A survey of nearly 28-hundred parents and caregivers finds that child care costs more than 10-thousand dollars a year per child, and many parents struggle to pay for it. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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The Hondo Rodeo Fest, which is dubbed the Super Bowl of rodeo, is coming to the Caesars Superdome in April. Andre Champagne spoke with the organizers who are in Louisiana to promote the event.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”
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A state senator is proposing a constitutional amendment that he says would restore accountability in Louisiana’s justice system. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 3 (XX) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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A poll of nearly 28-hundred parents and caregivers shows how costly child care is in Louisiana. Mattilyn Karst Batson, the research and policy director for the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, says parents reported spending an average of 870 dollars per child per month, or more than ten-thousand dollars a year.
Cut 4 (11) “…parents in Louisiana”
Batson says a majority of the parents polled said they worried about paying for child care and in some cases decided to quit their job, because it made more financial sense to stay home.
Cut 5 (07) “…they’re forced too.”
Batson says the results of the poll will be shared with lawmakers as they make decisions on funding for child care assistance.
Cut 6 (12) “…them to make.”
Batson says there are more than seven-thousand children eligible for government assistance to help pay for child care costs, but they are unable to receive any resources because there is not enough funding.
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Now that we know who will be on the Republican ballot for U.S. Senator and who will not, the race is underway in earnest. With a recent poll showing Bill Cassidy in the fight for his political life, his campaign has come out swinging against Julia Letlow, releasing ads accusing her of promoting DEI policies and hitting her on failing to report stock trades in a timely manner in violation of the STOCK Act. ULM political science professor Pearson Cross says Cassidy’s messaging has so far been effective.
Cut 7 (07) “…to define herself.”
Letlow entered the race after President Trump gave her his endorsement. Cross says it’s now up to her to come up with an effective message to counter Cassidy’s campaign’s accusations.
Cut 8 (13) “…Trump-endorsed Julia Letlow.”
The wild card in the Republican primary is John Fleming, who was the first to announce a primary challenge against Bill Cassidy more than a year ago. Cross says the no-holds-barred wrestling match between Cassidy and Letlow could ultimately work to Fleming’s benefit.
Cut 9 (13) “…over to me.”
As for whether the bruising Republican primary could bode well for whoever ends up being the Democratic nominee, Cross says with no Democrats with widespread name recognition in the race and with Trump enjoying a relatively high approval rating in Louisiana, it’s highly unlikely that any Democrat has a chance to win in November.
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In a little over 40 days, a major event is coming to New Orleans, as Hondo Rodeo Fest will be held at the Caesars Superdome from April 10th to the 12th. Each day, there are two hours of rodeo competition, followed by a music concert featuring big name acts like Jason Aldean, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cody Johnson and Creed. James Trawick is the CEO of the Hondo Rodeo Fest.
Cut 10 (11) “…the perfect fit.”
The Hondo Rodeo Fest had its first three-day rodeo competition with country music concerts in November of 2024 in Phoenix. Another Hondo Rodeo Fest was held last November in Phoenix, and this is the first time they are holding the fest outside of Arizona.
Trawick says they chose Louisiana because the state has some of the best rodeo competitors in the U.S.
Cut 11 (06) “…Louisiana than Wyoming.”
Kade Sonnier, Waylon Bourgeois, Tyler Waguespack, Shane Hanchey and Jace Trosclair are among the Louisiana athletes competing.
The Hondo Rodeo’s invite-only format features world champion cowboys and cowgirls across all eight categories, all competing for a one-million-dollar prize purse. Former Miss Rodeo America Kennadee Riggs is part of the production, and she calls it adrenaline-pumping.
Cut 12 (12) “…it’s action packed.”
Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster or at “The Hondo Rodeo Fest-dot-com.” Special discounted tickets are on sale through Friday. Not only are there rodeos and music concerts, but a Western-themed Street Fest will take place in Champions Square.
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A West Monroe state senator is proposing a constitutional amendment that he says would restore accountability for judges and district attorneys who fail to prevent violent crime. Republican Jay Morris’ bill would create a mechanism for the removal of a judge or a district attorney upon the recommendation of the governor. He says the governor would first suspend the district attorney or judge for up to six months.
Cut 13 (11) “…two-thirds vote.”
Morris says he filed the bill because of what he calls a disturbing and repeated pattern of breakdowns within Louisiana’s juvenile justice system.
Cut 14 (10) “…up with it.”
Morris says this process is not to be used if, for example, the governor simply disagrees with a judge’s ruling; instead, it’s intended to be used if that judge sentences the convict outside of the sentencing guidelines. Or in the case of a district attorney, if a D-A fails to press charges against someone accused of a violent crime, and that person goes out and commits other crimes.
Cut 15 (13) “…very high bar.”
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NFL combine workouts begin today, and there are several LSU players looking to boost their draft stocks. Among them is quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Mike Detillier of WWL Radio believes Nussmeier will be the third quarterback off the board if he has an impressive week in Indianapolis.
Cut 16 (20) “…of round two.”
Aaron Anderson, Barion Brown, Chris Hilton Jr. and Zavion Thomas will also have the opportunity to boost their draft stocks after the Tigers struggled offensively in 2025. Detillier says he believes Anderson is the most NFL-ready of the group.
Cut 17 (20) “…route-runner downfield.”
LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane enters Thursday’s combine as a projected first-round pick. Detillier says he believes Delane will be taken anywhere somewhere between pick nine and pick thirteen.
Cut 18 (12) “…one of one.”
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The sixth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team will host Tennessee tonight at five. It will be senior night for Flau’jae Johnson, Amiya Joyner and Izzy Besselman. Head Coach Kim Mulkey says it will especially be emotional for Johnson.
Cut 19 (20) “…an SEC opponent.”
With a win over the Lady Vols, the Tigers would clinch a top-four seed and double bye in the SEC Tournament.
Johnson, who was Mulkey’s first McDonald’s All-American at LSU, will go down as one of the most memorable players in program history. Mulkey calls Johnson one of the hardest workers she has ever coached.
Cut 20 (17) “…routine for her.”