The House Ways and Means Committee approves legislation designed to make Louisiana more attractive to companies which are building and launching rockets…

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Jeff Palermo”

The wife of a Fort Polk solider has been released from a federal immigration detention facility. Twenty-two-year-old Annie Ramos is Honduran-born, but has lived in the U-S since she was a toddler. Ramos tells the Associated Press she’s been trying to gain legal status.

The Artemis Two is returning back to Earth after a historic loop around the moon. The space craft traveled 252-thousand miles away from Earth. Eric Burns, a professor of physics and astronomy at LSU, says this mission is a way for America to get reacquainted with the moon and more trips are planned…

Cut 8 (12) “…go to Mars”

The goal is to manned spacecraft land on the moon in 2028.

The Secretary of State’s Office reports there are 455-thousand registered voters on the inactive voter list. Secretary Nancy Landry says a registered voter gets put on the inactive list if he or she has not cast a ballot in the last ten years and did not respond to an address confirmation card…

Cut 14 (06) “….have passed away”

Inactive voters can vote in the upcoming primaries, but they will need to confirm their address.

Legislation to attract the aerospace industry to Louisiana has been approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says other states are currently providing better tax incentives to lure aerospace companies.

Cut 4 (13) “…in this space.”

The measure would give sales tax rebates to aerospace businesses that create 200 permanent jobs and make a one-billion-dollar investment.

There are 455-thousand people on the state’s inactive voter list, but Secretary of State Nancy Landry says they are still able to vote in the upcoming primaries.

Cut 13 (07)  “…the active list.”

Landry says a registered voter gets put on the inactive list if he or she has not cast a ballot in the last ten years and did not respond to an address confirmation card sent by the Secretary of State’s Office.

The Artemis Two crew has circled the moon and is headed back to Earth. The four astronauts aboard have traveled farther from Earth than anyone else ever has. Eric Burns, a professor of physics and astronomy at LSU, says we are learning what a trip like this does to the human body.

Cut 7 (09) “…astronauts’ own cells.”

In two years, NASA hopes to have astronauts back on the moon.

A new study from Lending Tree finds that the failure percentage for small businesses in Louisiana is about 20-percent in the first year, which is actually third lowest rate in the country. But Chief Consumer Financial Analyst Matt Schulz says the five-year failure rate paints a different picture…

Cut 11 (12) “…for Louisiana businesses”

The information industry — which involves producing and distributing information and cultural products and processing data — has the highest failure rate for new businesses.

Bills designed to attract aerospace companies to Louisiana are heading to the House floor. The legislation would provide property and sales tax breaks to companies like Space X and Blue Origin, who make and launch rockets. The governor’s chief of staff, Julie Emerson, testified in favor of the bill…

Cut 5 (10) “….here in Louisiana”

One of the bills calls on aerospace companies to commit to invest one-billion dollars by July 2031 and create 200 new jobs to receive annual rebate of state and local sales taxes.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry says they’ve seen a big increase this year in the number of registered voters who have been put on their inactive voting list. Landry says you get on this list by not voting for 10 years and not responding to an address confirmation card sent in the mail…

Cut 15 (08) “….voter rolls clean”

There are 455-thousand people listed as inactive voters, but they can still vote in the upcoming primaries. They will have to show proof of where they live when they show up to the voting booth.

Artemis II is making its return to Earth after a successful trip around the moon.  The Orion spacecraft, which was assembled at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, has shown it can safely carry a human crew into deep space. LSU astronomy professor Eric Burns says the biggest issue has been the plumbing…

Cut 9 (08) “…routinely and safely”

Splashdown is scheduled for Friday night, just off the coast of San Diego.

A new report from Lending Tree finds that that just under 20-percent of Louisiana businesses fail within year one, but that’s the third-lowest percentage in the nation. Chief Consumer Financial Analyst Matt Schulz says the failure rate in Louisiana jumps to 47-percent after five years….

Cut 12 (10) “….take advantage of”

The House Ways and Means Committee has approved sales and property tax breaks intended to grow the aerospace industry in Louisiana. This legislation is likely designed to attract Elon Musk’s Space X and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket companies to Louisiana. The bill’s author is Ways and Means Chairman Tony Bacala

Cut 6 (13) “…away from it.”

State officials say the legislation mirrors what is already in place in Florida and Texas, where both SpaceX and Blue Origin have a presence.

When it comes to the initial resiliency of small businesses, Louisiana actually does quite well. That’s the finding of a new study by LendingTree. Chief Consumer Financial Analyst Matt Schulz:

Cut 10 (11) “…about 20-percent.”

Schulz says Lending Tree’s top tips for a small business to survive include targeting a specific audience and being extremely intentional about spending.

The crew of Artemis Two is en route back to Earth, with splashdown happening Friday evening. Andre Champagne reports on what we will learn from this mission.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

A mayor and a police chief in Evangeline Parish are among five public officials accused of sharing protected information with a defendant in an ongoing criminal case. Ville Platte Mayor Ryan Williams and Mamou Police Chief Pat Hall are facing malfeasance charges.

The House Ways and Means Committee approves legislation designed to make Louisiana more attractive to companies which are building and launching rockets. Jeff Palermo has the story.

Cut 1 (36) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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The crew of the Artemis Two is en route back to Earth, with splashdown happening Friday evening. Andre Champagne reports we will learn a lot through this mission.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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A new LendingTree study shows that Louisiana has the third lowest rate of small business failures within the first year. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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Legislation to attract the aerospace industry to Louisiana has been approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says other states are currently providing better tax incentives to lure aerospace companies.

Cut 4 (13) “…in this space.”

The measure would give sales tax rebates to aerospace businesses that create 200 permanent jobs and make a one-billion-dollar investment.  The legislation has the support of the Landry administration. The governor’s chief of staff, Julie Emerson, testified in favor of the bill.

Cut 5 (10) “…here in Louisiana.”

Louisiana has a history in the aerospace industry. The Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans has been building rockets for NASA in the 1960s, and Bollinger Shipyards has built barges to transport rockets.

While it was not mentioned during the discussion in House Ways and Means, this legislation is likely designed to attract Elon Musk’s Space X and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The bill’s author is Ways and Means Chairman Tony Bacala from Prairieville.

Cut 6 (13) “…away from it.”

Industry experts say SpaceX and Blue Orgin are looking for additional launchpads. There’s also controversy with this industry, as concerns have been raised about the damage done to local wildlife and environment as a result of the rocket launches.

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The Artemis Two crew has circled the moon and is en route back to Earth. Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch (“cook”), as well as Canadian Jeremy Hansen, have traveled farther from Earth than anyone else ever has. Eric Burns, a professor of physics and astronomy at LSU, says we’re going to learn a lot from this mission.

Cut 7 (09) “…astronauts’ own cells.”

Burns says this mission is also a way for America to get reacquainted with an old friend it has not seen up close and personal since Apollo 17 in December 1972.

Cut 8 (12) “…go to Mars.”

Burns says while this mission has been smooth for the most part, there are a few kinks that will need to be worked out in future Artemis missions.

Cut 9 (08)  “…routinely and safely.”

Splashdown of the Orion capsule is scheduled for just after seven Central time Friday evening off the coast of San Diego.

____________________________________________________________

When it comes to the initial resiliency of small businesses, Louisiana actually does quite well. That’s the finding of a new study by LendingTree. Chief Consumer Financial Analyst Matt Schulz:

Cut 10 (11) “…about 20-percent.”

Schulz says while that’s the third lowest rate for first-year small business failure in the country, the five-year failure rate paints a very different picture.

Cut 11 (12) “…for Louisiana businesses.”

Schulz says while times are challenging for people everywhere across the country, entrepreneurs in Louisiana especially face significant headwinds when it comes to starting a business.

Cut 12 (10) “…take advantage of.”

Schulz also notes that Louisiana is traditionally a low credit score state, making it more difficult for entrepreneurs to secure the funding needed to start their own businesses. But he says with that relatively low number comes lack of competition, which means a better chance of survival in that first year.

_____________________________________________________________

There are 455-thousand people on the state’s inactive voter list, but Secretary of State Nancy Landry says they are still able to vote in the upcoming primaries.

Cut 13 (07)  “…the active list.”

Landry says a registered voter gets put on the inactive list if he or she has not cast a ballot in the last ten years and did not respond to an address confirmation card sent by the Secretary of State’s Office.

Cut 14 (06) “…have passed away.”

Landry says there has been an increase in the number of inactive voters this year because of a law approved in 2024 that allows the Secretary of State to move voters to the inactive list if they can’t verify their address and they haven’t voted in more than a decade.

Cut 15 (08) “…voter rolls clean.”

She says a person can be completely taken off the voter rolls if one who is already on the inactive voter rolls does not vote in two consecutive federal election cycles.

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The LSU football team is now two and a half weeks into spring practice, and one name starting to turn heads is early enrollee freshman Richard Anderson. Head coach Lane Kiffin says the top-rated defensive lineman in the 2026 class has been impressive so far.

Cut 16 (14) “…excited about him.”

Last season, LSU struggled to run the ball, ranking 124th nationally with an average of just 104 rushing yards per game. Kiffin says that to be successful this season, the Tigers must establish a consistent running game.

Cut 17 (21)  “…whole team up.”

Kiffin says that throughout his coaching career, he has won with a variety of team styles. So far this spring, Kiffin says the defense has had the upper hand over the offense.

Cut 18 (18)  “…playing right now.” 

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Louisiana Tech football is still looking to fill a hole at running back after the departure of Clay Thevenin. Head coach Sonny Cumbie says he still wants to see more from his backs and believes the starting role is still up for grabs.

Cut 19 (12) “…at that position.”

Cumbie says senior quarterback Trey Kukuk (CUE-kuck) has already shown tremendous improvement in just seven practices.

Cut 20 (15) “…a football player.”

Legislation to attract the aerospace industry to Louisiana has been approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says other states are currently providing better tax incentives to lure aerospace companies.

Cut 4 (13) “…in this space.”

The measure would give sales tax rebates to aerospace businesses that create 200 permanent jobs and would make a one-billion dollar investment. Governor Landry’s chief of staff, Julie Emerson, testified in favor of the bill.

Cut 5 (10) “…in Louisiana.”

Louisiana has a history in the aerospace industry. The Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans has been building rockets for NASA since the 1960s.

There are 455-thousand people on the state’s inactive voter list, but they are still able to vote in the May 16th closed party primaries.

Cut 13 (07)  “..active list.”

Secretary of State Nancy Landry says a registered voter gets put on the inactive list if he or she has not cast a ballot in the last ten years and did not respond to an address confirmation card sent by the office.

If it was up to Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, we wouldn’t be having these closed primaries at all. Nungesser says along with resulting in a far less representative government, next month’s primary will cost the state a lot of money.

Cut 28 (08) “…where or what.”

On top of that, races that do not produce a majority, which will in all likelihood include the U.S. Senate Republican race, will move on to a runoff on June 27th, costing the state even more money.

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt underwent a scheduled procedure to remove the pins in his surgically repaired foot, and coach Lane Kiffin says he expects him to miss the rest of spring practice.

Five-star prospect and Oak Grove girls basketball star Caroline Bradley is staying home as the six-foot-five center committed to LSU. All of the elite programs were recruiting her, including UCLA and South Carolina. Bradley says the relationship she’s built with LSU coach Kim Mulkey played a major factor in her decision…

Cut 3 (12) “…it worked.”

According to ESPN, she’s ranked 3rd among the country’s Class of 2027 players.

College Basketball Insider for CBS Sports, Jon Rothstein, is reporting that former LSU head and assistant coach and player and Louisiana native, Johnny Jones, will join Will Wade’s staff.

McNeese freshman guard Larry Johnson is reportedly entering the transfer portal. Johnson broke Joe Dumars’ freshman scoring record at McNeese that had lasted 44 years.  Johnson averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.

The LSU baseball team hosts Bethune-Cookman tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Louisiana Tech, coming off a much-needed series win at FIU this past weekend, will travel to Natchitoches to face the red-hot Demons of Northwestern State at 6 p.m. tonight. Northwestern State enters the matchup on a four-game winning streak.

ULM baseball dropped its second Sun Belt series of the season this past weekend, losing two games to Georgia State. Senior third baseman Jake Haggard, who leads the team in RBI’s with 41, missed game three of the series after being scratched with a back injury. Head coach Ford Pemberton expects Haggard to return to the lineup tonight against Mississippi Valley State.

Cut 17 (11)  “…should be back.”

First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

State Police have arrested five public officials in Evangeline Parish for allegedly accessing government databases and sharing sensitive information from those systems with an arrested defendant regarding his ongoing criminal case. Ville Platte Mayor Ryan Williams and Mamou Police Chief Pat Hall are among those facing malfeasance charges.

A St. Landry Parish community is getting a long-overdue upgrade to its water system. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The first closed party primary for this year’s federal elections is coming up…May 16^th. Republican Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser is not a fan. He says it leads to fewer voters participating….

Cut 9 (12) “…general election”

Nungesser says polls show that Republicans and voters overall are not happy with the closed primary system.

LSU Football coach Lane Kiffin announced today that quarterback Sam Leavitt will likely miss the rest of spring football after having pins removed from his foot that were inserted when he had surgery last year. Leavitt is on crutches following Monday’s minor procedure. Kiffin is encouraged by the work Leavitt has been able to get in…

Cut 14 (06) “…procedure”

We’re just 39 days away from the closed party primary; but if it was up to Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, we wouldn’t be having them at all. Nungesser strongly prefers the open primaries that have traditionally been used in Louisiana, and he says the vast majority of voters agree with him.

Cut 11 (07) “…want open primary.”

Nungesser says after this year’s closed primaries, he will work to return Louisiana to the open primary system.

It’s a new day in Melville as the St. Landry Parish community is overhauling its 60-year-old water system. The city’s outgoing water system was built on deteriorating pipes and a single overworked well, and Mayor Caretta Robertson says it was costing the town lots of money to keep it suitable for consumption.

Cut 6 (10) “…a long time.”

Oak Grove basketball star Caroline Bradley has committed to play for Kim Mulkey and the LSU Lady Tigers. Colleen Crain has the story.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Will Wade is not the only former LSU head men’s basketball coach returning to the program. Wade has tapped his immediate predecessor from his first stint, Johnny Jones, as one of his assistants. Wade has also named former Mississippi State and Western Kentucky Head Coach Rick Stansbury as his associate head coach.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser has been a vocal opponent of closed party primaries for this year’s federal elections. Nungesser points out that Republicans will not have the opportunity to vote in the Second District Congressional Democratic Primary…

Cut 10 (06) “…to that”

Troy Carter has drawn one primary challenger in the Democratic primary in Renada Collins, and no Republicans sought the seat. So thanks to the closed primary, only Democrats in the second district will decide who represents the district as a whole.

One of the state’s worst performing water systems is set to get a seven-million dollar overhaul. Melville Mayor Caretta Robertson in St. Landry Parish says they will replace all of the aging water lines and they will also install modern radio-read water meters…

Cut 7 (10) “…people will be”

Federal and state funds will pay for the project.

The state’s best high school basketball player has committed to play for the LSU Lady Tigers. Six-foot-five Caroline Bradley from Oak Grove High School made her announcement at a crawfish boil…

Cut 4 (14) “…is exciting”

Bradley is ranked as the third best player in the 2027 recruiting class.

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt will likely miss the rest of spring football after having pins removed from his surgically repaired right foot. Leavitt only played in six games for Arizona State last season because of a Lisfranc ligament injury that required season ending surgery. Coach Lane Kiffin is not worried about Leavitt missing the rest of the spring…

Cut 13 (12) “…summer.”