Have We Forgotten What's Great About Louisiana?

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for June 24, 2026.Fresh off our trip to Times Square, we return home with a renewed appreciation for Louisiana after a conversation with a family that recently relocated from Washington, D.C. Their enthusiasm for Shreveport raises a simple question: have we become so focused on our state's problems that we've forgotten what makes it special? We discuss why sometimes it takes an outsider to remind us of the things we take for granted.We also break down the latest developments in Governor Jeff Landry's effort to provide teachers with a one-time stipend, why the plan remains tied up in court, and what it says about Louisiana's ongoing struggle to properly fund education. Plus, Planned Parenthood announces its return to Louisiana, and we examine what services the organization plans to offer and why its arrival is already generating controversy.Later, we discuss the resignation of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith following his guilty plea in an assault case and what leadership accountability should look like when public officials break the law.We also take a closer look at Senator Bill Cassidy's latest clash with President Trump after Cassidy joined Democrats on a War Powers resolution targeting the administration's actions toward Iran. Has Cassidy once again put himself at odds with Louisiana Republicans, or is this simply a constitutional disagreement over executive authority?Then we tackle two very different stories involving faith and public life. First, we react to a Louisiana pastor arrested after allegedly assaulting a neighbor and explain why using scripture to justify bad behavior damages the Christian witness. Then we examine a Texas politician's claim that Christianity is the most violent religion in history and debate whether that argument survives even a basic review of historical facts.Plus, a new election integrity fight emerges as the U.S. Postal Service threatens to withhold mail-in ballot delivery from states that refuse to comply with federal voter verification requirements, and the Department of Justice announces what it calls the largest healthcare fraud crackdown in American history.All that and more on this episode of American Ground Radio.Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!