One economist says most sectors of Louisiana’s economy will suffer from President Trump’s global tariffs. Dr. Loren Scott says one possible exception is Hyundai, which recently announced a 5-billion-dollar investment in a new steel plant to supply its car factories in Alabama and Georgia.

Cut 4 (09) “…25-percent tariff on it.”

Scott says another potential exception is the timber industry because of reduced competition from Canadian wood.

Three people are killed, including a five-year-old child, in a house fire in Shreveport Sunday morning. Shreveport Fire Chief Clarence Reese Junior says there were no working smoke detectors inside the home; and even though everyone inside was awake, it’s hard to escape a burning fire with no advanced warning…

Cut 8 (07) “…ever experienced.”

A 34-year-old man wanted for killing his parents is captured in California. Police arrested Joshua Brocato in Los Angeles after he allegedly murdered Marc and Priscilla Brocato inside their Amite area home last week. Tangipahoa Sheriff Gerald Sticker says they were tracking Brocato after he fled the scene…

Cut 9 (08)  “…his movements.”

Sticker says when Joshua Brocato was arrested on Friday, he had three guns on him and was wearing military-style attire. He says investigators do not know why he killed his parents or why he fled to California.

The first female student government president at Southern University has died. Roena Wilford died last Wednesday at the age of 74. In 1970, when Wilford was 20, she broke the glass ceiling with her election as student government president. Wilford remained a part of the university following her graduation, later becoming a physics professor.

The Louisiana Department of Education conducted a study showing fewer high school students involved in internships and apprenticeships than in neighboring states. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley… 

Cut 10 (11) “…seeing those numbers uptick.”

Brumley says the department of education is encouraging schools to promote work-based learning. Also expect to see legislation on this topic.

Parents can now see how taxpayer dollars are being spent on public education. Along with State Treasurer John Fleming, Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds unveiled the Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project Portal, a website providing financial data on public and charter schools.

Cut 4 (09) “…public charter schools.”

The portal is hosted on the Treasury Department’s website.

With the clock tik-tok’ing for Tik Tok, the race is on to finalize a sale. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

ULM students voting on whether to impose an athletic fee. ULM’s athletic budget is the lowest in the Sun Belt Conference, and adding the per-student fee would help it get in line with other schools in the conference. The proposal is 75 dollars per full-time student per semester. It would generate about 600-thousand dollars in the first year – money that would go towards things like enhanced nutrition programs for student-athletes and a new scoreboard in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Voting concludes today. 

When the legislature meets in the regular session, one of its jobs is to come up with 200-million dollars to keep teacher and school staff salaries at their current levels. This, thanks to the defeat of Amendment 2. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says they’ll try again at giving them a permanent pay raise and they’ll have to do a better job in getting the message out to the public and fight misinformation.

Cut 9 (14)  “…how they work.”

TikTok’s owner has until Saturday to sell the app to keep it online in the U.S. The Trump administration is helping facilitate a sale, and there are two willing buyers. Tech analyst Haggai Davis says the big wild card in these negotiations is TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.

Cut 15 (14) “…the ultimate decision.”

Parents who are curious on how their tax dollars are spent on public education can visit the School Transparency Project Portal at the State Treasury’s website. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The Kenner Police Department is strengthening its ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The department has joined the 287-G program, which grants state and local police the authority to perform specific immigration enforcement duties. While the move has stoked fears in Kenner’s Hispanic community, Police Chief Keith Conley says a series of horrific crimes led to his decision to join the 287-G program.

A new study by the Louisiana Department of Education shows that fewer Louisiana High School students are involved in internships and apprenticeships than neighboring states. By integrating internships into the educational framework, Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world job experience.

Cut 12 (06) “…work=force ready.”

Parents can now see how taxpayer dollars are being spent on public education with the new Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project Portal. Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds helped unveil it yesterday; he says the site helps parents compare schools’ financial integrity, supporting school choice.

Cut 6 (07) “…those tax dollars.”

Now that Amendment 2 has failed at the ballot box, the question now becomes, what will become of teacher salaries? Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Tulane University is the latest to shutter its office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It comes as the Trump administration continues applying pressure to colleges and universities to do away with DEI initiatives. Tulane is restructuring the office, launching the Office of Academic Excellence and Opportunity. The school says it is still committed to gender and sexual diversity, as well as multiculturalism.

Parents can now see how taxpayer dollars are being spent on public education, thanks to the Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project Portal – a website providing financial data on public and charter schools. The project was mandated by Act 370 from the 2023 Legislation, authored by Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds.

Cut 5 (09) “…kids to be educated.”

A new study shows that fewer Louisiana High School students are involved in internships and apprenticeships than neighboring states. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley underscores the need for collaboration between businesses, schools, and policymakers to strengthen career education and expand work-based learning programs.

Cut 11 (10) “…before they get here”

With the defeat of Amendment 2 at the ballot box, the legislature will now have to come up with 200-million dollars to keep teacher and school staff salaries at their current levels. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says in the immediate term, that will be a challenge. And in the long term, the legislature will take another stab at giving teachers and other school staff permanent pay raises, but it will likely not be in the form of a bill as ambitious as Amendment 2.

Cut 8 (14) “…opportunity to pass.”

TikTok could once again go dark in the U.S. on Saturday, if a sale is not finalized. It’s currently owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance. Tech analyst Haggai Davis says China is showing signs that it’s willing to cooperate.

Cut 14 (10) “…tariff questions involved.”

With the defeat of Amendment 2 at the ballot box, the question now becomes – what will become of teacher pay? The amendment would have converted stipends of two-thousand dollars for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support staff into permanent pay increases. It will take 200-million dollars to keep salaries at their current level. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says the big challenge for lawmakers is finding that money amid a budget shortfall.

Cut 7 (09) “…could come from.”

The clock is tik-tok’ing for TikTok. Barring a sale, the app will go dark for U.S. users on Saturday. Tech analyst Haggai Davis says the Trump administration is helping facilitate a sale.

Cut 13 (11)  “…to finalize everything.”

There are currently two offers on the table – one from a group led by Amazon and one from AppLovin, a similar app owned by Steve Winn.

Parents who are curious on how their tax dollars are spent on public education can visit the School Transparency Project Portal at the State Treasury’s website. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A Baton Rouge teenager pleads guilty to conspiring to have her mother killed. 18-year-old Jermyne Lewis admitted to her role in the plot in which her mother, Markeshia Stone, was shot to death. Lewis was sentenced to life in prison; but since she was a juvenile at the time of the crime, she will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

Parents who are curious on how their tax dollars are spent on public education can visit the School Transparency Project Portal at the State Treasury’s website. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 1 (29) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

_____________________________________________

Now that Amendment 2 has failed at the ballot box, the question now becomes, what will become of teacher salaries? Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

With the clock tik-tok’ing for Tik Tok, the race is on to finalize a sale. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

______________________________________________________

Parents can now see how taxpayer dollars are being spent on public education. Along with State Treasurer John Fleming, Baton Rouge Senator Rick Edmonds unveiled the Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project Portal, a website providing financial data on public and charter schools.

Cut 4 (09) “…public charter schools.”

The portal is hosted on the State Treasury’s website, the portal includes budgets, expenditures, contracts, and salaries, with continuous updates and quarterly reports from schools. The project was mandated by Act 370 from the 2023 legislation, authored by Edmonds, who emphasized its role in promoting transparency.

Cut 5 (09) “…kids to be educated.”

Edmonds noted that the site helps parents compare schools’ financial integrity, supporting school choice.

Cut 6 (07) “…those tax dollars.”

______________________________________________________

With the defeat of Amendment 2 at the ballot box, the question now becomes – what will become of teacher pay? The amendment would have converted stipends of two-thousand dollars for teachers and one-thousand dollars for support staff into permanent pay increases. It will take 200-million dollars to keep salaries at their current level. House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland says the big challenge for lawmakers is finding that money amid a budget shortfall.

Cut 7 (09) “…could come from.”

McFarland says the legislature will take another stab at giving teachers and other school staff permanent pay raises, but it will likely not be in the form of a bill as ambitious as Amendment 2.

Cut 8 (14) “…opportunity to pass.”

McFarland says whatever the legislature decides to do, they have to do a better job in getting the message out to the public and fight misinformation.

Cut 9 (14)  “…how they work.”

______________________________________________________

The Louisiana Department of Education recently conducted a study showing that fewer high school students are involved in internships and apprenticeships than in neighboring states. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley emphasizes the importance of high school internships, noting that Louisiana falls behind other southern states in offering these opportunities.

Cut 10 (11) “…seeing those numbers uptick.”

Brumley advocates for incorporating internships into the state’s accountability system to better equip students for the workforce. Brumley underscores the need for collaboration between businesses, schools, and policymakers to strengthen career education and expand work-based learning programs.

Cut 11 (10) “…before they get here”

By integrating internships into the educational framework, Brumley aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world job experience, ensuring students graduate with practical skills that align with industry needs.

Cut 12 (06) “…workforce ready.”

______________________________________________________

The clock is tik-tok’ing for TikTok. Barring a sale, the app will go dark for U.S. users on Saturday. The app got a reprieve in January when President Trump took office, but that’s now set to expire. There are currently two offers on the table – one from a group led by Amazon and one from AppLovin, an app owned by Steve Winn. Tech analyst Haggai Davis says the Trump administration is helping facilitate a sale.

Cut 13 (11)  “…to finalize everything.”

Davis says China is showing signs that it’s willing to cooperate.

Cut 14 (10) “…tariff questions involved.”

Davis says the big wild card in these negotiations is TikTok’s current parent company, ByteDance.

Cut 15 (14) “…the ultimate decision.”

Under the law that mandates the shutting down of TikTok in the U.S. without a sale, ByteDance would be allowed to retain up to 20-percent ownership.

_________________________________________

The seventh ranked LSU baseball team begins a three-game series against 10^th ranked Oklahoma tonight in Norman. The Tigers have the third best batting average in the country, and they have three regular starters hitting over .400, including Ethan Frey. Coach Jay Johnson says he’s glad to see Frey have a breakout season during his junior campaign

Cut 16 (14) “…better team.”

Kade Anderson is expected to start on the mound for LSU tonight. The sophomore left-hander gave up three home runs in his last start, but Johnson expects he’ll bounce back…

Cut 17 (17) “…ready to roll.”

First pitch tonight is at 6 p.m.

Governor Landry has ordered a temporary hiring freeze for the executive branch of state government. In a statement, Landry’s office says the goal is to save 20-million dollars in the general fund. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says changes to the tax law may have had something to do with the budget shortfall.

Cut 9 (11)  “…the entire budget.”

The world is bracing for a big announcement by President Trump on global tariffs. Trump says one purpose of the tariffs is to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. U-N-O economics professor Dub Lane says if China loses jobs because of the tariffs, those jobs would most likely go to Vietnam or Bangladesh and not the U.S.

Cut 5 (12) “…over other people.”

A warrant is issued for a Slidell man after investigators say he forced his way into a home and assaulted a woman. Investigators say the woman shot 52-year-old Tyrone Mercadel (merk-a-dell) in the leg. Lieutenant Suzanne Carboni  says once Mercadel is released, he will be arrested for aggravated battery.

Cut 8 (12) “…fired upon the vehicle.”

Experian teams up with LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson to help relieve five-million dollars of consumer debt for five-thousand families in Louisiana. Christina Roman with Experian says with Louisiana having one of the highest poverty rates in the country, the money could be life changing…

Cut 13 (13)  “…in Louisiana.”

A Baton Rouge man facing murder charges reaches a plea deal. Three years ago, 23-year-old Brynnen (BRIN-in) Murphy shot and killed his pregnant girlfriend, 24-year-old Kaylen Johnson, and he threw her two-year-old son, Kaden, off a bridge. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar (HILL-er) Moore says Johnson’s family wanted to avoid a trial.

Cut 7 (15) “…for some time.”

Murphy will be sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison – essentially a life sentence.

Despite having a Democratic district attorney, Caddo Parish has a disproportionate number of inmates on death row. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeff Sadow (SAD-ow) points out that many of those death row inmates were sentenced years ago.

Cut 4 (09) “…anti-death penalty.”

Certain Louisiana tax filers can use United Way Southwest Louisiana’s My Free Taxes app, a free online tax filing service. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

A Hollywood A-lister with ties to New Orleans has passed away. Val Kilmer died of pneumonia yesterday. In 2006, Kilmer filmed Deja Vu in New Orleans, and he served as Bacchus the 41st during Mardi Gras in 2009. Val Kilmer was only 65 years old.

Caddo Parish has a disproportionate number of inmates on death row – despite the fact that its district attorney belongs to the political party that generally opposes capital punishment. LSU Shreveport political science professor Jeff Sadow (SAD-ow) says Democratic District Attorney James Stewart will not stand in the way of judges signing death warrants, like what Judge Donald Hathaway did this week in setting execution dates for Darrell Draughn and Marcus Reed.

Cut 6 (07) “…in the past”

Senator Bill Cassidy has introduced “The Defining Male and Female Act.”

Cut 13 (16)  “…to chest-feed.”

Cassidy introduced the bill with Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall.

A Baton Rouge man who killed his pregnant girlfriend and her two-year-old son reaches a plea deal with prosecutors. 23-year-old Brynnen (BRIN-in) Murphy pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of feticide and was sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison. East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar (HILL-er) Moore says he would have had no trouble convicting Murphy of the second-degree murder charges he was originally facing.

Cut 8 (11) “…and their future.”

United Way Southwest Louisiana has launched My Free Taxes, a free online tax filing service for taxpayers earning up to 84-thousand dollars a year. Kimberlie Heckard with UWSLA says the program guarantees secure and accurate tax filing.

Cut 12 (14) “…the tax client.”