FRIDAY: National Book Award Winner, La'El Collins Investigation, January 1973, Louisiana Legislative Session, and Religious Freedom

HOUR ONE: 

Author Kimberley Willis Holt shares her book Dear Hank Williams which won the National Book Award.  She shares her inspirations for this book and her love for Louisiana.  "At some point she knows he's not going to answer her.  It's almost like a journal to her."

Louisiana Radio Network's Michelle Southern comments on LSU lineman La'El Collins as a person of interest in the investigation of his pregnant ex-girlfriend's homicide.  He was kept out of the first round of drafts.  

"They haven't even said he's not a suspect at this time.  They've just said he's not a suspect," Michelle says.  

Author James Robenalt shares his book January 1973.  Robenalt is a trial lawyer.  He discusses the Vietnam War, Roe Vs. Wade, and the day LBJ died.  "It's so ironic that on the day the Vietnam War is ending, Johnson dies." 

HOUR TWO: 

Investigative Reporter Peter Kovacs moved to the Advocate to become the editor after being the editor for the Times Picayune.  He will discuss the newspaper industry. 

Kovacs graduated from Brown University.  He jokes that although Governor Jindal also graduated from Brown, he <Jindal> must have studied harder.  

In the last measurement of newspaper circulations, the Advocate has been deemed the largest Louisiana newspaper.  "I think the Advocate is the only newspaper in America that is growing." 

They discuss the appointment of F. King Alexander as LSU President.  

"We do not intend to endorse," Kovacs says of the four candidates for governor.  

"Edwards was interesting mostly because there were so many chapters of Edwin Edwards," he says, "I think Edwards could have been a great governor." 

Rabbi Barry Weinstein and Reverend David Diamond debate religious freedom, gay rights, and marriage equality.  They each comment on Governor Jindal's support of the Marriage and Conscience Act.  

Diamond agrees with Governor Bobby Jindal that if someone won't come to Louisiana because of the Marriage and Conscious Act, then, "Go somewhere else." 

Weinstein disagrees and says, "In no way are these couples <gay couples> an abomination." 

THURSDAY: Louisiana International Film Festival, Council for a Better Louisiana, Louisiana Legislative Session, and LSU Protest

HOUR ONE: 

President and CEO of the Council for a Better Louisiana Barry Erwin discusses his opinion of the legislative session and the rally that was led by LSU President King Alexander.  

A clip is played from the protest.  An LSU student speaking at the rally said he did not want to be "collateral damage on a suicide mission for the Presidency.

"We saw this coming a number of years ago," Erwin says of the incoming deficit, "we've found dollars from other places and patched them in there." 

John Bel Edwards was the only candidate for governor who went to the rally at the capitol today.  

Erwin discusses Common Core and completes several math problems on air.  

Executive director and founder of the 
Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program Chesley Heymsfield and Directer Dan Ireland promotes the festival coming up.  Over 60 films will be show including Obama Mama.  All of the events and screening will be at Cinemark Perkins Rowe May 7-10.    

Ireland and Heymsfield comment on their favorite films.  

HOUR TWO: 

Capitol Bureau Chief of the Advocate Mark Ballard discusses the Louisiana Legislative Session and the the rally at the capitol.

They discuss the corporate income tax and tax exemptions.  "We have so many exemptions right now, a lot of corporations are paying little if any taxes."   

Governor Jindal was in Washington D.C. today instead of at the rally at the capitol.  

He says that "Part of the bucket list for conservatives is to spread the taxes paying for public schools to private schools."  

They comment on the religious liberty issue and how Governor Jindal has acted.  Ballard says, "I think he comes by it genuinely." 

The cigarette tax is only increasing 36 cents.  

Political Consultant and Author Gus Weill comments on the rally at the capitol.  "It was such a joy to see the students expressing something other than praise for LSU athletics." 

He shares his opinion on the Baltimore Riots and the funeral of Freddie Gray.  Weill thinks that we are on the brink of racial unrest and war.  

"I think he's a gutsy woman," Weill says of Bruce Jenner, "he had such unbelievable courage to come out in that manner."

WEDNESDAY: President of LSU F. King Alexander, 2016 Presidential Election, Baltimore Riots, and Healthy Living

HOUR ONE: 

President of LSU F. King Alexander joins the show to discuss the potential budget cuts to higher education and the effects on the flagship school.  

LSU ranks 46th in the country as what the school spends on its students.  

Only 13% of LSU is funded by the state.  That is a budget of 110 million dollars.  The cuts would bring the budget down to about 28 million dollars.  

He discusses the balancing out the growing TOPS program.  

"Everything needs to be on the table, and everyone needs to pay their fair share," he says, calling the film industry a "questionable investment."

They comment on the march that will take place tomorrow at the Baton Rouge Capital.  

"Tenure is there for professors to challenge society to be a better place... we need to uphold that." 

"We want to be able to invest just enough in our students to create a new economy," Alexander concludes.  

Louisiana spends 7 times more per prisoner than per student.  

HOUR TWO: 

Pollster Elliott Stonecipher comments on the Louisiana Legislative Session.  "I think Governor Jindal is going to be exactly as he has been all these years," he says, regarding the raising of taxes.  

"This slow moving crash has been going on for the better part of 8 years," he says of potential higher education cuts.  He says that colleges used to be designed for a specific purpose.  "If you wanted to teach, you went to Northwestern.  If you wanted to be an engineer, you went to Tech." 

He comments on the governor's race and the amount of money each candidate has raised.  

5 months and 26 days until the governor's election.  

JR Ball from Nola.com comments on the events in his hometown, Baltimore and the Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago White Sox baseball game that was played in an empty stadium.  

He comments on the rally tomorrow at the State Capital in which LSU students will march around the capital building at 1 pm.  

Authors Justin and Erica Sonnenburg share their book The Good Gut.  They are both professors at Stanford University.  

"The microbes in our gut influence not just digestive health, but fundamental processes in our bodies... metabolism, immune system..." 

Humans used to consume 100-150 grams of fiber per day.  Now a US citizen struggles to consume 15.  

TUESDAY: Solar Industry, Louisiana State Law on Creationism, Baltimore Riots, Author Jim Grimsley, and Entergy Power News

HOUR ONE: 

CEO Tom Neyhart from Posigen Solar Solutions discusses the solar leasing tax credited.  "It is designed to help put solar panels on the roof... when you buy a solar system, there is a time where you're making back the amount you invested in before it starts paying for itself."  

"Solar panels that we put up today have a 25 year power production warranty," Neyhart says.  

Neyharts says that the tax credits for solar leasing will lower the state's fiscal notes which will in turn help higher education.  

Activist Zack Kopplin comments on the Louisiana law that allows for the teaching of Creationism and unsuccessful attempts to repeal the statute.  They discuss the Louisiana Science Education Act which allows supplemental information in science classes on creation.  The repeal was once again lost last week 4 to 3.  

Senator Ben Nevers from Bogalousa sponsored the bill originally.  

Zack Kopplin attends Rice University.  

Kopplin says there are an overwhelming amount of biologists on the side of evolution.  

Kopplin's father is Andy Kopplin who worked as the chief of staff for Governor Mike Foster, and also worked for Governor Blanco.  

"In science class, we just teach science.  This isn't about saying what you can and cannot believe in." 

Dr. Faye Williams gives her opinion on the riots in Baltimore.  "Those who have committed arson will have to pay for that, but on the other hand, crimes have been committed against these young people."   

She feels that no matter how she is mistreated she should never resort to violence.

"The young people in Baltimore are acting out the craziness they see in Congress, and even in churches.  We need to show these young people better ways to solve problems." 

"There's more to policing than enforcement, it's about serving the people," Williams says.  

"We also see young people rising up like this over football games," she says, referencing unfair treatment of white communities versus black.  

HOUR TWO: 

Professor and Author Jim Grimsley shares his book How I Shed My Skin.  He grew up in a small village in North Carolina during the year of segregation that was sanctioned both legally and socially.  "In encountering these three black girls in the classroom in 1966, I came to realize they were just like us," he says.  "By the time of integration had come to pass, about half of the white kids went to private school." 

He speaks about an encounter in which he called one of the black girls, Violet, a racial slur and expected she would not talk back, but she did.  Because she surprised him, Grimsley said this made him very aware that she was just like him.  They all became friends.  "Those three girls in that 6th grade classroom were heroes as far as I'm concerned," Grimsley says.  

"When you're watching people being gunned down in your community for doing nothing, you're going to be angry," Grimsley says, "If we can't see as white people that we are part of the problem, then things won't progress." 

Former Baseball Player Denny McLain comments on the Major Leagues Baseball Game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox in an empty Camden Stadium tomorrow.  He speaks about a riot that occurred when he was scheduled to play a double header.  

Customer Service Representative Will Johnson III gives news on Entergy recovering power outages.  

Former Representative for Entergy Bill Benedetto also joins us to shed light on power outages.  For more than 30 years, he was the voice and the face of Entergy.  

MONDAY: Power Outage News, Air Quality Awareness Week, Film Tax Credits, and the Odds of for the 2016 Presidential Election

HOUR ONE: 

Tom Peters from Entergy shares news on power outages.  In New Orleans there are reports that winds were clocked at 71 miles per hour.  "We still have around 65,000 out in the Baton Rouge area," Peters says.  There are no known fatalities from the thunderstorm.  Peters warns from interfering or moving fallen power lines or branches tangled in power lines.  

Environmental Scientist Manager at Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Vivian Aucoin begins Air Quality Awareness Week today.  She is joined by Lauren Tompkins from Louisiana Clean Fuels.  May is Air Quality Awareness Month.  Their website allows for notification for when there is a dangerous ozone level.  "We are really trying to promote the use of alternative fuel," Tompkins says, "What I mean is natural gas, electric, and propane vehicles." 

The Economist Dr. Loren Scott from LSU comments on film tax credits.  He was at LSU for 33 years.  He calls the potential budget cuts to LSU "ugly" and "cut to the bone."

 His report says that Louisiana is only getting about 25 cents back for ever dollar they spend on the film industry.

HOUR TWO: 

Expert on Odds Peter Loshak gives the current odds of the 2016 presidential election.  The odds right now on Governor Jindal are 25 to 1 to win the GOP Nomination and 41 to 1 to win the presidential election from Paddy Power.  Hillary Clinton is even odds right now to win the presidential election.  Clinton is 1 to 7 to win the Democratic Nomination.  

Jeb Bush is 9 to 4 to win the Republican Nomination.  He is 4 to 1 to win the entire race.  

Kim Kardashian is 1000 to 1 to win the 2016 presidential election.  Donald Trump is 100 to 1.  

Marco Rubio is 3 to 1 to win the Republican Nomination.

Chris Christie is 10 to 1 right now to win the Republican Nomination.   

Elizabeth Warren is 12 to 1 to win the Democratic Nomination.  

Patrick Mulhearn Director of Studio Operations, Raleigh Studios Baton Rouge at the Celtic Media Centre offers a different opinion on tax credits.  He argues that the film industry brings in a great deal of tourism.  He talks about an online poll in which 14.5% of people said that the film industry is the reason people came to Louisiana.  

A film is eligible for tax credits after their budget in Louisiana exceeds $300,00.  People in Louisiana favor 4 to 1 keeping the film tax credits as is.  

Films such as Oblivion and Battleship were filmed in Louisiana, as well as three new television shows.  

"If you were to eliminate the whole thing, there would be zero savings for the 2015-16 budget year." 

He suggests people take a harder look at fracking.  

FRIDAY: English Professors and Fight Club, LSU's 'Racy', Cuba, Iran, President Obama, and Bruce Jenner

HOUR ONE: 

Author Jonathan Gottschall shares his book The Professor in the Cage.  He calls it a "nonfiction version of fight club." They comment on Muhammad Ali and his legend.  "According to fight lore, if your eyes flick away for even a tenth of a second, that meant you were afraid, that you lost." 

"As far back as you can penetrate, whatever culture you go to, you always find that men are responsible for the vast majority of the violence," he says.  

They discuss the first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney and the role of body language.  

"Short men are rarely, if ever, elected to be president." 

"It's a fight club, but all of the hits are given in words," Gottschall says of universities. 

They comment on boxing as a sport and its lagging popularity.  

LSU Student and WAFB 9 News Associate Producer Cessali Fournier and Director Bonny McDonald promote LSU's play 'Racy.'  

Fournier says they tried to express through their body ways they have been affected by racism or racist towards others.  

Her cast member, Emily, is white.  She says that she struggled with identifying movement to her "whiteness." 

"We want to engage people and give them a starting point to have a conversation about race," Fournier says.  

HOUR TWO: 

Conservative Commentator and Professor Bruce Herschensohn gives his opinion on Cuba, Iran, and President Obama.  

He was an advisor to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.  He is not a fan of President Obama.  

"I think it's probably the greatest invention in modern warfare," he says of drones.  

"I don't trust President Obama because so much of what he has promised, domestic and international, hasn't happened." 

"If there is anyone who's listening who wants to run for office, I have no regrets for running.  It is a terrific education," Herschensohn says.  He narrowly lost a senate election.  

He also speaks on a trip he took with his girlfriend and a married couple to a strip club.  "We had a good time," he says.  The story came out three weeks before his election.  "When you're on the defensive, you lose." 

"We were winning the Vietnam War until congress didn't allow us to send over the supplies we promised... and then Watergate." 

Author and Journalist Leo Honeycutt joins the show to comment on former Olympian Bruce Jenner.  

Honeycutt is the confidant to former Governor Edwin Edwards.  He is returning from an event in which Edwards gave a forty five minute speech.  "He has nothing to lose now, so he's speaking his mind and shooting straight," Honeycutt says of Edwards.  

Honeycutt comments on the Bruce Jenner transition.  He points out Bruce's age and says, "You do have to wonder how much of this is about publicity."