One of the biggest conversations coming out of the tax cuts and spending bill that President Trump just signed is the fate of rural hospitals. Democrats have been sounding the alarm, saying that 33 of them across the state will close as a result of cuts to Medicaid. Rustin Loyd, a nurse from Hammond and a former hospital administrator, says those closures will cost lives.

Cut 10 (06) “…of these cuts.”

But Mark Ballard, who covered the hearings on Capitol Hill for The Advocate, told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that it’s important to note that the Medicaid cuts don’t happen for another two to three years, and hospitals are hoping they can get Congress to reconsider those cuts by then. If they can’t, only then would the effects of those cuts be felt.

Cut 13 (07)  “…a few years.”

Furthermore, the bill also sets up a 50-billion-dollar fund to help struggling rural hospitals.

Senator Bill Cassidy’s re-election campaign announces he has raised a little more than two-million dollars during the second quarter of this year and he now has nine million in cash on hand. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Cassidy needs to be well-funded, with two well-known Republican candidates challenging him in an April primary

Cut 3 (10) “…to spend.”

They made it official in Vernon Parish this morning – Fort Johnson is now Fort Polk once again. They rededicated Louisiana’s largest military base in a 30-minute ceremony this morning. However, it is not named for its prior namesake, Confederate General Leonidas Polk. Instead, it is now named for General James H. Polk. His son, James H. Polk the Third, addressed the ceremony.

Cut 6 (10) “…James H. Polk.”

The tax and spending bill will mean more money for Louisiana for coastal protection and restoration projects. Neal McMillan, the director of federal affairs of the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, says Louisiana will get an additional 50-million dollars a year.

Cut 7 (07) “…lifting the cap.”

The MLB Draft gets underway in Atlanta this weekend. LSU is sure to have several names come off the board following their national championship-winning season. Along with projected number-one overall pick Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson is also expected to be taken early. His stock skyrocketed after a dominant season in Baton Rouge, and D1 Baseball analyst Aaron Fitt says it might not be done rising.

Cut 15 (13) “…in Omaha.”

The rift between Shreveport Republican Senator Alan Seabaugh and GOP Governor Jeff Landry widens after Seabaugh tells KEEL Radio that Landry is not doing a good job as governor. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

They made it official in Vernon Parish this morning – Fort Johnson is now Fort Polk once again. They rededicated Louisiana’s largest military base in a 30-minute ceremony this morning, now naming it for General James H. Polk.

An outspoken GOP lawmaker in north Louisiana says Republican Governor Jeff Landry has been a huge disappointment. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh made that statement on KEEL Radio. A rift between Landry and Seabaugh has been growing since last year, and Seabaugh says it got more personal after the governor used his line-item veto power to scrap funding for four projects in his district.

Cut 4 (07) “…isn’t.”

Landry recently criticized Seabaugh for not being present for a committee vote on a bill to reign in lawyer advertising.

A survey paid for by the state shows Louisiana’s Menhaden Industry is not killing as many red fish as feared. Golden Meadow Representative Joe Orgeron says the study was conducted to see if there was a high mortality rate of red fish entangled in menhaden nets…

Cut 30 (08) “…survive.”

One of the biggest questions surrounding the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last week is what will happen to rural hospitals….

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

The tax and spending bill means more funding for coastal restoration because it lifts a cap that was in place on revenues that go to Gulf states for offshore oil and gas produces. Neal McMillan from the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources on how the additional dollars can be spent…

Cut 9 (12) “..as well”

Time will tell if President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill as he calls it will be good for America. U-S Senator John Kennedy took to the Senate floor this week to remind Americans this legislation will provide citizens with a tax break, by extending the tax cuts approved by Congress in 2017…

cut 28 (09) “…that’s just a fact”

Democrats have expressed concerns about the cuts to health care and what it will mean for rural hospitals. Rustin Loyd is a nurse who lives in Hammond and worries about the future of two rural hospitals in Tangipahoa Parish…

Cut 11 (10) “…more people dying”

Senator Bill Cassidy points out that this budget bill sets up a 50-billion dollar fund to help struggling rural hospitals.

Iconic musician Paul McCartney is bringing his “Got Back Tour” to New Orleans. Michelle Southern has more on his October 29th show at the Smoothie King Center…

Cut 27 (35) “…I’m Michelle Southern.”

Sunday night is the Major League Baseball Draft. Rosepine’s Ethan Frey is expected to be selected in the first few rounds and Aaron Fitt from D-1 Baseball-dot-com says it’s likely Frey has played his last game at LSU…

Cut 16 (12) “…would expect”

Just over a week ago, we reported that Governor Jeff Landry issued 17-line item vetoes from two separate funding bills and 16 of the line item vetoes targeted Republican lawmakers who voted against an insurance reform bill supported by the governor. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh had funding from four projects taken away from him. He says one of them would have made it safer to enter and exit Parkway High School in Bossier City…

Cut 6 (08) “….hurts people”

There’s a lot of debate over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is President Trump’s legislation that funds many sought after Republican priorities. The controversial bill also removes a cap on the amount of money Louisiana receives in offshore oil and gas revenue.

Cut 8 (08) “….than that limitation”

Neal McMillan, director of federal affairs of the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources says the removal of the cap means more coastal restoration dollars.

The MLB Draft begins Sunday night, and three LSU pitchers are hoping to hear their names called early. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

A proposed new sports and entertainment arena for LSU is in jeopardy after the CEO of a firm that was the sole finalist to develop the project was indicted for allegedly rigging the bid process for a similar facility built at the University of Texas. LSU says its weighing how the criminal charges could affect the Baton Rouge project.

One of the biggest conversations coming out of the tax cuts and spending bill that President Trump just signed is the fate of rural hospitals. Democrats in Louisiana say 33 rural hospitals across the state will close because of cuts to Medicaid. During a press conference at Louisiana Democratic Party headquarters, Rustin Loyd, a nurse from Hammond and a former hospital administrator, says those closures will cost lives.

Cut 10 (06) “…of these cuts.”

But Mark Ballard, who covered the hearings on Capitol Hill for The Advocate, told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that one important thing to note is that the Medicaid cuts don’t happen for another two to three years, and hospitals and medical providers are confident that they can get Congress to reconsider those cuts before they take effect.

Cut 12 (08) “…the state treasurer.”

In an interview on KEEL Radio in Shreveport, Republican state senator Alan Seabaugh calls Governor Jeff Landry a huge disappointment…

Cut 5 (11) “…huge disappointment”

Seabaugh’s relationship with Landry began to deteriorate last year with the redistricting session and it escalated this year with Landry using line veto power to take away funding for four projects in Sebaugh’s district. Landry also called out Sebaugh in a bill signing ceremony for not being present for a committee vote on a bill to reign in lawyer advertising.

On Sunday night, Madisonville’s Kade Anderson is expected to be the number one pick in the Major League Baseball Draft. D-1 Baseball-dot-com’s Aaron Fitt says Anderson, who won 12 games for the national champion Tigers this year, was the best pitcher in college baseball in 2025…

Cut 14 (13) “…even harder”

The rift between Shreveport Republican Senator Alan Seabaugh and GOP Governor Jeff Landry widens after Seabaugh tells KEEL Radio that Landry is not doing a good job as governor. Jeff Palermo reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

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One of the biggest questions surrounding the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last week is what will happen to rural hospitals. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

The MLB Draft begins Sunday night, and three LSU pitchers are hoping to hear their names called early. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

____________________________________________

An outspoken GOP lawmaker in north Louisiana says Republican Governor Jeff Landry has been a huge disappointment. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh made that statement on KEEL Radio. A rift between Landry and Seabaugh has been growing since last year, and Seabaugh says it got more personal after the governor used his line-item veto power to scrap funding for four projects in his district.

Cut 4 (07) “…isn’t.”

Seabaugh is one of several Republican lawmakers who were on the wrong end of governor’s veto pen for funding of local projects. The governor said funding for some of the projects was removed because the construction budget was over-funded. But the Republican legislators who lost funding for their district also voted against an insurance reform bill supported by the governor.

Seabaugh says he had a lot of hope when Landry was sworn in, but he’s no longer a fan.

Cut 5 (11) “…huge disappointment.”

Landry’s spokeswoman, Kate Kelly, says during the regular session, the governor focused on passing real reforms that will move the state forward and the results were historical.

But Seabaugh questions why the governor would take away funding for a road project to make it safer to enter and exit Parkway High School in Bossier City.

Cut 6 (08) “…hurts people.”

________________________________________________________

The tax and spending bill will mean more money for Louisiana for coastal protection and restoration projects. Neal McMillan, the director of federal affairs of the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, says Louisiana will get an additional 50-million dollars a year.

Cut 7 (07) “…lifting the cap.”

The cap McMillan is referring to is the 500-million dollars of offshore oil and gas revenue shared among the four Gulf states for coastal projects. McMillan says that cap will now be lifted to 650-million dollars.

Cut 8 (08) “…than that limitation.”

McMillan says there’s a wide range of projects that money can be used for.

Cut 9 (16)  “…projects as well.”

________________________________________________________

One of the biggest conversations coming out of the tax cuts and spending bill that President Trump just signed is the fate of rural hospitals. Democrats in Louisiana have been sounding the alarm, saying that 33 rural hospitals across the state will close as a result of cuts to Medicaid. During a press conference at Louisiana Democratic Party headquarters, Rustin Loyd, a nurse from Hammond and a former hospital administrator, says those closures will cost lives.

Cut 10 (06) “…of these cuts.”

Loyd says closures to rural hospitals will have a profound effect on hospitals in urban areas.

Cut 11 (10) “…more people dying.”

But Mark Ballard, who covered the hearings on Capitol Hill for The Advocate, told Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana that one important thing to note is that the Medicaid cuts don’t happen for another two to three years, and hospitals and medical providers are confident that they can get Congress to reconsider those cuts before they take effect.

Cut 12 (08) “…the state treasurer.”

Ballard says only at that time would we start to see any impacts from Medicaid cuts, should they ever occur.

Cut 13 (07)  “…a few years.”

Furthermore, the bill also sets up a 50-billion-dollar fund to help struggling rural hospitals.

________________________________________________________

The MLB Draft gets underway in Atlanta this weekend. LSU is sure to have several names come off the board following their national championship-winning season. D1 Baseball analyst Aaron Fitt expects pitcher Kade Anderson to go first overall to the Nationals. He says he’s already the best pitcher in college baseball.

Cut 14 (13) “…even harder.”

Anderson’s pitching partner, right-hander Anthony Eyanson, is another top-50 prospect. After transferring from UC San Diego, his stock skyrocketed after a dominant season in Baton Rouge, and Fitt says it might not be done rising.

Cut 15 (13) “…in Omaha.”

Many Tigers will be faced with the tough decisions of beginning their MLB careers or returning to Baton Rouge to improve their draft stock and defend their national title. Junior D-H Ethan Frey hit .331 in his first full season but hasn’t had a chance to show off his fielding ability. While Tigers fans hope to see him back in purple and gold, Fitt isn’t holding his breath.

Cut 16 (12) “…would expect.”

A survey paid for by the state shows Louisiana’s menhaden industry is not killing as many red fish as feared. The study shows that about 30-thousand redfish were killed by the industry last year, and Golden Meadow Representative Joe Orgeron wants that number to come down.

Cut 13 (13)  “…is good.”

Paul McCartney is returning to New Orleans as his “Got Back Tour” will make a stop at the Smoothie King Center on October 29th. NOLA-dot-com entertainment reporter Keith Spera says Sir Paul has a long history with New Orleans…

Cut 5 (14) “…studio.”

University Lab five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown committed to LSU live on ESPN 2 today. Kace Kieschnick has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”

A man who killed a state trooper and a female relative in October of 2021 reached a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. 35-year-old Matthew Mire (“meer”) was sentenced in Ascension Parish to two consecutive life prison terms, plus nearly 350 years, without the possibility of parole. Mire killed Master Trooper Adam Gaubert (go-BEAR) and Pamela Adair during the three-parish rampage.