11:30 LRN Newscast

The American Red Cross is intensifying its relief efforts amid the tornadoes and historic flooding in Louisiana. Melissa Duplantier (doo-PLAH-shay) with the Red Cross says they’ve opened shelters in Mansura and Opelousas.

Cut 6 (11) “…meal as well.”

Duplantier says the shelters will stay open as long as needed.

Early voting is over, so voters have one more chance this Saturday to head to the polls to make their voices heard in the U.S. Senate runoffs. The race getting the most attention has been on the Republican side, with Julia Letlow and John Fleming battling it out for the nomination. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says President Trump’s endorsement of Letlow could play an outsized role.

Cut 23 (11) “…of Donald Trump.”

His rally came up just short. Former LSU golfer and Shreveport native Sam Burns came back from seven strokes down in the final round of the U.S. Open and nearly caught winner Wyndham Clark, finishing just one stroke behind. Burns says this year’s championship had a different feeling.

Cut 4 (10) “…win today.”

The win would have been Burns’ first major title.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted in Natchitoches this weekend. Hall President and CEO Ronnie Rantz says there will be events celebrating the inductees all weekend. He says his favorite day is Friday, kicked off by the Celebrity Bowling Bash at the Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria.

Cut 13 (10)  “…the whole family.”

10:30 LRN Newscast

Early voting is over, so this Saturday is the last chance for you to make your voice heard in the U.S. Senate runoffs. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

The statewide price for a gallon of regular gasoline continues to fall. It’s down to $3.52 a gallon according to Triple-A. That’s 12-cents cheaper than a month ago, and 53-cents cheaper than at this time last month. But gas prices were about 70-cents cheaper than a year ago.

 

The Associated General Contractors of America is calling on Congress to approve a new federal transportation funding bill. The vice president of that group, Brian Turmail, says EV drivers are getting a free ride, and they should be paying their fair share towards the funding used to maintain roads and bridges.

Cut 12 (10) “…a gas car.”

Gasoline taxes provide most of the funding for the federal transportation bill.

This Saturday is the Induction ceremonies for the 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame class. Headlining this year’s class are former LSU Tigers Warren Morris, Todd MccLure and Sylvia Fowles. Saints wide receiver Joe Horn and LSU basketball coach John Brady are also in the 12-person class. Friday evening is the Rockin’ River Fest with live music on the Natchitoches riverfront.

Cut 14 (09) “…bring the family.”

That’s Ronnie Rantz, chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation.

9:30 LRN Newscast

Governor Landry and first Lady Sharon Landry will distribute food and supplies to those affected by Tropical Storm Arthur today. They will be at the Moreauville Volunteer Fire Department at 11 AM. Some areas of Avoyelles Parish received more than 30 inches of rain, flooding more than 100 homes. The governor says many of these flood victims do not have flood insurance…

Cut 6 (10) “..can’t afford it”

Less than a week to go until the Senate Republican Primary on Saturday. The Julia Letlow and John Fleming campaigns have mostly stuck to their messages, but LSU Political Science Professor Robert Hogan says Fleming might have erred when he shared an AI political attack ad of Letlow…

Cut 9 (14) “…the Fleming campaign”

Some prominent Republicans called the ad unethical.

Former LSU golfer and Shreveport native Sam Burns came up one stroke shy at the U.S. Open yesterday. Burns entered the final round trailing the leader Wyndham Clark by seven shots. He finished his day three under while Clark shot three over, but Burns says he knew it would have taken something special.

Cut 3 (12) “…cap to him.”

The 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies are on Saturday night and it will be televised on L-P-B. President of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame foundation, Ronnie Rantz, says there will also be Hall of Fame events that day in Natchitoches…

Cut 15 (09) “…Cane’s lunch”

Former LSU Tigers Slyvia Fowles, Todd McClure, Warren Morris, and John Brady, along with former Saints standout receiver Joe Horn highlight this year’s class.

8:30 AM LRN Newscast

Early voting has ended and voters have their final chance this Saturday to sound off in the runoffs for U.S Senate. The race getting the most attention has been on the Republican side.  In the primary, Julia Letlow finished 15 points ahead of John Fleming, and a poll showing Letlow ahead by that margin since advancing to the runoff appeared to indicate that she was pulling away. But a recent poll commissioned by the Letlow campaign actually showed her trailing Fleming. Hogan says that’s proof that this is anyone’s contest.

Cut 8 (08) “…their minds yet.”

Governor Landry took an aerial tour of the flooding in Avoyelles Parish Friday afternoon, and what he saw was shocking. Avoyelles is one of six parishes included in Landry’s disaster declaration. Landry said those affected can help speed up the process by documenting their damage at damage.la.gov.

Cut 5 (11) “…up the chain.”

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The American Red Cross has announced intensified disaster relief operations in central and southeastern Louisiana amid all the devastation.  With over 30 inches of rain in some areas of Avoyelles Parish and nine confirmed tornadoes in Louisiana and Mississippi from Post-Tropical Cyclone Arthur storms , the Red Cross said its disaster teams are working around-the-clock to provide shelter, meals and support to hundreds of families.

The 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is this coming Saturday; and Hall President Ronnie Rantz says fans can stay busy all weekend. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

7:30 AM LRN Newscast

Early voting is over, so this Saturday is the last chance for you to make your voice heard in the U.S. Senate runoffs. Joe Gallinaro reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Joe Gallinaro.”

Governor Landry took an aerial tour of the flooding in Avoyelles Parish Friday afternoon, and what he saw from the air took his breath away.

Cut 4 (10) “…was certainly impactful.”

Avoyelles is one of six parishes included in Landry’s disaster declaration following torrential rains from Tropical Storm Arthur.

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The Associated General Contractors of America is sounding the alarm over federal road funding. Experts say 51-percent of Louisiana’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Congress needs to pass a new transportation funding bill by September 30th to ensure that there will be enough money to pay for maintenance of roads, bridges and transit systems. AGCA  Vice President Brian Turmail says a federal EV and hybrid vehicle tax needs to be added to compensate for the federal gasoline taxes they’re not paying.

Cut 11 (10) “…federal fuel tax.”

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted in Natchitoches this weekend. Hall President and CEO Ronnie Rantz says there will be events celebrating the inductees all weekend. He says those will kick off Friday with a Celebrity Bowling Bash in Alexandria.

Cut 13 (10)  “…the whole family.”

6:30 AM LRN Newscast

Governor Landry gets a first-hand look at the flooding in Avoyelles Parish. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The American Red Cross Louisiana Region announced intensified disaster relief operations in central and southeastern Louisiana amid all the devastation.  With over 30 inches of rain in some areas of Avoyelles Parish and nine confirmed tornadoes in Louisiana and Mississippi , the Red Cross said its disaster teams are working around-the-clock to provide shelter, meals and support to hundreds of families.

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Now that early voting is done, voters have one more chance this Saturday to head to the polls to make their voices heard in the U.S. Senate runoffs. The race getting the most attention has been on the Republican side, with Julia Letlow and John Fleming battling it out for the nomination. LSU political science professor Robert Hogan says President Trump’s endorsement could  play a major role.

Cut 7 (11) “…of Donald Trump.”

One group is sounding the alarm over federal road funding, especially in light of the condition of America’s roads. Brian Turmail, the vice president of the Associated General Contractors of America, says 51-percent of Louisiana’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and that costs drivers almost 900 dollars a year.

Cut 10 (12) “…such rough pavement.”

11:30 AM LRN Newscast

Governor Landry’s plan to redirect money to pay stipends to teachers and support staff hits a road block. An East Baton Rouge Parish judge grants a temporary restraining order blocking the move, ruling that bypassing the legislature violated separation of powers. The plaintiffs’ spokesman, Greg Beuerman, says Landry’s order takes away authority from BESE.

Cut 7 (11) “…the wrong venue.”

It’s being called a “1,000-year flood.” Avoyelles Parish was the heaviest hit by the torrential rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur, getting two and a half feet of rain dumped on it in less than 12 hours. Joey Frank, the director of the Avoyelles Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says the scene is mind-boggling.

Cut 3 (07) “…halfway to structures.”

 

For years, WalletHub has done annual rankings for life as working moms for Mother’s Day. This year, for the first time, it did a ranking for life as working dads for Father’s Day, and it shows Louisiana with an overall ranking next to last, ahead of only Nevada. Analyst Chip Lupo says the fact that Louisiana is a predominantly rural state plays a major role in its low ranking.

Cut 12 (08) “…of cases, unaffordable.”

The clock is ticking if you haven’t gotten your crawfish fix this season. With summer temperatures rising, crawfish are burrowing, and the season is ending. Laney King, the co-founder of The Crawfish App, says you might find a few stragglers at vendors and restaurants until the Fourth of July in South Louisiana.

Cut 9 (11)  “…a great product.”

10:30 AM LRN Newscast

The National Weather Service has confirmed eight tornadoes touched down across Louisiana and Mississippi on June 18th, 2026, with damage surveys revealing significant impacts to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.  The survey work continues on several areas, including Eden Isle, where meteorologists are analyzing whether additional weak tornadoes occurred within widespread wind damage.  The tornado activity began early Thursday morning around 2:49 a.m. and continued through the morning hours, with the last confirmed tornado occurring around 8:12 a.m.

An East Baton Rouge Parish judge granted a temporary restraining order to block Governor Landry’s executive order to reallocate 168-million-dollars in the state’s public school funding formula to provide stipends for teachers. Greg Beuerman, the spokesman for the three plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the order, says it’s unconstitutional.

Cut 6 (13) “…ability to do.”

There’s a hearing set for June 29th.

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For the first time, WalletHub did a ranking for life as working dads for Father’s Day, and it shows Louisiana with an overall ranking next to last, ahead of only Nevada. Louisiana ranked no higher than 45th in nearly all metrics, with one exception: the male uninsured rate, in which Louisiana ranks 32nd. But Analyst Chip Lupo says, that number is being held down due to a large number of areas of high unemployment.

Cut 14 (10) “…healthcare insurance suffers.”

If you haven’t gotten your crawfish fix this season, experts say time is running out as crawfish are starting to burrow. Laney King, the co-founder of The Crawfish App, says prices will stay where they are because there are simply fewer crawfish available and she says now crawfish are as affordable as they’ve been this season.

Cut 10 (06) “…two-99 a pound.”

9:30 AM LRN Newscast

A Baton Rouge judge issued a temporary restraining order against Governor Landry’s executive order to redirect public school funding to teacher stipends. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

After a career with Louisiana State Police spanning more than three decades, Colonel Robert Hodges announces that he will be retiring as superintendent this fall. Hodges has been leading L-S-P since 2024. Shortly after making the announcement, Governor Landry tapped Lieutenant Colonel Frank Besson to transition into that role.

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A new WalletHub survey ranks Louisiana next to last in the nation for working dads, getting low marks for percentage of kids under 18 with their father present living in poverty, male life expectancy and average length of a work day for men. We asked analyst Chip Lupo whether Louisiana would have had a higher ranking if the rankings only accounted for the well-populated areas of each state.

Cut 13 (09) “…but not much.”

Two and a half feet of rain in less than 12 hours. That’s what Avoyelles Parish had to deal with Thursday, as the torrential rains transformed neighborhoods into lakes. Joey Frank, the director of the Avoyelles Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says flood waters continued forcing people from their homes Friday.

Cut 4 (08) “…200 right now.”

8:30 AM LRN Newscast

Governor Landry’s plan to redirect money to pay stipends to teachers and support staff hits a road block. An East Baton Rouge Parish judge grants a temporary restraining order blocking the move, ruling that bypassing the legislature violated separation of powers. The plaintiffs’ spokesman, Greg Beuerman, says Landry’s order takes away authority from BESE.

Cut 7 (11) “…the wrong venue.”

It’s being called a “1,000-year flood.” Avoyelles Parish was the heaviest hit by the torrential rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur, getting two and a half feet of rain dumped on it in less than 12 hours. Joey Frank, the director of the Avoyelles Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says the scene is mind-boggling.

Cut 3 (07) “…halfway to structures.”

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For years, WalletHub has done annual rankings for life as working moms for Mother’s Day. This year, for the first time, it did a ranking for life as working dads for Father’s Day, and it shows Louisiana with an overall ranking next to last, ahead of only Nevada. Analyst Chip Lupo says the fact that Louisiana is a predominantly rural state plays a major role in its low ranking.

Cut 12 (08) “…of cases, unaffordable.”

The clock is ticking if you haven’t gotten your crawfish fix this season. With summer temperatures rising, crawfish are burrowing, and the season is ending. Laney King, the co-founder of The Crawfish App, says you might find a few stragglers at vendors and restaurants until the Fourth of July in South Louisiana.

Cut 9 (11)  “…a great product.”