President Biden says he has no plans to end his re-election bid after a lackluster debate performance. Biden says his poor showing was due to nerves and difficulty combatting former President Trump’s false claims, not a sign of any mental issues. LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan believes Biden should still submit to a neurological exam to assure voters and world leaders…
Cut 21 (12) ” …in the world.”
The president’s physician says Mr. Biden had a detailed neurologic exam in February and there were no findings of neurological disorder.

Opponents to Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law are asking a federal judge to block it before the new school year starts. Associate VP with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Alex Luchenitser says they are seeking a hearing on July 29th….
cut 11 (12) “…right of parents”
Supporters of the law say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of U-S Law.

Louisiana Tech launches a new doctoral program in engineering that will help working professionals improve their management, leadership, engineering and technology principles relevant to their specialization. DETM program coordinator Beth Hegab says the on-line courses will begin in September…
cut 6 (12) “….be the expert”
More information can be found on Louisiana Tech’s website.

Frederick Burgess has been running an after school program called Stop the violence in Alexandria since 2018 but the playing of sports portion of the program is not active because they can no longer use the Charles Hayward Activity Center. Burgess says they need money to use the gym…
cut 8 (05) “…off the streets”
Burgess says he’s already providing hundreds of kids with tutoring and financial literacy, but wants to incorporate sports too and is hoping for donations for his program Stop the Violence.

The House Emergency Beetle Subcommittee is meeting in Baton Rouge today. The drought last summer made pine trees extremely susceptible to beetle infestations. Pineville Representative Mike Johnson says they are holding the hearing to discuss ways to combat the issue…
Cut 13 (11) “…undertaking.”
Johnson says the Ips (I.P.S) beetles move from treetop to treetop and in a short time can and have killed many pine trees.

Opponents of Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law are asking a federal judge to block the legislation before a new school year starts. Associate VP with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Alex Luchenitser (looch-ah-nitz-er) says until the case is decided they want to keep a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments from going up.
Cut 10 (06) “…the litigation.”
Supporters of the law say the Ten Commandments are not an expression of religion but represent our moral code.

Louisiana Tech has launched a new doctoral program in engineering. It will give students an opportunity to learn technology management, strategic planning and decision analysis, skills crucial for many working professionals…
cut 5 (09) “…doctoral program”
Classes begin in September and DETM Program Coordinator Beth Hegab says the classes are online.

Frederick Burgess has been running an after school program called the Stop the Violence in Alexandria since 2018, but needs funds so that the hundreds of kids he mentors have a gym to play sports…
cut 9 (06) “…get in trouble”
Burgess says he was using the Charles Hayward Activity Center, but he says the gym is wanting money for them to use it. Burgess says his program also offers tutoring and financial literacy.

The center of Beryl is just north of Shreveport and it’s now a tropical depression, but it left a lot of damage across the Ark-La-Tex and power out is for 22-thousand customers in northwest Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Health reports one storm fatality. A tree fell on a home in Benton, killing a 31-year-old woman.

A group of teenagers from Terrebonne Parish have been arrested, accused of beating up homeless people in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. Colleen Crain has the details.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

A meeting will be held at the state capitol today to discuss a beetle infestation that’s resulted in damage to thousands of pine trees. Pineville Representative Mike Johnson says the beetles weaken trees. He says last April a 60-year-old Pineville woman was killed when a tree fell on her home.
Cut 14 (09) “…tree falling.”
Johnson says the House Emergency Beetle Subcommittee will hear from several entities today, including agriculture officials on how to stop the spread.

Louisiana Tech has launched a new doctoral program in engineering, which will begin accepting students in September. This interdisciplinary Ph.D. program is designed to prepare graduates for careers in academia and industry, emphasizing strong research capabilities across various engineering disciplines. DETM Program Coordinator Beth Hegab says it was time to expand.
Cut 4 (12) “…starting in 2010.”
The program offers flexible scheduling including online classes for working professionals

It was six months ago today when Governor Jeff Landry took office, and the Republican hasn’t taken his foot off the gas with two special sessions and an aggressive agenda in the regular session. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat counts the crime session among Landry’s highest achievements and in the regular session he backed bills to revamp state government.
Cut 13 (12) “…six months.”

Beryl made landfall early this morning as a category 1 hurricane along the Texas coast and is now tropical storm as its moves through eastern Texas. While Louisiana was spared the brunt of the storm LSU Climatologist Barry Keim says the Bayou State will have precipitation today as Beryl moves north-northeast.
Cut 6 (11) “…out of this.”
And there’s the potential for severe weather, the western half of the state is under a tornado watch until 10 pm.

Louisiana’s 2024 I Voted Stickers have been unveiled, featuring a crawfish sporting a suit and top hat named Mark D’Ballot. This year’s sticker was designed by Shreveport artist William Joyce, who says the sticker is an important and fun project to be part of.
Cut 3 (12) “…ends up mattering.”
Joyce says he wanted to create a sticker that appeals to the satisfaction people feel when they vote, regardless of politics.

Three baseball players with ties to Louisiana have been named Major League Baseball All-Stars. Former LSU All-America Paul Skenes has made just ten starts with the Pirates, but he’s been dominant in every one of them and is a National League All-Star team. Shreveport native Seth Lugo is also an All-Star. The veteran right-hander is having the best season of his career in Kansas City. Former Northwestern State All-American David Fry is also headed to the All-Star game. Fry is hitting .305 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs for the Cleveland Guardians.

Governor Jeff Landry celebrates his sixth month in office today. It was a very busy six months for the Republican from St. Martinville who helped push through legislation that seeks to reduce crime and he’s also made chances to state government. Landry also used the veto pen on 29 bills from regular session took out items in the state budget. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Landry is somewhat of an enigma to politcos over where he’s coming from and how he makes decisions…
cut 15 (12) “….very complicated”

The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested 29-year-old Zachary Bullitt of Marksville for the fatal shooting of his 76-year-old grandfather, 76-year-old Nellie Rousseau of Marksville. Deputies say the shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon and Bullitt has been charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Starting next year, Louisiana motorists will get new license plates to commemorate the 250th Birthday of America, which will actually take place in 2026. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham is heading up the Louisiana’s America 250 State Commission…
cut 6 (12) “….state in the union”
The Louisiana America 250 commission standardized license plate will be available starting January 1 through December 31, 2026.

Dr. Stephanie Compton with LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Center has been awarded 217-thousand dollars from the American Cancer Society to study the impact of aerobic exercise on colorectal cancer survivors. Survivors are at a higher risk of developing health conditions like type 2 diabetes following cancer treatment. Compton says she hopes her study…
Cut 7 (07) “…completed.”
High blood sugar from type 2 diabetes following cancer treatment could contribute to other health conditions like heart disease.

It was six months ago today when Governor Jeff Landry took office, and the Republican hasn’t taken his foot off the gas with two special sessions and an aggressive agenda in the regular session. Political Analyst Bernie Pinsonat counts the crime session among Landry’s highest achievements and in the regular session he backed bills to revamp state government.
Cut 13 (12) “…six months.”
Landry also helped approve legislation to give the governor’s office the ability to name chair persons for numerous boards and commissions.

We just got done celebrating America’s birthday and in 2026 America will celebrate its 250th birthday and Louisiana’s America 250 Commission has been formed to begin planning for the 250th celebration in Louisiana. Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham….
cut 4 (08) “…country it is”
For example, Louisiana played a big role in the American revolution because of the Spanish presence in the state.

A proposed liquified natural gas export terminal in southwest Louisiana is in limbo due to delays from the U-S Department of Energy, even after approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

Hurricane Beryl made a landfall in south Texas this morning near Houston. More than one million customers are affected by power outages in the Houston area. The impacts from Beryl are expected to be minimal in Louisiana. Some coastal flooding in Cameron Parish and we are expecting see some strong winds in northwest Louisiana.