Tall ships have arrived in New Orleans as the city celebrates Americas 250th birthday through the weekend. Joe Gallinaro reports…:
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A bill has been sent to Governor Landry’s desk that would create a new survivor-led task force focused on improving protections and support for sexual assault survivors across Louisiana. Lawmakers approved the measure following a recent survey showing one in 10 Louisiana adults experienced sexual violence last year. The task force would work on improving services, training, and survivor resources statewide.

State leaders launch a new initiative aimed at improving rural healthcare. Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Evelyn Griffin says the Rural Tech Catalyst Fund would give rural healthcare providers better tools and partnerships that can result in better care for smaller communities:
Cut 13 (11) “care more efficiently”
State officials say partnership opportunities and program timelines will be announced in the coming months.

Pineville-based utility provider Cleco will provide the power for the 3.6-billion-dollar data center that will be built in the Rapides Parish town of Boyce. Data Centers use an enormous amount of energy, but Cleco spokeswoman Jennifer Cahill says this won’t result in higher bills for other customers:
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Applied Digital is expected to provide 200 permanent jobs once it begins initial operations in mid-2027.

Tours start today aboard massive historic marine vessels docked in New Orleans as the city kicks off the Sail 250 celebration with the largest flotilla to ever sail the Mississippi River. Mark Romig is with the Sail 250 host committee…:
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It’s all part of celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The ships will make five stops on a tour that wraps up in Boston in July.

A bipartisan bill filed in the US Senate would overhaul several major college sports rules, including transfer policies, athlete eligibility, and coaching moves. The proposal includes a one-time transfer allowance without having to sit out a year, set a five-year eligibility limit, and implement the so-called Lane Kiffin Rule, which would ban coaches from leaving for another school before a season ends. The “Protect College Sports Act” will need 60 votes to pass the Senate.

A new groundbreaking study out of LSU finds infertility can damage an employees sense of self-worth, altering how they see themselves at work and how they behave on the job. Michael Johnson with LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business, who lead the study, says this can lead to counterproductive work behaviors…:
Cut 8 (11) “things like that”
He says workplaces can help by encouraging support, understanding, and flexibility for employees dealing with infertility.

Pineville based Cleco has confirmed the company will power the new multi billion dollar AI data center coming to Rapides Parish. Cleco spokeswoman Jennifer Cahill:
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She says large customers like Applied Digital can help lower costs by spreading expenses across a broader customer base.

Since Louisiana voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have provided a permanent pay raise for school employees, a teachers union hopes lawmakers can find another way to fund increases. Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees president Larry Carter..:
Cut 11 (14) “and school employees”
The amendment would have given teachers an annual raise of $2,250.

Legislation moving toward final passage would block public access to details of revenue-sharing agreements between colleges and their athletes. Supporters say making those details available puts schools like LSU at a disadvantage. Opponents of the bill like Attorney Scott Sternberg say that’s ridiculous…:
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The bill now heads to the Senate Floor.

Thanks to Louisiana’s film incentive programs, Hollywood South appears to be back. Joe Gallinaro reports…:
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Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer travel season, and motorists aren’t going to see much relief at the pump. According to AAA, the current statewide average for a gallon of regular is back over $4. The overnight jump was 3 cents to 4.02 in Louisiana. That’s 33 cents higher than the same time last month.

Republican US Senate candidates Julia Letlow and John Fleming are back on the campaign trail ahead of the June 27th runoff election. Letlow, who received 45% of the vote Saturday, is already building momentum according to ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley…:
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise on Monday endorsed Letlow.

A bill to shield athletic revenue sharing figures from public record advances in the legislature. The bill’s author, Lafayette Representative Themi Chassion, says public deals put LSU and other Louisiana college athletic programs at a disadvantage…:
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Opponents of the legislation say revenue share deals are funded with public dollars and therefore should be public.

With voters rejecting the teacher pay constitutional amendment, lawmakers are being urged to find another source of funding for the raises. Andrew Greenstein reports..:
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A Greensburg man accused of abusing and neglecting 27 dogs has been arrested after nearly a month on the run. Police say 51-year-old Charles Hollins was taken into custody Monday in Tangipahoa Parish during a routine traffic stop. Hollins’ wife had already been booked.

On the heels of the teacher pay amendment failing to pass, the legislature is in motion to come up with another plan. Larry Carter, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees, says something else needs to be put in place to increase salaries for educators…:
Cut 10 (11) “a permanent pay”
Governor Landry tweeted if teachers don’t get a permanent raise, the proposals to give other state employees an increase should also be nixed. Lawmakers have until the session ends June 1st to make anymore moves.

Louisiana’s film incentive program is making the state one of the biggest film production hubs in the country. Adriane Bennett is with Film Louisiana…:
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She credits, in part, state programs like Film Prize Junior which gets students involved at an early age.

A bill that would remove from public record how athletic departments spend their revenue on college athletes is nearing final legislative passage…:
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Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Monday over 60 sex offenders in the Baton Rouge area have been arrested. She says this comes after investigators spent months tracking and inspecting whether these sex offenders were illegally on social media. “Operation Restricted Domain,” involved several law enforcement agencies and district attorneys’ offices throughout the state.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry is reminding voters that tomorrow is still an Election Day even though the US House races have been moved to the November 3rd open primary. She says any votes cast in that race are void and candidates will still need to qualify in August.

The Louisiana Senate approves a new congressional map that has one majority Black Democratic district. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
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There are five constitutional amendments on the ballot Saturday and one of them would create the St. George Community School System. Barry Erwin with Leaders for a Better Louisiana says this one of the main reasons the city of St. George formed in Baton Rouge…:
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The race for US Senate is also on tomorrow’s ballot.

There was such a huge swarm of termites that passed through southeast Louisiana this week that they showed up on weather radar. LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says that’s not uncommon here this time of year…:
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He says it’s a good idea to take preventative measures around your house like keeping the lights off at night and not keep wood near your house.

The Republican candidates in the US Senate Race on our Saturday ballot include incumbent Bill Cassidy, Julia Letlow and John Fleming. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says there has been so much publicity surrounding Letlow and Fleming, it could mean Cassidy’s 12 year run in Washington comes to an end..:
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There are three candidates vying for the U.S. Senate Democratic nomination.

Voters will see five constitutional amendments on the ballot tomorrow. Amendment Three has received the most attention. Barry Erwin with Leaders for a Better Louisiana says the amendment would abolish three large education trust funds and use the revenues of the funds to pay down teacher retirement debt…:
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Polls will be open Saturday from 7am-8pm.

The Louisiana Senate Thursday passed a congressional map with five Republican leaning districts and one Democratic leaning district. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.

It’s that time of year to start thinking about protecting your home from termites. Andrew Greenstein reports…:
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The 2026 Saints schedule is out and includes only one primetime game which will be a Monday night football matchup against the Falcons to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Black and Gold’s return to the Dome following Hurricane Katrina.

The Election date for the 2026 US House races has been confirmed under a bill signed by Governor Jeff Landry. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says we will all have something on our May 16th ballot, but the election for the House will be held on the November 3rd open primary, and any votes already cast in the cancelled House race are void and will not be counted.

One of the items on our ballot Saturday is for US Senate. Andrew Greenstein has a preview…:
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The Louisiana Senate has approved a congressional redistricting bill that eliminates one of the two minority districts. Monroe Senator Jay Morris says the supreme court allows lawmakers to draw a map based on party politics…:
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But opponents say only a third of the state is registered Republican. The measure advanced on a 27-10 vote and will now be considered in the House.

Termites swarming at your house? It’s that time of year. Although the swarms do not mean homes are infested, LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says its always a good idea to take preventative measures..:
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This week southeast Louisiana saw such a huge termite swarm come through it showed up on weather radar.

The Full Senate today is expected to vote on the new congressional map it advanced out of committee early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the legislature has sent to the Governor’s desk a bill that sets new election dates for the six US House races, and temporarily move them back to open primaries. House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu was asked why this year’s U.S. House races can’t be closed primaries…:
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He says the 2026 House races will be an open primary in November, with a December runoff.

The Louisiana National Guard says about 125 of its soldiers have been sent to support security missions in Washington, D.C. as part of President Trump’s crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital. The President declared a crime emergency in D.C. 9 months ago which triggers such National Guard troop deployments.

Louisiana continues to lead the nation in academic improvement, according to the latest Education Scorecard. Joe Gallinaro has the story…:
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AAA says today’s statewide average for a gallon of regular gas stands at $4 which is down 2 cents from the prior week but still 75 cents higher than the same time last month.

The LSU baseball team finishes out the regular season with a three-game series against 19th ranked Florida that starts tonight at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is 6:30.

Senators will hit the floor today to take up the congressional map it advanced in committee with one minority district. The Supreme Court invalidated Louisiana’s current map, and right after Governor Landry canceled House elections for Saturday’s primary. Now the legislature has sent to the governor’s desk a bill that sets new election dates for the six U.S. House races.

House Governmental Affairs Chairman Beau Beaullieu says the 2026 House races will be an open primary in November, with a December runoff. He says U.S. House elections scheduled for Saturday have officially been cancelled…:
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The legislation also says future congressional races will be a closed primary after this year.

Attorney General Liz Murrill is threatening to remove New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno and others from office. Andrew Greenstein explains why…:
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The Department of Insurance is using modern technology to catch people committing insurance fraud. Commissioner Tim Temple..:
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