AGR - Louisiana Edition

American Ground Radio
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Join Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr on American Ground Radio - Louisiana Edition as they delve deep into the heartbeat of Louisiana, serving up a gumbo of local and statewide news, and political opinion to boot. Whether you're in NOLA or Natchitoches, Minden or Moss Bluff, grab a seat and savor not just the spicy Louisiana politics, but also the company of friends and family that make this place we call home. 

  1. 58m ago

    Louisiana Jumps to 23rd in the 2027 State Tax Competitiveness Index

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 12, 2026.  We start the day after Veterans Day with a story from a Louisiana honor flight to Washington, D.C. Coast Guard veteran Ballard Ernest, who has been blind for 20 years, was one of the visually impaired veterans to receive AI-powered smart glasses from Meta, part of a 130,000-pair donation. He used them to walk through busy D.C. streets straight to the door of a pizza restaurant. We talk about what that independence means and how best to honor our veterans. Next, we look at Louisiana’s nuclear future. Governor Landry has fast-tracked permitting, but Washington says a permanent waste facility has to exist somewhere in the country before new plants can move forward. We get into Yucca Mountain, the idea of storing waste in offshore salt formations, Turner Industries’ plan for a nuclear fabrication facility with 1,000 direct jobs, and why energy leadership matters for the data centers that will power the next generation. In our Top 3, state Representative Mike Baham of St. Bernard Parish has died at age 52, and we remember a friend and fellow member of the Republican State Central Committee. Attorney General Liz Murrill wants a man accused of attempting to hijack United flight 2174 to stand trial before he is deported a third time. And an Opelousas police chief candidate, already in a December runoff, has been arrested on charges tied to improper use of a state database. Then we ask what makes a Republican primary Republican. Senator Bill Cassidy, who lost his reelection bid after Louisiana moved to closed party primaries, is sponsoring legislation to require open primaries for federal offices. We argue both sides, from Texas and John Cornyn to Susan Collins in Maine and California’s jungle primary. In Digging Deep, Louisiana jumped nine spots to 23rd in the Tax Foundation’s 2027 State Tax Competitiveness Index. We go through the five categories, why sales tax is still 49th, how Louisiana compares with Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas, and what the 2024 tax reform and Republican leadership in Baton Rouge changed. After that, we tell a story from Arlington National Cemetery. Specialist Thomas Inglisius, a soldier of the Old Guard, told Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his entourage to keep silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Hegseth answered by awarding him a commendation medal. In Say What, Hillary Clinton says she lives rent-free in Donald Trump’s head, and we debate who is really thinking about whom, plus the Electoral College and the Russia investigation. We also raise questions about Congressman Ro Khanna’s NVIDIA stock sale just before the Jensen Wang scandal broke, and talk about the Chinese espionage concerns around the story. We close with a quick game on the state tax rankings, who landed at the top, and who landed at the bottom. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.

  2. 8h ago

    What SpaceX Could Mean for Louisiana

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 11, 2026. We start with our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, and the biggest story is Louisiana’s $6.8 million contract with New Orleans engineering firm Royal to plan the roads, bridges, permitting and utilities for SpaceX’s proposed Starbase Louisiana in Vermilion Parish. We’re all in favor of the project, but we also remember Elio Motors and the golden-shovel groundbreakings that never turned into buildings, so we debate whether anyone should get excited over plans. Next, a member of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, appointed by Governor Jeff Landry, and his son are being sued by subcontractors who say they’re owed more than $434,000. Then we share the news that State Rep. Mike Bam’s office says he is gravely ill, and we ask you to keep him in your prayers. From there we dig into the fallout from the midterms. Senator Bill Cassidy says the results were a repudiation of President Trump, and we ask whether his own primary loss was a repudiation of his impeachment vote. We look at what Louisiana voters actually did, including Julia Letlow’s narrow win and the Republican victories across the state’s congressional delegation. We also take up Senator John Kennedy’s blunt warning that Republicans shouldn’t talk themselves into believing they did nothing wrong. We look at the historical pattern of midterm losses for the president’s party, and at what hurting families are really telling politicians. In Digging Deep, driverless buses are coming to Shreveport, which becomes the second city in the nation to partner on autonomous transit. We ask whether you’d trust a bus with no driver, what the service attendant on board really means for costs, and whether the safety data wins you over. Back in the political arena, Congressman Robert Garcia’s remarks at “Crooked Con” draw our reaction. We also look at a report on Governor Gavin Newsom’s vineyard investments and the conflict-of-interest questions it raises about his immigration policy. Then we play a game: who are the 10 wealthiest presidents in American history? The answer says a lot about what the American Revolution was really about. We close with the news that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly been targeted by Iran and that his family has been moved to a military installation, which we’ll pick up in the next hour. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.

  3. 2d ago

    Louisiana Audit: 1 in 5 Sexual Assault Kits Never Sent to Crime Lab

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 10, 2026. We open with a troubling report out of Louisiana: a Legislative Auditor review found that 337 of the 1,879 sexual assault kits collected statewide between July 2024 and December 2025 were never sent to a crime lab. We dig into the 2023 law that requires police to pick up kits within 72 hours and submit them within 30 days. We talk about why the law has no enforcement mechanism, what overloaded crime labs have to do with it, and why we shouldn’t tolerate missed deadlines on evidence that could put violent offenders behind bars. In our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, we start with that audit. We also cover a prosecutor in Orleans Parish who was fired over a Facebook post about a property tax increase and has now been reinstated, and a political consultant accused of dirty tricks who is suing the state attorney general and the Lafayette Parish sheriff. Later, we get to Digging Deep. Voters in Caddo Parish turned down a $60 million sports complex bond, and we ask whether these projects ever pay for themselves. We look at the Hilton Shreveport, which sits roughly $23.8 million in the hole, and compare it to success stories like San Antonio’s Riverwalk and Austin’s incentives for Dell. We also talk about the rise of electric bicycles, their risks, and whether personal responsibility or new laws is the better answer. We react to Senator Rick Scott’s call for the Senate to stay in session through the holidays, and to the 81 House-passed bills still waiting for action. On that front, we have some pointed words for Senate Republican leadership. Next, we look at how Bruce Springsteen’s political endorsement led to the end of a 20,000-member online fan club, and whether Americans want celebrities in politics at all. We then play a quick guessing game on the American Legislative Exchange Council’s ranking of the best and worst states for veterans. We close with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ refusal to work with Stephen Miller, and what that suggests about the next two years in Washington. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and visit AmericanGroundRadio.com.

  4. 3d ago

    Your Tax Dollars Paid to Convince You to Borrow $60 Million

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 9, 2026.  We start by asking whether taxpayers should be paying to be persuaded to raise their own taxes. A glossy, full-color mailer promoted the failed $60 million Caddo Parish sports complex bond, and we ask whether it was factual information or a campaign piece paid for with public money. We look at its tourism and economic projections, the missing downsides, and what Louisiana law says about using public funds to urge a vote. Then it’s our Top 3 Things You Need to Know. Democrat Gary Crockett says he’s running for governor against Jeff Landry. New Orleans is getting nonstop flights to Mexico City on Aeromexico starting next June. And Shreveport is receiving $2.2 million in federal Safe Streets grants for road improvements at 10 intersections. After the break, we look at New Orleans’ budget troubles and the share of its property that is exempt from taxation, which we think says a lot about the city’s budget problems. In Digging Deep, we go through the scathing Louisiana Legislative Auditor report on the town of Homer. It found missing utility cash, credits to a landlord’s account, unpaid payroll taxes, and more than $1 million in pandemic relief spending without a council-approved budget. We talk about why integrity and competence both matter in public office, and why voters have to keep watching after Election Day. Next, we take on Thomas Massie’s eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, what Democrats may do with them in January, and what we think it would accomplish for the American people. In Say What, James Carville claims Stephen Miller is compromised by Russia, and we break down what actually happened with the Halloween costumes and why we think Russia collusion is coming back. We also react to John Thune’s offer to work with Democrats, then play a game: which presidents have had the most chiefs of staff? We finish with the FAA’s continued use of floppy disks.

  5. Nov 6

    Caddo Voters Say No to $60 Million Sports Complex

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 5, 2026.  We start the night with the question facing House Republicans now that Speaker Mike Johnson says he won’t seek the minority leader’s job. We make the case for Louisiana’s own Steve Scalise over Ohio’s Jim Jordan. We respect both men, but we argue that a great committee fighter and a great leader of the whole conference are different jobs. We talk through what the next leader has to do: manage the party’s factions, recruit candidates, raise money, and win back the majority. Then it’s the Top 3 things you need to know. New Orleans is raising property taxes, with the City Council approving a roll-forward that falls well short of the city’s projected budget shortfall. Another Louisiana jailer, this time Lieutenant Faith Davis at Angola, has been arrested over an inappropriate relationship with an inmate. And first-time unemployment claims in Louisiana have declined for 11 straight weeks. After the break, we talk about gamers camping out at Best Buy for the new Zelda remake and ask what it would look like if voters showed that kind of enthusiasm. It turns out Louisiana’s midterm turnout was better than we remembered. In Digging Deep, we look at Caddo Parish voters rejecting a $60 million bond for a $70 million sports complex by 58 to 42. We argue the voters got it right and that the parish commission should hear a stop sign, not a “pause mode.” We also ask why the money isn’t going toward the jail, which sits over capacity every night. Next we ask whether Tuesday’s earthquake was a rejection of Donald Trump or a structural change in the electorate, with a look at Texas, shifting demographics, and the state of the Texas GOP. In Say What, we play Anthony Scaramucci predicting a Republican civil war and explain why we think the analysis is bad. We also take on Rosie O’Donnell’s talk of leaving Ireland and moving back to the US, and then play a game: guess the top 10 rattiest cities in America. We argue the Democrat-run strong-mayor form of government in all ten is not a coincidence. We also learn the real Irish toast, thanks to a listener text. We close the hour with a look at the $165 million spent on abortion-related ads this cycle, outspent four to one on the pro-life side, and what the pro-life movement should take from Tuesday’s results. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.

  6. Nov 5

    Shreveport Mayor Runoff: Arceneaux vs. Stormy Gage Watts Explained

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 4, 2026.  We open the morning after the midterms with a message for anyone feeling discouraged: God is still on His throne, and one election doesn’t decide the destiny of this country. From there we ask whether President Trump, who has always been good at voicing the frustrations of ordinary Americans, did enough to show he felt their pain and to explain the cost of going into Iran. We also dig into the economic data and our read that this was more a vote against Republicans than a vote for Democrats. In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, Speaker Mike Johnson is reelected in his Louisiana district but won’t seek the minority leader job, with Steve Scalise expected to make a bid. Julia Letlow wins the U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, 51 to 49 percent over Democrat Jamie Davis, who refuses to concede and is already warning Governor Jeff Landry. First Lady Melania Trump heads to Baton Rouge for the LSU-Alabama game to announce a $5 million Fostering the Future Scholarship Fund for LSU students who have been in foster care. Then we get local with the Shreveport mayor’s race, which comes down to Mayor Tom Arceneaux and Caddo Parish Commissioner Stormy Gage Watts. We talk about her role in the Bernie Sanders proclamation and the questions it raises about her economic philosophy. We also look at how John Paul Young’s 18 percent kept Arsenault from winning outright, and why the runoff could favor Watts unless Republicans turn out. In Digging Deep, we break down the Louisiana runoffs in the Fifth and Sixth Congressional Districts, where there are enough Republican votes to win if the party heals its wounds and comes together. We also look at how Texas turned blue and what James Talarico said about ICE. In Say What, we make the case that Ron DeSantis came out of Tuesday night in a stronger position for 2028, with Florida the only big red state left standing. Next we answer Hakeem Jeffries’ claim that Americans are tired of extremism, and we play a game about the biggest midterm wave elections in American history. It turns out the party that took the beating went on to win the next presidential election nine out of eleven times. We wrap up by asking how failing upward works in politics, from Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia to what Republicans need in a standard bearer there. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.

  7. Nov 5

    Election Night 2026 Live from Speaker Mike Johnson’s Watch Party in Shreveport

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 3, 2026. We’re broadcasting live from the Shreveport Convention Center at Speaker Mike Johnson’s election night watch party, with a note for our D.C. listeners that you’re hearing this Wednesday morning, after a show we recorded live on Tuesday night. We start by talking about what it means that one of the most powerful men in Washington calls Shreveport home, and what’s at stake tonight for the Trump agenda. We compare the possible fallout of a Democratic win to what followed the 2018 midterms. We also dig into pollster John McLaughlin’s claim that major polls are under-sampling Trump voters, and we make the case for why the polls may be off. Through it all, we remind you that God is still in control, win or lose. In the Top 3 You Need to Know, the Department of Justice sends election monitors to Orleans, East Baton Rouge and Lafayette parishes, and Secretary of State Nancy Landry responds. DeSoto Parish finalizes its new redistricting map. And Louisiana could be in the running for a new military base that would house up to 25,000 troops. We follow that with the good news on Louisiana’s finances, including Fitch’s bond rating upgrade and Treasurer John Fleming’s call for a bigger homestead exemption and a gradual phase-out of the state income tax, which we look at through the lens of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In Digging Deep, we look at how the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is going all in on space. The school is building a new space engineering program, meeting with NASA at Johnson Space Center, and positioning itself for the new SpaceX spaceport on the Gulf Coast. We ask whether it could do for Louisiana what UT did for Austin. Back at the watch party, we talk about why Speaker Johnson keeps telling voters not to believe the polls. We compare polling models to weather models, and we get into the Alaska and Michigan Senate races, where late shifts could happen. We also take a moment to remember that the voter who chose differently is our neighbor, not our enemy. Then we play a game: which universities have produced the most American astronauts? We close with a preview of what’s ahead in the second hour, including what could happen in Washington if Democrats take control of Congress. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.

  8. Nov 3

    Illegal Voting Is Apparently Fine This Year, Says the Supreme Court

    You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for November 2, 2026. Tomorrow is Election Day, and we start by asking Louisiana voters not to take the U.S. Senate race for granted. Julia Letlow is the widely assumed favorite, but we talk about why a political advantage isn’t the same as a victory. We look at Jamie Davis’s internal poll showing a tie, the shifting race ratings, the early voting numbers, and whether the primary divisions with Bill Cassidy’s and Dr. John Fleming’s supporters have healed. We also remind you that polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and that if you’re in line at closing time, you can still vote. In the Top 3, we cover a disqualified Louisiana judge who has been hired as a prosecutor in the same courthouse, a financially strapped Webster Parish town now under a state-appointed fiscal administrator, and the OMV closures for Election Day. Next, Caddo Parish Commissioner John Atkins joins us in the new studio. He’s running for the Public Service Commission in District 5, a seat Foster Campbell has held for more than 20 years. We talk about what the PSC actually does, how it handles rate cases, what rising utility costs mean for residential customers, how data centers are changing the conversation, and how storm recovery charges and grid resilience fit in. We then turn to the Supreme Court’s decision on the 20,000 disputed California ballots. We separate what the Justice Department alleges from what the courts have actually decided, and we go over what the administration was asking for and why we think it matters for election integrity. After that, we discuss a Pennsylvania woman arrested for blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot, and where the right to protest ends and someone else’s rights begin. Then we ask why Chicago offers ballots in 12 languages, and whether the melting pot works if we don’t share one. After that, we play a game of guessing which cities have the best parks, according to two very different rankings. We wrap up with Spike Lee urging the NBA champion Knicks to skip their White House visit, and we ask why every championship has to become a political statement. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.

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About

Join Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr on American Ground Radio - Louisiana Edition as they delve deep into the heartbeat of Louisiana, serving up a gumbo of local and statewide news, and political opinion to boot. Whether you're in NOLA or Natchitoches, Minden or Moss Bluff, grab a seat and savor not just the spicy Louisiana politics, but also the company of friends and family that make this place we call home. 

Information

  • Creator
    American Ground Radio
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    592
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright American Ground Radio
  • Show Website
    AGR - Louisiana Edition

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