion-dollar Meta A-I data center near Monroe and a six-billion-dollar investment by Hyundai to build a steel plant in Ascension Parish. Construction is already underway, and the goal is to have it up and running in 2029.

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Louisiana is once again participating in the federal SUN Bucks program. The program provides eligible children between the ages of five and 18, 120-dollars to use on food during the summer months when they’re out of school. Tim Jenkins, the economic stability director for the Department of Children and Family Services, says for those already receiving SNAP benefits, there’s nothing that they need to do.

Cut 9 (09)  “…household SNAP card.”

Jenkins says those participating in other programs will get a new SUN Bucks card sent to them.

Cut 10 (13) “…the child’s name.”

Jenkins says families have only 122 days – about four months – to use the 120 dollars, and the money may only be used for certain food items.

Cut 11 (09) “…nothing like that.”

________________________________________________

The Louisiana House has approved bills that seek to reduce the big payouts car accident victims receive after filing a lawsuit. One of those measures is Baton Rouge Representative Emily Chenevert’s (SHEN-UH-VAIR) bill, which says if a driver is 51-percent or more at fault for a wreck, they are not entitled to damages. She says states with lower insurance rates have this law…

Cut 12 (12) “…claim for damages.”

Chenevert says the bill would reduce frivolous lawsuits and called it a common-sense change…

Cut 13 (12)  “…cover that.”

The bill passed on a 67-26 vote and it has the support of insurance companies.

The House also approved a medical transparency bill. House Bill 34 by Slidell Republican Brian Glorioso would make medical costs admissible in court, so the judge and jury know exactly how much a person injured in a wreck paid in medical costs…

Cut 14 (07) “…consider it.”

Both of these bills head to a Senate committee for further consideration.

2:30 PM Newscast

Australian-based Woodside Energy Group is investing over $17 billion to build a new Liquefied Natural Gas facility in Calcasieu Parish It’s the first greenfield LNG export facility to advance since President Trump rolled back the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export permits. Governor Landry says the project will create about 15-thousand jobs during construction and thousands more once the facility is up and running.

Cut 8 (10) “…their incomes raised.”

Louisiana is once again participating in the federal SUN Bucks program providing eligible 120-dollars to use on food during the summer months. Tim Jenkins with the Department of Children and Family Services, says

families have 122 days – about four months – to use the money and it may only be used for certain food items.

Cut 11 (09) “…nothing like that.”

The House has approved measures that seek to lower the payouts car accident victims receive in court. Jeff Palermo reports that supporters say the legal reforms will help drive down auto insurance rates…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

More than 30,000 SWEPCO customers in Bossier and Caddo parishes were left without power for six hours on Saturday. The outage, ordered by Southwest Power Pool to prevent a broader grid failure, came without warning and has raised serious concerns from residents and business owners. SPP President Lanny Nickell…

Cut 4 (13) “…from reoccurring.”

1:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Landry announces yet another major economic development project for Louisiana.

Cut 6 (17) “…their other colleagues.”

Woodside Energy is an Australian based company and their 17 billion dollar investment in this LNG export facility in Calcasieu Parish is the largest single foreign direct investment in Louisiana history.

Thirty-thousand SWEPCO customers in Caddo and Bossier Parishes want to know why their power was turned off for several hours on Saturday. SWEPCO President Brett Matison said at a press conference today that the outage was necessary because of rapidly developing voltage instability involving Southwest Power Pool…

Cut 5 (08) “…specific area”

Mattison says they can’t guarantee this will not happen again during the summer, when temperatures soar above 90-degrees.

Louisiana is once again participating in the federal SUN Bucks program. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

We’ve known for a long time that Louisiana’s energy industry is a major part of the state’s economy. A new study released finds the state’s energy industry generates 25-percent of the state’s economy, 15-percent of state employment and 19-percent of total earnings. The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association paid for the study to get a pulse on the true value of the state’s energy sector.

12:30 LRN Newscast

Oil and gas has long been a major driver in the state’s economy, and now we know exactly to what extent. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Australian-based Woodside Energy announced today a 17-point-5 billion dollar investment on a new liquified natural gas production and export facility in Calcasieu Parish. It’s the largest foreign investment in state history.

More than 30,000 residents in Bossier and Caddo parishes were left without power for six hours on Saturday, prompting Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell to demand answers from SWEPCO and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). About what happened and who is paying for it.

Cut 3 (11) “…whos gonna pay for that.”

Balloon releases in Louisiana are one step closer to being illegal. The House passed HB581 by Harahan Republican John Illg, sending it to the Senate. Illg says what goes up must come down; and when those balloons released into the air come down, they could have serious consequences for the environment and wildlife.

Cut 15 (06) “…into the air.”

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The second ranked LSU baseball team hosts Southeastern Louisiana tonight. The Lions’ pitching staff ranks fourth in the nation with a team ERA of 3.28. Brennan Stuprich is their Friday night ace, with an ERA of 2.06. But S-L-U Coach Bobby Barbier says they have several guys who are pitching well…

Cut 18 (23)  “…starting roles.”

Conner Ware could get the start for LSU, since he did not pitch in the Tennessee series. First pitch is at 6:30.

There are three college baseball games in northeast Louisiana tonight. ULM will host Northwestern State at six PM. The All-time series between these two schools is very close. The Warhawks have won 117 games played between the two schools, while Northwestern State has won 116.

Also tonight, Louisiana Tech begins a two game series against Arkansas Pine Bluff and Grambling hosts Stephen F Austin. McNeese faces Houston in Lake Charles. The Cowboys are 21 and 4 at home this season. Nicholls is at Tulane.

Last night the tenth ranked LSU softball team scored eight runs in the sixth inning to beat eight ranked Florida ten to two in the rubber game of their series. LSU had lost six of their previous seven SEC series before winning last night.

LSU football has received a commitment from one of the top cornerbacks in the Class of 2026. His name is Havon Finney from Chatsworth, California. Finney chose the Tigers over U-S-C, Michigan, Oregon and others. He’s ranked by 24-7 sports as the seventh best cornerback in the Class of 2026.

11:30 LRN Newscast

The House advances bills that seek to reduce the big payouts car accident victims get after filing a lawsuit. Among them is Baton Rouge Republican Emily Chenevert’s (SHEN-UH-VAIR) bill, which says if a driver is 51-percent or more at fault for a wreck, they are not entitled to damages.

Cut 13 (12)  “…cover that.”

Louisiana is once again participating in the federal SUN Bucks program. The program provides eligible children between the ages of five and 18 120 dollars to use on food during the summer months when they’re out of school. Tim Jenkins, the economic stability director for the Department of Children and Family Services, says for those already receiving SNAP benefits, there’s nothing that they need to do.

Cut 9 (09)  “…household SNAP card.”

The House Transportation Committee votes down a measure that sought to eliminate the state’s vehicle inspection sticker program. The bill’s author, Stonewall Republican Larry Bagley argued that the requirement to get your vehicle inspected is government overreach.

Cut 4 (12) “…keep up with them.”

Critics argue inspections are often not properly conducted, while supporters, including inspection station owners, insist the program promotes road safety and maintains vehicle standards. Inspection station owner Kathy Slavant defended the integrity of the inspections.

Cut 7 (11) “…in what we do.”

The vote to defeat the bill was 6-to-5. Bagley says he’ll attempt to bring the bill back for another vote.

10:30 LRN Newscast

The Louisiana House approves legislation that says if a person is 51-percent or more at fault in an accident that person can not receive damages to cover the cost of their injuries. Baton Rouge Representative Emily Chenevert says it’s one of several tort reform bills that can help drive down auto insurance rates…

Cut 27 (05) “…lower rates”

Balloon releases in Louisiana are one step closer to being illegal. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

 

The requirement for Louisiana motorists to get an inspection sticker every year or two looks like it will continue after the House Transportation Committee voted down a proposal to eliminate the program for non-commercial vehicles. Leading the effort is Stonewall  Representative Larry Bagley…

Cut 5 (04) “….has the stickers”

But Neal Underwood, who represents the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Station Inspection owners, says crashes and fatalities have increased in states that eliminated inspection sticker programs…

Cut 16 (12) “…67-percent”

The bill failed on a six to five vote, but Bagley says he’ll attempt to bring the bill back for another vote.

A vote could go down on the House floor on a bill to give Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple more authority to block excessive insurance rate increases. A vote was expected yesterday, but it was pushed back a day.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Lengthy discussion on the House floor on Monday over legislation that seeks to reduce the damages awarded in court to a car accident victim. Several bills that seek to accomplish this were approved, including House Bill 34 by state Representative Brian Glorioso. The Slidell Republican believes medical costs should be admissible in court, so the judge and jury know exactly how much a person injured in a wreck paid in medical costs…

Cut 20 (07) “….can’t consider it”

The measure passed on a 68 to 26 vote. Democrats are not convinced that lower settlements will reduce car insurance rates.

With very little debate, the Louisiana House approved a bill that bans balloon releases in an effort to protect the environment….

Cut 16 (04) 14 nays”

For anyone over 16, penalties under the proposed legislation, the fine would be 150 dollars for a first offense. The measure heads to the Senate.

 

We’ve known for a long time that Louisiana’s energy industry is a major part of the state’s economy. A new study released finds the state’s energy industry generates 25-percent of the state’s economy, 15-percent of state employment and 19-percent of total earnings…

Cut 9 (10) “…of the state”

That’s Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Tommy Fahucheux. Mid-Continent paid for the study to get a pulse on the true value of the state’s energy sector.

Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming is reminding the public to check out new K-through-12 school transparency project which gives the public a chance to see how public schools are spending their money…

Cut 13 (08) “…and abuse”

The portal can be found at the Department of Treasury’s website.

8:30 LRN Newscast

Oil and gas has long been a major driver in the state’s economy, and now we know exactly to what extent. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Australian-based Woodside Energy will reportedly announce today a 17-point-5 billion dollar investment on a new liquified natural gas production and export facility in Calcasieu Parish. It’s the largest foreign investment in state history and an official announcement is expected at 11:30 this morning.

An effort to eliminate the state’s passenger vehicle inspection program as run into a road block at the state capitol. The House Transportation Committee voted six to five against a bill that seeks to end the requirement that Louisiana non-commercial drivers need an inspection sticker for their vehicle to be street legal. Kathy Slavant’s family has owned an inspection station for 25 years, defending the integrity of the inspections…

Cut 7 (11) “…in what we do”

The bill’s author, Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley, plans to bring the bill back up for another vote.

Balloon releases in Louisiana are one step closer to being illegal. The House passed HB581 by Harahan Republican John Illg, sending it to the Senate. Illg says balloon releases are tantamount to litter.

Cut 14 (12) “…the air here?”

Ceremonial balloon releases often occur in honor of a lost loved one.