An area on the LSU campus that was the catalyst for one of the two shootings last weekend will now be off-limits for the remainder of the football season. Andre Champagne reports.
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”
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The legislature begins a special session next week. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Come next school year, high school sophomores will have fewer standardized tests to contend with. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Yesterday, LSU announced a series of security enhancements for the remainder of the football season after a pair of shootings on campus last weekend. One of those shootings stemmed from an unsanctioned event at a field that the university broke up, and Interim President Matt Lee says that venue is now off-limits.
Cut 4 (14) “…inaccessible to everyone.”
Unity Field, which is located near the intersection of Highland Road and South Stadium Drive, is where most of the school’s Black fraternity members tailgate. Lee denies that race has anything to do with the decision to cordon it off.
Cut 5 (07) “…problems for us.”
Lee says a student group, which he did not specify, organized the unsanctioned event that culminated in the shooting and is being held accountable.
Cut 6 (10) “…our existing policies.”
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Governor Landry has called a special session to adjust the calendar for the 2026 election cycle amid the Supreme Court case on the state’s second majority Black congressional district. The session will start next Thursday and will last 22 days. Jeremy Alford, the publisher of LaPolitics-dot-com, says the governor set the length to be on the safe side.
Cut 7 (11) “…proposals from lawmakers.”
The plan is to move the calendar back 30 days – qualifying to mid-February, the primary to May 16th and a runoff, if necessary, to June 27th. Alford says even though there’s a Republican supermajority in both houses of the legislature, getting everyone on the same page is not a slam-dunk.
Cut 8 (10) “…support for that.”
All this comes as the Supreme Court considers its ruling on the constitutionality of the creation of the state’s second majority Black congressional district. Alford notes that if the calendar is not altered, the state would be forced to use the current map for the 2026 election cycle even if the Supreme Court strikes down the current map.
Cut 9 (11) “…maps is settled.”
A redrawing of the map will not be part of this special session.
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High school sophomores will soon have fewer standardized tests to take at the end of the school year. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, the number of standardized tests they will take will go down from six to four. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley says it’s one less thing that those students will have to worry about.
Cut 10 (09) “…with their teacher.”
Currently, sophomores at the end of the school year take two tests in English, two tests in math and one each in biology and civics. Brumley says the new tests will essentially combine the two English and math tests into one each.
Cut 11 (08) “…making reductions there.”
Brumley says students will need to pass the English and math tests, along with either the biology or the civics test, in order to earn their high school diploma.
Cut 12 (10) “…to that diploma.”
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The Fighting Tigers are at Vanderbilt tomorrow, and two starters on defense could miss the game. Coach Brian Kelly gave an updated injury report yesterday.
Cut 13 (08) “…Gooden is doubtful.”
Linebacker Whit Weeks and defensive tackle Bernard Gooden are starters on LSU’s defense. Weeks’ ankle that had offseason surgery on it is bothering him, and Gooden has an injured collarbone.
LSU’s defense will be challenged with facing Vanderbilt’s number-seven scoring offense. Kelly says the Tigers’ defense has to play disciplined throughout the entire game while doing its one-eleventh.
Cut 14 (12) “…to beat you.”
LSU wide receiver Barion Brown only had two receptions for 22 yards in the 20-10 win over South Carolina. Kelly says the coaching staff has to be able to create more opportunities for Brown to be the playmaker he is capable of being.
Cut 15 (15) “…opportunities for him.”
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ULM is coming off a messy 23-8 loss to Coastal Carolina last week after the Warhawks turned the ball over three times. As ULM prepares to face a red-hot Troy team, head coach Bryant Vincent says his team is focused on winning each week and learning from their prior mistakes.
Cut 16 (13) “…to get there.”
With an early Sun Belt conference loss, the Warhawks will most likely have to win out if they want to contend for the Sun Belt Championship. Vincent says each game is a must win moving forward.
Cut 17 (21) “…out this year.”
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Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will face the Saints for the first time since being fired by the team in November last year. Allen says that he has lots of great memories in New Orleans, but winning on Sunday remains the main focus.
Cut 18 (17) “…challenge this week.”
Even though it’s Allen’s first time facing the Saints since being fired, he says the game between the Bears and Saints should be fixated on the players rather than him facing his old team.
Cut 19 (15) “…of the game.”
Allen spent over ten years total coaching in New Orleans during his career. Defensive end Cam Jordan says that he appreciated his many years with Allen as his defensive coordinator and says no love has been lost.
Cut 20 (12) “…of my games.”