12:30 LRN Newscast

A California doctor has been indicted on felony charges for allegedly mailing abortion pills to a woman in St. Tammany Parish. According to court documents, Dr. Remy Coeytaux mailed mifepristone, one of two medications commonly referred to as an abortion pill, to a woman who said she was forced to take them by her boyfriend. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Coeytaux is not providing healthcare, instead he’s dealing drugs…

Cut 10 (03) “…those doctors.”

Prosecutors in Louisiana are also involved in a similar case with doctor out of New York.

Louisiana and G-Unit Film and Television and the state of Louisiana have finalize an agreement that will result in a 124-million dollar multi-phase initiative to develop three entertainment industry, related venues in northwest Louisiana. It’s part of an effort in Shreveport to bring large-scale media and entertainment ventures to northwest Louisiana. The state is providing up to 50—million dollars in performance based funding, but the work needs to be done in a timely manner….

Cut 5 (08) “…pretty quickly”

That’s Grant Nuckolls with Shreveport Film and Entertainment Economic Development.

 

Small businesses open 2026 with optimism on the upswing. Leah Long is the Louisiana Director of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Cut 6 (06) “…heading into 2026.”

While the decrease in uncertainty has increased optimism among small business owners, Long says there are lingering concerns that they would like to see addressed in the new year.

According to the latest data compiled by the Louisiana Department of Health, case rates for the flu are decreasing, but flu activity is still high. On WRKF radio in Baton Rouge, Dr. Julio Figueroa, with LSU Health New Orleans, says if you think you have the flu, it’s best to get tested right away, because the prescription drugs available to combat the flu are more effective when taken shortly after the onset of symptoms.

Cut 14 (09) “…day on average.”

He also says it’s not too late to get the flu shot.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Sam Leavitt, one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal according to multiple recruiting services, has signed with LSU. Leavitt has two more seasons of eligibility after throwing for 45-hundred yards, 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in two seasons at Arizona State. He also rushed for 749 yards and ten scores.

The Tigers leading rusher from 2025, Caden Durham, has taken his name out of the transfer portal, and will return to LSU for his junior season.  Durham has rushed for 12-hundred yards in his two seasons in Baton Rouge. Tiger Rag Editor Glenn Guilbeau says good job by the LSU coaching staff to keep Durham a Tiger…

Cut 27 (11) “…Caden Durham”

And former LSU Tiger running back and Alexandria Senior High star, J-T Lindsey, is transferring to Ole Miss as he follows running backs coach Frank Wilson to Oxford.

 

An exciting night of hoops in the Southland Conference last night as UNO defeated Southeastern Louisiana 79 to 76. Coleton Benson hit a step back three-pointer with less than a second left to give the Privateers the victory.

Northwestern State defeated UTRGV 64 to 43 in Natchitoches. Izzy Miles made a free throw with one second left and that turned out to be the winning point. Micah Thomas led the way with 17 points, scoring 13 in the second half.

McNeese moved into first place in the Southland with a convincing 94 to 68 win over Nicholls. Six players scored in double figures for the Cowboys led by Larry Johnson who had 24 points and D-J Richards added 20. It’s the first loss in conference play for the Colonels, who will host Lamar on Saturday.

In the SWAC, Grambling lost its second straight game, falling to Florida A-and-M 91 to 84. Southern rallied to beat Bethune-Cookman 77 to 73. The Jags and the Tigers face each other on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

It is official. LSU has signed former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, despite a push from Tennessee to sign the 20-year-old dual-threat quarterback. If Leavitt has recovered from a Lisfranc foot surgery, he’ll be the starting quarterback in the season opener against Clemson.

The backup would be Landen Clark from Elon and LSU might not be done as Coach Lane Kiffin is reportedly interested in also signing Husan (Hoo-san) Longstreet, who just completed his freshman season at USC. Tiger Rag Editor Glenn Guilbeau says if Kiffin gets all three, that would be impressive…

Cut 8 (05) “…is Sam Leavitt”

LSU’s leading rusher in 2025, Caden Durham, is returning for his junior season. Durham entered the transfer portal, but the new coaching staff has convinced him to stay at LSU.

LSU women’s basketball is up to number six in the latest A-P Top 25 poll, and Tigers baseball is ranked second behind UCLA by D-1 Baseball.

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In college basketball…McNeese built a big first-half lead and easily defeated Nicholls 94 to 68 in a battle for first place in the Southland last night. Larry Johnson had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and DJ Richards scored 20 points off the bench. The Cowboys and Colonels are now 7-and-1 in league play.

Northwestern State was down by five points with 30 seconds left but rallied to beat U-T-R-G-V 64-63. An Izzy Miles free throw with one second left was the winning point. Micah Thomas had 17 points, including a big three-pointer in that last-minute rally.

Coleton Benson hit a 25-foot three-pointer with three seconds left as UNO upended Southeastern Louisiana 79 to 76. Benson had a big night as he had 30 points.

Southern rallied to beat Bethune-Cookman 77 to 73, and Grambling lost to Florida A-and-M 91 to 84.

In the NBA….the Pelicans host the Denver Nuggets tonight.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The number one-rated Q-B in the transfer portal, Sam Leavitt, has committed to LSU after a lengthy visit to Baton Rouge last week that was followed up by Lane Kiffin visiting him in Tennessee. Leavitt led Arizona State to a Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff berth in 2024. Michelle Gardner with the Arizona Republic covered Leavitt at A-S-U…

Cut 12 (12) “…in the clutch.”

After adding Leavitt, LSU now boasts the No. 1 transfer portal class, according to 247sports.

LSU sophomore running back Caden Durham announced on his social media that he will be returning with the program to play with the Tigers in 2026, despite entering the transfer portal earlier this month. This season, Durham led the team in rushing with 505 yards and also had three touchdowns.

LSU junior center Braelin Moore and sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green also announced on Sunday night that they will return to play for the Tigers in 2026.

The LSU women’s basketball team secured its first win against an AP top 2 team for the first time since 2008 yesterday after the Tigers defeated No. 2 Texas 70-65. Junior guard Mikaylah Williams was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points in 38 minutes. She said toughness is what the team has focused on since those back-to-back losses.

Cut 17 (18)  “…those big moments.”

LSU moved up to No. 6 in the new AP Poll this week.

D1Baseball.com released its preseason top-25 ahead of the 2026 season, and the LSU baseball team will start their title defense as the No.2 team in the nation. The Tigers were only behind UCLA. LSU was ranked as No. 1 in the Perfect Game Baseball Preseason poll last week.

In men’s basketball, Nicholls looks to remain undefeated in the Southland when they travel to Lake Charles tonight to face McNeese State. The Cowboys are on a three game winning streak and have not lost at home since 2023. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m.

4:30 LRN Newscast

Helena Moreno was sworn in this morning as the 63rd mayor of the City of New Orleans. The one theme she repeated in her roughly 13-minute inaugural address was that she’s “all in” for New Orleans, despite the big challenges she faces…

Cut 4 (09) “…that they’re impossible.”

Moreno was sworn in by former Vice President Kamala Harris, who says Moreno is up for the challenge….

Cut 8 (12) “…of New Orleans”

A fatal shooting in Farmerville has claimed the life of a Union Parish High school football player. Investigators say 18-year-old Cynia Gray fatally shot Kayane Smith on Friday. Gray has been charged with second degree murder, and her bond has been set at one million dollars.

 

In Lafayette, a two-year-old gets a hold of a gun and kills a four-year-old boy. Lafayette Police Corporal Ashley Wood says the firearm was unsecured and loaded when the two-year-old got a hold of it.

Cut 10 (05) “…four-year-old child.”

The four-year-old boy, Blaze Rubin, died from his injuries. A 17-year-old relative is behind bars on two charges, including negligent homicide.

LSU has reportedly secured a commitment from Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, the number one ranked quarterback in this transfer portal class. LSU fans hope history repeats itself. Jayden Daniels also transferred from Arizona State to LSU and ended up winning the Heisman in 2023. Michelle Gardner with the Arizona Republic says Daniels was an elite runner and Leavitt is also dangerous running the football.

Cut 14 (07) “…first down.”

3:30 LRN Newscast

New Orleans has a new mayor. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris swore in Moreno as mayor at the Saenger Theater this morning. Harris says she first crossed paths with Moreno many years ago…

Cut 6 (08) “….she is tough”

Harris added that Moreno will never stop fighting for the people of New Orleans.

 

Lafayette Police have arrested a teenager in connection with the fatal shooting of a four-year-old boy. Authorities say the victim, Blaze Rubin, was shot by a two-year-old who found an unsecured and loaded gun in the home. Lafayette Police Corporal Ashley Wood says says the gun belonged to a 17-year-old…

Cut 11 (09) “…by a juvenile”

It is unknown if the two year-old has been removed from the home.

Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt has committed to LSU. Leavitt threw for 46-hundred yards, 36 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 816 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns during his career at A-S-U. Michelle Gardner covered Leavitt at Arizona State for the Arizona Republic and says Leavitt takes his craft seriously…

Cut 13 (13) “….his power”

11:40 LRN Sportscast

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has found his QB 1. It’s Sam Leavitt from Arizona State, who in 2024 led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance. Leavitt is the number one quarterback in the portal after throwing for 46-hundred yards, 36 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 816 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns during his career at A-S-U.

Kiffin also has his backup in place. Landen Clark from Elon has chosen the Tigers over Michigan. Clark was an FCS All-American this past season after throwing for 23 hundred yards and 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Phoenix, who went 6- 6 in 2025.

The first player in the transfer portal to follow Kiffin from Ole Miss to LSU is receiver Winston Watkins Junior. Watkins had a good freshman season for the Rebels, catching 26 passes for 373 yards and a TD.

Preseason practice begins today for LSU baseball. They are ranked second, behind UCLA, by D-1 baseball in its preseason poll.

The 12th-ranked LSU women’s basketball team took down 2nd ranked Texas 70 to 65 in front of a sold-out crowd at the PMAC yesterday afternoon. Bossier City native Mikayla Williams led the way with 20 points and former Lafayette Christian star Jada Richard (Ree-shard) had ten points. It was LSU’s second straight SEC win after losing their first two conference games. Richard says the two losses exposed flaws that the team has ironed out….

Cut 18 (15) “…a national championship”

It won’t get any easier for the Lady Tigers as they try to make it three in a row, their next opponent is fifth-ranked Oklahoma. They’ll have a whole week to prepare – the game is Sunday afternoon in Norman,

Big game in Lake Charles tonight as McNeese hosts Nicholls in matchup of the top two teams in the Southland.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The 12th-ranked LSU women’s basketball team had its biggest win of the season yesterday, handing second-ranked Texas its first loss of the year as the Lady Tigers downed the Longhorns 70-65. Coach Kim Mulkey said her team lacked toughness when they suffered back-to-back losses to open up SEC play. That was not the case on Sunday against U-T…

Cut 16 (06) “…couple of games ago”

Bossier City’s Mikaylah Williams had 20 points to lead the way.

Lane Kiffin has signed a quarterback out of the transfer portal. His name is Landen Clark and he’s an FCS All-American from Elon College. Clark threw for 2,321 yards, 18 touchdowns, and eight interceptions for the Phoenix. Clark also rushed for 614 yards and had a school-record 11 touchdowns.

LSU also had a visit this past weekend from Husan Longstreet from USC. And former Arizona State star Sam Leavitt also remains a possibility.

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The LSU men’s basketball team is the only winless team in conference play in the SEC after falling to 0-3 on Saturday with an 84-73 loss to 11th ranked Vanderbilt. The Tigers host Kentucky on Wednesday and then Mizzou on Saturday.

ULM is also the only winless team in the Sun Belt, while the Cajuns are 2-and-4 in league play after losing by 20 points to Troy on Saturday.

Louisiana Tech snapped a three-game losing streak with a 70-68 win in overtime over Delaware.

Big game in the Southland tonight as Nicholls is at McNeese. The Colonels are 7-0 in league play while the Cowboys are 6-1.

In Major League Baseball…former LSU star Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. Bregman’s contract is five years for $175 million.

Saints receiver Chris Olave was voted second-team All-Pro after catching 100 passes. Olave ranked seventh in the NFL in receptions and eighth in receiving yards.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

Lane Kiffin and LSU landed a top-100 player in the transfer portal early on Friday from sophomore defensive end Jordan Ross of Tennessee. The 6-5, 245-pounder out of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, is rated as the No. 14 edge rusher in the transfer portal. Coming out of high school, Ross was rated as the No. 1 edge rusher in the country and the No. 9 overall player in the Class of 2024. This season, Ross had 23 total tackles, 1-and-a-half sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the Volunteers.

LSU also received a commitment from Illinois redshirt junior transfer wide receiver Malik Elzy. Elzy is unranked in the transfer portal. The 6-2, 215-pounder out of Chicago caught 16 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns in his three seasons with the Fighting Illini. Coming out of high school, Elzy was rated as the No. 48 wide receiver in the country.

The Tigers also added McNeese redshirt freshman transfer wide receiver Josh Jackson. Jackson was rated as the No. 174 wide receiver in the portal. This season, Jackson caught 20 passes for 258 yards for the Cowboys.

The LSU men’s basketball team looks to pick up their first SEC win of the season tomorrow in Nashville as the Tigers take on No. 11 Vanderbilt at noon. Senior guard DJ Thomas’ status is uncertain after he missed the last two games with a lower leg injury.

The NCAA has denied a sixth-year eligibility waiver requested by Ole Miss senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Earlier this week, Chambliss had re-signed with the Rebels to remain in Oxford for the 2026 season if he was granted an extra year. Ole Miss can still appeal the decision. The Rebels will join LSU in the hunt for a starting quarterback in the transfer portal.

McNeese State basketball looks to win its third straight game on Saturday when the Cowboys host Southeastern at 4 p.m.

Nicholls men’s basketball looks to remain unbeaten in Southland play on Saturday as the Colonels are on the road to take on the University of New Orleans. Tipoff is at 5 p.m.

UL-Lafayette men’s basketball looks to win its second straight game on Saturday as the Cajuns host Troy at noon.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

Lane Kiffin and LSU landed a top-100 player in the transfer portal early on Friday morning from sophomore defensive end Jordan Ross of Tennessee. The 6-5, 245-pounder out of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, is rated as the No. 14 edge rusher in the transfer portal. Coming out of high school, Ross was rated as the No. 1 edge rusher in the country and the No. 9 overall player in the Class of 2024.

The transfer portal window opened last Friday and LSU has yet to sign a quarterback and it is unclear who Q-B 1 will be in 2026. Washington sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Junior seemed like he could be the guy, but the talented signal caller announced yesterday he’s staying at Washington. The Tigers currently have no scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

Last night, Miami defeated Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl 31-27 to advance to the national championship game on January 19th. Carson Beck scored the game-winning touchdown with a 3-yard scramble with just 18 seconds left on the clock. For the first time in the CFP era, a team will play for a national championship in their home stadium.

A couple of key transfer portal players are in Baton Rouge today for their visits to LSU. Elon redshirt freshman quarterback Landen Clark is among them. Clark is rated as the No. 74 quarterback in the portal. Illinois redshirt sophomore wide receiver Malik Elzy is also visiting the Tigers.

Last night, the twelfth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team won its first SEC game of the season, defeating Georgia in Athens by a score of 8-59. Senior guard Flau’jae Johnson led the team in scoring with 25 points in her return to her home state. Johnson reached 1,800 career points in the win. Her 1,816 points rank ninth in program history.

The LSU men’s basketball team looks to pick up their first SEC win of the season tomorrow in Nashville as the Tigers take on No. 11 Vanderbilt at noon. Senior guard DJ Thomas’ status is uncertain after missing the last two games with a lower leg injury.

McNeese State basketball looks to win its third straight game tomorrow when the Cowboys host Southeastern at 4 p.m.

Nicholls men’s basketball looks to remain unbeaten in Southland play tomorrow as the Colonels are on the road to take on the University of New Orleans.