Your Custom Text Here
HOUR ONE: Jim talks with WAFB morning anchor, Matt Williams. Matt discusses his crime stopper segment, and his life here in Baton Rouge.
Author Sharon Draper speaks with Jim about her book, Stella by Starlite
HOUR TWO: Journalist and Author Leo Honeycutt, steps in for Jim as guest host, and he speaks with a line up of guest, discussing everything from MLK Day to politics here in Louisiana.
HOUR ONE:
Author Dean Koontz discusses his latest book in the Odd Thomas series. He comments on his faith, "I can't imagine living without thinking it doesn't all have meaning." After his father made an attempt on his life, he was diagnosed sociopathic. Koontz remarked, "Everything is material. When I wrote sociopathic characters, I write from experience."
Jim comments on the upcoming Prayer Rally at the PMAC at LSU and compares the faith of Bobby Jindal to the atheism of Edwin Edwards.
Singer Victoria Williams comments on her upcoming performance in Downtown, Baton Rouge.
Professor Thomas Schaller of Political Science joins the show from the University of Maryland to discuss his new book. Schaller speculates on the upcoming presidential election in 2016.
HOUR TWO:
Robert Travis Scott, President of Public Affairs Research Council for Louisiana, comments on the governor. He says, "I don't know how important his heritage is to him at this point." Scott also comments on the impact of the budget cuts on the governor's chances at a national level.
Of his trip to India, Scott remarks that the most dangerous part was the taxi cab drivers.
A listener asked if race would be an issue if the governor ran for the presidency.
Scott discusses the outcome of the upcoming budget cuts in higher education. He comments on the recent debate for governor. Scott says, "I think that's part of the political scene in Louisiana. You gotta be able to sit back and laugh."
HOUR ONE:
LSU Shreveport History Chairman Gary Joiner joins the show to celebrate the Bicentennial Tribute of the Battle of New Orleans.
Louisiana and South Carolina are the two leading states for mixed ancestry.
The original definition of a Creole is anyone with ancestry from the New World and ancestry from the Old World.
Dr. Joiner comments on the 86th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., "He changed American society almost singlehandedly... He was remarkable for what he did do and could do."
He also comments on the upcoming $300 million budget cut, "I think you're gonna see some catastrophic changes in Louisiana in higher education."
UNO Professor Richard Goodman discusses how the budget cuts will affect his students. He remarks that though he is not an expert on the politics, he can vouch for the important effects it will have on the students. "There's this woman with two kids and a job, but she wants to be a writer and her dream won't be denied. It's humbling." He says, "We are doing an enormous disservice to the students... they already have to claw their way to an education."
HOUR TWO:
Dr. Faye Williams joins us to reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. as we celebrate his 86th birthday. She comments also on President Obama's move to suspend sanctions in Cuba.
Gisela Chevalier who grew up in Cuba comments on the lifting of the embargo in Cuba.
Americans will be allowed to travel to Cuba now without special permission.
Dr. Williams expresses her excitement at the new lifts on Cuban travel because it will unite families. She comments, "to put a human face on it."
About 6 in 10 Americans favor relations with Cuba.
"In Cuba, there is no democracy, there is a communist dictatorship since 1969," Chevalier argues as reason against the relations with Cuba. "The money we spend in Cuba will go to the Castro regime not the impoverished people!"
Dr. Williams responds to a listeners question about the Castro regime in Cuba. "What we have been doing for 50 years did not work... Obviously the Castro brothers won't be alive forever." She continues, "People have to be willing to stand up for their rights."
"I would hope the young people here in America and in Cuba take a lesson from those people who were in Selma," Dr. Williams says.
"As long as we keep funneling money to the Castro regime, it doesn't matter if Castro dies," Chevalier says.
HOUR ONE:
Senator Elbert Guillory comments on the recent election results and his opinion of former Senator Mary Landrieu. Guillory said, "Despite the lies that come out of the wash house, I'm sorry, White House." Jim commented, "A Freudian slip, perhaps?" Guillory chuckled, "Yes yes."
Senator Guillory believes his forty-five year experience qualifies him to be Lieutenant Governor.
Louisiana's deficit could be close to 2 billion dollars with the declining price of oil.
Guillory did not serve in Vietnam, but he says, "Those who ducked service, like a couple of our past presidents, I don't have much respect for them."
A listener asks if Guillory uses tax payer dollars to travel. Guillory responds, "I do travel extensively. Every bit of it has been paid for by persons inviting me or my campaign."
Senator Guillory describes wrestling a bear. He says, "When my son was 5 or 6 years old, a bear attacked us, and I killed the bear with bowie knife."
After a listener condemns Guillory for having 4 marriages and 4 divorces, he says, "There have been prenuptial agreements for wives 2,3, and 4."
The Senator has not yet seen Selma, but he says, "I have a scar on my derriere from a police dog" from a civil rights event in his younger days.
About 1 in 8 white Louisianans have black ancestry.
When asked about a potential run for the presidency, Guillory says, "I don't want to leave Louisiana... If they moved the White House to Louisiana I would be happy to serve."
"The culture of violence in our young people must be addressed. We cannot continue to give them garbage."
HOUR TWO:
Paul Rainwater who was the former commissioner of administration and former chief of staff for Governor Bobby Jindal joins us to discuss the $300 million cut in Louisiana's education budget.
Paul Rainwater received the bronze star when finishing up his tour in Iraq. "There's life after politics," Rainwater says, "You learn a lot as a soldier, how to deal with stress."
Rainwater says, "I believe in bipartisan government. Doesn't mean you'll always agree, but at least you'll work together."
The Bill Cassidy and Mary Landrieu election was the most expensive in the state.
Paul Rainwater is a Colonel for the United States Army in the National Guard.
Paul Rainwater gives his opinion on the education budget cuts.
A listener asks Rainwater if he thinks the governor will run for president. "I think the governor is going to seek the nomination. There's no doubt about that. He's a very sincere person... He's a brilliant man." "I think the governor has done a great job of reforming higher education."
Every time there is a tuition increase there is a budget increase for the TOPS plan.
HOUR ONE:
Liberal political blogger, Lamar White Jr. , who broke the story about Steve Scalise discusses his the reaction to his story. White says he received the tip from someone on a campaign against Steve Scalise that there was a picture of Scalise and David Duke. "I don't think he should be majority whip anymore." White also comments on the favorite to replace Governor Bobby Jindal. "The governor's race is about who you want in your newspaper every morning. The senate race is who we send off."
When asked if Governor Bobby Jindal could win the presidency, White says, "The short answer is no. I don't think he has a prayer at all. He is deeply unpopular in his own state, and I think that record will catch up with him."
Scalise voted twice against making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a state holiday even though it was already a federal holiday.
Lawyer Shaun Clarke, friend of Steve Scalise, wrote a letter in a Texas newspaper supporting Scalise. "The guy does not have a racist bone in his body... He is just a genuinely nice, decent human being... He wasn't worried about getting votes or campaign contributions."
HOUR TWO:
Jim Brown joins the show for the full hour and comments on the Friday vote of the Joint Legislative Committee on the State Trooper raise and discusses the upcoming election for governor. Brown ran for governor in 1987.
Oil fell below $45 dollar a barrel today.
"We're talking about a billion or more shortfall than what they had last year," Brown says about Louisiana's budget.
Derek Ponamsky comments about his story on the Alabama linebacker's coach, Kevin Steele.
Jim Brown comments on Scalise's attendance to a David Duke rally. "I'm not defending Scalise, but having been an elected official, I didn't vet every group I went to."
A listener comments, "Louisiana politicians get away with talking to supremacists groups and calling prostitutes but not raising taxes."
Governor Bobby Jindal will go down in history as the biggest cutter of higher education. He would not be a United States citizen unless his mother had the job she did at LSU.
HOUR ONE:
Ara Rubyan joins the show from the Jewish film festival to share the films that will be shown and comments on Jewish culture. "Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story" will be shown at 1:30 on Sunday. Rubyan also comments on the attacks in Paris.
Nicolas Kariouk who grew up in Paris comments on the recent attacks. "Ironically, one of the policemen that was killed was Muslim." Kariouk continues, "The common sense is always to abstain from incendiary statements."
Andrew Levy joins the show to discuss his book "Huck Finn's America."
In the past 60 years, Huck Finn was the most taught book after the Bible and Shakespeare's works.
Levy says, "I think reading old newspapers is a great way to get a real sense of what America was like without any illusions."
HOUR TWO:
President of Canada Energy Partners Ben Jones comments on the depressed price of oil and gas and their effects. Jones says, in the long run falling oil prices mean, "stable government, prosperity, less war," but for those in the oil industry, "pain." The price per barrel for oil has gone down 50%. For the last four years, domestic oil production in America has increased by 80%.
President of LSU faculty Kevin Cope discusses the potential $300 million cut in education spending and the implications in higher education. 30% of LSU's budget would drop if the $300 million education cut is made. That's $90 million. "When you take that much money out of the education system, you end up with a system that is corrupt... a glorified madrasa." Cope also comments, "I won't be at the prayer rally next week unless it's at the head of the protestors."