A bill sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy to redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies to patients in the form of health savings accounts has failed. The vote in the Senate was 51-to-48, falling nine votes short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Republican Rand Paul joined all Democrats in voting no. Before the vote, Cassidy responded to criticism that his plan amounted to what they call “junk insurance.”

Cut 15 (09) “…one we’re using.”

Cassidy said his goal is to come up with a solution that works for everyone

Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced that all six voting system vendors tested earlier this year passed certification. Joel Watson with the Secretary of State’s Office says now Secretary Landry will either put out a request for proposals or an invitation to negotiate at some point next year. The office will then select one system that will be used by every voter in the state.

Cut 5 (09) “…same voting system.”

The LHSAA Prep Classic is underway and tomorrow two Division 2 non-select teams North Desoto Griffins and the Iowa Yellow Jackets will vie for their first ever state championship. North DeSoto’s quarterback Luke Delafield led the Griffins to the state championship game as a freshman in 2022. He returns to the Dome as a senior and says he’s stoked to be back in New Orleans.

Cut 11 (11) “…super excited.”

Kick off is at noon.

Also tomorrow, St. Charles Catholic will take on Archbishop Shaw for the title in Division Two select.

The two teams met in November with St. Charles Catholic winning 24-0.  coach Wayne Stein says he knows that the Comets will be facing a very different Eagles team tomorrow night.

Cut 14 (11) “…be the champion.”

Kickoff is scheduled for seven p-m.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced that all six of the voting system vendors that reached out to the state passed the state’s certification. Joel Watson, with the Secretary of State’s Office, says that shows they are all committed to secure elections.

Cut 4 (09) “…the procurement process.”

Nancy Landry is working to replace the state’s voting system that she says is outdated.

The previous year’s weather made shopping for a Christmas tree on a Christmas tree farm very nice this year and owner of Steele’s Christmas Tree farm, Kevin Steele, while it’s difficult to predict the future, given the weather we had this year and the current condition of the trees, it’s shaping up to be a successful season next year too.

Cut 8 (09) “…expect any hiccups.”

Tomorrow, North DeSoto and Iowa High School compete for the first state championship in either school’s history. Andre Champagne has more…

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

Also tomorrow, St. Charles Catholic and Archbishop Shaw compete for the Division Two select title. St. Charles Catholic coach Wayne Stein says last year after the Comets finished 4-and-7 they did some soul searching.

Cut 13 (15)  “…to happen again.”

Voting system vendors seeking certification by the State of Louisiana batted a thousand. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

___________________________________________________

Tomorrow, North DeSoto and Iowa will take the field, each with a chance to win the first state championship in school history. Andre Champagne has more.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

______________________________________________________

Secretary of State Nancy Landry has announced that all six voting system vendors that her office tested earlier this year passed certification. It comes as the office is working to select a new voting system to replace the current outdated one. Joel Watson with the Secretary of State’s Office says the office did not reach out to the vendors; the vendors reached out to the office.

Cut 3 (08) “…answered that invitation.”

Watson says the fact that all six vendors passed certification is a testament to their commitment to playing a role in secure elections.

Cut 4 (09) “…the procurement process.”

Watson says now that all six systems will go through the procurement process, Secretary Landry will either put out a request for proposals or an invitation to negotiate at some point next year, and the office will ultimately select one system that will be used by every voter in the state.

Cut 5 (09) “…same voting system.”

___________________________________________________

It’s been a very successful season for Christmas tree farms throughout the state this year. Kevin Steele, who owns Steele’s Christmas Tree Farm in Angie, in Washington Parish, says business was brisk this year.

Cut 6 (09) “…on the farm.”

Steele says those who bought trees got excellent quality trees this year.

Cut 7 (07) “…are very healthy.”

Steele says while it’s always difficult to predict the future, given the weather we had this year and the current condition of the trees, it’s shaping up to be a successful season next year too.

Cut 8 (09) “…expect any hiccups.”

________________________________________________

The LHSAA Prep Classic is underway and runs through Saturday. Tomorrow opens with a Division 2 non-select matchup between the North Desoto Griffins and the Iowa Yellow Jackets. Iowa head coach Tommy Johns says playing in the state championship for the first time in school history is special.

Cut 9 (10)  “…truly meant.”

The Yellow Jackets will be tasked with facing North DeSoto’s fire-powered offense, which is led by quarterback Luke Delafield. Johns says his defense has come up when it’s mattered most this season and believes they can continue to do so.

Cut 10 (12) “…and it shows.”

Delafield led the Griffins to the state championship game as a freshman in 2022. He returns to the Dome as a senior and says he’s stoked to be back in New Orleans.

Cut 11 (11) “…super excited.”

North DeSoto’s offense is averaging over 53 points a game. Delafield says the offense has all the ability in the world to execute; but he says in order to beat Iowa, the Griffins have to limit turnovers.

Cut 12 (15) “…something like that.”

The Griffins and Yellow Jackets kick off at noon tomorrow.

_______________________________________________________________

In the nightcap of day two of the 2025 LHSAA Prep Classic tomorrow, St. Charles Catholic will take on Archbishop Shaw for the title in Division Two select. St. Charles Catholic coach Wayne Stein says the Comets did a lot of soul searching after finishing last season with a record of 4-and-7.

Cut 13 (15)  “…to happen again.”

The two teams met in the regular season finale back on November 7th, with St. Charles Catholic winning 24-0. Coach Stein says he knows that the Comets will be facing a very different Eagles team tomorrow night.

Cut 14 (11) “…be the champion.”

Kickoff is scheduled for seven p-m.

________________________________________________

A bill sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy to redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies to patients in the form of health savings accounts has failed. The vote in the Senate was 51-to-48, falling nine votes short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Republican Rand Paul joined all Democrats in voting no. Before the vote, Cassidy responded to Democratic criticism that his plan amounted to what they call “junk insurance.”

Cut 15 (09) “…one we’re using.”

Cassidy said his goal is to come up with a solution that works for everyone, regardless of political affiliation.

Cut 16 (13) “…an A solution.”

A bill sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy to redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies to patients in the form of health savings accounts has failed in the Senate. Cassidy said his goal was to come up with a solution that works for everyone, regardless of political affiliation.

Cut 16 (13) “…an A solution.”

The vote was 51-to-48, falling nine votes short of the 60 votes needed to advance.

The LHSAA Prep Classic is underway and runs through Saturday. Tomorrow’s first matchup features Division 2 non-select the North Desoto Griffins and Iowa Yellow Jackets. Iowa head coach Tommy Johns says playing in the state championship for the first time in school history is special.

Cut 9 (10)  “…truly meant.”

Voting system vendors seeking certification by the State of Louisiana batted a thousand. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Those getting their Christmas trees from Christmas tree farms in Louisiana will find a nice selection this year. Kevin Steele, who owns Steele’s Christmas Tree Farm in Angie, in Washington Parish, says the shoppers are getting excellent quality.

Cut 7 (07) “…are very healthy.”

He says the current weather points to a successful crop next year too.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry has announced that all six voting system vendors that her office tested earlier this year passed certification. It comes as the office is working to select a new voting system to replace the current outdated one. Joel Watson with the Secretary of State’s Office says the office did not reach out to the vendors; the vendors reached out to the office.

Cut 3 (08) “…answered that invitation.”

It’s been a very successful season for Christmas tree farms throughout the state this year. Kevin Steele, who owns Steele’s Christmas Tree Farm in Angie, in Washington Parish, says business was brisk this year.

Cut 6 (09) “…on the farm.”

Steele says the trees were in excellent shape this year; and while it’s always hard to predict the future, the weather we had this year suggests that they’ll be in great shape next year too.

A bill sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy to redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies to patients in the form of health savings accounts has failed. The vote in the Senate was 51-to-48, falling nine votes short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Republican Rand Paul joined all Democrats in voting no. Before the vote, Cassidy responded to Democratic criticism that his plan amounted to what they call “junk insurance.”

Cut 15 (09) “…one we’re using.”

Cassidy said his goal is to come up with a solution that works for everyone, regardless of political affiliation.

LSU’s hiring of Lane Kiffin as its new head football coach is poised to yield a big economic impact for both the school and the City of Baton Rouge. Ever since LSU poached Kiffin from Ole Miss, the team has had more than 15-thousand new season ticket requests, as well as a large uptick in corporate partner and donor interest. LSU economics professor Dek Terrell says the real impact will come later.

Cut 10 (09) “…of that nature.”

LSU Athletics and Nike have announced an extension to their five-decade-long partnership through 2036, Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry announced on Thursday. In addition to the school extending its partnership, Nike has signed a total of 10 LSU athletes across seven different sports, which include Kailin Chio of gymnastics, Derek Curiel and Casan Evans of baseball, Tori Edwards and Jayden Heavener of softball, DJ Thomas of basketball, ZaKiyah Johnson of basketball and Jurnee Robinson of volleyball.

The LHSAA Prep Classic in the Superdome starts today. The second game of the day is a Division Four select matchup between the Riverside Rebels and the Ascension Catholic Bulldogs. Spencer Verrett of the LHSAA Network says the Rebels have an advantage at the line of scrimmage.

Cut 5 (12) “…defensive line operate.”

A new professional football team is coming to Monroe this summer. The city is getting a team in the Arena League. The new Monroe team will play its games at the Monroe Civic Center, and league owner Jeff Holmes says the games will feature some exciting entertainment to go along with the exciting football action.

Cut 15 (08) “…of that nature.”

The league is holding a name-the-team contest for Monroe’s newest professional sports franchise.

The New Orleans Pelicans return to action tonight as they face the Portland Trail Blazers at 7 p.m.

LSU’s Gulf Coast Energy Outlook predicts the state will continue to see investment in petrochemicals and LNG projects in 2026. Greg Upton, the interim director of the Energy Institute, says natural gas prices continue to remain low, which continues to drive investment in refined products.

Cut 8 (11) “…investment that’s happening.”

Monroe is getting a new professional football team this summer – no, not an NFL team or even a UFL team. Rather, an Arena League team which will play in the Monroe Civic Center. This, as the league expands to eight teams for its third season. League owner Jeff Holmes says what’s unique about this league is that it features seven players a side, and – despite the name of the sport – there’s no kicking allowed.

Cut 14 (07) “…receive the ball.”

Eight state champions will be crowned in Louisiana high school football over the next three days, as the Prep Classic kicks off in the Superdome today. Andre Champagne has a preview of the first two matchups of the day.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The sound of worthless Powerball tickets being torn to pieces after not a single ticket coast to coast matched all five numbers plus the Powerball number to claim the 930-million dollar jackpot. That means the jackpot for Saturday’s drawing will be north of a billion dollars.

Less than two hours to go before the Prep Classic gets underway at the Superdome – eight games over three days to crown the next state champions in Louisiana high school football. The first game today is a Division Four non-select matchup between the undefeated Haynesville Golden Tornado and the Mangham Dragons. Spencer Verrett with the LHSAA Network says Haynesville may be undefeated, but Mangham is battle-tested.

Cut 4 (09) “…Haynesville team again.”

Today’s players who fall short of making it to the NFL but still want to continue their playing careers beyond college might want to give the Arena League a try. There will be a team in Monroe debuting this summer. League owner Jeff Holmes says along with the football, the games will feature some exciting entertainment.

Cut 15 (08) “…of that nature.”

LSU’s Gulf Coast Energy Outlook predicts the oil and gas sector will continue to grow, thanks to technological improvements and low natural gas prices. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Those of you who receive Medicaid through UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, your provider will move to Aetna Better Health when the calendar flips to 2026. More than 330-thousand Medicaid recipients will be making the transition.

As we head into 2026, LSU’s Gulf Coast Energy Outlook predicts the state will continue to invest in energy-intensive manufacturing. Greg Upton, the interim director of the Energy Institute, says with the construction of a massive data center in Richland Parish and the Hyundai plant in Ascension, meeting the electricity demand will be a major story to watch.

Cut 9 (10)  “…the electric grid?”

LSU’s hiring of Lane Kiffin has been an economic shot in the arm in the early going, with 15-thousand new season ticket requests and a large uptick in corporate partner and donor interest. LSU economics professor Dek Terrell says while that’s good, there’s no substitute for contending for a national title.

Cut 12 (10) “…over 60-percent.”

Eight state football champions will be crowned in the Superdome over the next three days, starting today. Today’s Prep Classic action culminates at seven this evening with a marquee matchup in Division Three select between Dunham and Calvary Baptist. Spencer Verrett with the LHSAA Network says Dunham’s all-world quarterback Elijah Haven could cause trouble for Calvary Baptist.

Cut 6 (13) “…ball on you.”

A new professional football team is coming to Monroe this summer. No, no NFL team is moving there; not even a UFL team. Rather, the city is getting a team in The Arena League. League owner Jeff Holmes says the league is adding the team for its third season.

Cut 13 (10)  “…including Monroe, Louisiana.”

The Louisiana Prep Classic kicks off in the Superdome today. Andre Champagne has a preview of the first two matchups of the day.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury indicted five people yesterday in connection with the alleged hazing death of Southern University student Caleb Wilson.  Wilson was a mechanical engineering major and played the trumpet for the Human jukebox.  He died February 27^th.  His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in September.

————————–

LSU’s Gulf Coast Energy Outlook predicts oil and gas production will continue to expand, and the state will continue to see investment in petrochemicals, LNG projects and energy-intensive manufacturing. Greg Upton, the interim director of the Energy Institute says natural gas prices continue to remain low, which continues to drive investment in refined products.

Cut 8 (11) “…investment that’s happening.”

A new professional football team is coming to Monroe this summer….an addition to the Arena League.  League owner Jeff Holmes, who also owns the Iowa Woo, says The Arena League plays a unique brand of indoor football, including seven players on the field per side. And despite the name of the sport, there is no kicking.

Cut 14 (07) “…receive the ball.”

The league is holding a name the team contest for Monroe’s newest professional sports franchise.