A two-year-old boy was run over in a driveway and killed earlier this week in Baton Rouge. Sean Richardson has more.

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After months of fierce debate, Congress has sent the Big, Beautiful Bill to President Trump’s desk. Andrew Greenstein explains.

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Law enforcement will be out in numbers this weekend looking for impaired drivers for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Colleen Crain has the story.

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A tragic accident claimed the life of a two-year-old boy in Baton Rouge earlier this week.  According to investigators, the child ran in front of a moving car, leading to the collision. Amber Rollins, the director of kids and car safety, says it’s called a front-over that happens in driveways and parking lots.

Cut 4 (11) “…of the vehicle.”

Rollins says there has been an increase in front-overs injuries and fatalities in children.

Cut 5 (07) “…trucks and SUV’s.”

Rollins says parking lots and driveways are extremely dangerous and people can get in a habit of losing situational awareness when entering and exiting parking spots. She urges drivers to stay aware and be mindful going into this busy holiday weekend.

Cut 6 (08) “…take extra precautions.”

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After months of fierce debate, Congress has passed the Big, Beautiful Bill by the July 4th deadline that President Trump had set. One of the biggest points of contention related to Medicaid. Congressman Steve Scalise noted that under the new requirements, those who are able to work will now be required to do so in order to receive Medicaid benefits.

Cut 7 (09) “…playing video games.”

Scalise says those people have been crowding disabled people out of the Medicaid program.

Cut 8 (08) “…jobs, Mr. Speaker.”

However, Democrats point out that the bill strips 900-billion dollars from Medicaid and will ultimately strip health care coverage from 17-million Americans. Reagan Carter, the director of health and policy and governmental affairs at the Louisiana Primary Care Association, says that will have a ripple effect on health care centers.

Cut 9 (08)  “…end up closing.”

Jeff Reynolds, the executive director of the Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition, says if medical centers close, that will have a negative effect on the overall economy of rural communities.

Cut 10 (09) “…receive those services?”

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Louisiana law enforcement is participating in “The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, targeting impaired driving during the Fourth of July holiday. Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says the campaign promotes safety on the roadway.

Cut 11 (10) “…drinking and driving.”

Fischer says between 2019 to 2023, 339 people were injured or killed in car crashes across the state during the Fourth of July holiday involving impaired drivers, and with the extra law enforcement out it adds an extra incentive to not drink and drive.

Cut 12 (09) “…few to many.”

From the roadway to the waterway — LDWF agents will participate in Operation Dry Water this weekend, targeting impaired boating. Lieutenant Garrett Kimbal says the campaign is part of a national effort, and it aims to reduce boating under the influence during the busy Fourth of July weekend.

Cut 13 (11)  “…last year.”

Between 2020 and 2024, there were 96 boating fatalities in Louisiana, with alcohol being a factor in 21 of those. A DWI on the water in Louisiana carries the same penalties as on the road. Kimbal encourages people to practice responsible boating this weekend.

Cut 14 (09) “…boating class.”

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Police in Lake Charles shoot and kill a man who they say opened fire on them. Police Chief Shawn Caldwell says officers responded after a driver called 911 to say that someone was pointing a gun at traffic.

Cut 15 (07) “…shot at her.”

Chief Caldwell says after shooting at a second officer, the man ran into a residential neighborhood and barricaded himself inside a shed. A standoff ensued.

Cut 16 (10) “…firing at them.”

Caldwell says a short time later, it all came to an end.

Cut 17 (07)  “…from his injuries.”

Louisiana State Police has taken over the investigation. No officers were hurt; all officers who opened fire are placed on paid administrative leave, as per standard operating procedure, during the investigation.

The latest LEAP test results show that overall student proficiency among students in grades three through eight is up a percentage point, with 35-percent achieving Mastery or above. Erin Bendily, the senior vice president of the Pelican Institute, notes, however, that when students through high school are factored in, the results are flat. 

Cut 3 (14) “…the last year.”

Fireworks will be popping tonight and tomorrow as America celebrates its 249th birthday. State Fire Marshal spokesman Ken Pastorick says there are more than 600 fireworks stands, with all needing to be properly licensed by the State Fire Marshal’s office.

Cut 10 (07) “…fireworks stand.”

Pastorick says you can report suspicious or illegal fireworks sales to the state.

A three-year-old West Baton Rouge Parish girl drowns in a neighbor’s swimming pool. The sheriff’s office says Jacie Lee walked out of the garage of her Port Allen home yesterday afternoon while her family was inside. Sergeant Landon Groger says this is why it’s so important for parents to be aware of where their kids are at all times.

Cut 7 (10) “…of the garage.”

This year’s Fourth of July barbecue is going to cost you a little more money. State Agriculture Secretary Mike Strain says beef is up seven-percent and ground beef is up ten-percent. And he says other meat prices have been up year over year as well.

Cut 13 (06)  “…ham over 4-percent.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates that this year, an average cookout for ten people will cost about 70 dollars.

The latest LEAP test results show that overall student proficiency among students in grades three through eight is up a percentage point, with 35-percent achieving Mastery or above. Erin Bendily, the senior vice president of the Pelican Institute, notes, however, that when students through high school are factored in, the results are flat. 

Cut 3 (14) “…the last year.”

Fireworks will be popping tonight and tomorrow as America celebrates its 249th birthday. State Fire Marshal spokesman Ken Pastorick says there are more than 600 fireworks stands, with all needing to be properly licensed by the State Fire Marshal’s office.

Cut 10 (07) “…fireworks stand.”

Pastorick says you can report suspicious or illegal fireworks sales to the state.

A three-year-old West Baton Rouge Parish girl drowns in a neighbor’s swimming pool. The sheriff’s office says Jacie Lee walked out of the garage of her home while her family was inside, and a deputy found her in the pool unresponsive. Sergeant Landon Groger reminds you to always have a designated person watching children at all times.

Cut 8 (12) “…in your prayers.”

This year’s Fourth of July barbecue is going to cost you a little more money. State Agriculture Secretary Mike Strain says beef is up seven-percent and ground beef is up ten-percent. And he says other meat prices have been up year over year as well.

Cut 13 (06)  “…ham over 4-percent.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates that an average cookout for ten people will cost about 70 dollars.

Tragedy in West Baton Rouge Parish as a little Port Allen girl drowns in a neighbor’s swimming pool. The sheriff’s office says three-year-old Jacie Lee walked out of the garage of her home at around four yesterday afternoon while her family was inside. Sergeant Landon Groger says following an intense search, a deputy found the nonverbal girl unresponsive in her neighbor’s pool.

Cut 6 (11) “…apparent drowning.”

The drowning is being investigated as an accident.

Grambling State University launches the Grambling Research and Resource Foundation. University President Dr. Martin Lemelle (leh-MELL) says the foundation has several components to it.

Cut 15 (15) “…support faculty innovation.”

The National Federation of Independent Business says 36-percent of small business owners reported openings they could not fill last month. Kace Kieschnick has more.

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At this point, Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina might as well open a location in Baton Rouge. LSU fans practically took over the joint in Omaha during the College World Series, scarfing down more than 52-thousand Jello shots. And now, Rocco’s is selling commemorative T-shirts to celebrate the occasion. They’re purple and gold, and the word jello is spelled j-e-l-l-e-a-u-x.

At this hour, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries continues speaking on the floor against the Big, Beautiful Bill. It’s called the Magic Minute, designed to delay a final vote. The final vote was made possible overnight after House Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump were able to get nearly all Republicans to agree to debate rules, when at one point there were enough “no” votes to throw the whole process into turmoil. Yesterday, Johnson said there are a lot of good things in the bill.

Cut 10 (07) “…around the world.”

But Democrat Cleo Fields doesn’t see it that way. He says there are a lot of bad things about the bill.

Cut 11 (08) “…left the house.”

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will also add three-point-three trillion dollars to the deficit.

Of the 17 line-item vetoes that Governor Landry issued on the budget, 16 were put forth by fellow Republicans who voted against his most prized bill, HB 148. Tyler Bridges, the chief political reporter for The Advocate who made the connection, says word at the Capitol is that HB 148 will allow Landry to use Tim Temple as a scapegoat if premiums don’t start coming down.

Cut 9 (08)  “…insurance rates.”

The National Federation of Independent Business’ June jobs report found that 36-percent of small business owners are having trouble filling openings. State Director Leah Long says Louisiana’s new “One Door” policy will eventually help consolidate public assistance and job training programs.

Cut 4 (11) “…qualified workforce.”

The National Federation of Independent Business says 36-percent of small business owners reported openings they could not fill last month. Kace Kieschnick has more.

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It seems that there’s a certain tie that binds Governor Landry’s line-item vetoes. Andrew Greenstein explains.

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The Big Beautiful Bill is back in the House, and opinions among Louisiana’s delegation are obviously mixed along party lines. Andrew Greenstein reports.

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The National Federation of Independent Business’ June jobs report found that 36-percent of small business owners are having trouble filling job openings. NFIB State Director Leah Long says Louisiana’s new “One Door” policy will help consolidate public assistance and job training programs.

Cut 4 (11) “…qualified workforce.”

58-percent of small business owners reported hiring or trying to hire in June. 86-percent of those owners reported few or no qualified applicants for their vacancies. Long says House Bills 624 and 617 went into effect July 1st, but impacts may not be immediate.

Cut 5 (07) “…make it faster.”

Industries with the most openings were construction, manufacturing and transportation; while finance and agriculture sectors reported the fewest. Long says some of the increased numbers could be due to the time of year.

Cut 6 (11) “…those positions.”

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Governor Jeff Landry issued 17 line-item vetoes on the budget, with 16 of them having something interesting in common. Tyler Bridges, the chief political reporter for The Advocate, notes that those 16 line items were projects by Republicans who voted “no” on Landry’s key legislation, House Bill 148, which grants the insurance commissioner the authority to reject excessive rate increases.

Cut 7 (13) “…sponsored by Republicans.”

Vetoed projects included a highway extension in Bossier City, a tennis court in Livingston Parish, and a bridge in Metairie. Bridges says it’s a surprise because Landry is a very partisan Republican.

Cut 8 (08) “…went after Republicans.”

Affected legislators, fearing retaliation, mostly stayed silent, although Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh criticized Landry’s tactics, saying the vetoes reflect Landry’s push to enforce party loyalty. Bridges says political suspicion in the Capitol was that this would be a way for Landry to use Temple as a scapegoat.

Cut 9 (08)  “…insurance rates.”

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The Big, Beautiful Bill is back in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson is working to get his fellow Republicans on the same page to get it across the finish line and onto President Trump’s desk. Johnson says there are a lot of good things in the bill.

Cut 10 (07) “…around the world.”

But Democrat Cleo Fields doesn’t see it that way. He says there are a lot of bad things about the bill.

Cut 11 (08) “…left the house.”

Fields says he’s confident that Democrats can get enough Republicans to stick with them to torpedo the bill altogether.

Cut 12 (06) “…going to stop.”

Assuming that all 212 Democrats are present and vote no, that means Johnson can only lose three votes and pass the bill. He says he knows he has his work cut out for him.

Cut 13 (10)  “…our personal preferences.”

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Grambling State University launches the Grambling Research and Resource Foundation. University President Dr. Martin Lemelle (leh-MELL) says it’s a new non-profit designed to advance the university’s pursuit of Research 2 classification and deepen its research footprint.

Cut 14 (06) “…to that purpose.”

Dr. Lemelle says the foundation has several components to it.

Cut 15 (15) “…support faculty innovation.”

Lemelle says research has been core to Grambling’s foundations, since its early days as an agricultural institution. But he says the school has come a long way since then.

Cut 16 (11) “…iteration of technology.”

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LSU has added three left-handed pitchers in the transfer portal since returning from Omaha. Oregon sophomore Santiago Garcia and North Dakota State freshman Danny Lachenmayer were both exceptional in relief last season while Tennessee freshman Ryler Smart spent the year as a redshirt. Tigers pitching coach Nate Yeskie says he felt like his staff needed some balance on the left side of the mound but as for their roles, that will be up to them.

Cut 17 (18)  “…to start.”

Freshman pitcher William Schmidt was ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the MLB draft out of high school by MLB.com last year. Schmidt pitched 32-and-a-third innings for the Tigers this season with a 4.73 ERA. Yeskie says this offseason will determine if he can take the next step.

Cut 18 (20)  “…into the spring.”

Tigers ace Kade Anderson made the leap to dominance his sophomore year after a freshman season behind pitching duo Luke Holman and Gage Jump. Yeskie says Schmidt roomed with Anderson on the road this season to see what it takes.

Cut 19 (18) “…good blueprint.”

Two men suspected in a Lake Charles murder over the weekend are under arrest. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says 22-year-old Larry Bigelow was taken into custody in Beaumont, Texas, and 22-year-old Titus Tezeno (TEZ-eh-noh) turned himself in. Both are charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old Kalin (KAY-lin) Stevens.

Book your tickets now for Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama. Sean Richardson has more.

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One state senator is expressing frustration over the Supreme Court delaying a ruling over Louisiana’s congressional map. Shreveport Republican Alan Seabaugh is a vocal critic of the current map, and he argued it prioritizes race over equal representation, violating the 14th Amendment.

Cut 10 (11) “…what happened.”

Even though the redrawn map flipped a Republican seat to Democrat last year, the state has argued in favor of that redrawn map.

With Texas State set to leave the Sun Belt for the revamped PAC-12, could Louisiana Tech fill the void? Dave Schultz of the Locked On Sun Belt Podcast says, don’t count on it. He says the Sun Belt has reached out to East Carolina, who responded with a wait-and-see.

Cut 7 (09) “…of the A-A-C.”

One of the two suspects in a Lake Charles murder over the weekend has been captured. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says 22-year-old Larry Bigelow was taken into custody in Beaumont, Texas. 22-year-old Titus Tezeno (TEZ-eh-noh) remains on the loose. They’re both charged with shooting and killing 23-year-old Kalin (KAY-lin) Stevens of Lake Charles late Sunday night.

Texas State is leaving Sun Belt for the PAC-12 next year. Louisiana Tech is a hopeful replacement, but the sun might be setting on the Bulldogs. Kace Kieschnick has more.

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Amtrak announces that its Mardi Gras Service will begin August 18. It revives passenger rail between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with four stops in Mississippi – Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross says you can get your tickets now.

Cut 3 (08) “…limited number.”

Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh expressed frustration over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to delay ruling on a challenge to Louisiana’s congressional map. Seabaugh says the newly-drawn sixth district has already been ruled unconstitutional and lines should be redrawn before the next election; but only Governor Landry can call lawmakers back to address the issue, and that’s not going to happen.

Cut 11 (06) “…uphold that deal.”

The state has argued that the map, with two majority Black districts, should remain as is. The new map flipped one of Louisiana’s six seats from Republican to Democrat last year.

Book your tickets for Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, now. Sean Richardson has more.

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Texas State announced they’ll be moving on from the Sun Belt for the PAC-12 next year. Louisiana Tech is a hopeful replacement, but the sun might be setting on the Bulldogs. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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Amtrak announces that its Mardi Gras Service will begin August 18. It revives passenger rail between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with four stops in Mississippi – Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross says you can get your tickets now.

Cut 3 (08) “…limited number.”

Offering twice-daily scenic trips along the Gulf Coast, it connects to major Amtrak routes like the City of New Orleans. Ross says the service will bring convenience that one stop a day doesn’t have.

Cut 4 (08) “…and tourism.”

Restoring service lost since Hurricane Katrina, it boosts tourism, jobs, and regional mobility while celebrating Gulf Coast culture. Ross says the service reflects significant infrastructure investment, improving connectivity and economic growth.

Cut 5 (12) “…trying to do.”

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Texas State is officially set to leave the Sun Belt for the revamped PAC-12 in 2026 after approving the five-million-dollar buyout earlier this week. Louisiana Tech was rumored to be the apparent replacement, but Dave Schultz of the Locked On Sun Belt Podcast says the conference’s non-Louisiana schools feel the Sun Belt would be over saturated by the Bayou state.

Cut 6 (09) “…two weeks ago.”

While U-L Lafayette and ULM are pushing the Bulldogs due to their historic rivalries and quick commutes, others argue Tech won’t add new TV markets for the conference. Schultz says the Sun Belt has reached out to East Carolina who responded with a wait-and-see.

Cut 7 (09) “…of the A-A-C.”

Schultz says if the Sun Belt wanted Louisiana Tech, there would have been a quick announcement. The conference has been surprisingly slow on the issue and Schultz expects there won’t be an answer by Sun Belt Media Days July 22. He hopes this is because they’re taking the time to consider expansion to 16 teams.

Cut 8 (09) “…and E-C-U.”

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Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh expressed frustration over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to delay ruling on Louisiana versus Callais, a case challenging the state’s new congressional map with two majority-Black districts.

Cut 9 (08)  “…for a ruling.”

Last Friday, the Court opted for re-argument, leaving the map in place for now. Seabaugh, a vocal critic of the redistricting, argued it prioritizes race over equal representation, violating the 14th Amendment.

Cut 10 (11) “…what happened.”

Seabaugh says the district has already been ruled unconstitutional and lines should be redrawn before the next election; but only Governor Landry can call lawmakers back to address the issue, and that’s not going to happen.

Cut 11 (06) “…uphold that deal.”

Amtrak announces that its Mardi Gras Service will begin August 18. It revives passenger rail between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with four stops in Mississippi – Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross says you can get your tickets now.

Cut 3 (08) “…limited number.”

The Christian world is mourning the passing of Jimmy Swaggart, who died yesterday at the age of 90. He had gone into cardiac arrest last month and never regained consciousness. Megan Kelly with Jimmy Swaggart Ministries says his family is grieving but in good spirits.

Cut 7 (09) “…good peace.”

The public viewing and wake will be held Saturday, July 12th, from 11 to two; and the celebration of life service is Sunday, July 13th, at six p-m.

Entergy’s natural gas customers will now be making payments to a new company. Colleen Crain reports.

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One school board is considering reinstating corporal punishment for the upcoming school year. The Rapides Parish School Board took up the issue at its meeting last night, with Board Member Linda Burgess saying she received calls from parents requesting that it be brought back. Surveys are being sent to principals at all district campuses to get their thoughts. The board will be taking up the issue again at a meeting later this month.