WWL First News with Tommy Tucker

How important is enforcing the traffic laws to overall public safety? We’ll dive into it with former NOPD chief Ronal Serpas.

After a historic Uptown home was demolished without a permit last fall, Representative Aimee Freeman got a bill approved that will increase the fines for actions like that. We’ll talk with her about the problem and what her bill does.

The new State of the States report has good and bad news for Louisiana. The bad? We’re dead last. The good? We improved in a number of categories since last year. Douglas Harris, professor and chair of Tulane's Department of Economics and the Director of the State of the States project, joins us.

Small business optimism fell while uncertainty rose last month. What’s behind the news? What are the biggest issues giving small business owners headaches? Leah Long, Director of the Louisiana chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), joins us.

How is the real estate market in our area been? What are the hottest areas? And what can we expect from mortgage rates with the new Fed chairman? Local real estate analyst Arthur Sterbcow joins us.

We dive into arguments for and against data centers in major cities across the U.S. Plus, did companies that culled the workforce believe too much in AI? Here's why hiring has returned.

* What are the best ways to discipline your kids? How did your parents do it? * St. Tammany Animal Services is in urgent need of adoptions and fosters for dogs at an overcrowded shelter. We’ll find out how you can help

* New Orleans has been working to clear a big backlog in cases in a slow-moving section of criminal court. How successful has the effort been? We’ll break it down with Jesse Manley, the interim director of Court Watch NOLA. * The Strategic Petroleum Reserve could drop to levels not seen since the 1980s. What actually IS the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Where is it located?

* Why did Governor Landry crack down on the New Orleans court system? Tyler Bridges, the chief political reporter for The Advocate, has the inside story; and we’ll get the details. * West Nile was recently discovered in mosquitoes in New Orleans. We’ll talk about what the disease is and how it spreads

* As we celebrate the 250th birthday of America…fewer Americans think the US is special compared to other nations or think that democracy is central to our identity. We’ll dive into the new report with political scientist David Schultz. * Breaking down a new LSU commitment

What are the best ways to discipline your kids? How did your parents do it? We spend some time with our friend Dr. Judy Ho, a licensed clinical therapist, talking parenting and punishments.

St. Tammany Animal Services is in urgent need of adoptions and fosters for dogs at an overcrowded shelter. We’ll find out how you can help

New Orleans has been working to clear a big backlog in cases in a slow-moving section of criminal court. How successful has the effort been? We’ll break it down with Jesse Manley, the interim director of Court Watch NOLA.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve could drop to levels not seen since the 1980s. What actually IS the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Where is it located? Eric Smith, a professor at Tulane's Institute of Energy, joins us.

Why did Governor Landry crack down on the New Orleans court system? Tyler Bridges, the chief political reporter for The Advocate, has the inside story; and we’ll get the details.

West Nile was recently discovered in mosquitoes in New Orleans. Let's talk about what the disease is and how it spreads with Dr. Fred Lopez, Professor of Medicine in the Section of Infectious Diseases at LSU Health New Orleans

As we celebrate the 250th birthday of America…fewer Americans think the US is special compared to other nations or think that democracy is central to our identity. We’ll dive into the new report with political scientist David Schultz.

LSU secured another commitment, this time from an intriguing Louisiana prospect. WWL.com columnist Jeff Palermo breaks down the Markez Davis commitment.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be allowed to play this season...after he bet on college football games, including his own team, for years. WWL.com columnist Jeff Palermo breaks down what's going on.

A weekend of violence exploded across the U.S. as summer gets underway. Get the latest on that, plus a jobs report, the eye-watering prices people are paying for NBA Finals, and fun facts about America for her 250th birthday.

* How will the Alvin Kamara situation end up? * Louisiana farmers and ranchers are getting hit hard * Another blow to peace talks in the war with Iran. What you need to know * LSU baseball is already reshaping the roster with the transfer portal * Bank On It: Making sense of the jobs report and the market's reaction * What you should know about this project to stengthen, restore our coast

* We’ll check in with Saints sideline reporter Jeff Nowak about what’s he’s seen out of Saints OTAs so far. * There’s an important project to help protect and strengthen the marshes and land separating Lake Pontchartrain from Lake Borgne and the Gulf. We’ll talk about what’s happening with Amanda Moore from the National Wildlife Federation.

* A bill that would’ve ended the Belle Chasse bridge tolls permanently stalled in committee as the session was ending. We’ll break down what happened and where things stand with State Representative Jacob Braud. * Bank On It, financial insights you can count on with Jason Shields, the COO of Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

* The transfer portal for LSU baseball has started to heat up some. We’ll go over the comings and goings for the Tigers with WWL.com columnist Jeff Palermo. * How much are farmers getting hit by rising costs - and now things like screwworm? Is it going to keep getting tougher in the near future?