
WWL First News with Tommy Tucker
1,046 episodes — Page 18 of 21

JP Morrell: There's "a lot of frustration" with the Sewerage & Water Board
We talk with Councilmember JP Morrell about the Sewerage and Water Board and the recent water main breaks and a potential banned riders registry for Mardi Gras.

How using drones can help NOPD make the French Quarter safer, more secure
Tommy talks with Ronal Serpas, Professor of Practice in the Department of Criminal Justice at Loyola and a former NOPD chief, about using drones and other technology in the fight against crime.

NOPD is closer to expanding a drone program in the French Quarter
Would expanding a drone program in the French Quarter make things safer and easier to police? Tommy talks with Ronal Serpas, Professor of Practice in the Department of Criminal Justice at Loyola and a former NOPD chief.

How is the war with Iran going for the US, Middle East in general?
We’ll bring you the latest on the war with Iran and how things are shaping up across the Middle East and what the next steps are with Duke Jentleson, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University.

The legislative session offers chance to transform the Louisiana workforce
We’ll check in with Barry Erwin, the chief policy officer for Leaders for a Better Louisiana, about what they’re focusing on in the legislative session.

How do Americans feel about the war with Iran?
How are voters feeling about the war with Iran? Do they trust President Trump on how to handle foreign adversaries? We’ll break it down with Aaron Dusso, Associate Professor of Political Science at Indiana University - Indianapolis.

BONUS: Gen Z may destroy both the beer and wine industries as we know them, plus a morality survey as a 'giant red flag' to US society
A new story, and trends we can all see, show that Gen Z is changing the world of alcohol, plus another study shows Americans have a very dim view of each other's morality, and GLP1s may change lifestyles across the spectrum.

Full Show: Why water mains are breaking, Saints making moves, and more
* Why are we having so many water main breaks in New Orleans? * The Saints are making splashes in free agency * What's happening with gas prices with ongoing war with Iran? * Speeding up development of the old Esplanade Mall site * This New Orleans company is helping build the next space station * What's happening with gas prices with ongoing war with Iran?

Hour 4: The Saints are making some splashes in free agency
We get an NFL free agency update with Jeff Nowak, WWL Saints sideline reporter.

Hour 3: Redeveloping Esplanade Mall and building the next space station
* A company based in New Orleans is helping build the next space station. We’ll spend some time talking with Michael Hopkins, a senior advisor to Vivace and an astronaut who has spent 333 days in space, about the work they're doing. * Jefferson Parish is looking to buy the old Esplanade Mall to help speed up the redevelopment of the site. We’ll get the details

Hour 2: Water main 101 and a legislative session wishlist
* What do Louisiana businesses want from the legislative session? We’ll dive into it with Will Green from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. * Why are we seeing so many water main breaks in New Orleans recently? Is it just that a bunch of really old pipes are failing? We’ll talk with engineer HJ Bosworth.

Hour 1: How much does a war cost? How high could gas prices go?
* How much is the war with Iran costing the US? Is it adding to the debt and deficit, or is this money that would’ve been spent anyway? We’ll try to break it down * How high could oil and gas prices go due to the Iran war? What about prices at the pump?

This New Orleans company is helping build the next space station
A company based in New Orleans is helping build the next space station. We spend some time talking with Michael Hopkins, a senior advisor to Vivace and an astronaut who has spent 333 days in space, about the work they're doing.

Arita Bohannan wants to speed up development of the old Esplanade Mall site
Jefferson Parish is looking to buy the old Esplanade Mall to help speed up the redevelopment of the site. We’ll get the details from Councilmember Arita Bohannan.

Why are we having so many water main breaks in New Orleans?
Why are we seeing so many water main breaks in New Orleans recently? Is it just that a bunch of really old pipes are failing? We talk with HJ Bosworth, a professional engineer and research director of Levees.org

What are Louisiana businesses hoping for from the legislative session?
What do Louisiana businesses want from the legislative session? We’ll dive into it with Will Green, President and CEO of LABI (Louisiana Association of Business and Industry).

What's happening with gas prices with the ongoing war with Iran?
How high could oil and gas prices go due to the Iran war? What about prices at the pump? We talk with Patrick De Haan, the chief petroleum analyst for Gas Buddy.

How much is the war with Iran costing?
How much is the war with Iran costing the US? Is it adding to the debt and deficit, or is this money that would’ve been spent anyway? We’ll try to break it down with Katherine Thompson, a Senior Fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute and a former Trump administration Pentagon official.

BONUS: Trump calls new leader of Iran 'unacceptable,' and here's why as many in the US wonder ... 'what's the end game?'
Iran has a new Supreme Leader, and this is what you need to know about him. Is Trump going to send in soldiers? Plus, we reveal the latest polls on American acceptance of action in Iran

Full Show 3-9-26: Boil water advisories, gas prices jumping, and saving college sports
* Another day, another water main break, another boil water advisory * Oil and gas prices are jumping. Here's what to expect * The legislative session starts today! Here are the issues to watch * Will Trump's Saving College Sports effort change anything? * LSU baseball's slump drags on with losses to Sacramento State * Bank On It: Making sense of the oil & gas market and stock market

Hour 4: Will Trump's Saving College Sports effort change anything?
We’ll take a deep dive into the state of college sports — including agents, NIL, revenue sharing, and all the lawsuits the NCAA keeps getting hit with — with Matt Brown, the publisher of the Extra Points Newsletter.

Hour 3: Airport delays, water main breaks, and redeveloping the old Six Flags site
* A TSA sickout has led to long lines at the airport the last two days * We check in with Aimee McCarron about the water main break that happened in her district * We’ll talk with Troy Henry and get an update on Bayou Phoenix and the plans for redeveloping the old Six Flags site

Hour 2: Another water main break, another legislative session, more oil turmoil
* Another water main break, another boil water advisory * It’s the start of the legislative session! We’ll break it down and what some of the big issues could be * Bank On It, financial insights you can count on with Jason Shields, the COO of Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Hour 1: LSU slumping and oil and gas skyrocketing
* Recapping LSU's rough weekend in baseball and women's basketball * Oil prices have continued to rise with the Iran war and Gulf countries potentially shutting down production.

Bank On It: Making sense of the oil and gas market and stock market with the Iran war
Bank On It, financial insights you can count on with Jason Shields, the COO of Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Councilmember Aimee McCarron on what we know about the water main breaks
We check in with New Orleans City Councilmember Aimee McCarron about the water main break that happened in her district

Check out the latest details for the Bayou Phoenix development at the old Six Flags site
We talk with Troy Henry and get an update on Bayou Phoenix and the plans for redeveloping the old Six Flags site

TSA shortages have led to long lines at the airport
A TSA sickout has led to long lines at the airport the last two days. Erin Burns, Deputy Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong International Airport, joins us.

The legislative session starts today! Here are the issues to watch
We break down the start of the legislative session and what some of the big issues could be with Jeremy Alford, editor and publisher of LaPolitics Weekly

Another water main break, another boil water advisory. What you need to know
Tommy talks with Kaitlin Tymrak, Interim General Superintendent of the Sewerage and Water Board, about the latest water main break and the latest boil water advisory.

Oil and gas prices are jumping because of the Iran war. Here's what to expect
Oil prices have continued to rise with the Iran war and Gulf countries potentially shutting down production. We’ll take a look at what’s going on with Greg Upton, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies.

LSU baseball's slump drags on with losses to Sacramento State
Tommy and WWL.com columnist Jeff Palermo break down LSU baseball's struggles.

BONUS: We're going on a nostalgia journey filled with photos, toys and the rebirth of Pizza Hut Classic
This week, we’re getting nostalgic. We’re headed to a photography museum, a toy museum, retro pizza joints and more. We’ll also sit in on an interview with Jon Taffer of the long-running series "Bar Rescue", now entering its 10th season. Featuring audio from Own the Road with Kelly and Bob out of KRLD 1080 in Dallas, the Dana & Parks show out of KMBZ in Kansas City, Drivetime with DeRusha out of WCCO News Talk in Minneapolis and KNX News in Los Angeles.

Full Show 3-6-26: Seafood to try, picky eaters, and more

Hour 3: Oil and gas turmoil and progress on the Lindy Boggs site
* What impact is the Iran war having on oil and gas prices? How will that impact what you pay at the pump? We’ll break it down with Eric Smith with Tulane’s Institute of Energy. * Is the old Lindy Boggs hospital closer to being demolished? We’ll talk with Councilmember Lesli Harris about how things are looking for redeveloping the site.

Hour 2: More fortified roofs and fewer picky eaters
* We’ll continue to check in with local legislators ahead of the session. State Senator Kirk Talbot has a bill aimed at increasing the number of fortified roofs and decreasing insurance premiums. We’ll get the details. * Do you have a kid that’s a picky eater? It’s something that can start as early as when they’re still in the womb, but there are ways to expand your child’s palate. We’ll talk with Kathleen Keller, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, about what to do.

Hour 1: LSU baseball in a slump and Saints need to beef up the OL
* We’ll preview LSU baseball’s weekend series against Sacramento State and break down how the Tigers have looked so far with WWL.com columnist Jeff Palermo. * The Saints had one of the most injured offensive lines in the NFL last year. We’ll talk to Mike Detillier about how the o-line looks heading into free agency and why it’s so difficult to have enough quality linemen.

Restaurant revamps, seafood, and plenty to eat
Tommy and Ian McNulty, who covers food and dining culture for The Times Picayune | New Orleans Advocate, go over some places to try around the area.

Is the blighted Lindy Boggs hospital closer to redevelopment?
Is the old Lindy Boggs hospital closer to being demolished? We’ll talk with Councilmember Lesli Harris about how things are looking for redeveloping the site.

How is the Iran war impacting the oil and gas industry, particularly in Louisiana?
What impact is the war having on oil and gas prices? How will that impact what you pay at the pump? We’ll break it down with Eric Smith with Tulane’s Institute of Energy.

How do you stop your kid from being a picky eater?
Do you have a kid that’s a picky eater? It’s something that can start as early as when they’re still in the womb, but there are ways to expand your child’s palate. We’ll talk with Kathleen Keller, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, about what to do.

Will the legislature increase the fortified roof program and decrease insurance premiums?
We’ll continue to check in with local legislators ahead of the session. State Senator Kirk Talbot has a bill aimed at increasing the number of fortified roofs and decreasing insurance premiums. We’ll get the details.

It's tough to have enough offensive linemen. How is the Saints OL room?
The Saints had one of the most injured offensive lines in the NFL last year. We’ll talk to Mike Detillier about how the o-line looks heading into free agency and why it’s so difficult to have enough quality linemen.

What's behind LSU baseball's recent struggles?
We preview LSU baseball’s weekend series against Sacramento State and break down how the Tigers have looked so far with WWL.com columnist Jeff Palermo.

BONUS: Here's how China is beating the US in automobile supremacy, plus training workers for an AI future and the country's biggest owl event
Why is China beating the U.S. in electric vehicle production and innovation? Here's why. Plus, a professor discusses preparing students for an AI future and we learn about the country's biggest owl festival, where everyone is urged to come on down and 'have a hoot.'

Full Show 3-5-26: How the Iran war is impacting us, how big a problem sexual exploitation is here, and more
* The war with Iran is impacting Louisiana. Here's how * Sexual exploitation is a too common problem in Louisiana * Measles can be deadly, and cases are skyrocketing. Here's what to know * China is ahead of the US on electric vehicles. Can the US catch up? * City Park has a ton of projects planned. Here's how they're improving * This state rep. wants to tackle AI, fortified roofs, and more

Hour 4: China is ahead of the US on electric vehicles. Can the US catch up?
Is China far ahead of us when it comes to electric vehicles and self-driving cars? What could that mean for the American auto industry? We’ll dive into it with Steven Melnyk, Professor of supply chain management at Michigan State, where he has done research into strategic supply chain, cybersecurity, performance measurements, and supply chain design.

Hour 3: Getting ready for the upcoming legislative session
* Nearly 1 in 12 Louisiana adults have been the victim the sexual exploitation according to a new survey. We’ll spend some time with Tulane researcher Anita Raj talking about the findings and what needs to change. * The start of the legislative session is less than a week away. We’ll check in with Representative Mandie Landry about some of the bills she’s profiled, including ones about notifying people when an inmate is improperly released and AI use in political campaigns.

Hour 2: Measles skyrocketing and City Park improvements
* The US is on pace for another record-breaking year in terms of measles cases. * City Park got a $2 million donation for improvements. We’ll spend some time with CEO Rebecca Dietz about that and how work on the master plan is going.

Hour 1: Iran war expands and impacts Louisiana
* We’ll get the latest on the war with Iran from CBS military analyst Jeff McCausland * Checking in with Ag Commissioner Mike Strain