The Teacher Pay Raise Battle Just Got More Complicated

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for June 19, 2026.We open with Louisiana's ongoing teacher pay raise battle and the growing debate over who should control education funding. Governor Jeff Landry says teachers deserve more money, a judge says the Constitution says otherwise, and local school districts are stepping in where state government has stalled. We break down the legal fight, the politics behind it, and what it means for teachers across Louisiana.We also discuss a startling report from LSU Health Shreveport showing Caddo Parish wastewater contains some of the highest levels of methamphetamine byproducts ever recorded, raising questions about drug abuse, public health, and even a surprising connection to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's efforts to challenge abortion pill regulations.Later, we look at a WalletHub ranking that claims Louisiana is one of the worst states in America for working fathers and ask whether national rankings miss what really matters about family, fatherhood, and quality of life. Plus, we celebrate Father's Day by discussing the often-overlooked role dads play in shaping families and creating generational success.We also dive into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s latest battle over food dyes, why your favorite M&M colors may be disappearing, and what that says about the growing Make America Healthy Again movement.Then we welcome Douglas Carswell of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy for a fascinating conversation about Mississippi's economic turnaround, why the state's GDP per capita now exceeds that of the United Kingdom, and what America's free-market system still gets right while much of the world moves in the opposite direction.And finally, we examine a poll showing a surprising number of Democrats believe America is worse than average compared to other countries, rank America's favorite holidays, and react to Hunter Biden's challenge to Donald Trump Jr. for a cage fight.All that and more on this episode of American Ground Radio.