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  • Louisiana Projected to Add 55,000 Jobs as SpaceX, Meta, and LNG Investment Pour In

    Louisiana Projected to Add 55,000 Jobs as SpaceX, Meta, and LNG Investment Pour In
    2026/10/07
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for October 6, 2026.

    We start with great news for Louisiana: a projected 55,000 new jobs over the next two years, driven by a wave of industrial investment. We run through the numbers from Baton Rouge to Lake Charles to Shreveport-Bossier, with Monroe headed for record employment thanks to a massive Meta data center. We also debate whether it's time to celebrate or whether we should wait for the chickens to hatch, and why this moment feels different from the broken promises of the past. Then we switch gears to Senator Bill Cassidy, who lost his closed Republican primary and is now pushing federal legislation to force open primaries in every state.

    In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, we start with the first shipment of Venezuelan aluminum in more than a decade, 15,000 tons arriving at Avondale. Next, SpaceX has filed for a permit to build a new wharf, warehouse, and 16-mile roadway to support its South Louisiana space center. Third, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno paid off a bet with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens by wearing a Falcons jersey after the Saints' 45-24 loss.

    After the break, we look at the City of New Orleans helping residents buy e-bikes with a federal EPA climate grant. We break down the vouchers, the safety classes, and whether any of it makes sense.

    In Digging Deep, we take on an AP article about a Black community in Louisiana facing a future "without a champion in Congress" after redistricting, and the premise that you can only be represented by someone who looks like you. We question what Congressman Cleo Fields actually accomplished as a minority-party member, and we dig into the history of the Democrat Party, Reconstruction, and the Voting Rights Act.

    Next, two planes collided on the tarmac at LAX, and we use it to talk about the strained relationship between the U.S. and Canada. We cover the tariff and trade disputes, Chinese steel, Quebec's election win for the National Party, and the upcoming Alberta referendum on becoming its own country. We also talk about Canada's best exports, namely its comedians.

    Then we play Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's answer to Shannon Bream on whether his Catholic faith makes him biased. We debate whether judges can set aside their personal beliefs, what the Constitution says about religious tests, and why justices must rule on the text of the law.

    Don Henley has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Democratic candidates this cycle, including James Talarico's Senate race in Texas. We take on celebrity politics, and whether we'd still go to the concert. Then we play a game: six years after the COVID lockdowns, which states stayed locked down the longest, and which eight never locked down at all?

    We close with the ongoing Minnesota fraud scandal, including the sentencing of an aide to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in the Feeding Our Future case, and the question of whether state leaders were negligent or complicit.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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    42 分
  • New Orleans Mandated Affordable Housing and Got Zero Apartments

    New Orleans Mandated Affordable Housing and Got Zero Apartments
    2026/10/06


    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for October 5, 2026.

    We start with Senator John Kennedy quoting the Judds on Meet the Press while admitting he's thinking about a 2028 run for president, and we debate whether a great senator would make a great president. Then it's the Top 3 things you need to know: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill suing the NCAA on behalf of two ULM players denied a fifth year of eligibility, and former Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins jumping back into local politics to endorse Stormy Gage Watts in the mayor's race.

    We share what it was like being recognized by AGR listeners at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, and then we go Digging Deep into what happened when New Orleans mandated affordable housing. The city's inclusionary zoning program was supposed to create more affordable units, but a 2025 report found it produced no new apartment complexes, and we explain why government mandates so often deliver the opposite of what they promise.

    We then ask why the left keeps changing names, and author Mike Richman joins us to talk about his book, A Tale of Two Football Teams: The Washington Pro Football Encyclopedia. He covers the true origin of the Redskins name, the financial pressure that ended it, and whether it could ever return. We also weigh in on the NFL suspending officials for losing their cool with players, and we play a game that tests your knowledge of which NFL teams have played the most games in league history. Finally, we respond to New York congressional nominee Claire Valdez's call for a trans bill of rights, and we ask why a veterans' bill of rights isn't the priority.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.





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    42 分
  • Arrested for a Slur? The First Amendment Question No One Wants to Touch

    Arrested for a Slur? The First Amendment Question No One Wants to Touch
    2026/10/05
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for October 2,2026.

    We start with a story out of Ruston, where two Louisiana Tech students were arrested for allegedly blasting racial slurs through a loudspeaker near campus. We're clear that the speech was ugly, racist, and offensive. We also take a look at it from a constitutional angle, covering the First Amendment, Louisiana's disturbing the peace statute, and the narrow "fighting words" exception, and why how and where something is said can matter as much as what was said.

    In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, Attorney General Liz Murrill's opinion places Blake Miguez's residence in New Iberia Parish, and we explain why he can keep his state Senate seat and still run in the 6th Congressional District. Baton Rouge residents are complaining about noise from Amazon delivery drones flying low over their neighborhoods. And Shreveport Regional Airport plans to tear down its 1970s control tower and build a new $40 million one as part of a broader expansion.

    Next, we talk about a new 528-bed facility in Alexandria for families, unaccompanied minors, and single adult women awaiting deportation. We discuss why keeping families together matters, how the left is responding, and the debate over words like "cage."

    In Digging Deep, we compare city budgets. New Orleans is proposing cuts to its police department, including body cameras and civilian staffing, while Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux is proposing a 6% raise for police and firefighters with no new taxes. We talk about what the difference says about leadership.

    After the break, Charles Barkley tells Chris Cuomo what voters are really hearing from Democrats ahead of the midterms. In Say What, CNN's Harry Enten explains how Republicans have beaten September polls in Iowa, Ohio, and Michigan, and we ask whether the polls are wrong, biased, or meant to demoralize voters.

    Then we ask why some Democratic politicians seem to favor illegal immigrants over American citizens, and we play a game for Italian American Heritage Month: which countries sent the most immigrants to the U.S. in the 1960s, and which send the most today?

    We wrap up with President Trump's trip to Mobile, Alabama, and a look at how the press covers a presidential visit by focusing on the road closures and canceled classes instead of the opportunity.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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    42 分
  • Louisiana Brothers Charged With Funding Hamas, BRCC Record Enrollment, Carroll High Suspended

    Louisiana Brothers Charged With Funding Hamas, BRCC Record Enrollment, Carroll High Suspended
    2026/10/02
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for October 1, 2026.

    We open with a case hitting close to home: two St. Tammany Parish brothers accused of helping finance Hamas through PayPal, Western Union, and online fundraising. We walk through the alleged "bread" code language, the undercover operation out of New York, and why we say knowingly funding terrorists is not political speech.

    In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, we cover the arrests of Omar and Abdel Adhami on wire fraud and material support charges, Baton Rouge Community College's record enrollment and its largest freshman class ever, and the Carroll High School football team and coaches suspended for the rest of the season after a postgame brawl with Assumption High School fans. After the break, we talk about the death of an 18-year-old student at Benjamin Franklin High School in Los Angeles after a classroom fight. We ask why so many young people struggle to control their emotions, and what parents can teach their kids about walking away.

    In Digging Deep, we head to the village of Elizabeth, Louisiana, where police chief candidate Zachary LaCaze dropped out over a Hatch Act problem with his Fort Polk job. That leaves Chris Paul, who was recently arrested on two second-degree rape charges, as the only candidate left. We cover why the state can't remove him without a conviction and what the Board of Aldermen is considering. Then we turn to California's governor's race and Steve Hilton's attack on Xavier Becerra over the hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children who went missing.

    In Say What, we get into Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's blunt speech to officers at Quantico, why we think the Department of War name fits, and why we say the military is about merit, not social experiments. We also look at Gavin Newsom's executive order requiring state employees to say "artificial intelligence" after Trump pushed "superintelligence." Then we play a game of which countries have the largest navies. The U.S. comes in third behind China and Russia, and Great Britain lands at a stunning 33rd. We wrap up with the British-Iranian man arrested in connection with the attempted attack on a British airbase, and why we say governments should follow the evidence wherever it leads.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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    42 分
  • Louisiana Fights Back: Three States Take On New York, California, and Massachusetts Over Abortion Pills

    Louisiana Fights Back: Three States Take On New York, California, and Massachusetts Over Abortion Pills
    2026/10/01
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for September 30, 2026.

    We open with a heavy story out of Shreveport, where a 13-year-old boy died shielding his 2-year-old sister during a shooting at a basketball court. We talk about a culture that doesn't know what to do with anger, rejection, and disrespect, and about what honor, responsibility, and restraint really look like. Our message to anyone who needs it: your feelings are temporary, but the consequences are not.

    In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, we start with the U.S. Navy's decision to have three Louisiana shipyards build 30 medium unmanned surface vessels. Next is the court challenge to the newly approved Amazon data center in Shreveport. Then we cover the arrest of Melville Mayor Coretta Robertson, which the St. Landry Parish sheriff now says should never have happened.

    From there, we make the case for why it's a great time to be in Louisiana, from the big industrial investments around the state to Louisiana Tech's most academically prepared freshman class ever. In Digging Deep, we look at Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas suing New York, California, and Massachusetts over abortion shield laws. We cover the case filed directly with the U.S. Supreme Court, the separate suit against a network of providers, and why we see it as a question of state sovereignty.

    In Say What, we dig into Jameis Winston's viral remarks, which turn out to be straight from Philippians and James. Then we turn to our own prediction that Democrats will impeach President Trump again if they win the House, and we react to Congressman Ro Khanna's explanation on Meet the Press. We also cover the Senate vote that sank a bill banning stock trading by members of Congress, because it was paired with a photo ID requirement for federal elections. And we play a game of presidential impeachment trivia that goes all the way back to Thomas Jefferson.

    We wrap up by asking whether the thwarted attack on the flydubai flight and the arrests near a British air base used by U.S. forces might be connected, and what Iran's role in terrorism could mean here.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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    42 分
  • A Judge, a $765,000 House, and a Threat to Jail Reporters Under a Law That No Longer Exists

    A Judge, a $765,000 House, and a Threat to Jail Reporters Under a Law That No Longer Exists
    2026/09/30
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for September 29, 2026.

    We start with the Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate 77 to 22 with both Louisiana senators, John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, voting yes. We explain what the bill does on NIL compensation, transfers, eligibility, and agents, and why its path through the House is uncertain with the clock running on this Congress. Then we get into Senator Kennedy's failed amendment to cap annual ticket price increases at 4 percent. We side with Senator Cassidy that Washington shouldn't be setting prices, but we also ask why students and families are being priced out of Tiger Stadium.

    In our Top 3, Louisiana State Police say as many as seven laws may have been broken when Orleans Parish Democrats conspired to indict Attorney General Liz Murrill, an indictment the state Supreme Court threw out. The mayor of Melville is arrested after failing to appear in court in a civil case. The man attacked by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff in a Madisonville restaurant sues for damages.

    In Digging Deep, we look at the story out of New Orleans involving Judge Kimya Holmes, her ex-fiancé, and a $765,000 house. The ex-fiancé owed more than $712,000 in a COVID fraud case. We cover how WWL's reporting put the transfer in front of a federal judge, and how Holmes's camp then tried to go after the journalists using a law the legislature had already repealed.

    Next is Barron's Law, introduced by Texas Congressman Brandon Gill in memory of an eight-year-old killed in a tractor-trailer crash. It would require CDL applicants to be legally authorized to work in the U.S. and to pass an English proficiency assessment. We explain why this is about reading road signs and understanding a police officer, not about accents.

    On Say What, former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom has a message for the WNBA on defining a woman, and we talk about why the messenger gets attacked instead of the question being answered.

    We also follow up on the inspector general's findings on Afghan asylum vetting under the Biden administration. We play a round of AP test trivia, and we find out which states lead the nation in participation and what that means for red states. Finally, we ask why Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed calls tougher fentanyl penalties draconian while pushing supervised consumption sites.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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    42 分
  • The Murrill Investigation, the GATOR Task Force, and the Caddo DA Race

    The Murrill Investigation, the GATOR Task Force, and the Caddo DA Race
    2026/09/29
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for September 28, 2026.

    We open with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who was indicted on 16 felony counts by an Orleans Parish grand jury over letters she wrote to New Orleans officials in a fight over the Orleans Parish clerk of court consolidation. All 16 counts were later dismissed, and now the Louisiana Supreme Court has appointed St. Tammany and Washington Parish District Attorney Colin Sims to investigate how the indictment happened in the first place. We walk through the whole story and ask whether a grand jury was used as a political pressure valve.

    In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, we cover two LSU fraternities, Delta Kappa Epsilon and Phi Gamma Delta, suspended amid hazing investigations, and the difference between leadership and abuse. We also cover the GATOR task force, which has already led to 65 arrests of violent criminals across North Louisiana, and the announced retirement of Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson at the end of the year.

    Next, we take a moment to talk about hope. The St. Tammany Parish coroner says the parish is on pace for a record number of suicides this year, and that most are spontaneous decisions made in the worst few minutes of a crisis. If you or someone you know needs help, you can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

    In Digging Deep, we look at the Caddo Parish District Attorney's race between incumbent James Stewart and State Senator Alan Seabaugh, sparked by the escape of Travion Jackson and the five years he spent in jail awaiting trial. We debate who deserves the blame for jail overcrowding and trial delays, from the DA to the sheriff to the legislature.

    Then we turn to Pope Leo's message to Europe about its Christian heritage and his call for young people to start families and defend life from conception to death, and we ask whether he goes far enough.

    In Say What, we play a clip of David Brooks admitting that the mainstream media has lost its distance from the Democratic Party, and we discuss what it means when journalists stop acting as watchdogs.

    We also react to President Obama's claim that government is less corrupt than ever, set against a Gallup survey showing that 89 percent of Americans believe corruption is widespread. Then we play a game about affordability, guessing which states have the highest and lowest average rents and where the affordability crisis actually is.

    We close by returning to the terror plot at RAF Fairford in England, asking why five suspects were released on bail and why their names haven't been made public.

    Listen wherever you get your podcasts and visit our website at AmericanGroundRadio.com.
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    42 分
  • Why Wasn't This Already the Policy? Caddo's Jail Escape Fixes

    Why Wasn't This Already the Policy? Caddo's Jail Escape Fixes
    2026/09/28
    You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avalone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for September 25, 2026.

    We kick off on Dolly Day by celebrating Dolly Parton's talent and generosity. State Representative Mike Baham is set to announce legislation creating a Louisiana specialty license plate in her honor, with $25 from each plate supporting her Imagination Library and getting free books to kids. We talk about why early reading matters, and about how Dolly never forgot where she came from.

    In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, protesters gather in Alexandria over a planned immigration detention center at England Air Park, and New Orleans police report a 98% murder clearance rate this year. A Louisiana parish also works to avoid a state takeover as it faces a $1.65 million bond payment and service cuts.

    Next, we dig into Louisiana's finances, with a $1.4 billion rainy day fund nearing its cap, a $577 million surplus, and what it could mean for future tax cuts and Governor Landry's reelection bid. In Digging Deep, Caddo Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. announces new inmate transport policies after murder suspect Travion Jackson's escape, and we ask why these common-sense rules weren't already in place.

    We then look at President Trump's emergency request to the Supreme Court to resume third-country deportations, and why the politics are tricky heading into the midterms. In Say What, we react to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's threats to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu and Netanyahu's response at the United Nations. Next, we react to Barack Obama's claim that government is less corrupt than ever, and to a Gallup survey showing 89% of Americans see widespread corruption. We play a game about which states have the highest and lowest average rents, and we wrap up by wondering whether the gold eagle President Trump gave Xi Jinping was a gift or a little trolling.

    Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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    42 分