News

Patent production isn’t growing as quickly in Baton Rouge as in other metro areas, according to a new national study.

The Brookings Institution ranks Baton Rouge 141st out of over 350 metro areas for patent production. The capitol city averaged 71 new patents yearly between 2007 and 2011. But it is on the bottom of the list for patent growth.

High patent production typically coincides with low unemployment. And patent growth can indicate coming industry expansion.

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meets Thursday to discuss reforms to the Army Corps of Engineers.

One of Louisiana’s senators, David Vitter, now sits as the ranking minority member of the committee.

Vitter saif the Corps has a history of putting projects on the back burner because of cost and bureaucratic entanglements.

“Important projects take twenty years or more, deadlines are almost never met,” Vitter said. “It’s just one paper shuffle after another.”

Jim Caldwell, with Baton Rouge Metro Airport,  shares what's going on there.

Kim Marie Vaz, author of "The Baby Dolls", talks about the African American heritage of Mardi Gras.

Political commentator Bruce Herschensohn shares his concerns over the selection of Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax reform proposals may include raising the tobacco excise tax. Health officials have suggested raising the tax by a dollar per pack. A study shows raising the tax by that much would raise $223 million a year – that’s almost enough to have closed this year’s $240 million budget gap. 

Jindal has said his tax reforms would be revenue neutral, replacing the income tax with higher sales tax.

Preliminary data from the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation shows Super Bowl XLVII brought an estimated 150,000 visitors to New Orleans, and is expected to rake in an estimated $432 million for the city’s economy.

Just about 80 miles up the road here in the capital city, tourism spill-over from the Super Bowl-boom gave Baton Rouge a bit of an economic bump as well.

Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Paul Arrigo says Baton Rouge started planning for Super Bowl 2013 in 2009, when New Orleans was initially chosen for the site.

Political blogger Tom Aswell of LouisianaVoice.com and U.L.-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross join Jim to talk about Governor Jindal, the Spring Legislative Session and other political matters in Louisiana.

Chuck Goodwin, with the Baton Rouge Gridiron Club, talks about the 18th Annual Bayou Bash LSU recruiting day event, tomorrow at the River Center.

This week we'll take an extended investigation into the meat markets of Louisiana. First, we'll hear from the owners and operators of Cleaver & Company, a new boutique butcher shop in New Orleans.Then, Dr. Lawrence Powell discusses the consequences of the 1873 U.S. Slaughterhouse Cases, which inadvertently paved the way for Jim Crow laws to be enacted in the 20th century. Plus, Poppy spends time with Wynton Marsalis and chats with foodie Betty Fussell.

Lawns are still dormant now, so don't judge them too harshly. But you can tend to areas where grass has died out completely.

LSU's governing board has approved a $549,000 annual pay raise for football coach Les Miles.

The change has bumped Miles' salary to $4.3 million a year and extended his contract through the 2019 season.

Her honor Bernette J. Johnson was sworn in as Louisiana's first African American chief justice Friday morning. Johnson was only able to take her seat after two civil rights lawsuits.