Bayou Country Superfest announced the 8^th annual music festival will be held in New Orleans at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in 2017. Emelie Gunn has more…

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More US Senate candidates are airing TV commercials as the November 8 election approaches. Michelle Southern has more…

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Three strippers are suing the state over the new law that requires dancers in clubs to be at least 21-years-old. Legal analyst Tim Meche doesn’t think the suit will be successful because challenges to the federal drinking age requirement were struck down.

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The suit also claims the law is sexist and would not apply to men because exotic dancers are defined as “entertainers whose breasts or buttocks are exposed to view” in the law. Meche doesn’t think that claim will go far in the courtroom.

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The dancers, identified as Jane Doe I, II, and III, allege that the law violates their First Amendment right to free expression, in the form of erotic dance. State Alcohol and Tobacco Control officers plan on enforcing the new law on October 1^st. Meche doesn’t think the dancers will win the law suit.

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Political experts say last night’s presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is one of the most bizarre ever at that level of politics. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says it’s due, in part, to the sharp personal jabs they took at each other. He says there was also an unusual lack of actual substance in the debate:

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Hogan says he doesn’t feel there was a clean winner in the debate, but it seems as though Clinton presented a better case to support her position. He says Trump seemed to have difficulty making his points clear to the public — but he’s staying true to his style…:

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Hogan says both candidates played the roles a lot of people anticipated they would. He says they both often cut each other off and, as we’ve seen from Trump in the past, the GOP candidate mostly gave way to rants…:

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Bayou Country Superfest announces the 8^th annual music festival with be held in New Orleans at the Mercedes Benz Superdome over the 2017 Memorial Day Holiday. Producer and Director of the Superfest Quint Davis says the three-day concert will start with a free and open to the public concert on Friday, May 26^th in Champions Square. He says they want this to be the new country superfest in every way.

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The lineup and ticket details will be announced on December 1^st. Davis says LSU and Tiger Stadium were always welcoming to the Superfest and will forever be the father of the festival. He says now that the festival is indoors, there is more opportunity to get creative with lighting.

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Davis says the Superdome was the only other location in that state which could hold over 40-thousand concert-goers. He says visitors have access to more than 35-thousand hotels rooms within walking distance of the festival.

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As the November 8 election draws closer, more and more candidates for US Senate are taking their campaigns to the airwaves. State Treasurer John Kennedy aired his first commercial during last night’s Saints game. Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com says it was unusual that the ad was a full 60 seconds.

cut 12 (11) “stay on TV”

Alford says the commercials are helping candidates introduce themselves to voters, many for the first time. Republican businessman Abhay Patel airs his first commercial today. Alford says the debates will solidify some positions on policy issues, but that poses a problem in such a crowded field.

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Republican Congressman John Fleming is also running a new ad. Alford says we’ll likely see more ads from candidates attacking their opponents in the near future. He says Kennedy will likely be a target, given the lead he had in the beginning of the race.

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Many roadways are still lined with debris five weeks after the historic flooding. Halen Doughty has more…

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LSU interim head coach Ed Orgeron looks to jump start a passing attack that ranks last in the SEC. Jeff Palermo has the story…

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Former Governor Kathleen Blanco is offering encouragement to flood victims during the difficult rebuilding phase. Jeff Palermo has more…

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Education leaders in Louisiana are looking at ways to improve public education, in compliance with a new federal law that goes into effect next school year. State Superintendent John White says the Every Student Succeeds Act is the first federal education law that’s been passed since 2001, and it requires states to outline a plan for improving education. He says he’s confident Louisiana can make great strides, as long as the students remain the focus of the discussions.

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During Governor Bobby Jindal’s second term, White was involved in a very public spat with Jindal over Common Core academic standards. White says Louisiana is making strides in education, like improving math and reading test scores among 4^th graders and overall ACT scores. He says better preparing teachers while they are still in college could also have an impact in K-12 classrooms.

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White says in the near future, they will draft the framework for a plan to improve education. He says the plan outline will be made available to the public.

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Five weeks after the historic flooding in south Louisiana, many people still have debris piled up in their front yards. Spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Mike Steele, says crews have hit the 55-percent mark for completion of debris removal.

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Steele says crews have been hard at work for the past several weeks, and it will likely be a few more weeks before all the debris has been removed. He says they are asking the public to be patient.

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Steele says they have more crews working now, so hopefully the second half of the cleanup will go faster than the first. He says they are asking people to sort their debris into different categories to make the cleanup process easier.

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LSU interim head coach Ed Orgeron promises changes to LSU’s offense. The Tigers rank dead last in the SEC in passing and 12th in the league in total offense. Orgeron says they want to spread the ball around and make the passing game more dynamic….

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Orgeron replaces Les Miles, who was criticized for his antiquated offense that included poor clock management. Coach “O” says he doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes made in the past…

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Orgeron will make his debut as interim head coach on Saturday night when the Tigers take on Missouri. He wants his team to feel strong on Saturday, so he’ll have them on the practice field less during the week…

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As thousands of residents in south Louisiana continue to put the pieces of their life back together, it feels to many like this nightmare will never end. But former Governor Kathleen Blanco says one of her biggest takeaways from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is that people in Louisiana are fighters, and they don’t give up…:

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Blanco says last night’s game in the Superdome was a reminder about how resilient communities can be, as it was 10 years ago that New Orleans got a rebirth when the facility reopened for the first time since the storm. She says we will recover from this…:

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Blanco encourages residents to keep their heads held high, because this too shall pass. She says the “new normal” will be better in many ways…:

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For the second consecutive year, the Saints start their season with three consecutive losses. New Orleans lost to Atlanta 45-32 last night. The game started well as the Saints jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the game turned when De’Vante Harris ran over returner Tommylee Lewis, causing a muffed punt and giving Atlanta the ball on the New Orleans 11-yard line. Coach Sean Payton called it a bad play…

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Saints Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once, which was returned for a touchdown by former LSU Tiger Deion Jones. Brees says his interception and the special teams miscue were big…

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Despite the Saints dismal start, Brees is still optimistic about the team’s playoff chances….

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