Governor Landry’s quest to rewrite the state’s tax code has reached the finish line. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34)“…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Tomorrow is Election Day in Louisiana. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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A transformative partnership with Entergy Louisiana and Meta was announced for the largest AI data center in the country to be built in Richland Parish.  Sean Richardosn has more.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Signed, sealed, delivered – Governor Landry signs the tax reform package in a ceremony at the State Capitol. Landry said the changes in the tax code mark a new day in Louisiana.

Cut 4 (08) “…a better tomorrow.”

Landry said the changes will allow the people in Louisiana to keep more of their hard-earned money, including a reduction of the income tax to a flat three-percent across the board.

Cut 5 (15) “…in this state.”

Landry said the ultimate goals include spurring new business and investment in the state and to get people to stay in the state and not go to neighboring states like Florida and Texas which do not have any state income tax.

Cut 6 (10) “…here in Louisiana.”

Landry, however, did not get the broadening of the sales tax base he had asked for. Instead, lawmakers boosted the state sales tax rate to five-percent to compensate for the reduction in income tax revenue. The changes take effect January 1st.

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Tomorrow is Election Day in Louisiana. Everyone across the state will be voting on four constitutional amendments. Joel Watson with the Secretary of State’s Office says several voters will also have some local races to decide.

Cut 7 (07) “…Baton Rouge Parish.”

…that race is between Democratic incumbent Sharon Weston Broome and Republican Challenger Sid Edwards. Watson says it’s easy to find which races will be on your ballot.

Cut 8 (11) “…this Saturday’s election.”

The best part is – you can pull up that app while in the voting booth to make voting quicker.

Cut 9 (12)  “…never see that.”

Polls are open from seven a-m to eight p-m Saturday. Anyone who’s in line at eight p-m will be able to vote.

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Tonight it’s the semifinals of the high school football playoffs and for Ouachita (WASH-uh-tuh) Chrisitan to win its ninth state championship, the Eagles will fly south today to Donaldsonville to take on second-seeded Ascension Catholic. Host of the Sports Scouting Report Podcast Lee Brecheen (brick-EEN) believes O-C-S can pull off the upset…

Cut 10 (10) “…state title.”

In Division one select, Alexandria Senior High hosts John Curtis. The Patriots as a 19 seed are seeking a 29^th state title. Brecheen has the Trojans winning tonight…

Cut 11 (11) “…beat Acadiana.”

John Curtis has defeated Brother Martin, Acadiana and Teurlings Catholic to get to the semifinals.

In Division one non-select, Neville is hosting Central, while Destrehan is at Ruston. Brecheen says Destrehan has a lot of talent

Cut 12 (13) “…in the Dome.”

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Entergy Louisiana has announced a transformative partnership with Meta to construct Meta’s largest data center in Richland Parish, part of a 10-billion-dollar investment. Entergy Louisiana CEO Philip May says the 4-million-square-foot facility will anchor significant infrastructure development and economic revitalization in Northeast Louisiana.

Cut 13 (12)  “…of the state.”

May says Entergy plans to build three advanced generation units, substations, and nearly 100 miles of transmission lines to support the project, which will create thousands of construction jobs and 44 permanent positions.

Cut 14 (13) “…to that area.”

Meta’s data center will be located on the 1,400-acre Franklin Farm mega site, strategically chosen for its infrastructure and transportation access. May emphasized Entergy’s investment offsets costs for existing customers by over 300-million-dolars, while Meta contributes to community support programs.

Cut 15 (13) “…for that region.”

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Tomorrow night in Lafayette, it’s the Sun Belt title game between the Ragin Cajuns and Marshall. The Thundering Herd have the Sun Belt Player of the Year in Mike Green. The redshirt sophomore defensive lineman leads the nation in tackles with loss. Desormeaux says Green is hard to block…

Cut 16 (16) “…all over the place.”

Marshall’s quarterback, Braylon Braxton is the Sun Belt Newcomer of the year. Desormeaux says Braxton is a hard nosed runner and can also beat you with his arm…

Cut 17 (16) “…right in his wheelhouse.” 

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Southern and Jackson State meet for the third time in two years in the SWAC Championship on Saturday in Jackson. The Tigers have the best offense in the SWAC and they are second in the league in points allowed and total defense. Graves on why Jackson State has been so successful on defense…

Cut 18 (10)   “…quarterback.”

Southern is seeking its 20th SWAC title. Graves says they’ll do anything to win the game…

Cut 19 (21) “…successful.”

Kick off is at 1 PM.

Governor Landry signs the tax reform bill this afternoon in a ceremony at the Capitol. Landry said it’s the dawn of a new era.

Cut 13 (11)  “…pro-business environment.”

Landry says thanks to this overhaul of the tax code, Louisiana can now bridge the gap with neighboring states and keep its home-grown talent here.

Two of the amendments you’ll be voting on on Saturday have to do with passing budgets in the legislature. Amendment 2 would require a 48-hour waiting period before voting on budget-related legislation. Author Tony Bacala says a situation arose in the 2023 regular session that prompted this amendment.

Cut 3 (09) “…to review them.” 

Amendment 3 would allow for up to three, two-day extensions to finish work on the budget if necessary.

State Treasurer John Fleming is challenging Senator Bill Cassidy for his seat in 2026, but he may not be the only Republican to throw his name in the hat. ULM Political Science Professor Preston Cross says Congressman Clay Higgins might also seek the seat. Cross says former and future president Donald Trump’s endorsement will likely determine the primary’s outcome.

Cut 8 (05) “…Clay Higgins.”

Cassidy’s spokesman questioned Fleming’s motives, citing his brief tenure as state treasurer and alleging his eagerness to leave Louisiana for Washington.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly sounded off on the NIL landscape that’s dominating recruiting. The veteran head coach says recruiting used to be about relationships, but now it’s about the dollars…

Cut 9 (07)  “…live in”

LSU lost out on a few elite prospects in the final two weeks leading up to the early signing period. LSU can make up for those losses by signing players out of the transfer portal, but again it will take money.

Two of the amendments you’ll be voting on on Saturday have to do with passing budgets in the legislature. Amendment 2 would require a 48-hour waiting period before voting on budget-related legislation. Author Tony Bacala says a situation arose in the 2023 regular session that prompted this amendment.

Cut 3 (09) “…to review them.” 

Amendment 3 would allow a session to be extended by two days to finish work on the budget if necessary, and it would permit up to three such extensions.

Senator Bill Cassidy now finds himself having to gear up for a primary challenge by State Treasurer John Fleming and possibly others. Fleming served in the first Trump administration, and ULM Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says it’s likely Flemming has gotten assurances that Trump will endorse him…

Cut 7 (05) “…consider him loyal.”

LSU Coach Brian Kelly says National Signing Day felt more like Tax Day instead as money is becoming more of a factor in getting players to sign with a school. Sean Richardson has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “….I’m Sean Richardson” 

LSU is not vying for a conference title, but three other Louisiana teams are. Tulane takes on Army at West Point tomorrow night for the American Athletic Conference title. On Saturday, U-L Lafayette hosts Marshall in the Sun Belt Championship. Also Saturday, Southern takes on Jackson State in the SWAC championship, with the winner taking on the MEAC champion in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on December 14th.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly sounded off on the NIL landscape that’s dominating recruiting. The veteran head coach says recruiting used to be about relationships, but now it’s about the dollars…

Cut 9 (07)  “…live in”

LSU lost out on a few elite prospects in the final two weeks leading up to the early signing period. LSU can make up for those losses by signing players out of the transfer portal, but again it will take money.

LSU was able to ink some other big-name prospects on the first day of the early signing period. The strength of the incoming class is all of the homegrown talent, like linebacker Dylan Moses from University High in Baton Rouge. Kelly says Moses will have a great experience at LSU and will be rewarded financially.

Cut 19 (18) “…financially.”

McNeese introduces – makes that RE-introduces – Matt Viator (VEE-uh-tore) as its new head football coach. During his introductory news conference, Viator said McNeese is very special to him and to his family.

Cut 16 (09) “…in our heart.”

Viator previously coached the team from 2006 to 2015, racking up 78 wins, four Southland Conference titles and five playoff appearances.

The Ragin Cajuns recruiting class features several three-star prospects including Acadiana wide receiver Russell Babineaux and Neville cornerback Cam Riley.

ULM signed a three-star quarterback from Tuscaloosa, Bryson Kimbrough.

Oak Grove quarterback Jackson Bradley signed with La Tech. So did Ruston linebacker Zheric Hill.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team lost to 16th ranked Memphis 81 to 71.

 One of LSU’s top players, Jalen Reed, is out for the year with a torn ACL.

He signs it on the dotted line today. Governor Landry will be signing the tax reform package at the Capitol at one this afternoon. It includes an across-the-board personal income tax cut down to a flat three-percent and the elimination of the corporate franchise tax. However, it also includes a state sales tax hike to five percent to compensate for not adding services to the sales tax base.

Senator Bill Cassidy has competition for his seat in 2026. State Treasurer John Fleming has announced that he’s mounting a primary challenge against Cassidy. Fleming says he would bring a new voice to the Senate.

Cut 5 (13) “…senator like me.” 

Fleming previously represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District from 2009 to 2017. During this time, he and eight other Republicans founded the House Freedom Caucus.

The five-day shopping period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday delivered promising results for retailers, particularly in e-commerce. LSU Associate Professor of Marketing Dan Rice says in-store retailers are making changes to keep up with online shopping trends…

Cut 15 (12) “…instead of Black Friday.”

The National Retail Federation highlighted a higher-than-expected 197 million shoppers, surpassing initial forecasts by more than 13 million.

New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter is elected first vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for the upcoming 119th Congress. Carter says he’s honored to be tapped for the second-most senior position in caucus leadership.

Cut 10 (06) “…opportunity to serve.”

Carter says while America has come a long way in providing opportunity for minorities, there’s still a long way to go.

Senator Bill Cassidy has a primary challenger for his seat in 2026. State Treasurer John Fleming announced that he will be running for Cassidy’s seat. Fleming said one of his main priorities should he be elected to the Senate is the southern border.

Cut 4 (10) “…and the like.”

Fleming previously represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District from 2009 to 2017. During that time, he and eight other Republicans founded the House Freedom Caucus. After leaving the U.S. House, Fleming served as a Trump advisor before becoming Louisiana state treasurer last year.

Governor Landry will be signing the tax reform package into law today. While he got his across-the-board tax cut that he had sought, he didn’t get the additional services added to the sales tax base. Instead, the state sales tax will increase to five percent. The signing takes place at one this afternoon at the Capitol.

197 million people shopped online and in stores from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 3 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Facebook parent company Meta announces that it’s building a ten-billion-dollar A-I data center in Richland Parish. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says the legislature played a major role in attracting this data center to northeast Louisiana by approving a sales tax rebate bill…

Cut 9 (09)  “…announcements.”

Governor Landry will be signing the tax reform package at the Capitol this afternoon. The legislature approved the package during a special session that wrapped up last month. While it includes an across-the-board personal income tax cut down to a flat three-percent, it also includes a state sales tax hike to five percent to compensate for not adding services to the sales tax base.

State Treasurer John Fleming has announced that he’s challenging Senator Bill Cassidy for his seat in 2026. Fleming said Cassidy is out of touch with Louisiana voters.

Cut 6 (15) “…none of that.”

A Baton Rouge man is sentenced to life in prison for killing three people, including a one-year-old girl, on Memorial Day in 2021. But because Ladarius Coleman was only 15 at the time of the killings, the now-18-year-old will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

Governor Landry says Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, is making the largest investment ever in north Louisiana with construction of a ten-billion dollar artificial intelligence data center in Richland Parish. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

A search is underway in New Orleans after police exchanged gunfire with suspects inside an alleged stolen SUV near the French Quarter. It happened as police were responding to a call for assistance near the intersection of Basin and St. Louis streets yesterday evening. The SUV backed into the patrol car, and that’s when the shooting started. No one was hurt.

Senator Bill Cassidy has a primary challenger for 2026. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (31)“…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Governor Landry says Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, is making the largest investment ever in north Louisiana with construction of a ten-billion dollar artificial intelligence data center in Richland Parish. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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197 million people shopped online and in stores from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 3 (27) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy has a primary challenger for his seat in 2026. State Treasurer John Fleming announced that he will be running for Cassidy’s seat. Fleming said one of his main priorities should he be elected to the Senate in 2026 is the southern border.

Cut 4 (10) “…and the like.”

Fleming previously represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District from 2009 to 2017. During this time, he and eight other Republicans founded the House Freedom Caucus. After leaving the U.S. House, Fleming served as a Trump advisor before becoming Louisiana state treasurer last year. Fleming says he would bring a new voice to the Senate.

Cut 5 (13) “…senator like me.”

Fleming said while Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial in 2021 was one of the overriding factors leading to his decision to challenge him, that’s not the only reason. Fleming said Cassidy is out of touch with Louisiana voters.

Cut 6 (15) “…none of that.”

A spokesman for the Cassidy campaign released a statement, saying that he thought that Fleming wanted to be state treasurer, but apparently that’s not the case. The spokesman said Fleming wants to get out of Louisiana; and since he couldn’t get a job in the Trump administration, he’s looking for another job in Washington.

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Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, will build a massive 10-ten billion dollar artificial intelligence data center in Rayville in Richland Parish. A project expected to create 500 or more direct jobs. So how did it happen? Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says initial conversations with Meta began soon after Governor Landry took office and ten months later Louisiana won the project…

Cut 7 (11) “…solved the problem.”

Bourgeois says a project of this magnitude usually takes years of negotiations before construction can begin, but talks with Meta only took months to get done. She says to support both the construction and eventual operation of the data center, Louisiana Community and Technical College System has committed 250-thousand dollars in Workforce Rapid Response….

Cut 8 (12) “…executing on that.”

Bourgeois says Louisiana’s Legislature also played a major role in attracting this data center to northeast Louisiana by approving a sales tax rebate bill…

Cut 9 (09)  “…announcements.”

Bourgeois says construction begins immediately and Meta would like to see the facility completely built out in the next three to four years.

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New Orleans Congressman Troy Carter is elected first vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for the upcoming 119th Congress. Carter says he’s honored to be tapped for the second-most senior position in caucus leadership.

Cut 10 (06) “…opportunity to serve.”

Carter says he looks forward to being the voice of people who have historically been marginalized.

Cut 11 (08) “…and left behind.”

Carter says while America has come a long way in providing opportunity for minorities, there’s still a long way to go.

Cut 12 (12) “…a fair shake.”

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The five-day shopping period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday delivered promising results for retailers, particularly in e-commerce. U.S. online sales reached 41-billion-dollars. The National Retail Federation (NRF) highlighted a higher-than-expected 197 million shoppers, surpassing initial forecasts by over 13.6 million. LSU Associate Professor of Marketing Dan Rice says the number of shoppers was lower from last year…

Cut 13 (10)  “…197 million this year.”

Rice says online shopping saw significant growth, with Cyber Monday sales hitting 13-billion dollars, up 7-percent year-over-year, and mobile purchases comprising 57-percent of those sales, reflecting a steady shift toward mobile commerce.

Cut 14 (08) “…another errand.”

In-store shopping traffic declined by 2-percent compared to last year, though it outperformed average year-to-date figures.  Rice says in-store retailers are making changes to keep up with online shopping trends…

Cut 15 (12) “…instead of Black Friday.”

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McNeese introduces – makes that RE-introduces – Matt Viator (VEE-uh-tore) as its new head football coach. During his introductory news conference, Viator said McNeese is very special to him and to his family.

Cut 16 (09) “…in our heart.”

Viator previously coached the team from 2006 to 2015, racking up 78 wins, four Southland Conference titles and five playoff appearances. But Viator has turned the page from his first stint.

Cut 17 (24) “…the game’s changed.” 

Viator replaces Gary Goff, who was fired after the team finished 6-and-6 this season.

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The LSU football team has brought in a top-ten recruiting class, but it could have been a top-five class if five-star recruits Bryce Underwood and Kade Phillips had not decommitted leading up to national signing day. Kelly says money was the factor in why they chose to play elsewhere…

Cut 18 (16)   “…we live in.”

Kelly did not mention the players by name, but basically they received an offer that they couldn’t refuse.

The strength of the class is all of the homegrown talent, like linebacker Dylan Moses from University High in Baton Rouge. Kelly says Moses will have a great experience at LSU and will be awarded financially.

Cut 19 (18) “…financially.”

LSU signed two wide receivers, Phillip Wright from Destrehan and TaRon Francis from Edna Karr. Kelly is excited about Francis’ potential…

Cut 20 (20) “..at LSU.”

Senator Bill Cassidy has a primary challenger for his seat in 2026. State Treasurer John Fleming announced that he will be running for Cassidy’s seat. Fleming previously represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District from 2009 to 2017. During this time, he and eight other Republicans founded the House Freedom Caucus. After leaving the U.S. House, Fleming served as a Trump advisor before becoming Louisiana state treasurer last year.

Outgoing Louisiana Congressman Garret Graves’ name has surfaced as a possible choice to lead FEMA. Graves says he has spoken to President-elect Trump’s transition team about various positions with the new administration, but FEMA director is not one he’s excited about…

Cut 3 (08) “…that position.” 

Graves believes for FEMA to be effective in responding to disasters, it needs to be a cabinet-level agency and not tucked inside the U-S Department of Homeland Security.

Governor Landry announces a 10-billion dollar investment for a Meta A-I Data Center. Colleen Crain has more.

Cut 2 (34) “….I’m Colleen Crain” 

Despite a couple big names defecting from LSU in the days before this, the first day of the early signing period, LSU has inked a few big names in the freshman class of 2025. They include the top two running backs in the state – Harlem Berry of St. Martin’s High School in Metairie and J.T. Lindsey of Alexandria Senior High.

Facebook parent company Meta announces that it will build an Artificial Intelligence Optimized Data Center in Richland Parish near Rayville. Governor Landry says it’s a game changer for the state.

Cut 13 (14)  “…Louisiana’s landscape.”

The data center is expected to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, as well as thousands of construction jobs.

Outgoing Congressman Garret Graves’ name has surfaced as a possible choice to lead FEMA. Graves says he’s not a fan of FEMA’s structure and wanted to see Donald Trump implement reforms in his first term.

Cut 5 (12) “…Homeland Security.”

Graves will be leaving Congress at the end of his term after not seeking re-election.

A prestigious honor for a fourth grade math teacher in East Baton Rouge Parish, as Ashley Davis is awarded the 3,000th Milken Educator Award. Davis has significantly influenced the school’s inclusion model, creating a supportive environment for general and special education students to thrive.

Cut 10 (15) “…it doesn’t matter.”

Davis was awarded 25-thousand dollars.

LSU scores some big names on National Signing Day. Zach Nagy, the publisher of LSU Tigers on S-I, says LSU signed the number-one cornerback in the state in Aiden Anding of Ruston High School.

Cut 8 (15) “…like Aidan Anding.”