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.”

A St. Landry Parish woman is under arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting her own children. 31-year-old Keirsten White is facing four charges in connection with the abuse of her two kids, both of whom are under four years old. Major Mark LeBlanc (le-BLAH) with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office says investigators were baffled when White turned herself in. 

Cut 7 (13) “…this particular situation.”

LeBlanc says the kids’ injuries are minor, and that they should make a full recovery.

Senator Bill Cassidy is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the Social Security Fairness Act up for a vote.

Cut 14 (05) “…for a vote.”

The legislation would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which lawmakers from both parties say unfairly cut Social Security benefits for those who work in the public sector.

Many Louisiana students are missing out on financial aid for college due to incomplete FAFSA forms. It’s a national trend exacerbated last year by glitches in the application’s rollout. Ebony Holmes with the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance says despite that, Louisiana is doing relatively well.

Cut 6 (09) “…national average.”

Today is Signing Day in college football. Matthew Brune covers LSU football for The Bengal Tiger and says LSU has signed a pair of top linebackers.

Cut 12 (14) “…in the class.”

Running back Harlem Berry out of St. Martin’s High School in Metairie has also signed. In all, Brune says LSU will have one of the ten best freshman classes of 2025.

Senator Bill Cassidy is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the Social Security Fairness act for a vote. Cassidy says in the waning days of the 118th Congress, the Senate is focused too much on legislation that means less to the American people.

Cut 15 (13) “…legislation that matters.”

Schumer has considered attaching the act to the budget bill. Cassidy said he would still support it if that’s indeed what happens.

A Texas-based wing restaurant that’s been a staple in the LSU community for more than two decades is no more. Both Pluckers locations in Baton Rouge, including the one near the LSU campus, abruptly closed earlier this week. The franchisee cited upgrade costs as the reason to shut them down. They were the only locations outside the State of Texas.

A lottery player in St. Mary Parish is now a millionaire. The lucky player matched all five regular balls in the November 26th Mega Millions drawing but missed the MegaBall. Adding the Megaplier, that brings the prize to three-million dollars.

This year many Louisiana students are missing out on financial aid for college due to incomplete FAFSA forms. Sean Richardson has the story.

Cut 1 (27)“…I’m Sean Richardson.”

Today is Signing Day in college football. Matthew Brune covers LSU football for The Bengal Tiger and says the days leading up to signing day haven’t been the easiest in program history.

Cut 10 (12) “…Gorman in Nevada.”

Still, Brune says LSU is expected to sign one of the top ten freshman classes of 2025.

This year many Louisiana students are missing out on financial aid for college due to incomplete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. Sean Richardson has the story.

Cut 1 (27)“…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A St. Landry Parish Woman is accused of doing one of the most heinous things imaginable to her own children. Colleen Crain reports…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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Today is national signing day in college football. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Many Louisiana students are missing out on financial aid for college due to incomplete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms, a national trend exacerbated last year by glitches in the application’s rollout. Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistant Ebony Holmes says some challenges led to a decline in FAFSA submissions.

Cut 4 (08) “…technical issues.”

Holmes says LOSFA has implemented strategies to reverse the decline, including FAFSA completion events, digital media campaigns, and one-on-one troubleshooting sessions. Programs like “FAFSA Frenzy” and “FAFSA Fridays” aim to simplify the process and address errors.

Cut 5 (10) “…across the state.”

Despite the issues, Louisiana maintains a higher-than-average FAFSA completion rate of 62.9%, partly due to its current policy requiring FAFSA completion for graduation, though this will end in 2025.

Cut 6 (09) “…national average.”

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A St. Landry Parish woman is under arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting her own children. 31-year-old Keirsten White is facing four charges in connection with the abuse of her two children, both of whom are under four years old. Major Mark LeBlanc (le-BLAH) with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office says investigators were baffled when White turned herself in.

Cut 7 (13) “…this particular situation.”

LeBlanc says White has been going through a lot of things lately.

Cut 8 (11) “…in that alone.”

LeBlanc says the kids’ injuries are minor, and that they should make a full recovery. While he couldn’t be specific as to where they’re currently staying he said the kids are properly being cared for. As for the investigation, LeBlanc says it is ongoing.

Cut 9 (10)  “…to have happened.”

No bond has been set at this time.

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Today is Signing Day in college football. Matthew Brune covers LSU football for The Bengal Tiger and says the days leading up to signing day haven’t been the easiest in program history.

Cut 10 (12) “…Gorman in Nevada.” (refers to defected Bryce Underwood to Michigan and Kade Phillips to Texas)

Still, Brune says LSU is expected to sign one of the top ten freshman classes of 2025, including the top cornerback in the nation.

Cut 11 (07) “…out of Florida.” (refers to D.J. Pickett)

Other likely signees with the Tigers include running back Harlem Berry out of St. Martin’s High School in Metairie, who he calls the best running back in the country. LSU is also expected to sign a pair of top linebackers.

Cut 12 (14) “…in the class.” (Charles Ross of Houston and Jaiden Breaker of Georgia)

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Senator Bill Cassidy is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the Social Security Fairness Act up for a vote.

Cut 13 (15)  “…it weeks ago.”

The legislation would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which lawmakers from both parties say unfairly cuts Social Security benefits for those who work in the public sector, such as teachers, police officers and firefighters. Cassidy introduced the companion legislation in the Senate.

Cut 14 (05) “…for a vote.”

Cassidy says in the waning days of the 118th Congress, the Senate is focused too much on legislation that means less to the American people than the Social Security Fairness Act.

Cut 15 (05) “…legislation that matters.”

Schumer has considered attaching the Social Security Fairness Act to the budget bill. Cassidy said he would still support it if that’s indeed what happens.

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McNeese turns back the clock in hiring Matt Viator (VEE-uh-tore) as its new – make that returning – head football coach to replace Gary Goff, who was fired after three seasons. Jim Gazzolo with the American Press in Lake Charles says this is a great rehire for the school.

Cut 16 (12) “…happy about it.”

Viator previously coached the team from 2006 to 2015, racking up 78 wins, four Southland Conference titles and five playoff appearances. However, Gazzolo cautions that the second time around night not be a carbon copy of Viator’s first stint.

Cut 17 (14) “…of recreate it.” 

McNeese finished the 2024 season with a record of 6-and-6.

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Nicholls hires Tommy Rybacki (RYE-backie) as its new head football coach, taking over for the retired Tim Rebowe. In his introductory news conference, Rybacki said he’s excited for the opportunity to lead the Colonels.

Cut 18 (10)   “…to be special.”

Rybacki says the goal is to play a brand of football that creates a sense of pride for the university and the community.

Cut 19 (25) “…hate to play.”  

Nicholls finished 4-and-8 this season.

A former Catholic priest and admitted serial child molester pleads guilty to kidnapping and raping a boy in the 1970s. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams says 93-year-old Lawrence Hecker’s victim had reported the attack to his school principal, who failed to inform authorities.

Cut 10 (14) “…predator to run.”

Hecker will be sentenced later this month.

A new report by the Louisiana Illuminator says there’s been little to no progress on reforming LSU’s Title Nine office four years after USA Today published an explosive report. Piper Hutchinson says employees within the office are alleging a hostile work environment, which is causing a slowdown in Title Nine complaints. Hutchinson notes that universities in general receive a fair number of Title Nine complaints.

Cut 4 (11) “…to these abuses.”

LSU football has lost a five-star commitment on the eve of national signing day. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 2 (33) “….I’m Jeff Palermo” 

The state breaks ground on the Maurepas Swamp Project in St. John the Baptist Parish – a freshwater divergence that will reconnect the Mississippi River to the swamp. River reintroduction involves redirecting fresh water and sediments from the Mississippi River into the swamp via engineered channels. This process replenishes nutrients, improves water quality, and mitigates subsidence by restoring natural sediment deposition.

In a little less than four months, voters will head to the polls to have the final say on certain aspects of the tax reform law that the legislature passed in the special session. Steven Procopio, the president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, says PAR will release a voter guide on the amendment vote, but it will take a couple months to sift through everything.

Cut 6 (11) “…all the details.”

The election is slated for March 29th.

Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge releases its annual list of the most popular baby names for 2024. Hospital spokeswoman Laurel Burgos says while many names are more traditional, some more modern trendy names made it onto the list.

Cut 14 (09) “…more trendy.” 

The number-one name for boys is Noah; the most popular name for girls is Amelia.

The holiday season can be a difficult time for many, marked by stress, loneliness and depression. LSU Medical Center Trauma Psychologist Sandy Hyatt says by prioritizing mental health and redefining the holidays on personal terms, people can find joy and connection beyond the season.

Cut 9 (15)  “…this time of year.”

Hyatt says seeking social connections, expressing emotions through journaling or conversations, and setting boundaries to avoid over-commitment are also effective.

A 93-year-old former Catholic priest pleads guilty to all counts in his long-delayed rape trial. Lawrence Hecker admitted to suffocating a teenage boy until he was unconscious and raping him in a New Orleans church back in 1975. Hecker had previously confessed to molesting several boys in the 1960s and 1970s. Hecker will be sentenced later this month.