TRANSCRIPT
You’re listening to Red River Radio News.
Good morning, I’m Jeff Ferrell.
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INTRO:
A special movie screening tonight at LSU Shreveport explores the fight to release nearly 1,000 people across Louisiana still in prison by non-unanimous jury verdicts.
The Documentary, entitled The Roots That Bind Us, recounts Louisiana’s history of non-unanimous verdicts, beginning with a Jim Crow era law from 1898.
In 2018, voters approved Amendment 2, that ended the practice in the future.
Two years later, in 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled non-unanimous jury verdicts were unconstitutional.
But in 2022, the Louisiana Supreme Court declared the High Court’s ruling does not apply retroactively to cases before 2019.
The film addresses the movement to free those nearly 1,000 inmates. Director Sara Gozalo spoke with Red River Radio News ahead of tonight’s screening about how such films can make a difference:
SOT:
“To show you, at least give you the information that you need to make a decision about whether or not you feel comfortable with Louisiana continuing to do things the way they’re doing, whether or not you feel like, ‘you know what, I’m going to call my House representative or I’m going to call my state senator. I’m going to call my district attorney and tell him, and tell her, I’m not okay with this. You have to, you have to do something about this.”
TAG:
The Roots That Bind Us documentary screening starts at 6 o’clock tonight in the University Center Theatre at LSU Shreveport.
A post-screening question-and-answer session will include the film’s director, along with legal experts and advocates. A second screening takes place Saturday at the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport at 7:00 p.m.
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INTRO:
There’s some encouraging news to report about Louisiana’s overall workforce.
More Louisiana adults are continuing their education beyond high school.
As Aubri Juhasz with the Gulf States Newsroom reports, it's all part of a years-long push by the state:
SOT:
“Fifty-four percent of adults in the state have a college degree or credential, up ten percent from 2019. A report released this week from Louisiana’s board of higher education credits dual enrollment — when high school students take college courses — accelerated degrees and other programs. The state graduated 85,000 students with credentials or degrees in 2026, hitting its 2030 goal early. But it still trails the rest of the country and struggles in particular areas, like college completion. Affordability is a problem for many students, even as schools try to keep tuition low.”
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INTRO:
The race for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana may be closer than many expect. The campaign for Democratic farmer Jamie Davis released the results of a recent statewide poll.
It shows Republican Congresswoman Julia Letlow leading their race by only 4 points – 48 to 44 percent.
This week, civil rights advocate and progressive Democrat Gary Chambers said Davis understands how the economy is impacting everyday Americans:
SOT:
“This man understands the cost before we ever see it, and that's somebody that I think has the foresight, the vision, and the capacity to lead, and they're not a puppet.”
TAG:
Chambers made the remarks this week while Speaking on the radio program Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster.President Trump endorsed Letlow even before the primary election, against incumbent Bill Cassidy, who finished third.Last week, the outgoing senator said he will not endorse Letlow. But Cassidy predicted she’ll win easily in the November 3rd election.
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The National Weather Service in Shreveport is calling for:
- Mostly sunny conditions, with a high near 91 on this Friday, a change from the extreme heat that ended summer 2026 days earlier.
- For the weekend: more of the same. Dry & sunny, with highs hovering in the low 90s throughout the region and cooler evenings.
- The National Weather Service forecast for next week remains in flux at the moment, with questions on the speed of lower pressure moving into the region. A slower arrival would delay the chances for rain until the latter half of next week.
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