According to a conservative columnist, it’s not a slam dunk that Julia Letlow will win the Republican U.S. Senate primary just because she has the backing of President Trump. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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If it seems like you’re paying up the nose in sales taxes, the Tax Foundation says you’re right. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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Amid very cold temperatures, the state fire marshal’s office is concerned we’ll see a rash of house fires because of people trying to stay warm. Jeff Palermo has the story.
Cut 3 (25) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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Does President Trump’s endorsement of Julia Letlow make her the favorite to win the U.S. Senate Republican Primary over incumbent Bill Cassidy? Advocate newspaper columnist Tyler Bridges says this will be Letlow’s first tough political race.
Cut 4 (07) “…the money yet.”
Letlow was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a 2021 special election to replace her husband Luke, who died of COVID-19 complications before he took office. She easily won re-election in 2022 and 2024.
Quin Hillyer, a conservative columnist for the Advocate, says Letlow will not only face attacks from Cassidy, but also from two of the other major candidates in the race — John Fleming and Blake Miguez.
Cut 5 (12) “…against Julia Letlow.”
The closed party primary is May 16th, with the runoff scheduled for June 27th. Following Trump’s endorsement of Letlow, Cassidy said endorsements will not decide the race; instead, the voters will select the candidate with the best record. Bridges says it will be interesting to see if Cassidy’s strategy will work.
Cut 6 (13) “…in the Senate.”
Bridges and Hillyer were guests on Talk Louisiana, hosted by Jim Engster on WRKF.
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If it seems like you’re forking over a lot of money in sales taxes, you’re right. In fact, the Tax Foundation says Louisiana has the highest average combined state and local sales tax rate in the country at just over ten-percent. Policy Analyst Janelle Fritts says it’s a reputation that Louisiana has had to deal with for many years.
Cut 7 (11) “…close with Tennessee.”
Fritts says while Tennessee’s combined state and local taxes are the second highest at just over nine and a half percent, Tennessee has a huge difference compared to Louisiana.
Cut 8 (12) “…the major taxes.”
While Louisiana did raise its state sales tax rate to five-percent a little more than a year ago, it did reduce income taxes across the board to a flat three-percent and cut other taxes as well. Fritts says that has allowed Louisiana to improve its ranking in overall tax burden.
Cut 9 (11) “…used to be.”
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At least 12 people have died this year in house fires, and officials are concerned that number will increase over the next couple of days as people try to stay warm. State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams says when using a space heater, keep it away from anything that can easily catch fire.
Cut 10 (10) “…you stay warm.”
Adams says do not try to use your oven to warm up your home. He says if you have a fire going in your fireplace, make sure it’s out before your head hits the pillow.
Cut 11 (07) “…fire as well.”
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***Double check the latest numbers***
Throughout the weekend, utility crews statewide have been busy restoring power that got knocked out by the ice storm. As of late last night, more than 80-thousand Entergy customers were without power, and almost 30-thousand SWEPCO customers remained in the dark. Michael Corbin with SWEPCO says crews are working around the clock to get power restored.
Cut 12 (06) “…if not sooner.”
Corbin says at the height of the storm, SWEPCO had about 70-thousand customers without power in its three-state service area, with the majority being from Louisiana. He says especially given the dangerous road conditions, crews worked quickly and efficiently in getting power restored as quickly as possible.
Cut 13 (11) “…people so quickly.”
SWEPCO is establishing a base camp in Natchitoches today, which is its hardest-hit area. The base camp will provide fuel service for trucks and will provide meals, laundry and sleeping quarters for about 600 workers.
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The winter precipitation has moved out of north Louisiana, the heavy rainfall in south Louisiana has moved on, and the bitterly cold air has arrived. Wind chill readings are below zero in north Louisiana and in the single digits for south Louisiana. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says it will be frigid all day today.
Cut 14 (15) “…degree or two.”
Keim says high temperatures will not get above freezing until Tuesday for north Louisiana, and we’ll see a slight warm-up as the week goes on.
Cut 15 (08) “…I-10, I-12.”
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The 2026 LSU baseball team returns four starting position players from last season. Among them is sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel. This offseason, Curiel added over 20 pounds of muscle and is now at 192 pounds. Head Coach Jay Johnson says the transformation will allow Curiel to elevate his game.
Cut 16 (17) “…really excited.”
Another key returner is sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide. Last year, Arrambide hit four home runs with 14 RBI in 62 at-bats. Johnson believes Arrambide is going to be an essential piece to this year’s team.
Cut 17 (20) “…offense and defense.”
LSU has had great success when bringing in transfer pitchers over Johnson’s tenure, including Paul Skenes, Anthony Eyanson, Gage Jump and Luke Holman. This year, the Tigers brought in junior right-handed pitcher Cooper Moore from Kansas.
Cut 18 (14) “…really successful here.”