Mornings with Brian Haldane

Congressman Troy Carter joined Talk 107.3 to discuss Louisiana’s redistricting debate and concerns over foreign seafood imports hurting local shrimpers. Carter said lawmakers should focus on demographics, compact districts, and keeping communities together when drawing congressional maps. He also warned that changing maps outside the normal census cycle creates instability for businesses and voter...

Louisiana schools are seeing major improvement in reading and math scores, and East Baton Rouge Parish leaders say the momentum is continuing. EBR School Board member Patrick Martin joined Patrick Martin to discuss new national data showing Louisiana is now the only state to surpass pre-COVID academic levels in both subjects. He also highlighted the state’s jump from near the bottom of national ra...

Downtown Baton Rouge could look very different in the future. Leaders behind Plan Baton Rouge Phase 3 say the focus is bringing people back to the riverfront and creating more reasons for families, tourists, and locals to spend time downtown. The plan includes a possible sports and entertainment district near the Queen Casino, new pedestrian-friendly spaces along River Road, and more parks and pla...

Louisiana lawmakers are debating a new wave of carbon capture bills that could give parishes more local control over projects in their areas. David Cresson with the Louisiana Chemistry Association says the industry worries those local approval requirements could create uncertainty and push companies to invest outside Louisiana. He argued the state already has authority over carbon capture permitti...

DOTD says Baton Rouge drivers should expect several overnight I-10 closures this week as crews continue work on the interstate widening project. Rodney Mallett with DOTD says the biggest impact will hit the I-10 eastbound on-ramp at South 10th Street near Government Street. That ramp closes nightly from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. through Thursday, weather permitting. Drivers will also see lane closures b...

Brian Haldane and Jeff Crouere broke down Louisiana’s Senate race after Bill Cassidy finished third in the primary. The runoff is now set between Julia Letlow and John Fleming. They discussed Trump’s influence on the race, Fleming outperforming expectations despite lower spending, and whether Cassidy could become a thorn in Trump’s side during his final months in office. The conversation also touc...

BREC leaders discussed upcoming park improvements, a future park renaming announcement, and a new push for public-private partnerships to help fund facilities and programming across East Baton Rouge Parish. Officials also announced “BREC University,” a new employee training program, along with a major safety investment that will expand AED devices across the park system from about 40 units to 124....

Judge Billy Burris joined Talk 107.3 after winning the Republican race for Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice in the First District. Burris defeated Blair Downing Edwards 58% to 42% and confirmed he will take office soon because no Democrat qualified for the race. He said the campaign lasted months and became heated at times, but election night results came in quickly. Burris also explained...

Louisiana lawmakers are advancing several workforce and education bills before the session ends. Proposals include a statewide career dashboard, more on-campus business partnerships at high schools, expanded financial literacy programs, and stronger career exposure for students. Mary Beth Derrickson with LABI also highlighted new national rankings that place Louisiana first in reading growth and s...

Moon Griffon joined Brian Haldane on Talk 107.3 to break down Louisiana’s Senate race and the fallout from Sen. Bill Cassidy losing re-election. Griffon said Cassidy’s impeachment vote against Donald Trump and his continued defense of it on national television ultimately hurt his support with Louisiana Republicans. Haldane agreed the vote became politically damaging but defended Cassidy’s lifetime...

Salad Station joined Foodie Friday to talk about National Salad Month, fresh ingredients, and why customizable meals continue to grow in popularity. The restaurant started in Hammond and now operates across six states with Baton Rouge locations on Perkins Road, Corporate Boulevard, and Coursey Boulevard. The conversation focused on the restaurant’s self-serve concept, fresh daily prep, and expandi...

Will Green with LABI explained Constitutional Amendment 4 and why the group supports it ahead of Saturday’s election. He said the amendment would give parishes more control over inventory taxes instead of keeping the rule in the state constitution. Green also addressed concerns about misinformation and discussed LABI’s endorsement of Judge Cade Cole Burris in the Louisiana Supreme Court race.

Louisiana Supreme Court candidate Judge William Burris joined the show to discuss the final days of his campaign and the biggest issues Louisiana voters continue bringing up ahead of the election.  Burris explained how judicial campaigns differ from traditional political races because judges must follow strict judicial rules and focus on interpreting laws instead of creating them. He discussed con...

New Orleans tourism is booming again with more than 19 million visitors in 2025 and over $10 billion in visitor spending. Kelly Schultz from New Orleans & Company joined Talk 107.3 to break down how major events like the Super Bowl, UFC events, Michelin recognition, and international tourism campaigns helped the city rebound stronger than ever. The conversation also covered upcoming events lik...

Emily Chenevert joined “Mornings with Brian Haldane” to discuss the final weeks of Louisiana’s legislative session, several education-related bills, and a community fundraiser supporting the Coppola family. She highlighted the Coppola Pickleball Cancer Benefit happening at Electric Pickle this weekend, with live music, food, and community support for St. George firefighter Brian Coppola and his fa...

Free cancer screenings, health checks, music, food, and community resources are all coming together for Live Well Baton Rouge this Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Kyle Bove with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center explains how the free event helps residents access breast, prostate, colorectal, and skin cancer screenings regardless of insurance status. He also highlights the role of patient n...

Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain joined the show to talk about the kickoff of grilling season ahead of Memorial Day weekend. He shared simple steak tips, Louisiana barbecue traditions, and stories from cooking on family farms. The conversation covered everything from ribeyes and ribs to charcoal, pecan wood, propane grills, and why Louisiana families take grilling seriously.

A Baton Rouge teen is making a major impact in the fight against opioid overdoses. Leila Ramos started Hope Resuscitated after losing family members to overdoses and realizing teens had limited access to Narcan. Since 2025, her nonprofit has distributed more than 1,000 doses through anonymous pickup boxes at libraries and community locations. Ramos also launched a free app called “Overdose Partner...

Haggai Davis joined “Cup of Tech Gumbo” to break down the growing conversation around taxing AI companies. The discussion covered proposed “AI compute taxes,” how consumers could end up paying more for AI tools, and why avoiding artificial intelligence is becoming nearly impossible. The segment also touched on cybersecurity concerns involving hacked robot lawnmowers and connected devices.

Julia Letlow joins Brian Haldane to discuss the final days of the Louisiana Senate race, negative campaign ads, and what she’s hearing from voters across the state. She also explains her new FEMA reform bill aimed at speeding up disaster relief after hurricanes and why she believes the agency still needs major changes.

Louisiana Economic Development says carbon capture is now a major factor in landing new business projects across the state. Paige Carter with LED said about 80% of current economic development projects involve CCUS because global markets, especially in Europe and Asia, demand lower-carbon production. She said Louisiana’s existing oil and gas infrastructure, research partnerships with LSU, and inve...

Louisiana tow truck operators say insurance costs are becoming impossible to manage. Jared Varnado of Varnado and Sons Towing told Talk 107.3 his company pays more than $400,000 a year to insure 14 trucks, even with a clean record. He said many towing companies across Louisiana are shutting down because of rising premiums. Varnado explained that tow companies face strict state regulations on non-c...

Louisiana State Representative Paul Sawyer discussed efforts to speed up major infrastructure projects by giving Louisiana more control over the federal environmental review process. He said that could help move projects like the new Mississippi River bridge forward faster. Sawyer also talked about Louisiana’s redistricting debate and new flood control funding proposals tied to the Amite River Bas...

Cory Dennis joined “Mornings with Brian Haldane” to encourage Louisiana voters to show up for Saturday’s election and pay close attention to the constitutional amendments on the ballot. Dennis argued that too many voters automatically reject amendments without understanding them. The conversation focused heavily on Amendments 1 through 4. Dennis called Amendment 3 one of the most important proposa...

Attorney Franz Borghardt joined “Mornings with Brian Haldane” to break down Louisiana’s $4.8 million settlement with the family of Ronald Greene. The conversation focused on how wrongful death settlements are calculated, what factors drive the dollar amount, and whether taxpayers should feel satisfied with the outcome. Borghardt explained that settlements are about more than lost income. He said e...