Louisiana ranks 31^st in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index — up from 37^th. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) expects the state’s ranking to improve in 2026, as the franchise tax will be repealed. He says modernizing a state’s tax structure helps position it for growth.

Cut 26 (10) “…period of time.”

Looking for something to do this weekend? Head over to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival which recreates the atmosphere, culture and entertainment of the Renaissance Period which covers the 14^th to the 17^th century in Europe. This weekend Cy the Sword Swallower is performing.

Cut 13 (11)  “…not do that!”

Nearly four years ago, a Louisiana politician predicted LSU would be on the hook for another massive buyout for its football coach. As Andre Champagne reports, his prediction was spot-on.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

LSU is a 10.5 point underdog to Alabama on Saturday night. Tiger Rag Executive Editor Todd Horne has this prediction…

Cut 8 (16) “…than LSU”

Kick off is at 6:30.

The trucking industry in Louisiana says insurance and lawsuit abuse are its biggest concerns in 2025. Renee Amar, the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says the cost of insurance is driving truckers out of the state.

Cut 4 (11) “…affordable truck insurance.”

Amar says the tort reform legislation approved in the last regular legislative session did not go far enough. She would have liked to see a medical transparency legislation get approved.

It will be warm today and tomorrow and then a major cold front hits the state, providing us with our first freeze on Monday and Tuesday. Dan Gill, host of the Garden Show on WWL Radio, says you don’t have to take extreme measures to protect your plants….

Cut 15 (15) “…for the winter”

Gill says if you have tropicals, move them under a patio or put a sheet over them.

This may be a lost season for the LSU football team, but it’s a memorable one for a certain freshman on the marching band. After retiring as an accountant, 66-year-old Kent Broussard pursued – and fulfilled – his lifelong dream of playing in the LSU marching band. Broussard appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show this week and said he was nearly a half-century out of practice when he hatched his plan to join the LSU marching band.

Cut 9 (10)  “…in Los Angeles.”

To help him practice for his tryouts, he would walk around his Baton Rouge neighborhood playing the tuba, wearing a weighted vest.

The 1-and-8 Saints are back on the road this Sunday to face an improving Carolina Panthers team that just beat the Packers in Green Bay. Rookie Tyler Shough will start again at quarterback for the Saints and defensive end Cameron Jordan says the Black and Gold’s defense has to set the tone…

Cut 6 (11) “…three turnovers”

The Panthers defense is improved, running back Rico Dowdle is third in the NFL in rushing and Q-B Bryce Young has won his last four starts

Enjoy mild temperatures this weekend – next week will get off to a cold start. Temperatures Monday morning will be in the high 30s in the northern parishes and in the low 40s closer to the coast, and highs won’t get out of the 50s. And LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says Tuesday morning will be even colder.

Cut 14 (13) “…the upper 30s.”

Lawsuit abuse is one of the biggest issues facing the trucking industry in Louisiana. That’s according to the Louisiana Motor Transport Association. Executive Director Renee Amar says staged accidents are a major problem, and truckers end up paying thousands of dollars out of pocket and are forced to wait years before their cases can be prosecuted.

Cut 5 (10) “…premiums for you.”

Louisiana ranks 31st in the Tax Foundation’s Tax Competitiveness Index, but that’s up six spots from the year before. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

Brian Kelly bids a cordial farewell to LSU and its fans. In a letter posted onto social media, the former LSU coach who was fired almost two weeks ago said he will remember and appreciate everything he and his teams had accomplished, including the 2022 win over Alabama and Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Trophy a year later.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is reminding us that in 2021, he predicted that LSU would have to pay Brian Kelley that massive buyout. He says the LSU Board of Supervisors did not handle Kelly’s contract well and says it needs to avoid the same mistake with this next coach.

Cut 12 (10) “…never happens again.”

Louisiana oved from 37 to 31 in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index rankings. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) says recent tax reforms are responsible. And he says, Louisiana could move up even more if it restricted its sales taxes.

Cut 9 (13)  “…improvement in that.”

It may not feel like it now but we’re about to experience the coldest temperatures of the season at the beginning of next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim…

Cut 13 (11)  “…in the 50s.”

Insurance and lawsuit abuse are driving truckers out of the state, says Renee Amar, the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association. She says while she’s happy that a bill that stopped payments to those more than 50-percent at fault for accidents became law this year, she’s upset that the medical transparency bill didn’t.

Cut 6 (13) “…20-thousand-dollar bill.”

Amar says the Louisiana trucking industry will try again in next year’s regular session to get that bill passed and onto Governor Landry’s desk.

The insurance environment in Louisiana is ripe for fraud, especially when it comes to staged accidents says the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, Renee Amar. She says truckers have to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets and are forced to wait years before their cases can be prosecuted.

Cut 5 (10) “…premiums for you.”

Louisiana ranks 31^st in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index — up from 37^th. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) expects the state’s ranking to improve in 2026, as the franchise tax will be repealed. He says modernizing a state’s tax structure helps position it for growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…period of time.”

He says Louisiana could move up even more if it restricted its sales taxes.

Nearly four years ago, a longtime Louisiana politician predicted that LSU would be on the hook for massive buyout for its football coach. Andre Champagne reports.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

The coldest weather of the season so far is coming next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front will drop Monday’s lows to the upper 30s for North Louisiana and lower 40s for South Louisiana and on Tuesday the entire state will see temperatures in the 30s.

Cut 15 (07) “…considerably.”

The trucking industry in Louisiana says insurance and lawsuit abuse are its biggest concerns in 2025. Executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, Renee Amar, says the cost of insurance is driving truckers out of the state.

Cut 4 (11) “…affordable truck insurance.”

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is reminding us that he predicted the expensive buyout of Brian Kelly’s contract in 2021. He says LSU should never have given the former head coach a 10-year contract without it being incentive based.

Cut 11 (12) “…to pay him.”

Campbell says the LSU Board of Supervisors did not handle Kelly’s contract well and says it needs to avoid the same mistake with this next coach search.

Louisiana ranks 31st in the Tax Foundation’s Tax Competitiveness Index, up six spots from the year before. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

The coldest weather of the season so far is coming next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says the highs will only be in the 50s Monday with lows in the lower 40s for South Louisiana and upper 30s for North Louisiana and then on Tuesday even colder…

Cut 14 (13) “…the upper 30s.”

He saw it coming. In 2021, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell predicted that LSU would be responsible for paying a hefty buyout to Brian Kelly before he even stepped onto the field. Nearly four years later, Campbell says I told you so.

Cut 10 (09) “…the get-go.”

Campbell says LSU should have never given Kelly a 10-year contract without it being incentive-based.

Louisiana’s ranking in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index improved from 37th to 31st, with further improvement expected because of the tax reforms approved last year. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) says those reforms include a new flat individual income tax rate of three percent and a corporate income tax rate of 5.5-percent.

Cut 7 (08) “…seeing positive gains.”

The trucking industry in Louisiana says the legal climate is its biggest concern in 2025. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

It may not feel like it today but it’s time to get that winter coat out.  The coldest temperatures of the season are moving into Louisiana at the start of next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front is coming late this weekend, bringing frigid Canadian air.

Cut 13 (11)  “…in the 50s.”

The trucking industry in Louisiana says the legal climate is its biggest concern in 2025. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

____________________________________________

Louisiana ranks 31st in the Tax Foundation’s Tax Competitiveness Index, but that’s up six spots from the year before. Jeff Palermo has more.

Cut 2 (31) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

____________________________________________

Nearly four years ago, a longtime Louisiana politician predicted that LSU would be on the hook for another massive buyout for its football coach. As Andre Champagne reports, his prediction was spot-on.

Cut 3 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”

_________________________________________________

The trucking industry in Louisiana says insurance and lawsuit abuse are its biggest concerns in 2025. Renee Amar, the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says the cost of insurance is driving truckers out of the state.

Cut 4 (11) “…affordable truck insurance.”

Amar says the insurance environment in Louisiana is ripe for fraud, especially when it comes to staged accidents. She says truckers have to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets and are forced to wait years before their cases can be prosecuted.

Cut 5 (10) “…premiums for you.”

Amar says while she’s happy that the bill that stopped payments to those more than 50-percent at fault for accidents became law in this year’s session, she’s upset that the medical transparency bill didn’t.

Cut 6 (13) “…20-thousand-dollar bill.”

Amar says the Louisiana trucking industry will try again in next year’s regular session to get that bill passed and onto Governor Landry’s desk.

_____________________________________________________

Louisiana’s ranking in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index improved from 37th to 31st, with further improvement expected as a result of the tax reforms improved last year. Tax Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Manish Bhatt (“bot”) says those reforms include a new flat individual income tax rate of three-percent and a corporate income tax rate of 5.5-percent.

Cut 7 (08) “…seeing positive gains.”

Bhatt expects Louisiana’s ranking to improve in 2026, as the state’s franchise tax will be repealed. He says modernizing a state’s tax structure helps position it for growth.

Cut 8 (10) “…period of time.”

Bhatt says Louisiana could move up in their rankings even more if it restricted its sales taxes.

Cut 9 (13)  “…improvement in that.”

Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Alaska and Florida ranked in the top five. Maryland, Connecticut, California, New Jersey and New York ranked in the bottom five.

_____________________________________________________

In 2021, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell predicted that LSU would be responsible for paying a hefty buyout to Brian Kelly before he even stepped onto the field. Nearly four years later, Campbell says I told you so.

Cut 10 (09) “…the get-go.”

Campbell says LSU should have never given Kelly a 10-year contract without it being incentive-based.

Cut 11 (12) “…to pay him.”

Campbell says the LSU Board of Supervisors did not handle Kelly’s contract well and says it needs to avoid the same mistake with this next coach search.

Cut 12 (10) “…never happens again.”

_____________________________________________________

This weekend, you will want to try on your winter jacket; and if it doesn’t fit or if you don’t have one, you’ll want to head to your local department store to buy one. That’s because we’re going to be in for the coldest temperatures of the season at the outset of next week. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says a cold front is coming down into the state late this weekend, blanketing the state with frigid Canadian air.

Cut 13 (11)  “…in the 50s.”

And if you think that’s cold, Tuesday morning will be even colder. Keim says temperatures in some parts of the state will drop below freezing.

Cut 14 (13) “…the upper 30s.”

Keim says if you can survive those two days, temperatures will start their climb back up to normal afterwards,

Cut 15 (10) “…of next week.”

_____________________________________________________

LSU football travels to Tuscaloosa to face fourth-ranked Alabama tomorrow. The offense and defense have been going up against each other in inside run drills, which requires more physicality from the linemen. Interim Head Coach Frank Wilson says he’s pleased with his team’s tenacity in practice this week.

Cut 16 (14) “…rewarding for us.”

LSU’s defense will continue to be tested when the Tigers face junior quarterback and Heisman candidate Ty Simpson. Simpson has thrown for 20 touchdowns and only one interception so far this year. Wilson says Simpson possesses an elite skillset.

Cut 17 (19) “…to gain yardage.”

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The Saints’ offense will be without a big weapon moving forward after New Orleans sent Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Tyler Shough says Shaheed’s departure will create more opportunities for other receivers.

Cut 18 (18)  “…to have success.”

_____________________________________________________

UL-Lafayette got back into the win column after defeating South Alabama, 31-22, in Mobile last week. Even though it hasn’t been the ideal season, head coach Michael Desormeaux (DEZ-er-moe) was happy for his group and wants his team to continue to play with the same determination this week.

Cut 19 (15) “…do it again.”

The Cajuns will host Texas State tomorrow, which will be the last Sun Belt matchup between the two teams as the Bobcats are moving to the Pac-12 after this season. Desormeaux says his team is focused on winning out to become bowl eligible.

Cut 20 (08) “…at all costs.”