Legal analysts say the state has little to no chance of prevailing in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in the Ten Commandments lawsuit. Loyola New Orleans law professor Dane Ciolino says the state is banking on the Supreme Court to apply its ruling in the 2022 Kennedy versus Bremerton case. In a 6-3 vote split down ideological lines, the justices ruled that the school district in Bremerton, Washington, had no right to fire football coach Joseph Kennedy for praying on the field after a game, saying that violated his First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion.

Cut 5 (15) “…pass constitutional muster.”

New Orleans now has its first case of bird flu. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it was detected in a house cat on January 14th. USDA officials have not stated how the cat became sick or the cat’s condition.

Senator Bill Cassidy raised a million dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024, increasing his campaign cash-on-hand to over 6.5 million dollars. Political advisor Bernie Pinsonat says Cassidy is right where he should be money-wise.

Cut 14 (10) “…state-wide campaign.”

Pinsonat says to remember this is only for his campaign account and can have a PAC that can raise equal or greater amounts of money.

The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office is set to appear in season two of the television series Police 24/7 on CW. Lieutenant Neil Johnston says he hopes the show will give the public a sense of the risk that deputies are dealing with daily, even during a routine traffic stop.

Cut 9 (11)  “…that we have.”

What are the state’s chances of prevailing in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of the Ten Commandments law? Andrew Greenstein reports, not that good.

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Entergy says it was able to keep power outages during the winter storm to a minimum. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy had a strong fundraising quarter last quarter, raising one-million dollars. Sean Richardson reports that brings his total cash on hand to more than 6.5-million dollars.

Cut 3 (25) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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Oral arguments to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on the Ten Commandments case are over. Now, the waiting for a ruling begins. Loyola New Orleans law professor Dane Ciolino says there’s almost no chance that the state will prevail at that level. He says the state’s plan all along has been to get it to the U.S. Supreme Court, which may re-examine its 1980 ruling in the Stone versus Graham, which ruled that posting the Ten Commandments in public schools is unconstitutional.

Cut 4 (11) “…sort of posting.”

Ciolino says the state is banking on the Supreme Court and its 6-3 conservative slant to apply its ruling in the 2022 Kennedy versus Bremerton case. In a 6-3 vote split down ideological lines, the justices ruled that the school district in Bremerton, Washington, had no right to fire football coach Joseph Kennedy for praying on the field after a game, saying that violated his First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion.

Cut 5 (15) “…pass constitutional muster.”

The state maintains that the Ten Commandments are being posted as part of a historical context. The plaintiffs, on the other hand, say it’s a blatant attempt at pushing Christianity in public schools, citing debate by Republican lawmakers in the session in which House Bill 71 passed. Ciolino says that context will come into play in the Supreme Court, should it get there.

Cut 6 (12) “…will fix that.”

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The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office is set to appear in season two of the television series Police 24/7 on CW. While the specific episodes featuring BSO haven’t been confirmed, Lieutenant Neil Johnston says they will be on later episodes showing what deputies deal with every day.

Cut 7 (10) “…to traffic stops.”

Johnston says the show focuses on the dedication, bravery, and humanity of the men and women who serve and protect their communities daily.

Cut 8 (10) “…what we do.”

Johnston says he hopes the public will get a sense of the risk that deputies are dealing with daily, even during a routine traffic stop.

Cut 9 (11)  “…that we have.”

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Entergy says it was able to keep power outages down to a minimum during the winter storm. Entergy New Orleans had about 24-hundred outages at its peak. As for Entergy Louisiana:

Cut 10 (12) “…significantly below that.”

Jason Willis, the vice president of reliability at Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans, says to speed up the restoration time, they had extra personnel on hand – more than 27-hundred to be specific.

Cut 11 (13) “…we normally would.”

Willis says they also fully prepared its equipment and vehicles, including putting chains on all the tires. He says while Louisiana normally does not see weather events like this, they prepare for them, with a little help from their neighbors.

Cut 12 (16) “…through these events.”

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Senator Bill Cassidy raised a million dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024, increasing his campaign cash-on-hand to over 6.5 million dollars. Political Advisor Bernie Pinsonat says the question is, can he raise ten million dollars?

Cut 13 (07)  “…money to campaign on.”

Pinsonat says Cassidy is right where he should be money-wise.

Cut 14 (10) “…state-wide campaign.”

Pinsonat says to remember this is only for his campaign account and can have a PAC that can raise equal or greater amounts of money.

Cut 15 (12) “…on his re-election.”

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The fifth ranked LSU Lady Tigers take on the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks today in a highly anticipated matchup pushed back one day because of the historic snowfall in Louisiana. The Gamecocks are 18-and-1 and ranked second in the country. Reed Darcy covers LSU for the Advocate and says Carolina is once again a favorite to win the national title…

Cut 16 (06) “…that group.”

LSU enters the game with a 20-and-0 record but Darcy says South Carolina appears to be the more talented team and it will take an off day for them to lose on their home floor…

Cut 17 (08)  “…the field.”

South Carolina has won 68 straight games on its home floor at Colonial Life Arena. Darcey says one of the Gamecocks best strengths is their depth, three of their top five scorers come off the bench…

Cut 18 (21)   “…outside.”

Tip off is at 4 PM.

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The Commanders and the Eagles will face each other for the third time this season in Sunday’s NFC Championship game in Philadelphia. In the regular season, each team won on its home field. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels says he expects the Eagles defense to throw a few new looks at him….

Cut 19 (14) “…on Sunday.”

Daniels is trying to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at LSU never looks rattled, and Daniels explains why that is…

Cut 20 (20) “…the NFL.”

A three-judge panel at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments over the state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. The law went into effect January 1st and is on hold in five parishes. Arguing for the state, Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) said the posters were designed with Supreme Court precedent in mind.

Cut 10 (15) “…that exact concept.”

Representing the plaintiffs, Jonathan Youngwood said kids would be subject to constant religious indoctrination, whether they like it or not.

Cut 13 (09)  “…every single day.”

The court will issue its ruling at a later date; it will undoubtedly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state is getting its first look at agricultural damages caused by the winter storm. Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says rye grass is likely lost, forcing cattle to rely on hay for grazing. Strain says some good news is the long term freeze likely killed the Pine Beetles.

Cut 4 (06) “…that are problematic.”

More and more roadways are reopening, now that the worst of the winter storm is behind us. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge on I-10 is now back open in both directions, which means people can once again drive from Baton Rouge to Texas or vice-versa. DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett says the sun has been a major ally in the thawing of our roads, but he also credits the extensive work done by DOTD crews…

Cut 7 (12) “…block of ice”

A three-judge panel at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments over the state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. The law went into effect January 1st and is on hold in five parishes. Arguing for the state, Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) said the posters were designed with Supreme Court precedent in mind.

Cut 10 (15) “…that exact concept.”

Representing the plaintiffs, Jonathan Youngwood said kids would be subject to constant religious indoctrination, whether they like it or not.

Cut 13 (09)  “…every single day.”

The court will issue its ruling at a later date; it will undoubtedly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Louisiana is beginning to thaw out. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin says who would have ever thought that 50-degrees would feel so good…

Cut 14 (10) “…and tomorrow.”

Should Louisiana invest in snowplows after a snowstorm that left major roadways closed for multiple days? Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Oral arguments in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals over the law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public school classrooms. Solicitor General Ben Aguinaga (ah-gheen-YAH-ga) argued for the state that what makes the law constitutional is that the Ten Commandments are placed amid other historical context on specially-designed posters.

Cut 9 (11)  “…important historical documents.”

Jonathan Youngwood followed with his own 20-minute argument on behalf of the plaintiffs. Reading directly from the posters, Youngwood argued that the law is all about promoting Christianity in public schools.

Cut 12 (10) “…Gods before me.”

The three-judge panel will issue its ruling at a later date; it will undoubtedly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Work continues today on the reopening of major highways closed because of snow and ice. DOTD Spokesman Rodney Mallett says the sun has been a major ally in the thawing of our roads, but he also credits the extensive work done by DOTD crews…

Cut 7 (12) “…block of ice”

Transportation Secretary Joe Donahue says they expect the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge and the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge to reopen today, but the I-10 Twin Spans and the Bonnet Carre spillway will likely not re-open until Friday.

The weather will warm up today; and with that, the roads will continue to dry out. During a news conference yesterday morning, Governor Landry pointed out that sections of roadway could still be very slick from ice, so be very careful if you need to drive today.

Cut 21 (16) “…back home safely.”

DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue says road treatments are not only ongoing around the clock, but they’re expanding.

Cut 9 (11)  “…to the east.”

Some sections of Interstate freeway have reopened, but long stretches remain closed. To stay up to date on their reopenings, go to 511la.org.

Crews from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries rescued four stranded duck hunters from the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area in St. Mary Parish. Sergeant Jeremy Foret (for-RAY) says there were several factors that led to the boaters needing help.

Cut 14 (06) “…the little boat.”

Foret says none of the four hunters required medical attention.

Congresswoman Julia Letlow has introduced two bills aimed at enhancing disaster aid for agricultural producers and improving crop insurance flexibility.

Cut 10 (11) “…to the finish line.”

The Drought Assistance Improvement Act would modify and expand programs to cover crawfish losses due to adverse weather or drought. The Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act would require a regional discount factor for soybean crops during extreme weather events.

A Who’s Who of Louisiana politics will converge at a DC hotel starting today for Washington Mardi Gras. Andrew Greenstein reports

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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This snowstorm has certainly been one for the ages. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Congresswoman Julia Letlow introduces two bills aimed at enhancing disaster aid for agricultural producers and improving crop insurance flexibility. Sean Richardson reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A Who’s Who of Louisiana politics will be in Washington, DC, starting today for Washington Mardi Gras. Jeremy Alford, the publisher of LaPolitcs-dot-com, says this year’s event is getting off to a topsy-turvy start.

Cut 4 (10) “…up to Washington.”

In fact, Alford says the weather here in Louisiana is preventing several people from being able to attend because they cannot get out of the state. He says one of the biggest talking points this year is which Louisianians will get roles in the second Trump administration. He says this is the networking event of the year.

Cut 5 (09) “…government relations professionals.”

Alford says the bar at the Washington Hilton, where this event is happening, is usually dubbed the “65th Parish,” and it’s not an event that any politician will want to miss.

Cut 6 (13) “…want to be.”

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This arctic blast has been one for the ages. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says this was the biggest snowstorm in South Louisiana in more than 100 years – longer than nearly every one of us has been alive. Grymes says we’re not done with the cold temperatures yet.

Cut 7 (15) “…with the snow.”

Grymes says even though road conditions are starting to improve, they’re still quite treacherous. So he’s urging you to once again stay home if at all possible.

Cut 8 (12) “…on the roads.”

DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue says road treatments are not only ongoing 24 hours a day, but they’re expanding.

Cut 9 (11)  “…to the east.”

To stay up to date on road conditions, go to 511la.org.

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Congresswoman Julia Letlow has introduced two bills aimed at enhancing disaster aid for agricultural producers and improving crop insurance flexibility.

Cut 10 (11) “…to the finish line.”

The Drought Assistance Improvement Act seeks to reform emergency relief programs by modifying and expanding programs to cover crawfish losses due to adverse weather or drought.  Letlow emphasized the importance of proactive reforms to swiftly support farmers facing severe weather.

Cut 11 (05) “…before disasters strike.”

The Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act aims to improve federal crop insurance by requiring a regional discount factor for soybean crops during extreme weather events. Letlow says this will all protect Louisiana’s agricultural community.

Cut 12 (05) “…severe weather events.”

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Rescue crews from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries rescued four stranded duck hunters from the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area in St. Mary Parish. Sergeant Jeremy Foret (for-RAY) says the call came in shortly after 9:30 Tuesday morning.

Cut 13 (06)  “…call for help.”

Sergeant Foret says they got to the boaters a little more than an hour later. He says there were several factors that led to the boaters needing help.

Cut 14 (06) “…the little boat.”

Foret says all four hunters are doing well.

Cut 15 (04) “…attention was needed.”

Later that same day, Foret and his crew rescued a duck hunter who ran out of gas in his boat. He was brought back to his vehicle and also needed no medical attention.

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The Ragin Cajuns men’s basketball team hosts Texas State at 3 PM today. Both teams are 4-and-3 in Sun Belt play. U-L Lafayette interim head coach Derrick Zimmerman says one of the Bobcats’ best players is Tylan Pope from Franklinton….

Cut 16 (16) “…with them.”

Tuesday’s record snowfall has disrupted the Cajuns’ preparations for today’s game, but Zimmerman says that’s no excuse…

Cut 17 (17)  “…we’ll be ready to play.”

The Cajuns have won six straight games over Texas State.

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Louisiana Tech begins a three game-home stand tonight when they host Western Kentucky at 6 PM in a game televised by CBS Sports Network. The Bulldogs dropped two close games on the road last week to fall to two and four in Conference USA play. Tech has already matched conference loss total from last year and Coach Talvin Hester says they have not been as good on the defensive end of the court…

Cut 18 (09)   “…172.”

The Bulldogs have also been hit by the injury bug. Will Jeffress is out for the season with an injury. Al Green and Jordan Crawford have also been injured recently. Hester says they have to play through these injuries…

Cut 19 (12) “…growing toward.”

New all time record lows were set this morning. National Weather Service Meteorologist Stacey Denson says single digit temperature readings were recorded across southwest Louisiana…

Cut 3 (13) “…in Lafayette.” 

And the highest snowfall total – 11 and a half inches in Chalmette.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The weather warmed up throughout the day today to cause some of the snow to melt and the roads to start to dry up. So much so that this afternoon, DOTD was able to reopen westbound I-10 from I-49 in Lafayette to the Texas state line. Others may take a little longer to reopen. DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett says one challenge with the Interstates is that many of them have long stretches where they go over water, and bridges always freeze first, making for extremely dangerous driving conditions.

Cut 11 (07) “…in the south.”

Despite the slight warming throughout the day today, LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says we’re not quite out of the woods just yet.

Cut 13 (05)  “…block of ice.”

Tonight’s Pelicans home game against the Bucks has been postponed, and the huge matchup in women’s basketball between number-five LSU and number-two South Carolina has been pushed back from tomorrow night to Friday afternoon.

Get used to seeing this snow; it’s going to be around for a few more days. LSU Public Health Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s not going to be warm enough today or tomorrow to cause any significant melting. He says if you can just survive tomorrow, we will see significant melting starting Friday.

Cut 14 (11) “…will be gone.”

Most Interstate freeways throughout South Louisiana from Lake Charles eastward remain closed – however, this afternoon, westbound I-10 has reopened from I-49 to the Texas state line. DOTD Spokesman Rodney Mallett says it’s unclear when other stretches will reopen.

Cut 10 (10) “…need to be.”

Go to 511la.org to stay up to date.

The highest snowfall total recorded in Louisiana happened in Chalmette – 11.5 inches. Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

This wicked weather has led to a few postponements in the sports world. Tonight’s Pelicans home game against the Bucks has been postponed; no makeup date has been announced. And the highly anticipated women’s basketball game in Columbia, South Carolina, between fifth ranked LSU and second ranked South Carolina has been postponed from tomorrow night to Friday afternoon.

Subfreezing temperatures are cold for Louisiana, but this morning we nearly saw temperatures below zero. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

And it’s not going to get any better today. LRN Meteorologist Bill Jacquemin (JACK-quim-in) says the weather will warm up a little today, only to give way to another frigid night tonight.

Cut 17 (06)  “…and 20s tonight.”

The snow has subsided, but the danger has not. Road conditions will be much worse today than they were yesterday. During a news conference, Governor Landry pointed out that thanks to the frigid overnight lows, the roads are extra slick.

Cut 10 (11) “…extremely, extremely dangerous.”

Colonel Robert Hudges, the superintendent of Louisiana State Police, says troopers were kept busy yesterday.

Cut 15 (13) “…the cold conditions.”

If driving on these roads is unavoidable, please drop your speeds and give yourself a lot of extra stopping distance. Unless your roadway is bone dry, consider 20 miles an hour the absolute maximum safe speed.