The Alliance for Affordable Energy is urging the state and utility regulators to take steps to prevent another widespread blackout. Colleen Crain reports.

Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

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The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network held Cancer Action day at the Capitol to advocate for increase cancer funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A statewide ban on kratom is now one signature from Governor Landry away from becoming reality. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The ULM School of Education earned an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its elementary math teacher preparation, one of only four Louisiana universities to achieve this distinction.  School of Education Associate Director Dr. Shalanda Stanley says the NCTQ evaluated 17 programs, focusing on time dedicated to key math content and math pedagogy.

Cut 4 (11) “…very proud of it.”

This follows ULM’s prior A+ rating in Reading Foundations. With 25-percent of Louisiana’s 4th graders lacking basic math skills, per the National Assessment of Education Progress, ULM’s rigorous, CAEP-accredited programs, led by Stanley, prepare teachers to address critical educational needs.

Cut 5 (10) “…student performance.”

Stanley says the difference is shortening the gap between learning how to do it and actually practicing implementation with students getting hundreds of hours of field experience prior to full-time teaching.

Cut 6 (12) “…are the students.”

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The Alliance for Affordable Energy is urging the state and utility regulators to take steps to prevent another massive outage like the one New Orleans experienced Sunday night. The alliance’s clean grid manager, Yvonne Cappel (cah-PELL)-Vickery, says MISO should not be the ones to blame; one factor behind the outage was poor transmission planning among the utilities.

Cut 7 (10) “…us in Louisiana.”

The weather in the New Orleans area Sunday was considerably warmer than forecast; and as such, MISO was forced to order the blackouts to preserve energy. Earlier, Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis blamed the DOGE cuts on the inaccurate forecasts. Cappel-Vickery says it’s imperative that the National Weather Service be fully staffed to prevent blackouts like this.

Cut 8 (13) “…such as this.”

Cappel-Vickery says accurate weather forecasting is essential for utility companies to determine how much load is necessary to meet the demand.

Cut 9 (09)  “…we have available.”

Cappel-Vickery is also urging regulators to continue to ask the hard questions in order to fully understand how this happened so that they can enact measures to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

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The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network held Cancer Action Day at the Capitol. Louisiana Government Relations Director for the ACS CAN Alice Kline says the rally was to advocate for increased funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Cut 10 (10) “…so heavily.”

Kline says advocates met with lawmakers to stress the importance of investing tobacco tax revenue in initiatives to prevent youth tobacco use and help smokers quit.

Cut 11 (10) “…long-term Medicaid costs.”

Kline urged for sustained funding for the Louisiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and the Louisiana Tumor Registry to enhance early detection and reduce cancer burdens.

Cut 12 (10) “…each year.”

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A ban on kratom in Louisiana is now one signature from Governor Landry from becoming law. The State House has followed the Senate’s lead in overwhelmingly voting to ban the supplement sometimes known as “gas station heroin.” The House vote on West Monroe Senator Jay Morris’ bill was 86-to-6. Kenner Republican Debbie Villio presented the bill in the House. She said kratom is cloaked in deception.

Cut 13 (08)  “…routinely do so.”

Villio says kratom is highly addictive and potentially fatal.

Cut 14 (11) “…bad, bad stuff.”

Covington Republican Peter Egan offered up an amendment that would have allowed the sale and use of only naturally-occurring kratom. That, along with another amendment, were voted down. Egan argued that more than six-percent of Louisiana’s population uses kratom.

Cut 15 (13) “…that consumes it.”

Egan says when used properly, naturally occurring kratom has its benefits.

Cut 16 (14) “…an addicted need.”

The Senate vote earlier this month was 26 to 11. Again, it now heads to Governor Landry’s desk for his signature.

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LSU Baseball is hosting its 28^th Regional this weekend and its first since 2023. Designated Hitter Ethan Frey from Rosepine was a freshman on that team and is excited to experience postseason baseball at the Box once again….

Cut 17 (12)  “…every game.”

The Tigers offense has looked better at the Box than on the road and Frey says that’s not a coincidence….

Cut 18 (18)  “…looks like so.”

Frey was a two-time state champion at Rosepine High and was on the 2023 LSU national championship team. The junior says losing in the Regional last year helped motivate him this year…

Cut 19 (15) “…season again.”

A ban on kratom in Louisiana is now one signature from Governor Landry away from becoming law. The House has followed the Senate’s lead in overwhelmingly voting to ban the supplement sometimes known as “gas station heroin.” The House vote on West Monroe Senator Jay Morris’ bill was 86-to-6. Kenner Republican Debbie Villio presented the bill in the House. She said kratom is cloaked in deception.

Cut 13 (08)  “…routinely do so.”

Covington Republican Peter Egan offered up an amendment that would have allowed the sale and use of only naturally-occurring kratom. That, along with another amendment, were voted down. Egan says when used properly, naturally occurring kratom has its benefits.

Cut 16 (14) “…an addicted need.”

The Senate vote earlier this month was 26 to 11. Once again, it now heads to Governor Landry’s desk for his signature.

One bill that’s not going to Governor Landry’s desk – not yet, at least – is one by Senator Blake Miguez that would ban ultra-processed foods from being served and sold in public schools. Lafayette Republican John Carlson presented the bill in the House and agreed to return it to the calendar for further discussion. On the House floor, Carlson said scientific research shows that these additives are harmful.

Cut 25 (17) “…in our schools.”

Once again, Carlson has returned the bill to the calendar for further discussion.

The warning from Louisiana State Police was swift and direct – if you help any of the ten escaped Orleans Parish Jail inmates in any way, you will be held accountable. Well, LSP was not messing around. So far, they have arrested 14 accomplices, including five people for helping Lenton Vanburen, who was captured in Baton Rouge yesterday. Currently, two of the ten escapees remain on the loose.

The Public Service Commission is looking for answers following Sunday’s massive blackout in southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, which were ordered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. The outages were triggered when an Entergy nuclear plant unexpectedly went offline. Commissioner Eric Skrmetta says MISO would not go into further detail.

Cut 9 (10)  “…that you can’t tell me.”

Cleco says it will investigate the outage, and Entergy says they want to understand the directive from MISO.

Monroe tourism officials are remembering “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson, who passed away Sunday at the age of 79. “Duck Dynasty” aired on A-and-E for 11 years, but Sheila Snow with Discover Monroe-West Monroe says the show’s impact on the community has lasted a lot longer.

Cut 7 (09) “…their offerings there.”

The Speaker of the House gets high praise from one of his predecessors. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was on Mornings with Brian Haldane on LRN affiliate WBRP in Baton Rouge, and he said Speaker Mike Johnson has been a steady hand in a deeply divided Congress. Gingrich says Johnson did a magnificent job in getting President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” approved in the House.

Cut 4 (09) “…and doing this.”

The bill, however, faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Monroe Police have arrested six people, in connection with a brawl over the Memorial Day weekend. Police Chief Vic Zordan (rhymes with Jordan) says investigators used surveillance video footage to arrest the six, and more arrests are expected.

Cut 13 (09)  “…on video there.”

This incident comes months after a shooting outside a sporting goods store in which rival gangs went after one another.

After nearly 100-thousand Entergy and Cleco customers in Southeast Louisiana lost power for hours due to a “load-shed” event ordered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. CLECO says they will investigate the outage and Entergy says they want to understand the directive from MISO and Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta says is demanding transparency from MISO on why the outages occurred without warning.

Cut 10 (12) “…within 30-minutes.”

Monroe tourism officials say Phil Robertson brought a lot of attention to the region. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (31) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave high praise to current Speaker Mike Johnson during an appearance on a Baton Rouge radio morning show. The 81-year-old Gingrich says Johnson is the most remarkable Speaker of the House in his lifetime for how he has led a 435-member body with a slim Republican majority…

Cut 3 (12) “…people complain.”

Nearly 100-thousand customers in New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana lost power for hours due to a “load-shed” event ordered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator on Sunday.  Sean Richardson has more.

Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office is investigating a fatal crash that happened Monday STPSO says the driver of a Porche failed to stop after a traffic violation on I-12. The deputy lost sight of the Porche but it was later found crashed into the tree line at the Lacombe exit. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.

Police in Monroe arrest six people, including an Arkansas man, in connection with a brawl over the Memorial Day weekend. Police Chief Vic Zordan (rhymes with Jordan) says Trace Castleberry is facing a second-degree battery charge, and Monroe Police are working to bring him back to the city to face charges.

Cut 12 (07) “…lot in Monroe”

Zordan says investigators used surveillance video footage to arrest the six, and more arrests are expected.

Phil Robertson, patriarch of Duck Dynasty passed away Sunday following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Monroe tourism officials say he and his family provided a huge boost in visitors to the area. Sheila Snow with Discover Monroe-West Monroe …

Cut 6 (11) “…family called home.”

Phil Robertson was 79.

More than 10 days after 10 inmates escaped the Orleans Parish Justice Center, 2 are still at large. Three inmates were recaptured on Monday. Lenton VanBuren was arrested in Baton Rouge, and Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald were arrested in Houston. The number of accomplices who helped the prisoners escape or assisted them afterwards is up to a dozen and there may be more. The two remaining escapees are Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves, and they are considered armed and dangerous. There is a 20-thousand-dollar reward offered for information leading to the capture of each inmate.

Around 100-thousand Southeast Louisiana customers were without power for hours Sunday due to a “load-shed” event ordered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator after an Entergy nuclear plant unexpectedly went offline but even Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta hasn’t been given specific information on the outage. He says MISO’s lack of transparency is unacceptable.

Cut 11 (07) “…explain everything.”

The outages affected 75 thousand Entergy and 25 thousand Cleco customers.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave high praise to current Speaker Mike Johnson during an appearance on Baton Rouge talk show, Mornings with Brian Haldane Tuesday. Johnson was elected to congress in 2016 and became Speaker of the House in 2023 and Gingrich says he is impressed with Johnson’s ability to unify factions within the GOP, something with which past leaders struggled.

Cut 5 (11) “…remarkably smart.”

Gingrich does not think Johnson will be a presidential candidate in 2028, because he’s too humble.

Fans of Duck Dynasty are mourning the death of patriarch Phil Robertson. Sheila Snow with Discover Monroe-West Monroe says the region took full advantage of its new-found fame brought by the TV show and the Robertson family.

Cut 8 (13) “…in West Monroe.”

Phil Robertson passed away on Sunday at the age of 79.

The Public Service Commission is looking for answers following Sunday’s massive blackout in southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, which were ordered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. The outages were triggered when an Entergy nuclear plant unexpectedly went offline. Commissioner Eric Skrmetta says MISO would not go into further detail.

Cut 9 (10)  “…that you can’t tell me.”

Cleco says it will investigate the outage, and Entergy says they want to understand the directive from MISO.

Eight down, two to go. Three more escapees from the Orleans Justice Center were captured yesterday. Lenton Vanburen was arrested in Baton Rouge, and Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald were arrested in Houston. That leaves Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey as the last two escapees still on the run. 20-thousand dollars in reward money for each inmate is still on the table.

Monroe tourism officials are remembering “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson, who passed away Sunday at the age of 79. “Duck Dynasty” aired on A-and-E for 11 years, but Sheila Snow with Discover Monroe-West Monroe says the show’s impact on the community has lasted a lot longer.

Cut 7 (09) “…their offerings there.”

The Speaker of the House gets high praise from one of his predecessors. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was on Mornings with Brian Haldane on LRN affiliate WBRP in Baton Rouge, and he said Speaker Mike Johnson has been a steady hand in a deeply divided Congress. Gingrich says Johnson did a magnificent job in getting President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” approved in the House.

Cut 4 (09) “…and doing this.”

The bill, however, faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave high praise to current Speaker Mike Johnson during an appearance on a Baton Rouge radio morning show. The 81-year-old Gingrich told Brian Haldane on LRN affiliate WBRP that Johnson is the most remarkable Speaker of the House in his lifetime for how he has led a 435-member body with a slim Republican majority…

Cut 3 (12) “…people complain.” 

Monroe tourism officials say Phil Robertson and his family provided a huge boost in visitorship to the area. Sheila Snow with Discover Monroe-West Monroe says that was spurred in large part to “Duck Dynasty.”

Cut 6 (11) “…family called home.”

Phil Robertson passed away Sunday at the age of 79 following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

One public service commissioner says one big culprit of the New Orleans blackout could be massive cuts in federal staffing. Commissioner Davante Lewis says power companies anticipate how much electrical load they need based on that day’s weather forecast; and lately, forecasts from the National Weather Service have been well off.

Cut 13 (08)  “…what it was.”

Lewis is blaming the inaccurate forecasting on the DOGE cuts that President Trump and Elon Musk carried out this year.

Today, the Senate takes up Representative Troy Hebert’s bill that would codify a rule put in place last year that allows employers to report a job applicant collecting unemployment who fails to show up for a job interview. Hebert says in the current pilot program, only a very small number of people reported to the Louisiana Workforce Commission were deemed to have violated the conditions of their unemployment benefits.

Cut 10 (08) “…they were given.”