Talk Louisiana

(LRN) Dr. Renee Levine of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital comments on the challenges facing U.S. Senator John McCain. The Arizona lawmaker, who cast the deciding vote on the bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act, is facing a grim forecast after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, Glioblastoma. Also on today's program : George Sells o...

Veteran anchorman George Sells talks about his former co-anchor Donna Britt and her battle with ALS. Sells and Britt were an on-air team at WAFB from 1988 to 2012. -

(LRN) Marjorie Esman with the Louisiana ACLU talks about President Trump's decision to keep transgender soldiers out of the nation's armed forces. -

(LRN) Broderick Bagert of Together Baton Rouge talks about the Senate vote on a measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

(LRN) Chelsea Parsons says a gun is stolen from a private owner every 67 minutes in Louisiana. Parsons is Vice President with American Progress, a guns and crime policy organization. -

John Kaufman, Director of Marketing and Programming for the Manship Theatre, comments on events at the arena, which has become a centerpiece for entertainment in downtown Baton Rouge. -

Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White responds to a lawsuit which sought to remove him. A member of the BESE board is calling for a vote on whether to retain White as superintendent, and Governor John Bel Edwards says he would like to see a change at the top. White points to numbers indicating improvement in public schools under his watch. White also reflects on his six years at his pos...

(LRN) Laura Shapiro, author of "What She Ate," discusses food stories from remarkable women in history.  Shapiro opines that eating habits reveal aspects of character. Also on today's program : Baton Rouge Magnet principal Nanette McCann on public education, here .

Baton Rouge Magnet High School principal Nanette McCann talks about the state of public education in Louisiana. McCann has been leader of one of the nation's leading schools for the past 15 years. She has also been serving as principal of the reopened Lee High School. -

Lynda Schuster, former foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, reflects on experiences including covering war zones and marrying an ambassador. Her book is "Dirty Wars, Polished Silver." Also on today's program : Elbert Guillory and Melissa Flournoy on politics and health care reform, here .

(elbertguillory.com) Former state lawmakers Elbert Guillory, (R)-Opelousas, and Melissa Flournoy, (D)-Shreveport, weigh in on national and state politics as another vote on health care reform looms in the U.S. Senate. -

Richard Painter, Chief White House Ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, analyzes the ethical minefields traversed by the nation's first billionaire chief executive. -

(LRN) Chuck Collins, with the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, discusses economic inequality in the United States. Collins is a philanthropist who gained public attention in 1985 when he gave his inheritance to several foundations at the age of 26. Also on today's program : Hillar Moore on the increase in murders in Baton Rouge, here .

(LRN) East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore comments on the increase in murders in the Capital region, the pending loss of funds for the BRAVE program to combat crime, and the fate of a notorious criminal Todd Wessinger, who had his death penalty reinstated by a court last week. -

(LRN) Author and photographer Sally Westerhausen talks about a meat-free blog that focuses on the adventurous side of vegetarian cooking. -

(Kelly Tate) Sue Lincoln, from WRKF's Capitol Access, talks about the continuing battle between Gov. John Bel Edwards and Superintendent of Education John White. The governor is not ruling out filing a lawsuit designed to remove White from his post. The superintendent says he serves at the pleasure of the BESE Board.

(LRN) Reporter Craig Unger from New Republic talks about the connection between Russia and President Donald Trump. In the latest issue of the magazine, Unger reports Trump has had financial dealings with Russians for more than three decades. Unger writes Trump was also was a guest of the former Soviet Union in an all expenses paid trip with his first wife, Ivanna, in 1987.

(LRN) Author Julie Klam theorizes why Americans are so enthralled by celebrity and meeting famous people. Klam shares about this and her book, "The Stars in Our Eyes." Also on today's program : Mike Bertaut talks about the fate of healthcare as Republican votes erode, here .

Mike Bertaut, chief health care economist for Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana, talks with us about the fate of the Affordable Care Act as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promises a vote for repeal next week. Bertaut will discuss the prospects of more than 400,00 Louisiana residents currently receiving Medicaid benefits. Louisiana Senators Cassidy and Kennedy have not indicated how the...

(LRN) Author Zinni Clemmons talks about how her background as a girl from Philadelphia raised by a South African mother and an American father contributed to her debut novel, "What We Lose." Clemmons notes that issues of race in America are not exclusive to the South. Also on today's program : Manuel Martinez, Baton Rouge's world-renowned tailor, here .

Renowned tailor Manuel Martinez has been in Baton Rouge since 1984 and has been recognized for his work three times at the World Congress of Tailors. Also on today's program , Professor Jacques Berlinerblau on tenure-tracak university professor jobs, here .

(LRN) Professor Jacques Berlinerblau from Georgetown University tells us about his belief that more university professors should have tenure. His book is "Campus Confidential, How College Works, or Doesn’t, for Professors, Parents, and Students." -

Janet Humphreys, former U.S. Intelligence officer and resident of New Roads, talks about her association with General Michael Flynn. President Trump's former National Security Adviser was fired for lying to Vice President Pence about his meetings with Russian officials and is now at the center of the probe directed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. -

Professor Ellen Meacham, who teaches journalism at Ole Miss, talks about Senator Robert Kennedy's memorable visit to Mississippi, which occurred 50 years ago. Meacham is the author of the forthcoming book, "Delta Epiphany: RFK in Mississippi." -

Paul Arrigo, President of Visit Baton Rouge, assesses tourism in the Capital region. We also press Arrigo on his favorite restaurants where he might take visitors from out of town. Arrigo also spends time recalling the tragic shooting of four police officers one year ago today. Also on today's program : Bradley Beychok on the role of the media in the age of President Trump, here .