Bill Cassidy challenges Julia Letlow to a series of televised debates. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The dismissal of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary came days after Republican Senator John Kennedy questioned Noem about a 220-million-dollar ad campaign. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Bill Cassidy has challenged Julia Letlow to a series of three televised debates as the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate is heating up. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says the fact that Cassidy is suggesting this at all is a clear indication that alarm bells are going off within his campaign.

Cut 3 (10) “…own electoral chances.”

Hogan says Cassidy challenging Letlow to the debates, on top of his campaign’s messaging that includes labeling her as “Liberal Letlow,” proves that Cassidy views Letlow as a serious threat to his re-election chances.

Cut 4 (10) “…to move ahead.”

While Cassidy challenged Letlow, he did not challenge the other major candidate in the race, John Fleming. Hogan says Cassidy likely wants to debate just Letlow to avoid getting ganged up on.

Cut 5 (06) “…against one scenario.”

The three debates are slated to be held in Shreveport, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. The Baton Rouge debate is being organized by Louisiana Public Broadcasting and Leaders for a Better Louisiana and is scheduled for April 16th. Letlow says she cannot attend due to her commitments in the U.S. House. But Fleming, who organizers did invite, says he will attend.

Organizers for the Shreveport and Lafayette debates also invited Fleming, and he said he would attend the Shreveport debate. He did not say whether he would attend the Lafayette debate. No dates have been announced for those two debates yet.

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The University of Louisiana System filed a lawsuit on behalf of Louisiana Tech against Conference USA Wednesday. In July, LA Tech announced plans of exiting the conference to join the Sun Belt before the 2026 football season, but the move has been delayed, thanks to pushback from Conference USA and bylaws that require 14-month notice. Lincoln Parish Journal Publisher Malcolm Butler says these rules didn’t stop an exodus of member schools in 2021.

Cut 6 (10) “…eight months later.”

The suit claims that Louisiana Tech approached Conference USA with a financial offer providing two full years of conference distributions. The conference responded with a proposal that included NCAA distributions for player welfare typically given to schools but done so through conferences, a difference Butler estimates to be more than two-million dollars.

Cut 7 (11) “…the university are.”

In 2022, Conference USA initially released a conference schedule including Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion as they negotiated an exit before releasing a final one without them. With 2026 conference schedule releases already underway, Butler says the clock is ticking.

Cut 8 (10) “…interesting to see.”

Last year, the C-USA schedule was announced on February 6th, and the Sun Belt released its schedule on February 28th.

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Days before President Trump fired Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy took Noem to task for a 220-million-dollar ad campaign that he says was more about boosting her name recognition than encouraging immigrants to self-deport.

Cut 9 (16)  “…Okay.”

President Trump said he never knew anything Noem’s border security advertising campaign and that he spent less money than that to become president.

In congressional hearings before her firing, Noem defended the ad campaign that prominently features her riding on horseback at Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota.

Cut 10 (14) “…terribly awkward spot.”

The firm used to produce the spot reportedly has ties to Noem, and the competitive bidding process was not followed. Kennedy grilled Noem about that aspect.

Cut 11 (11) “…it’s not, sir.”

Noem says she had nothing to do with picking the contractors that produced the spot.

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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved the expansion of black bear hunting areas from three last year to seven across the state this season. Black bear hunting has been legal for the last two years after previously being banned in 1987. LDWF large carnivore program manager John Hanks says tag allotments will be very conservative.

Cut 12 (08) “…have that opportunity.”

The total number of permits awarded this year is expected to increase from the 26 last season, but no official number has been set. Hanks says only 16 bears were successfully harvested last year.

Cut 13 (07) “…a hunting season.”

Hunters may apply to take part in the tag lottery from July 28th to August 28th. The 2026 season will begin December 5th and will run for 16 days. Hanks says receiving a black bear permit is not as simple as just paying an extra fee.

Cut 14 (07) “…and go hunting.”

Senator John Kennedy took fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to task this week over a 220-million-dollar ad campaign that he says was more about boosting her name recognition. In congressional hearings before her firing, Noem defended the ad campaign that prominently features her riding on horseback at Mount Rushmore in her home state of South Dakota.

Cut 10 (14) “…awkward spot.”

LDWF ups the number of black bear hunting areas this year from three to seven. Large carnivore program manager John Hanks says it comes as only 16 bears were successfully harvested last year.

Cut 13 (08) “…hunting season.”

Bill Cassidy is challenging Julia Letlow to three televised debates. However, he didn’t mention John Fleming in his invite. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says Cassidy likely wants to debate just Letlow to avoid getting ganged up on.

Cut 5 (06) “…against one scenario.”

One debate is scheduled for April 16th in Baton Rouge. Letlow says she can’t attend. But Louisiana Public Broadcasting and Leaders for a Better Louisiana, who are organizing the debate, invited Fleming, who said he’d attend.

The University of Louisiana System filed a lawsuit on behalf of Louisiana Tech against Conference USA. It comes as Tech is looking to leave Conference USA for the Sun Belt before next football season. Lincoln Parish Journal Publisher Malcolm Butler says the clock is ticking.

Cut 8 (10) “…interesting to see.”

Bill Cassidy challenges Julia Letlow to a series of three televised debates as the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate is heating up. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says this is proof that Cassidy views Letlow as a serious threat to his re-election chances.

Cut 4 (10) “…to move ahead.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved the expansion of black bear hunting areas from three last year to seven across the state this season. Black bear hunting has been legal for the last two years after being banned in 1987. LDWF large carnivore program manager John Hanks says tag allotments will be very conservative.

Cut 12 (08) “…that opportunity.”

Hunters may apply to take part in the tag lottery any time between July 28 and Aug. 28.

The dismissal of Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary came days after Republican Senator John Kennedy questioned Noem about a 220-million-dollar ad campaign. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Speaking of Homeland Security, Governor Landry is among 20 governors urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to end the stalemate over DHS funding and end the shutdown affecting that department. They cite the recent terror-related shooting in Austin, Texas, in which three people were killed.

Days before President Trump fired Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy took Noem to task for a 220-million-dollar ad campaign that he says was more about boosting her name recognition than encouraging immigrants to self-deport.

Cut 9 (16)  “…okay.”

Bill Cassidy has challenged Julia Letlow to a series of three televised debates. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says this is a clear indication that alarm bells are going off within Cassidy’s campaign.

Cut 3 (10) “…own electoral chances.”

Yesterday’s magnitude 4.9 earthquake in Red River Parish was one of the biggest in Louisiana history. Cynthia Ebinger (uh-BING-er) with the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering says the oil and gas industry may be at least partially to blame, since we’re seeing an uptick in earthquakes in neighboring states. 

Cut 5 (13) “…separate wastewater wells.”

Meta is promising to hold the line on utility customers’ bills where it has data centers through its Ratepayer Protection Pledge. Diana Doukas (DOO-kis), the director for economic opportunity and advocacy at Meta, says as part of its pledge, Meta is launching the Community Action Grant Program.

Cut 12 (09) “…building sustainable communities.”

Meta signed the pledge at the White House this week.

Governor Landry announces the state is very close to settling lawsuits against ConocoPhillips that allege the energy company is responsible for damaging the state’s coastal marshes, leading to land loss. Landry says coastal litigation has held up progress that the coast desperately needs.

Cut 7 (08) “…far too long.”

While earthquakes in Louisiana aren’t all that unusual, yesterday morning’s magnitude 4.9 tremor in Red River Parish certainly was. Cynthia Ebinger (uh-BING-er) with the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering says earthquakes are caused by the release of stresses that have built up in the rocks that cause parts of the rocks to fail. She says the oil and gas industry may play at least a partial role.

Cut 4 (11) “…correlated seems likely.”

Meta pledges not to pass the costs of its data centers onto the communities, including in Richland Parish. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

Up, up and away – no, we’re not talking about a beautiful balloon, we’re talking about gas prices in Louisiana. The average price of regular unleaded is now $2.95 a gallon – that’s up another nickel overnight, up 40 cents from a week ago and 45 cents from this time last month.

While earthquakes in Louisiana are not exactly unheard of, yesterday’s magnitude 4.9 tremor in Red River Parish was highly unusual for the state. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Governor Landry announces the state is very close to reaching a settlement with ConocoPhillips over lawsuits that allege the oil and gas producer is financially responsible for damaging the coast. Jeff Palermo the story.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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Meta pledges not to pass the costs of its data centers onto the communities, including in Richland Parish. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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While earthquakes in Louisiana aren’t all that unusual, yesterday morning’s magnitude 4.9 tremor in Red River Parish certainly was. Cynthia Ebinger (uh-BING-er) with the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering says earthquakes are caused by the release of stresses that have built up in the rocks that cause parts of the rocks to fail. She says the oil and gas industry may play at least a partial role.

Cut 4 (11) “…correlated seems likely.”

Ebinger says we’re seeing an uptick in earthquakes in neighboring states.

Cut 5 (13) “…separate wastewater wells.”

As for whether yesterday’s earthquake is a precursor to the so-called “big one,” Ebinger says that’s completely unpredictable.

Cut 6 (13) “…and sharing information.”

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Governor Jeff Landry announces the state is very close to settling lawsuits against ConocoPhillips that allege the energy company is responsible for damaging the state’s coastal marshes, leading to land loss. There are 42 such lawsuits pending, and ConocoPhillips is named in 13 of them. Landry says coastal litigation has held up progress that the coast desperately needs.

Cut 7 (08) “…far too long.”

Landry says the settlement calls for ConocoPhillips to give the state access to 150-thousand acres of land it owns and to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in coastal investment.

Cut 8 (12) “…of federal funding.”

It is not clear where the federal funding would come from. The governor says Conoco will pay into the state’s coastal trust fund, and Landry says the settlement will allow for the state to move forward with a 94-mile coastal land project across Plaquemines and Terrebonne parishes, which would protect the Houma-Thibodaux area.

Cut 9 (08)  “…they’re actually actions.”

The ConocoPhillips settlement follows others  that involve Freeport-McMoRan, BP, Shell and Hilcorp. Chevron and Exxon have yet to settle the coastal lawsuits against them.

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Meta is pledging not to pass the costs of operating its data centers onto the people in their respective communities by signing the Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the White House. Diana Doukas (DOO-kis), the director for economic opportunity and advocacy at Meta, says Meta will ensure that those in communities where data centers are located, including Richland Parish, are not impacted by rate hikes.

Cut 10 (12) “…we are covering.”

Doukas says at the same time it’s protecting residents and businesses from utility rate hikes, Meta is also creating economic opportunities both during and after construction of its Richland Parish data center.

Cut 11 (10) “…the data centers.”

Doukas says as part of its pledge, Meta is launching the Community Action Grant Program.

Cut 12 (09) “…building sustainable communities.”

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For the first time in his 15-year NFL career, Saints veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan will test the free agency market. Ross Jackson, the host of the Locked On Saints podcast, says even though Jordan didn’t reach an agreement with the Saints yet, the team can still bring him back.

Cut 13 (10)  “…that 2011 draft.”

This year, Jordan put together his most productive season in New Orleans since 2021, recording 10-and-a-half sacks. However, at 36 years old, Jackson does not expect NFL teams to sign him to a long-term contract.

Cut 14 (12) “…agency opens up.”

Jackson says that no matter what happens with Jordan’s future, the Saints will need to look for potential defensive ends to pair with rising star Chase Young.

Cut 15 (10) “…that’s Chase Young.”

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The LSU baseball team suffered its third consecutive midweek loss Wednesday, falling 7-2 to U-L-Lafayette. The Tiger pitchers struggled, issuing three walks, hitting a batter and throwing three wild pitches. Coach Jay Johnson says the loss gives him insight into which players he can rely on moving forward.

Cut 16 (17) “…a little bit.”

Over the past six games, LSU has hit just .209. Johnson says he plans to spend more time in the batting cages to help the Tigers snap their offensive slump.

Cut 17 (12)  “…than they are.”

In order for LSU to snap its offensive slump, Johnson says hitters have to do a better job of working opposing pitchers.

Cut 18 (08)  “…some mistakes better.”

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The Louisiana Tech baseball team dropped its fifth straight game Wednesday night after falling 8-2 to Arkansas State. Coach Lane Burroughs says the Bulldogs have to continue to go to work while putting the losses behind them.

Cut 19 (12) “…the right direction.”

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With its big upset win over LSU, U-L-Lafayette has won nine of its last ten games. During that stretch, the Cajuns are allowing just 3.3 runs per game. Head Coach Matt Deggs credits the team’s success on the mound to the work of new pitching coach Taylor Sandefur.

Cut 20 (16) “…advantage for us.”

An earthquake jolts Red River Parish early this morning. It was a magnitude 4.9 that struck near Coushatta at around 5:30. Rob Skoumal (SKO-mall) with the U.S. Geological Survey says while we may never know the cause of the earthquake, humans cannot be completely ruled out.

Cut 11 (10) “…by wastewater disposal.”

A New Orleans representative takes another stab at cracking down on political messaging created with the use of artificial intelligence. Democrat Mandie Landry’s bill requires any image on political material created with A-I that could deceive the recipient be clearly disclosed as such. She says it’s important that governments get on top of A-I.

Cut 5 (10) “…to fly by.”

Governor Jeff Landry announces the state is very close to settling lawsuits against ConocoPhillips that allege the energy company is responsible for damaging the state’s coastal marshes, leading to land loss. There are 42 such lawsuits pending, and ConocoPhillips is named in 13 of them. Landry says coastal litigation has held up progress that the coast desperately needs.

Cut 7 (08) “…far too long.”

It was a special night for Ragin’ Cajun baseball fans as U-L Lafayette beat second-ranked LSU, 7-2, in front of 57-hundred fans. LSU was held to seven hits and Cajuns freshman right-hander Sawyer Pruitt finished the game by throwing four scoreless innings. Cajuns coach Matt Deggs says he was not going to take Pruitt out of the game, because they wanted to win badly.

Cut 8 (09) “…our guys.”

Folks in Red River Parish didn’t need an alarm clock to get out of bed this morning – a magnitude 4.9 earthquake did the trick. Rob Skoumal (SKO-mall) with the U.S. Geological Survey says while people might not associate earthquakes with Louisiana, they’re not entirely unheard of here.

Cut 10 (08) “…isn’t super unusual.”

A magnitude 4.9 is considered light to moderate; while it can be widely felt, it only causes minor damage.

A New Orleans representative takes another stab at cracking down on political messaging created with the use of artificial intelligence. Democrat Mandie Landry’s bill requires any image on political material created with A-I that could deceive the recipient be clearly disclosed as such. She says it’s important that governments get on top of A-I.

Cut 5 (10) “…to fly by.”

Ragin Cajuns fans have bragging rights today as U-L Lafayette handed second ranked LSU its second consecutive loss last night. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

For the first time in his 15-year career, Saints star Cam Jordan is set to become a free agent. Jordan and the team were unable to come to terms on a new deal, so Jordan will officially become a free agent when the new league year begins Wednesday, March 11th, at three Central time. This past season, Jordan registered ten and a half sacks for the Black and Gold.

A New Orleans representative is trying again with a bill that would crack down on political messaging created with the use of artificial intelligence. Democrat Mandie Landry says a bill she’s filed requires any image on political material created with A-I that could deceive the recipient be clearly disclosed as such.

Cut 3 (08) “…with artificial intelligence.”

Another New Orleans-area representative – this one from the other side of the aisle – has filed a bill that would require companies to make it easier to cancel automatic subscription renewals. Gretna Republican Vincent Cox says among other things, his bill would outlaw small print and sped-up and lowered audio detailing the automatic renewal terms.

Cut 12 (12) “…signed up in.”

Louisiana’s crawfish industry is suffering because of the lack of foreign workers due to the federal government’s cap on allotted visas. Joe Gallinaro has the story.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Britney Spears is once again in trouble with the law. The Kentwood native was arrested last night in Ventura, California, on suspicion of DUI. She was booked into jail and released hours later. Representatives for the singer say it was an unfortunate and inexcusable incident, and that she will take steps to make overdue changes in her life.

The state’s agriculture commissioner says due to a cap on foreign guest workers placed by the federal government, Louisiana’s crawfish industry is facing a significant labor shortage.

Cut 6 (06) “…this is unacceptable.”

Commissioner Mike Strain says the businesses applied for H1-B visas in November as they have done in the past; but their applications were denied, and they were told to re-apply in January. The cap on working visas does not impact live and boiled crawfish.

Governor Landry has followed in President Trump’s footsteps and has endorsed Julia Letlow for U.S. Senate. ULM political science professor Pearson Cross says while Landry’s endorsement likely will not prevent a runoff, it will likely be effective in defending Letlow against incumbent Bill Cassidy.

Cut 14 (11) “…as a liberal.”

A New Orleans-area representative wants to make it a lot easier to cancel automatic-renewal trial subscriptions. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

A series of small earthquakes is rocking northwest Louisiana. Among the latest is a magnitude 4.9 quake in Red River Parish. An earthquake of that magnitude is considered light to moderate; while it can be widely felt, it only causes minor damage.