There’s the potential for severe weather tonight and tomorrow morning. Jeff Palermo has more…

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

___________________________________________________

Senator Bill Cassidy found himself on the defensive after the health secretary he helped confirm went back on his word about spreading misinformation regarding any connection between vaccines and autism. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

______________________________________________________

There’s the potential for severe weather tonight into tomorrow morning for north and central Louisiana. State Climatologist Jay Grymes says the primary threats are damaging winds, large hail and the possibility of tornadoes…

Cut 3 (11) “…severe weather.”

Three parishes are under a tornado watch until 7 PM tonight, DeSoto, Red River and Sabine. Grymes says more watches and warnings are possible as the day goes on…

Cut 4 (10) “…southern parishes.”

Grymes says one to three inches of rain is possible for north and central Louisiana…

Cut 5 (10) “…south Louisiana.”

Grymes says the cold front that will begin to move to through the state tonight is the first of two cold fronts to hit the state this week. The second one will bring us cooler temperatures for Thanksgiving.

___________________________________________________

Senator Bill Cassidy finds himself on the defensive after the CDC changes its website to say that the claim of vaccines not causing autism is not based on evidence. Back in January, Cassidy, who’s a medical doctor by trade, voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary after Kennedy assured him that he would not push any conspiracies on connections between vaccines and autism. Jake Tapper confronted Cassidy about that on CNN’s “State of the Union” yesterday, saying that Kennedy lied to him during that confirmation hearing.

Cut 6 (08) “…it at that.”

Despite the CDC’s website now saying that scientific studies have not ruled out the possibility that vaccines contribute to the development of autism, Cassidy says that is not true.

Cut 7 (07) “…quite a fringe.”

It was Cassidy’s vote in the Senate Finance Committee that was the deciding vote to advance Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate, paving the way for his confirmation. Tapper asked Cassidy why he would not criticize Kennedy by name, especially after a member of his own family took him to task for slashing vaccine research funding after revealing that she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and had one year to live.

Cut 8 (13) “…make America healthy.”

___________________________________________________

Registration for the next State Police’s cadet class is now open. The deadline to register for Cadet Class 109 is January 6th. Captain Johnnie Brown says after that date, they will select the best candidates from those who registered, and there is no set number.

Cut 9 (08)  “…a specific number.”

Captain Brown says it will take several months to select the class, and the class will take up almost the entire second half of next year, all of which is paid.

Cut 10 (06) “…finish December 11th.”

Brown says the class takes that long because there’s a lot to cover.

Cut 11 (12) “…and so forth.”

Candidates must be at least 21 years old and have either two years experience as a police officer, 60 college credit hours, or any two-year combination of those two. They can also qualify with three years of military service.

___________________________________________________

Congresswoman Julia Letlow is working with Washington Democrat Kim Shrier on a bipartisan maternal support bill. Letlow says a key component of the Newborns Essentials Support Toolkit, or NEST, Act is giving new mothers access to newborn supply kits.

Cut 12 (08) “…and breastfeeding supplies.”

Letlow says the foundation for providing the supply kits to new mothers is already in place.

Cut 13 (08)  “…to new moms.”

Letlow says the NEST Act would also provide postpartum mental health resources in areas of need.

Cut 14 (12) “…and expand services.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation found Louisiana is home to the second-cheapest Thanksgiving dinner in the country this year. Kace Kieschnick reports…

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

____________________________________________

DCFS is taking steps to strengthen operations at its Child Safety Response Center. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

The season started with LSU fans dreaming of the College Football Playoff. It’s ending with LSU fans dreaming of Lane Kiffin. Andrew Greenstein talked with Tigers fans to gauge their confidence in LSU’s ability to lure the Ole Miss head coach to Baton Rouge.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

_________________________________________________

The price for a Thanksgiving dinner in Louisiana is the second-lowest in the U.S. according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Louisiana Farm Bureau spokesman Avery Davidson says the average cost for a classic 11-item meal for approximately ten guests is $44.70.

Cut 4 (10) “…eighteen cents.”

The cost is down three dollars from last year, but Davidson says some prices have dropped while others have risen. Turkey was the biggest faller along with stuffing, but the cost of ham, sweet potatoes, and vegetables are up.

Cut 5 (13) “…those items.”

Davidson encourages Louisianians to remember farmers this Thanksgiving. Farmers receive just 9-point-one cent of every dollar spent on food, and their share of an average Louisiana Thanksgiving dinner is just five-dollars.

Cut 6 (13) “…such a meal.”

_________________________________________________

DCFS is addressing concerns about response times at its Child Safety Response Center. Secretary Rebecca Harris says the department has received reports about delays in the ways that it receives complaints about child maltreatment. Harris says while the department strives to handle phone calls and online reports quickly, urgent situations should always be phoned in.

Cut 7 (10) “…to sexual abuse.”

That said, Harris says the processing time for online reports, which had averaged more than 24 hours earlier this year, is now less than an hour. And hold times on the phone have also gone down significantly.

Cut 8 (08) “…a half minutes.”

Harris says the health and welfare of children throughout the state is the top priority at the department.

Cut 9 (09)  “…of that call.”

____________________________________________________________

Drone Institute announced a 340-thousand-dollar expansion of its Lafayette headquarters set to be complete by June of next year. CEO George Femmer says the project will consolidate drone operations, data processing and pilot training into one facility.

Cut 10 (14) “…up to snuff.”

The company and development is estimated to produce nearly 14-hundred new jobs over the next ten years, many of which Femmer says will be high paying.

Cut 11 (11) “…our clients.”

Louisiana offered Drone Institute an incentives package including a 300-thousand-dollar performance-based grant to assist in building renovation costs in order to secure the project. Femmer says he’s been glad to call Lafayette home and invest in its future.

Cut 12 (12) “…where they live.”

Construction will begin by the end of this year and Drone Institute training and operations will continue during the multi-stage renovation plan.

____________________________________________________________

The Lane Kiffin watch is on in a big way in Baton Rouge. This past Friday, Ole Miss said in a statement that an announcement about Kiffin’s future with the university would be made this Saturday, one day after Friday’s Egg Bowl matchup against in-state rival Mississippi State. Later that night, reports surfaced that LSU was working to finalize a 90-million-dollar offer for Kiffin to lure him to Baton Rouge – with the full blessing of Governor Landry. Those two developments have LSU fans excited.

Cut 13 (08)  “…Ole Miss coach.”

One fan says he can read between the lines of Ole Miss’s statement, interpreting that as meaning the Egg Bowl will be Kiffin’s last with the Rebels.

Cut 14 (11) “…coming to LSU.”

One fan says the contract LSU is finalizing is way too good for any coach to pass up.

Cut 15 (08) “…kind of suspect.”

Florida is also hot on Kiffin’s trail, working very hard to lure him to Gainesville. Amid all the uncertainty, the one given is that the college football world – especially fans in Baton Rouge, Gainesville and Oxford – will have their eyes glued to social media Saturday for definitive word on where Kiffin will be going, if anywhere.

____________________________________________________________

Instead of playing for a berth in the SEC Championship Game and a spot in the College Football Playoff, LSU ended its 2025 home schedule by squeaking by Conference USA opponent Western Kentucky, 13-10. LSU didn’t take the lead until a minute and a half before halftime when Trey’Dez Green caught an 11-yard pass from Michael Van Buren for the Tigers’ only touchdown. After the game, Interim Coach Frank Wilson gave credit to the Hilltoppers’ defense.

Cut 16 (16) “…the football game.”

Van Buren completed 25 out of 42 passes for 202 yards and that one touchdown. He was also intercepted once. Harlem Berry was LSU’s leading rusher with 82 yards. LSU improves to 7-and-5  and wraps up its regular season Saturday against Oklahoma in Norman; kickoff is at 2:30.

______________________________________________________

Louisiana Tech is bowl eligible as the Bulldogs earned their sixth win of the season on Saturday with a come-from-behind win over Liberty, dousing the Flames 34-28 in overtime. Tech trailed by three touchdowns in the third quarter to pull off the biggest win in Sonny Cumbie era…

Cut 17 (08)  “…to compete.”

Quarterback Trey Kukuk sparked the rally and he did it with his legs. Kukuk had 31 yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter and a 29-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Kukuk says the players wanted to win this game for Cumbie and the coaches…

Cut 18 (18))  “…into this team.”

____________________________________________

The Saints made three trips into the red zone against the Falcons on Sunday, but only managed three points in a 24-10 loss to Atlanta. Kicker Blake Grupe missed two field goals. And in the third quarter, the Black and Gold failed to score a touchdown after getting the ball to the one-yard line. Coach Kellen Moore says they didn’t get it done on offense…

Cut 19 (10) “…find a way.”

The only touchdown for the Saints came in the second quarter, when Justin Reid returned an interception for a touchdown. The loss drops New Orleans record to 2-9. Reid says they are not giving up on the season…

Cut 20 (13) “…can do.”

The Saints are at Miami this Sunday.