The Southern Shrimp Alliance is applauding President Trump’s 25-percent tariff on shrimp imports from India, which is by far the biggest exporter of shrimp to the U.S. Board member Cheri Blanchard of Houma says the low cost of imported shrimp is costing local shrimpers their livelihoods.

Cut 10 (10) “…make a profit.”

She also says the imported shrimp is less healthy since the importers are not held to the same standards as domestic shrimp.

Louisiana is one of six states that will now restrict the purchase of sodas, energy drinks, and candy with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP funds. The waiver making the restrictions possible was signed by Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins yesterday. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy, Jr. and several governors joined her. Governor Jeff Landry applauded the move and said Louisiana isn’t just participating in the Make America Healthy Again movement; we’re leading it. The new SNAP restrictions go into effect next year

Among the new laws that went into effect last Friday is one that relates to the post-conviction appeals process. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The Trump administration is canceling plans for wind farms in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Greg Upton, the executive director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, says several Louisiana-based energy companies were excited about the development of offshore wind energy projects and in May, shipbuilder Edison Chouest Offshore completed construction of a ship to service the five-billion-dollar Empire Wind project off the New York coast.

Cut 9 (09)  “…the Northeast.”

Death row convicts will no longer have decades to appeal their cases, thanks to a new law that went into effect last Friday. Slidell Republican Representative Brian Glorioso authored House Bill 675, which, among other things, speeds up deadlines in death-row cases.

Cut 4 (07) “…or 25 years.”

He says the purpose of the new law is to give the victims’ families the swift justice that they deserve and the inmate is still afforded due process, including the ability to get DNA testing.

The Trump administration announced the cancellation of plans to use more than 3.5 million acres of federal waters for offshore wind farms, ending plans to have wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. Greg Upton, the executive director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, says planning got underway to construct wind farms in the gulf during the Biden administration.

Cut 7 (06) “…wind energy.”

Four projects under construction off the Northeastern coast are expected to continue.

The Southern Shrimp Alliance is applauding President Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on shrimp imports from India. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

There’s a big shakeup at the University of Louisiana at Monroe as Athletic Director John Hartwell announces his resignation after only 18 months on the job. Hartwell is responsible for several major hires, in particular football head coach Bryant Vincent, who led the Warhawks to a 5 and 1 start last season. Sean Fox, the sports director at Sports Talk West Monroe, says Hartwell gained a lot of credibility from the Vincent hire.

Cut 13 (11)  “…of the town.”

Among the new laws that went into effect last Friday is one that relates to the post-conviction appeals process. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The Southern Shrimp Alliance is applauding President Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on shrimp imports from India. Kace Kieschnick reports.

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

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The search is on for a new athletics director at ULM after John Harwell suddenly resigns after 18 months on the job. Andre Champagne (SHOM-pine) has the story…

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

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Death row convicts can no longer drag out their appeals for decades, thanks to a new law that went into effect last Friday. Slidell Republican Representative Brian Glorioso authored House Bill 675, which, among other things, speeds up deadlines in death-row cases.

Cut 4 (07) “…or 25 years.”

Glorioso says the purpose of the new law is to give the victims’ families the swift justice that they deserve.

Cut 5 (14) “…off the books.”

Glorioso says under the old law, death row convicts and their attorneys were incentivized to delay the proceedings for as long as possible, forcing the families’ victims to wait until final justice is served.

Cut 6 (12) “…up the system.”

Glorioso says the convict is still afforded due process, including the ability to get DNA testing. They just no longer have an infinite amount of time to do so.

________________________________________________________

The Trump administration announced the cancellation of plans to use more than 3.5 million acres of federal waters for offshore wind farms, ending plans to have wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. Greg Upton, the executive director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, says planning got underway to construct wind farms in the gulf during the Biden administration.

Cut 7 (06) “…wind energy.”

There are three operating offshore wind farms off the eastern coast of the United States and four more projects under construction off the Northeastern coast. Upton expects those projects to continue, but any plans to build a wind farm off of Louisiana’s coast have been eliminated.

Cut 8 (11) “…right now.”

Upton says several Louisiana-based energy companies were excited about the development of offshore wind energy projects. He says in May, shipbuilder Edison Chouest Offshore completed construction of a ship to service the five-billion-dollar Empire Wind project off the New York coast.

Cut 9 (09)  “…the Northeast.”

________________________________________________________

The Southern Shrimp Alliance is applauding President Trump’s 25-percent tariff on shrimp imports from India, which is by far the biggest exporter of shrimp to the U.S. Board member Cheri Blanchard of Houma says the low cost of imported shrimp is costing local shrimpers their livelihoods.

Cut 10 (10) “…make a profit.”

Blanchard says shrimp exporters, including India, Indonesia and Vietnam, do not abide by the same rules that domestic shrimpers have to abide by, and that makes imported shrimp a lot less healthy.

Cut 11 (12) “…tits natural state.”

Blanchard says she hopes the tariffs will level the playing field between local shrimpers and the exporters

Cut 12 (10) “…those sources out.”

_______________________________________________________

Big shakeup at the University of Louisiana at Monroe as Athletic Director John Hartwell announces his resignation after only 18 months on the job. Hartwell is responsible for several major hires, in particular football head coach Bryant Vincent, who led the Warhawks to a 5 and 1 start last season. Sean Fox, the sports director at Sports Talk West Monroe, says Hartwell gained a lot of credibility from the Vincent hire.

Cut 13 (11)  “…of the town.”

Fox says Hartwell’s resignation comes as a surprise and an exact reason for his departure is unknown. He says ULM hired a new president in May, Doctor Carrie Castille, and it’s unknown if the two had a falling out.

Cut 14 (12) “…they were behind.”

ULM’s athletics budget is one of the smallest in the country among FBS schools and recently eliminated its women’s tennis program. Hartwell’s official statement explained that he was planning to pursue other professional opportunities. Fox says funding of ULM’s athletic department has been an issue for years.

Cut 15 (12) “…case here.”

Hartwell’s next destination is a question, but some are speculating that he might return to Troy University, where he served as the Athletic Director from 2012 to 2015.

________________________________________________________

The LSU defense will be anchored by preseason All-SEC linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins. Perkins has been a dominant pure pass rusher, but head coach Brian Kelly says he’s grown more comfortable with the other aspects of the position as well.

Cut 16 (15) “…not distracted.”

On the outside, LSU features a secondary with four incoming four-star transfer defensive backs, along with returning corners Ashton Stamps and PJ Woodland. Add in five-star freshman corner D.J. Pickett and five returning safeties, and Kelly says playing time becomes the ultimate motivator.

Cut 17 (15)  “…entire unit.”

South Florida transfer defensive lineman Bernard Gooden has been one of the early standouts of camp. Gooden received All-AAC honors after totaling 35 tackles, 10 TFL’s and one and a half sacks in 13 games last season. Kelly says his performance has elevated the defense.

Cut 18 (17) “…difficult to block.”

______________________________________________

The Louisiana Tech defense is coming together under new coordinator Luke Olson. Olson led a Jacksonville State defense that was second in the conference in takeaways last season, and cornerback Cedric Woods says he’s brought that same mentality to Ruston.

Cut 19 (15) “…that ball.”

The Bulldogs were anchored by a dominant defense last year, but much of the defensive front has moved on. Redshirt sophomore Judd Royeau says he welcomed eight new guys to the D-line room.

Cut 20 (18) “…to be better (2x).”

We’re now hearing from the representative who helped get a ban on hand-held cell phone use while driving across the finish line in the legislature and into law. Slidell Republican Brian Glorioso says it was a long time coming.

Cut 3 (09) “…matters and issues.”

The new law makes handling a cell phone while driving a secondary offense.

A new study from Bankrate finds Louisiana has a cool housing market and New Orleans and Shreveport are among the coldest for their market size in the country. Data analyst Alex Gailey says the Bankrate Housing Heat Index looks at data from a variety of sources and Louisiana ranks below average in every category…

Cut 10 (08) “…population growth.”

Gailey says on the flip side, a cool housing market means more options for buyers.

Researchers determined the 2025 Gulf of Mexico dead zone is about the size of Connecticut. The zone represents an area of low to no oxygen, unable to support marine life. The most common way these nutrients make it to the Gulf is through runoff from fertilizers used throughout the Midwest. LSU Oceanography Professor Nancy Rabalais says many farmers are aware of the issue, and their efforts can help.

Cut 7 (10) “…Gulf of Mexico.”

LSU is ranked ninth in the preseason Coaches Poll. Head coach Brian Kelly has seen a motivated group of players, especially in the trenches. He says ongoing position battles and a competitive culture make for great practices.

Cut 12 (10) “…those traits.”

LSU opens the 2025 season on the road against Clemson.

A new study from Bankrate finds Louisiana has a cool housing market and New Orleans and Shreveport are among the coldest for their market size in the country. Bankrate analyst Alex Gailey says a big reason for the sluggish housing market is that many Louisiana residents can not afford to own a home…

Cut 11 (12) “….buy a home”

It is now illegal in Louisiana to handle your cell phone while driving. It’s a secondary offense. That means an officer will not pull you over just for handling your cell phone while driving; but if the officer observed you doing so while committing another moving violation, that would add an additional fine to your citation. Slidell Representative Brian Glorioso says he wrote his bill that way after prior attempts to make it a primary offense failed.

Cut 4 (09) “…pretextual stop issue.”

LSU is ranked ninth in the preseason coaches college football poll. Yesterday, the Tigers volunteered at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. The team supplied nearly 40-thousand meals across 11 parishes in just one hour. Coach Brian Kelly…

Cut 14 (08) “…of work.”

Researchers have determined the size of the dead zone off Louisiana’s coast is the size of Connecticut. The dead zone is an area in the Gulf of America that has low to no oxygen, because of high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous that flowed into the Gulf from the Mississippi River. LSU Oceanography Professor Nancy Rabalais says the Gulf has two layers of water: a warmer, fresher top layer, with a colder, saltier one beneath. She says this leads to the dead zone along the ocean floor.

Cut 8 (13) “…doesn’t diffuse.”

Now that the calendar has flipped to August, you should be making a concerted effort to keeping your hands off your cell phones while driving. After all, it’s now against the law. If you need time to get used to it, Slidell Representative Brian Glorioso, who wrote the new law, has some good news for you – there is a grace period.

Cut 5 (08) “…until January 1st.”

LSU enters the 2025 season ranked ninth in the coaches poll. The team is hard at work preparing for the season opener at Clemson. Wide Receiver Aaron Anderson has missed most of fall camp with nagging knee inflammation stemming from his time at Alabama. Head Coach Brian Kelly says it was reaggravated in his offseason work, but he felt good today.

Cut 13 (12)  “…on the field.”

A study from Bankrate finds Louisiana’s housing market is cool and New Orleans and Shreveport are among the coldest in the country for their market size. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

On the heels of the Medicaid Millionaire comes the story of the Medicaid Romeo and Juliet. The State Attorney General’s Office says Keith and Shelly Duncan of Denham Springs failed to accurately report their marital status and household income to claim Medicaid benefits and to defraud the state out of more than 133-thousand dollars. The two are charged with government benefits fraud.

We’re hearing from the state representative who helped get the ban on handling cell phones while driving into law. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

State Police say two pedestrians standing on the shoulder of I-10 in Breaux Bridge were struck and killed by a Lexus yesterday afternoon. Authorities say 66-year-old Cynthia Dinet of Gretna and 68-year-old Elisa Lightell of Maurice were standing next to their vehicle on the shoulder when the Lexus encountered traffic and veered into the right shoulder, hitting the pedestrians.

The Dead Zone, which is off the coast of Louisiana, where there is not enough oxygen to support marine life is about the size of Connecticut this summer. High levels and nitrogen and phosphorus that exit out of the Mississippi River into the Gulf have created the dead zone. LSU Oceanography professor Nancy Rabalais says many farmers are aware of the issue and can help…

Cut 7 (10) “….Gulf of Mexico”

The LSU Tigers are ranked ninth in the preseason coaches poll, which came out today. Coach Brian Kelly says he’s seen a motivated team and it’s led to a competitive culture…

Cut 12 (10) “…on the field”

ULM athletics director John Hartwell announced his resignation today. A release from the school says Hartwell will pursue other professional opportunities.

A new study from Bankrate finds Louisiana has a cool housing market, and New Orleans and Shreveport are among the coldest for their market size in the country. Data analyst Alex Gailey says high homeowners’ insurance rates is one reason why it’s tough to sell a home in Louisiana…

Cut 9 (08)  “…housing costs.”

Gailey says on the flip side, a cool housing market is good for buyers as it means more options, you can negotiate more and get concessions from the seller.

Researchers determined the 2025 Gulf of Mexico dead zone is about the size of Connecticut. The zone represents an area of low to no oxygen, unable to support marine life. LSU Oceanography Professor Nancy Rabalais says the zone is caused by high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways.

Cut 6 (10) “…the oxygen.”

We’re now hearing from the representative who helped get a ban on hand-held cell phone use while driving across the finish line in the legislature and into law. Slidell Republican Brian Glorioso says it was a long time coming.

Cut 3 (09) “…matters and issues.”

The new law makes handling a cell phone while driving a secondary offense. That means an officer will not pull you over just for handling your cell phone while driving; but if the officer observed you doing so while committing another moving violation, that would add an additional fine to your citation. There is a grace period; officers will issue warnings instead of additional fines until the end of the year.

Still plenty of controversy over Speaker Mike Johnson sending the House home for summer recess instead of holding a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. Jeanne Burns reports.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”

According to the state department of education, 42-percent of Louisiana’s nearly 45-thousand public school teachers were evaluated as highly effective for the 2023-24 school year.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announces deeply discounted combo hunting and fishing licenses for honorably discharged military veteran residents. Senator Brach Myers authored the legislation that resulted in the discounts and says it was a result of collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs and The Boot, an organization that encourages military veterans to make Louisiana their home once their service has ended.

Cut 11 (14) “…the outdoors.”

Good news for Central Louisiana. According to a study from the CENLA Economic Dashboard, Consumer spending is on the rise. LSUA Professor Randall Dupont…

Cut 8 (11) “…over year.”

Alexandria and Pineville each recorded quarterly growth of four to five percent, and Natchitoches posted an eight percent quarterly gain.

Oil City Republican Representative Danny McCormick had some choice words for House Speaker Mike Johnson for sending the House home early for summer recess to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files. McCormick says Johnson was wrong for calling out fellow Republican Thomas Massie, who’s sponsoring a bipartisan resolution calling for the files’ release.

Cut 15 (07) “…singled him out.”

Honorably discharged military veteran residents can now purchase a Sportsman’s Paradise license – a recreational hunting and fishing combination license – for just $20, an 80-percent discount. Lafayette Republican Senator Brach Myers, who authored the bill that paved the way for the steep discount, says it’s a small token of our appreciation for their selfless service to our country.

Cut 10 (09) “…the right heroes”

The Department of Children and Family Services needs second shift Child Protective Services investigators. DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris says they need workers in the second shift because child maltreatment does not happen just between the hours of 8:00 to 4:30 Monday through Friday.

Cut 4 (08) “…to respond timely.”

Harris says they’re looking to hire 53 people to work four, 10-hour shifts per week.

Central Louisiana is showing steady economic growth, according to a study from the Cenla Economic Dashboard. The Alexandria metropolitan area has gained 707 jobs since May, and the dashboard’s author, LSUA Professor Randall Dupont, says Natchitoches is recovering from the April closure of its International Paper plant.

Cut 7 (08) “…of this year.”